The Brandeis Hoot, 03/08/2019

Volume 16 Issue 6

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

March 8, 2019

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.

Special Elections fill all Union, Judiciary seats

By Rachel Saal, Celia Young and Sabrina Chow editors

STUDENT UNION POSTER BOARD A colorful

display of posters outside the Student Union office.

PHOTO FROM HOOT ARCHIVES

The special elections of the Student Union filled each of the six open positions yesterday, spanning the Senate and Judiciary. A total of 688 students voted in the special election.

In the Senate, Zach Kern ’21 and Nakul Srinivas ’21 ran unopposed for the two open seats for class of 2021 senator. Both were elected to the position. Srinivas won with 63 out of the 151 votes, with Kern winning with 56 votes.

Srinivas wants to bring Union committees closer to other parts of the Union so all students have an opportunity to work closely with the Union. Srinivas also wants more students to have an opportunity to give feedback after events and contribute ideas for the class of 2021.

“I feel like in the Brandeis Student Union that anyone who wants to participate in the Union should be able to,” he said.

“Sometimes I feel like people on the committees don’t feel like they’re a part of the Student Union.”

Srinivas, who has run for three Union positions before and serves on the Student Union Social Justice Committee, said he wanted to be a voice for the class of 2021.

Kern did not respond to The Brandeis Hoot’s requests for comment.

Nathan Sayer ’22, Jonathan Ayash ’22, Zhengmao Sheng ’22 and Nancy Zhai ’22 all competed for the single seat for the class of 2022 senator. Zhai won the election, receiving 98 out of the total 217 votes. Sayer, who did not win the seat, followed in second place with 47 votes.

See ELECTIONS, page 4

DCL aims to make the housing selection process trasnparent

By Thalia Plata staff

The Department of Community Living (DCL) invited the Student Union Executive board and representatives from The Brandeis Hoot and the Justice to witness the housing selection random-

ization process on Wednesday afternoon. This is the second year DCL has invited students to view the housing lottery process in an effort to be more transparent and quell misinformation.

Dr. Timothy Touchette, assistant dean of student affairs, also announced some changes to the housing system. Juniors

and seniors will have a chance to live in Skyline next year, and students who back out of their contract will be charged with higher monetary penalties.

Touchette explained the two main processes that take place to generate housing selection numbers. The first is rising-sophomores housing se-

lection numbers. The second process is for upperclassmen.

Housing numbers one to 100 are reserved for students with various housing accommodations.

This year both numbers 101 and 1200 were placed on hold for the potential SkyFactor survey winner, who gets to choose housing first. Numbers 102 through 1100

are for rising sophomores and this year there were 965 applicants for sophomore housing. According to Touchette, this number is consistent to trends from previous years.

Numbers 1201 through 2600 are saved for rising juniors and seniors, who are not guaranteed See HOUSING, page 2

Disability rights activist speaks at Brandeis

By Celia Young editor

Advocate for disability rights Judy Heumann spoke about the importance of integrating disability into education and improving accessibility to a packed hall of students and others working in the field of accessibility on Thursday night.

Heumann, who is in a wheelchair due to having polio as a child, has served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations and as Special Advisor on Disability Rights for the U.S. State Department from 2010 to early 2017.

Inside This Issue:

Heumann became an activist in college where she organized a 28-day sit-in at the San Francisco office of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

During this sit-in, Heumann advocated for the enactment of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and succeeded. The act paved the way for the American Disabilities Act (ADA), according to Heumann.

Her activism in San Francisco was dramatized on an episode of Comedy Central’s “Drunk History,” which Heumann presented and then spoke about during her See ACTIVIST, page 6

News: Survey asks about sexual violence Ops: Reflecting on the Gates’ annual letter Features: Art project examines education Sports: Women’s T&F prepares for nationals EDITORIAL: Take the campus climate survey!

JUDY HEUMANN SPEAKS

Fencing

Page 5 Page 13 Fencing team wims six-weapon title.

Page 7 Page 10 SPORTS: PAGE 9 Page 8

Judy Heumann speaks about disability activism.

APAHM BAASA celebrates the Asian American experience.

ARTS: PAGE 17

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2019

IN THE SENATE: Feb 10, 2019

DCL explains changes to housing selection process HOUSING, from page 1

housing. This year there were 1388 applicants for upperclassmen housing, which is a significant rise in applicants. The number of applicants grew by around 200 to 330, according to Touchette.

During the actual selection process, the names and personal information of students were hidden in order to maintain student privacy. DCL uses an online system that randomly assigns a number to students. The process is done twice, once for rising sophomores and then a second time for upperclassmen.

DCL takes the numbers and assigns time slots based on them.

Touchette and Paris Sanders, associate director of community living, explained that this year students can expect to see to see some changes. Because of a trend of students backing out of their

housing agreement, there will be more severe monetary penalties for canceling. Now, depending on when a student drops out of the contract, they have to pay a percentage of the final cost based on the period in which a student cancels. Students have until May 1 to cancel their housing request without penalty, after which they begin to incur a fee. Because of students canceling their housing, the number of spaces for students studying abroad will be scaled back to reflect previous trends.

Another change for the upcoming housing selection is that singles in Massell and North Quads will no longer be available to rising sophomores, making the quads truly first-year dorms. Touchette explained that there is no longer a need to house sophomores in firstyear quads and that those rooms will be held for older first years who may have taken a gap year.

Skyline Residence Hall will also see some changes. The north tower of Skyline will remain rising sophomore but the south tower will be available to rising juniors and seniors, giving upperclassmen a chance to live in Skyline. “It was a request we heard loud and clear this year,” said Touchette.

DCL will no longer be releasing statistics on what housing certain numbers can expect to get. Instead DCL will be releasing live availability online this year. “The stats have caused a problem every year I’ve been here,” said Touchette.

Room selection numbers will be released on March 13, and housing selection will begin on March 25, which is when students studying abroad will choose their housing. Rising sophomore housing selection opens on March 27 and runs through March 29, while upperclassmen can select housing April 8 through April 12.

Students gather for sustainability symposium

By Rachel Saal editor

Climate change is the biggest problem that humanity has ever faced, but the future of the fight against climate change is more promising than it has ever been, according to a climate change advocate who spoke at the Sustainability Student Leadership Symposium on Sunday. Ryan Hagen, founder of Crowdsourcing Sustainability, said that we need a “world war-like mobilization to fight climate change.”

“We have the tools, we know what we need to do, we just have to make it happen,” said Hagen.

“There are a few people in power who are trying to keep things the way they are, but if we can tap into the power of the people, we completely outnumber them, and we can really get things done.”

It’s important that we understand the reality of our situation so that we can approach it the way that we need to, according to Hager. The Paris Agreement says that we should not increase the temperature of the earth more than two degrees Celsius, but temperatures have already risen by one degree Celsius.

“The best way to think about it is not that two degrees is game over,” said Hager. “The whole thing is a spectrum. The less warming we allow, the better it’s

going to be; the better our lives and our children’s lives are going to be.”

To limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, greenhouse gas emissions would need to be cut in half by 2030 and net zero by 2050, five times the amount set by the Paris Agreement. To limit warming to two degrees Celsius, there would need to be a reduction in emissions by 25 percent by 2030 and net zero by 2070, three times the amount set by the Paris Agreement.

“Climate change and our response to it is going to change the world over the next 25 years as much as the internet did in the last 25 years,” said Joe Romm, physicist and climate expert.

Hager cites organizations and movements like Sunrise, Extinction Rebellion and School Strike for Climate as being key forces that are pushing change. He also said that larger pushes for changes include the bipartisan carbon pricing bills and the Green New Deal.

“Momentum is building and change is in the air,” said Hager.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a time where there’s been more hope despite how grim the situation looks, and that is because there are organizations and movements that have all come around in the past year or two.”

The Crowdsourcing Sustainability community was created

to collect information and ideas from people around the world to help eliminate greenhouse gases as soon as possible, according to Hagen.

The company’s conception was based on the premise that there is a need to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, people everywhere are increasingly ready to help and that the amount of people that are going to have access to the platform is enormous. By 2025, nearly the entire the world will be online for the first time together, according to Hager, and he believes that this is key for mobilization.

“I’m building an army of climate champions and getting people to act more and be more informed,” said Hager.

After speaking with a variety of climate experts including Bill McKibben, Paul Hawken and Gina McCarthy, Hager compiled a list of the most effective ways that every person can help stop global warming. The list included speaking up and breaking the climate silence, getting the right people to represent us in government, holding your existing representatives accountable and collaborating with others. Hager said that anyone who is passionate about stopping global warming and wants to learn more would be a great fit at Crowdsourcing Sustainability. For more information, email ryan@crowdsourcingsustainability.com.

PHOTO COURTESY MAYA COLLINS

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Assistant Dean Steph Grimes spoke about how the Presidential Framework created task forces, specifically the Living and Learning Experience task force which contains five different subgroups focusing on community engagement, residential living and undergraduate advising including academic advising, the orientation process and career advising.

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The union passed three amendments, one that would create a position called “community senators,” which would open a quad senate position—for example, the senator to Massell quad position—to the entire community if no students run for the original position.

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An amendment was also passed that removed the outdated rule that clubs must have a Google site—a rule the Union has not enforced. Lastly, the union passed an amendment requiring members of the judiciary branch to attend Rules Committee meetings. Nine amendments were tabled for next week’s meeting.

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Grimes reported that the different groups will be meeting with different students, staff and faculty from 72 campus groups. Grimes then asked the union seven questions, and senators responded with their recommendations to improve Brandeis. Grimes reported that the task force will be putting in recommendations to the president to help direct the next 10 years at Brandeis.

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Senators Kendal Chapman ’22 and Jacob Diaz ’20 spoke about their different experiences with pre-med advising, with Chapman’s experience being positive while Diaz felt that the pre-med advising was more interested in doing what was best for Brandeis, not the students.

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Jake Rong ’21 also spoke about improving the Hiatt Career Center’s outreach, and many other senators agreed that publicizing the career center could be improved.

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Grimes also asked about orientation week, and senators agreed that International Student Orientation could be improved, and the orientation process could be more flexible as a whole. Grimes then asked about the best way to free up student time to increase community engagement.

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Chapman expressed that the midterm period, which for her, runs until the week before final exams, could be condensed to be less stressful. Joshua Hoffman ’21 expressed that there could be more events with food, as on certain days Brandeis dining closes early, making it hard for students to eat.

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Grimes then asked about how to improve school spirit.

Diaz spoke about how he felt he had no time to attend Brandeis events, and Topaz Fragoso ’22 spoke about how Brandeis needed a key event, like a sports game, to bring students together, though sports may not be the answer at Brandeis, she said.

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Executive Senator Kent Dinlenc ’19 reported that the date for a judiciary case that could change the Allocations Board’s ability to fund the Union Executive Board has been delayed again due to judiciary positions being unfilled.

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Hoffman reported that the condom initiative, to put condoms in freshman dorms, had been completed.

- Celia Young

March 8, 2019

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Disability rights activist Judy Heumann speaks on accessibility at Brandeis DISABILITY, from page 1

talk. The Comedy Central piece expressed the challenges persons with disabilities faced in getting jobs and being treated equally under the law and in society.

Heumann spoke about the actress who played her in the Comedy Central episode, Ali Stroker, who has a disability and is the first woman with a disability to perform on Broadway. Heumann used this to illustrate the importance of portraying persons with disabilities in the media.

Heumann was interviewed by Sandy Ho, a research associate with the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, who asked Heumann about different issues including how social movements affect public policy and how best to integrate disability into a larger higher education curriculum— including in fields such as urban planning and transportation.

Heumann emphasized that disability should be considered a part of diversity and should be integrated into higher education.

“We really want to be learning about how disability should be being integrated into the curriculum,” Heumann said. “We need to be looking at where are the disabled faculty and the diversity of the disabled faculty so that the diversity reflects race, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation.”

“That’s something that needs to be proactive and I think the movement is heading in that direction,” she said.

Heumann emphasized that disability needs to be at the forefront

of conversations on urban planning, transportation and even climate change, which is causing more people to live with disabilities, she said.

Heumann also took questions from the audience, which included scholars on disability and disability activism, professionals from neighboring colleges and Brandeis students.

Emily Dana ’19 asked Heumann what the best advice was for an activist staring out their career.

Dana contributed to an earlier letter to President Liebowitz that called for more accessibility on campus, according to an earlier article in The Brandeis Hoot.

Heumann told Dana that organizing was the most important factor. “I think the university should be welcoming of these issues,” Heumann said. She continued, “504 has required accessibility since 1973 and it’s 2019.

I think you know people need to come together and do an honest assessment of where they are.”

The talk itself was very accessible. Live closed-captions of the lecture were projected onto a screen behind Heumann, and two sign language translators translated throughout the lecture. The talk was also videotaped to be later released by the Lurie Institute.

Heumann also told Dana that the university is a great environment to produce change and encouraged her to articulate her message and work collaboratively.

Speaking about Brandeis specifically, Heumann encouraged Brandeis community members to “Look at what Brandeis is do-

ing to really elevate diversity and inclusion beyond just accessibility and addressing disability and what role Brandeis can play in academic community around the United States.”

Heumann also responded to a question about the future of disability activism, saying that the community is becoming more inclusive of others with disabilities, including older community members and members with non-physical disabilities.

At the end of the talk, Heumann was presented with a plaque from the Lurie Institute of Disability Policy for her past activism and her leadership in civil rights.

PHOTOS BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

Framework task forces work with Board of Trustees

By Sabrina Chow editor

The co-chairs of the three task forces on Student Learning and Living, Supporting Research Creativity and Collaboration and Honoring Brandeis’ Founding Values led hour-long workshops with the Board of Trustees in late January, according to an email released by President Ron Liebowitz. The task forces were established after Liebowitz’s “A Framework for Our Future” address in November of 2018.

The main focus of the meeting looked at “how best to enhance the student experience; broaden our research and scholarly capacity; and articulate more effectively our Jewish roots, and their relevance to Brandeis today and tomorrow,” Liebowitz wrote in his email.

Professor Kim Godsoe (SOC) and Professor Sara Shostak (SOC) are leaders of the Task Force on the Student Learning/Living Experience. Professor Constance Horgan (HS) and Professor Sacha Nelson (NBIO) lead the Task Force on Supporting Research, Creativity and Collaborative Innovation, while Liebowitz and Professor Jon Levisohn (NEJS) and Professor Chad Williams (AAAS) lead the Task Force on Honoring Our Founding Values.

The Student Learning/Living Experience Task Force is current-

ly on “an intensive listening tour,” with 60 meetings that include students, faculty, staff and alumni, according to the email. The group worked with the Alumni Association board members and the Office of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association Board on distributing a survey to all alumni in early February.

The Department of Community Service also assisted in hosting a meeting with 15 community partners in Waltham to discuss engagement of the university. They have also been looking at other highly selective universities similar to Brandeis to bring the models of other schools to campus.

The Supporting Research, Creativity and Collaborative Innovation Task Force is also going through a listening tour with current faculty and researchers in the School of Arts and Science, the Graduate School of Arts and Science, the International Business School, the Heller School and various research center and institutes housed under Brandeis.

The Working Group on Undergraduate Research that is part of the task force that surveyed several departments and groups across campus and will speak to new student representatives on Thursday, March 7.

The Honoring Our Founding Values Task Force is working on “mapping out the future of Brandeis’ commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and racial

justice, and its equally strong commitment to understanding and articulating its history and roots in the Jewish community,” according to the email.

Two working groups within the task force are guiding initiatives.

The Working Group on Equal Opportunity, Social Impact and Community Engagement is determining what steps the university must take to “uphold its historical

identity, values and commitments while reimagining these ideas for the coming decades.”

The Working Group on Jewish Scholarship, Leadership and Service is looking at different models that can increase coordination and collaboration among scholars who study and teach on different areas of contemporary Jewish life.

Liebowitz hopes that through collaboration, scholars and stu-

dents will gain a greater understanding of “the complexities and dynamism of Jewish culture, including the values upon which our institution was founded,” according to the email.

Liebowitz urges students and members of the Brandeis community to submit questions and ideas to the task force and engage with the steering committee about how to better improve the university.

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2019

Student Union elections fill all open positions on judiciary, senate branches ELECTION, from page 1

Zhai will focus on three main things as a senator. The first thing is on improving dining at Brandeis. As a member of the dining committee and now a senator, Zhai is looking to make food more accomodating for students with allergies and for students on campus during school breaks.

She will also work towards improving the Union’s outreach and is a part of this committee as well.

She is hoping to plan more Meet the Union events, actively engaging with her constituents and increasing communication between them with email and social media.

The final thing is to work on increasing representation in the Union. As an Asian immigrant, Zhai feels that there is a gap between the international student body and the rest of the student body. “I understand the struggle and I hope to increase representation of marginalized communities,” Zhai told The Hoot in an interview.

“Thank you to my classmates for electing me and entrusting me with this incredible opportunity to serve you. If you have any questions, concerns or general ideas, feel free to talk to me,” Zhai told The Hoot. She is also planning on hosting office hours in more locations that just the Student Union office, including the SCC atrium and library to make herself more accessible to students.

Yuechan Ta ’21 was unopposed for the international senator seat,

receiving 55 votes out of 75 international students who voted. Ta is the current president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association and has hosted events to celebrate Chinese culture across the Brandeis community, she said during an interview with The Hoot.

She will work with the admissions office to help international first-years adjust to campus and host events to help non-native English speakers learn to succeed on campus. Ta will always stay in constant communication with international students to make them aware of different policies and deadlines that may come with hosting events.

Ta says that she is always thinking of different ways to help international students, including integrating them into campus by making cultural clubs more inclusive and helping international students learn to become more acclimated to American culture.

“Thank you. Thank you for believing in me and helping me to make Brandeis a better and more inclusive community,” Ta told The Hoot. “I will listen to feedback and suggestions to help international students and make Brandeis a better place.”

In the Judiciary, Rachel Sterling ’21, Jack Ranucci ’22, Shivam Nainwal ’22, Ian Duffield ’22, Adrian Orduno ’21 and Steven Luo ’21 ran for the two open seats in the Judiciary as Associate Justices.

Sterling and Ranucci won the

seats. Sterling received 150 votes, while Ranucci received 114 votes out of the total 688 votes.

Sterling thinks that there should be a more honest dialogue between the Judiciary Board and the students.

She is the personnel director for WBRS, and as a legal studies minor, she is very interested in the interpretation of law in a fair, un-

biased way.

“I want to understand how the A-board establishes rules on how clubs can spend their budget. In WBRS, we don’t fully understand why there are certain restrictions, and I feel like other clubs have that same issue, so I’d really like to solve that ambiguity.”

Sterling says that there are some bylaws in the student Constitu-

tion that should be addressed and that the students should know more about way that the Constitution is affecting them.

“I’m here to serve you and I will do everything in my power to serve in an honorable and just way that you can easily understand,” said Sterling.

Ranucci did not respond to The Hoot’s requests for comment.

PHOTO FROM HOOT ARCHIVES

PARC asks students to fill out sexual assault and violence survey

By Celia Young editor

Brandeis students opened their email accounts to find a campus climate survey on sexual and relationship violence on Tuesday morning. Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Division of Student Affairs, the survey aims to gather students’ responses to sexual violence in the Brandeis community.

The survey is similar to a 2015 survey with a few minor changes, according to Director of the Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center Sarah Berg. All survey responses are anonymous, Berg emphasized, and she hopes students will respond to the survey. The survey is incentivized—all students who fill it out will receive $5 towards an Amazon gift card or can choose to donate their $5 one of three charities dealing with sexual violence and/or domestic violence.

“I think the folks we really want to hear from the most will probably have the hardest time taking it. So we’re trying to do our best to ask the questions we need to know the answers to but not cause harm,” Berg said.

Berg has also distributed short pamphlets on the survey, detailing a content note that says, “the questions asked in the survey are personal and very detailed, so please take care of yourself when participating.”

The earlier 2015 survey examined racial harassment, sexual

assault and a sense of community experience, according to a 2015 Hoot article. The survey found that 22 percent of women, five percent of men and 35 percent of students who identify as transgender or other indicated that they had been sexually assaulted. The survey also found that six percent of women and one percent of men in the undergraduate population said they had been raped, according to the Hoot article.

In a later analysis of the survey broken down by race, the survey found that at the graduate and undergraduate level, Black, Latino and other minority students did not feel that the administration would handle a sexual assault case well. Asian American students had the highest confidence in the administration to handle these situations well and fairly, according to another earlier Hoot article.

Berg hopes that students will have more confidence in the administration. “I’d hope to see some improvement in how the students feel the administration is at least trying around this issue, [and] more people feeling that they are able to tell their stories and not be blamed,” said Berg in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot.

Berg hoped that bystander training, which her office focuses on, can be further improved.

Berg hopes to have students attend bystander education at least once a year all four years they attend Brandeis, as bystander training is most effective when repeated, she said.

Last semester, PARC had

2,584 students participate in 90-minute to two-hour bystander trainings—almost half of the undergraduate student body.

The 2015 survey was part of a larger initiative by the U.S. department of education under the Obama administration to improve university handling of sexual assault cases, according to an earlier Hoot article. Though this survey is no longer strongly encouraged by the current administration, it is still an important way to gather information about sexual violence at Brandeis, Berg said.

Both Berg and Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mark Brimhall-Vargas hope that the survey results will be released to the Brandeis community at least in part, before the end of this academic year.

The data collected by the survey will be stored and analyzed by the Office of Planning and Institutional Research (OPIR). Berg, Vargas and Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Dr. Kim Godsoe will analyze the data. Provost Lisa Lynch, along with the Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Karen Muncaster will review and share the findings with the Brandeis community, according to an email distributing the survey.

The five dollars earned by taking the survey can be donated to the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, or the Violence Recovery Program at Fenway Health.

PHOTO BY CELIA YOUNG/THE HOOT

PHOTO FROM BRANDEIS.EDU

March 8, 2019

NEWS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

Professor speaks on allegations against Brandeis donor Robert Kraft

By Rachel Saal and Celia Young editors

Robert Kraft’s arraignment for allegations of soliciting prostitution offers an opportunity to speak about forced sexual labor, according to a professor whose research that focuses on slavery is funded by the Robert and Myra Kraft and Jacob Hiatt fund.

Bernadette Brooten said that she doesn’t see allegations affecting the work. “If the work is important, you do the work,” she told The Brandeis Hoot.

Kraft pled not guilty to two counts of misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution in a Florida case after investigators say they captured him on videotape engaging in sex acts and later paying, according to a WGBH article.

Kraft, if convicted, would have to attend a class on the dangers

of prostitution and human trafficking, pay a $5,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service, according to the same WGBH article. The Krafts, including Robert Kraft and his late wife, Myra Kraft, have donated to Brandeis in the past, supporting the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program (MKTYP) as well as Brooten’s professorship. Kraft has also visited Brandeis in the past, said Brooten.

In an interview with The Hoot, Brooten spoke about how consumers are the central problem in sex trafficking because without them, the trade would not exist.

“In [United States] slavery, as I have understood it from a historian who has worked on this, the people who most benefited financially were not the slave traders, but rather the consumers of cotton goods who got cotton much cheaper,” said Brooten.

“I do believe that today, if there were not consumers going to seek the services of persons forced into the sex trade, there would not be a sex trade,” continued Brooten.

Brooten went on to speak about her interactions with Kraft, saying she was shocked to hear about the allegations. The last time they met, Kraft had called Brooten’s work “cutting edge,” said Brooten.

Brooten focused on how this event could shed light on the racial aspects of human trafficking.

She said that there are different sexual racial stereotypes that occur with respect to different groups of people and that she’s been concerned that amid these allegations, there has been little media attention drawn to the racial implications.

“Sexuality is racialized, and race is sexualized,” Brooten said, and she emphasized the importance of examining the racial element

of sexual slavery and human trafficking.

Brooten said that women of East Asian origins are often exoticized. While she does not claim that Kraft sexually assaulted anyone, she worries that the women involved were of East Asian origin, and she wonders what role the harmful stereotypes played.

She said that even the name, the Orchids of Asia Day Spa, has an exotic element to it.

“In the various forms of slavery that we in the feminist sexual ethics project have worked on, we have found that de facto, sexual exploitation occurs within slavery in all kinds of systems through history,” said Brooten.

“Some people may look at contemporary sex trafficking and think of it as a thoroughly modern phenomenon, and it is modern in the sense that modern technologies are used, but the phenome-

non of enslaved persons having to perform sexual acts is not new,” she continued.

Brooten said that she has learned through her work on the Roman period and early Christianity that in examples like the city of Pompeii, with a population size of 10,000 to 12,000 people, there were several dozen brothels and many of the people in those brothels were enslaved girls and boys.

“Slavery never ceased to exist,” said Brooten. “People think that slavery ended when it became illegal, but people do many things that are illegal.”

In addition to Brooten’s position at Brandeis, Robert Kraft, his deceased wife, Myra Kraft, and his deceased father-in-law, Jacob Hiatt, founded a position in Jewish studies in the department of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, M.A.

Brandeis professor gives lecture on violence against women in India during Partition

By Thalia Plata staff

Brandeis Professor Harleen Singh (SAS/WMGS) gave a lecture last Friday on India’s Partition in 1947, which resulted in the largest exodus known to human history. The lecture was part of the Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center lecture series.

According to Singh, the assault of women’s bodies during the 1947 partition became a foundation for Indian nationalist identity. It was cemented in the resulting cultural and artistic narratives, a trope of trauma which continues to be employed to this day.

The 1947 partition of India into modern-day Pakistan, India and Bangladesh caused the displacement of an estimated 14 million people, which marks the largest movement of people in recorded history. Close to 80,000 women were abducted, raped, and killed—some by members of the opposing community and some by their own families.

As a result of these accepted perceptions of womanhood, when crossing the border during partition, many families felt they must kill their female members to protect them and their honor from kidnappers. Stories of suicide were also widespread.

“These killings constitute a narrative of the nation, a narrative of

honor for the nation,” Singh said.

While India proudly mourned these honorable deaths, fewer narratives in the public literary, historical or feminist sphere have asked what became of women who did not die, according to Singh.

As an example of what abducted women during Partition went through, Singh discussed works that date back as early as Amrita Pritam’s 1950 novel “Pinjur.” The main character, Puro, is abducted and raped by a Muslim man. Her family rejects her after discovering this information, and she reluctantly returns to her abductor and son in Pakistan.

At the end of the novel, when approached by her family and

asked to return home, Puro refuses, making the choice to continue her new life in Pakistan, citing that her country did not want her back when she was “dishonored” by being raped, but now wants her back because her dishonor represents a sacrifice for the nation. Singh is currently working on a critical translation of Amrita Pritam’s novel “Pinjar.”

Singh is an associate professor of South Asian literature and women’s studies. She served as Chair of the South Asian Studies Program from 2007 to 2016. The lecture, titled Honorable Deaths and Dishonorable Lives: Women, Violence and India’s Partition in 1947 is a part of her other scholarly work on India and Pakistan.

Singh has published articles on novels from India and Pakistan, on Indian film and reviewed books on Hip-Hop music, sexuality and feminism. Her book “The Rani of Jhansi: Gender, History, and Fable in India” (Cambridge University Press, 2014) interprets the conflicting, mutable images of a historical icon as they change over time in literature, film, history and popular culture.

Her works have been reviewed

by The Telegraph, Economic and Political Weekly, The Book Review, BIBLIO and South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies.

Her work includes texts in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi and is interdisciplinary at its core.

Jewish and German students participate in discussion on Holocaust

By Maddie Herrup special to the hoot

Students from Germany and Jewish students held an evening panel discussion and Q&A surrounding facilitating discussion of the Holocaust with Germans and Jews. The March 6 panel, sponsored by the German and European Studies Department, was introduced by the director of the department and led by Brandeis alum Benyamin Meschede-Krasa ’17, whose mother is German and father is Israeli.

On one side of the panel were two German students, Felix Knodel and Mia Balk, from the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace at Hebrew Senior Life.

On the other side were two Jewish students at Brandeis, Elan Kawesch ’20 and Jillian Fisch ’21, all involved in some level of Holocaust studies or ongoing dialogue.

The alumni leader of the panel had one side of his family involved in Hitler Youth, while the other side of his family was in the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp in Poland. This was the beginning of an informative discussion between both groups of students.

Both Jewish students are involved in similar activities and organizations surrounding Holocaust education, including traveling to Europe to allow Jewish students to experience places that are part of Holocaust history first-hand.

Panelists began by discussing various questions between themselves for the audience to listen. One question given pertained to each student’s personal story about the Holocaust. This involved each panelist explaining why they got involved in Holocaust studies and education.

Each student, in this instance,

gave a personal story or moment in their lives that prompted either an interest in learning more about the Holocaust or it becoming more relevant in their lives as young people and as students.

Kawesch described growing up in Boston’s Jewish community and not understanding the deep, personal impact of the Holocaust for himself until visiting the Belzec extermination camp in Poland.

Fisch explained an instance in her high school history class.

The teacher gave the students an activity to choose the best choice of political control following Germany’s loss in World War I, ideally that would improve conditions.

Half the students chose the Nazi party unknowingly, many being Jewish students that would not consciously make this choice if the party’s name had been known.

This, to her, illustrates a complexity in how World War II and the Holocaust unfolded as they did.

The two German students had differing experiences. One of the students was able to engage in dialogue with a Holocaust survivor from Schindler’s List—facilitated

by Oskar Schindler saving a large number of Jews during the Holocaust. It was through this event that he realized the survivor was there.

This caused the student to realize the realness of the Holocaust.

The panel leader, following his two questions, allowed the students to ask each other questions. Each group mainly asked questions pertaining to how American Jews react today to German people and vice versa.

As an example, both German students expressed the hope that the overall hatred of Germans would change in future generations. As the conversations surrounding the Holocaust and anti-Semitism develop and change, they hope there will be both more open dialogue and less sweeping

generalizations around hatred.

When the panel opened the floor to audience members to pose their questions, various topics were touched upon. One that was brought up throughout the event was the Tree of Life synagogue shooting on Oct. 27, 2018.

As the Holocaust is an example of ongoing anti-Semitism, though it was an extreme example, the Pittsburgh shooting is most relevant in the context of recent events. Those that mentioned the shooting allowed the general event itself to contribute to the global understanding of past events and their bearing on the present and future. The student panelists often connected through an understanding of how the Holocaust, and the global education around it, is being shaped presently and can be further developed and delved into by future generations of Jews, non-Jews and the entirety of global society.

6 The Brandeis Hoot

FEATURES

March 8, 2019

Brandeis hosts the 2019 New England SACNAS Regional Meeting

By Shruthi Manjunath editor

On Saturday, March 23, Brandeis will be hosting the 2019 New England SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) Regional Meeting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The goal of this organization is to create opportunities for students to pursue the sciences during the academic year, the summer and after individuals have graduated. SACNAS strives to increase the number of Chicanos and Native Americans in the science field and raise awareness

towards the lack of opportunities that Chicanos and Native Americans receive in the STEM field.

The SACNAS national organization was created 45 years ago by individuals who were part of the Chicano and Native American civil rights movements and desired to promote the representation of all individuals in the STEM field.

In general, SACNAS strives to aid underrepresented individuals, such as Native Americans who have less access to education, economic prosperity and public health. SACNAS hopes to eventually have governmental support in aiding Chicanos and Native Americans in the science field.

PHOTO FROM BRANDEIS.EDU

The National SACNAS has 20,000 members and 110 chapters in colleges across the country. SACNAS strives to achieve these goals by aiding precollege (K-12) and college science education through precollege teacher training workshops, post-doc programs, job placements and many more programs.

The SACNAS Regional Meeting will include professional development workshops, research presentations, speakers and dance performances from numerous Brandeis dance teams.

Sabrina Carrero ’19, president of the SACNAS chapter at Brandeis, hopes that after the conference, individuals are more educated on what SACNAS strives to do and desire to become more involved in the club. Carrero describes how during her first year at Brandeis, she participated in many of the SACNAS events and was educated on the various ways in which this organization provides opportunities for Chicanos and Native Americans in the field of science.

She initially became an inter-club council representative as a sophomore and then became the president. In the future, she hopes to become a physician’s assistant and eventually aid communities that are in desperate need of medical care. Her aspirations display the positive effects of being involved in SACNAS and the many opportunities that individuals can gain

A list of all the accomplishments of SACNAS over the forty five years that it has been established.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF SACNAS

from this organization.

Previous SACNAS events at Brandeis have been mostly academic-based. Events have included a meeting regarding summer opportunities at Brandeis with the help of Professor Anique Oliviera-Mason, a professor in the department of chemistry at MIT, who received her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from Brandeis University. In addition, SACNAS has also hosted a GRE and MCAT workshop with Kaplan to aid students in their preparation for standardized tests. SACNAS has also partnered with the Brandeis Latinx Student Organization and Dr. Sucheta Thekkedam, a clinical psychologist, and hosted a discussion about how suicide rates have risen in the Latinx community and

PHOTO FROM SACNAS.COM

actions that can be taken to stop this rise.

Last year, the SACNAS E-board collaborated with Dr. Melissa Kosinski-Collins and hosted an event explaining how to apply for a Travel Scholarship to attend the 2018 SACNAS National Conference for free.

Overall, national leaders of SACNAS believe that “[w]ithout a concerted effort to diversify the amount of students earning and using their degrees in the U.S., America’s competitive edge—and a huge amount of potential—in the STEM fields will be lost.”

SACNAS aims to change the STEM field by allowing individuals who may not have the resources or the ability to speak up for themselves to access opportunities.

March 8, 2019

FEATURES 7

The Brandeis Hoot

Art project reflects on educational journeys

By Sabrina Chow editor

It is never easy to combine the natural sciences with the fine arts.

Some would even wonder what that intersection would look like.

To Sarah Valente (GRAD), it is a matter of looking beyond just the medium of art and the subject of a piece, and seeing the societal and cultural impact that comes with every piece.

As a student in the Brandeis Post Baccalaureate Program in Studio Arts with the Fine Arts department, Valente’s program is focusing on helping her build up her portfolio and continue her creative practice. Valente told The Brandeis Hoot in an interview that one of the great things about being in a small program is, “there are great facilities and resources and people to help you learn and talk about your art and network. Brandeis is really great at introducing you to the contemporary art community.”

Valente originally completed her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with minors in Art History and

Studio Art from The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. She also received her Master of Business Administration from Assumption College with a focus on Non-profit Leadership while she was in AmeriCorps.

Valente told The Hoot that she has always been a maker. She decided to major in Chemistry because she found it was a good way to understand the wide array of materials she was working with at a molecular level.

She decided to go into art because she was mainly interested in the “making” aspect. Valente utilizes an interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary approach. The interdisciplinary approach is the use of different materials and processes to make her art, while the cross disciplinary approach is the intersection of science and art.

At the end of her senior year, Valente decided to join AmeriCorps, which helped her explore both of her major interests, chemistry and art. She taught both science and art at The Nativity School of Worcester.

According to their website, “Nativity School of Worcester is

PHOTO COURTESY SARAH VALENTE

an accredited, independent, Jesuit middle school that provides a quality, all-scholarship education to underserved boys of all faiths.

Drawing upon four pillars— strength, scholarship, character, and service—a Nativity education inspires self-discovery, responsibility, spiritual growth, and a lifelong dedication to learning.”

Valente also drew upon these pillars for her own inspiration for teaching and appreciated the social justice aspect that came with the Nativity School. “It opened my eyes to the different levels of education in America,” Valente told The Hoot in an interview. “I witnessed how education is power. Education can lead to growth opportunities. And in America, education looks very different based on conditions outside of a student’s control.”

At the moment, her work focuses on screen print, painting, quilting and relief structure techniques. According to Valente, “quilting comes with a rich history of storytelling and record keeping. Screen printing as a process keeps a cadence close to that of the book production process and rapid exchange of information.

Portraiture references a long history of privilege and power, oftentimes reserved for the most influential individuals of any century.”

Valente’s inspiration for her current project, “Blanket Statement,” came from Scientist Portrait series, which Valente started at the beginning of the school year. “A major reason of why I do these portraits of scientists is a way for me to honor a group of individuals from underrepresented backgrounds who have accessed a historically privileged world,” Valente told The Hoot. As a woman in science, Valente was often told that the sciences were not for her, but that only furthered her motivation.

“I felt that they [the people she painted] were challenging that narrative and history and accessing a world that needed their perspective and continues to need it,” said Valente.

All the people that Valente painted came from underrepre-

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

sented backgrounds, whether that be queer, female or a first generation college student. Valente herself is a first generation college student, with her parents coming from Portugal.

While Valente was visiting all these individuals to paint them, she was admiring their bookshelves and “I was impressed by their educational journey and what it recorded of their journey.”

It also made Valente think back to her time at the Nativity School, where they do not have a readily accessible library, according to Valente.

Students would have the opportunity to go to the local library in Worcester and a school bus would come by the school every few weeks that acted as a “mobile library.”

“It is not only a display of Brandeis voices and a record of their education journey, but also an invitation to reflect on their own education journey,” Valente told The Hoot in an interview. “I hope people look at their shelves and get a little nostalgic. The piece inspires people to

take a moment to reflect on their educational journey and hopefully find that they’ve taken something positive away from it and mobilize it and better the community around them.”

The blanket, ink on fabric, will showcase different bookcases of members of the Brandeis community.

Valente explained how bookshelves are only a partial introduction to an individual.

“There’s a lot more to an individual than their bookshelf. It’s a blanket statement to the journey people have undergone,” said Valente.

Valente hopes to continue to add more and more bookshelves as the piece goes on. “It is recording my time at Brandeis and the people I’ve met and the people who choose to engage with me,” said Valente.

“Blanket Statement” is a project that is a part of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts, happening April 7 through 14. The piece will be installed in the library from April 1 until the end of the spring semester.

TRII advocates and their stories: Sarah Abdulghani

By Polina Potochevska editor

The Right to Immigration Institute (TRII) founded at Brandeis is a unique organization that trains undergraduates to become accredited representatives in immigration courts and to gain legal experience firsthand. It allows for immigrants to receive assistance with many types of legal processes, making sure they have the support and the knowledge they need.

Sarah Abdulghani ’22 is a first year who became involved with TRII at the fall semester Involvement Fair at the beginning of the semester. Since then, she went through the semester-long training meetings in the fall and now is one of over 60 undergraduate students working within TRII. A Massachusetts native, Abdulghani was born in Yemen. She immigrated with her parents to the United States from Morocco when she was four years old.

Her mother is Moroccan and her father is Yemeni, and she experi-

enced her family go through the naturalization process as a child.

After graduating from Brandeis, Abdulghani wishes to attend law school and eventually become a judge. She is particularly interested in immigration law. “I feel like that’s one area of law not only that I connect with, but I feel like is underrepresented… there are so many stories I feel like, of people just not being taken care of and not having good legal counsel.”

For Abdulghani, TRII is a place of opportunity and resources.

“We offer free legal counsel and representatives to people who are seeking just that… If you come into the office, whether you need help filling out an application, whether you have just a question, whether you need any sort of resources, whether you need a place to stay, whether you need some place to eat, anything of that nature, anything that you couldn’t find anywhere else, we’re here to help you, we’re here to connect you to people, we’re here to give you the representation that you deserve and you need,” said Abdulghani.

A lot of the clients that TRII takes are adults, some with families and some who have come by themselves. TRII representatives help them go through different parts of the immigration legal process, such as changing Visa status, applying for asylum or taking steps toward naturalization.

“What we hope is that we become something that people can turn to when it feels as though there is nothing else because we don’t ever want people to feel as though there is absolutely nothing here for them,” said Abdulghani.

Abdulghani recently got her first client, so she works with other undergraduates to help her client through their legal processes.

“For me, being an immigrant is such a big part of my identity and who I am… it’s definitely helped me shape how I look at things so I’m interested in everything and anything that has to do with immigration.”

It is an intensive process, as there are a lot of details to know about immigration law and information to remember. Abdulghani said she does a lot of outside re-

search to keep informed. It is also a process that requires a lot of sensitivity, as people have varying experiences.

“It’s very disheartening to hear some of the things that people go through, but at the same time, I think that’s what makes this whole experience worthwhile, that’s what makes it so rewarding, you know that you’re helping them and you can help them pave the pathway to something great in their life.” Abdulghani recalled a moment in the fall when a client of TRII’s gained their citizenship and how happy everyone was for them.

Abdulghani also mentioned that TRII is an important resource for the Brandeis community.

From her personal experience with her parents going through the naturalization process and her aunt who was unable to do so because of the lengthy, difficult process, “I’ve seen first hand how long it is and how upsetting it is when people get denied or don’t have the money or can’t wait that long.”

“So for me, I never got to have

my aunt here, but if I get to have someone else’s aunt come here, then that’s why I’m doing this. I want to be the bridge for someone else. I think it’s important for Brandeis as a school to have this type of program and encourage students to join it and help people… I think this is a very important topic considering this is a country of immigrants and especially because it is a very contested issue right now in politics, so I think it’s important for Brandeis to at least in some way be part of the conversation,” said Abdulghani.

“I think for me, I really value the fact that we get to talk to people and we get to learn about all these experiences and we get to learn about other countries, so I hope for me as a person I get to hear those stories and have them shape how I view things… I hope that this organization grows with its people, I hope we all learn from all the good things that we we do, and all the mistakes that we might make and that we make ourselves an organization that people can turn to.”

EDITORAL

8 The Brandeis Hoot

Don't ignore campus climate survey—or its results

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Abigail Gardener Sarah Terrazano Managing Editor Emily Botto Senior Editor Ryan Spencer Copy Editor Natalie Fritzson Deputy Copy Editor Jennifer Cook News Editor Celia Young Deputy News Editor Rachel Saal Arts Editors Ben Beriss Noah Harper Opinions Editor Sabrina Chow Deputy Opinions Editor Sasha Skarboviychuk Features Editor Polina Potochevska Deputy Features Editor Shruthi Manjunath Sports Editors Zach Cihlar Shea Decker-Jacoby Layout Editor Candace Ng Social Media Editor Emma Lichtenstein Cartoonist Helen Wong

Volume 16 • Issue 6 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

STAFF Medjine Barionette, Emma Belkin, Lucy Braverman, Camila Casanueva, Kevin Costa, Katie Decker-Jacoby, Chris DeMena, James Feltner, Daniel Freedman, Stewart Huang, Jonah Koslofsky, Jackie Kostenko, Alex Kougasian, Jenna Lifschitz, Josh Lannon, Gillian O'Malley, Thalia Plata, Joseph Silber, Zachary Sosland, Sophie Trachtenberg, Rachel Wang, Hannah Wilson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 8, 2019

T

he Brandeis Hoot encourages ademic year. former offices and increased byall students to take the camIt is important for these topics stander trainings. But by no means pus climate survey emailed to the student body this week. The to be brought to light and critically is sexual violence a solved issue survey will inform the administra- considered by the administration. on campus. For instance, students tion anonymously about sexual and relationship violence on campus.

Responses are being accepted until March 22, which leaves two full weeks to take the quick, 20-minute survey.

You are able to opt out of any question you do not feel comfortable answering. And it is not without incentive, either—in addition to contributing to valuable data,

Many students who have experi- continue to experience frustrations enced violence or feel unsafe on

with the university’s Title IX and

campus may be unlikely to come

sanctioning process.

forward and share their story otherwise.

Area Rape Crisis Center, REACH

gathering

information

about sexual violence on campus,

With an anonymous platform how can sexual violence actually be like this survey, students can hon- addressed and prevented? estly report their experiences with

The survey results could inform

sexual violence. The results bring staff/faculty trainings and commuawareness to issues that administra- nity programming. It could suggest tors may not realize and hopefully

the hiring of more PARC and BCC

will spur more advocacy and pre- staff. Above all, it should encourage

you have the choice of receiving a vention efforts on campus. $5 Amazon gift card or donate $5 But beyond releasing the results, to one of three charities: the Boston

After

a critical engagement with students’ safety on campus and how advoca-

how will the administration use the cy and prevention efforts can more data to benefit students? A simi- effectively decrease sexual assault.

Beyond Domestic Violence or the lar campus climate survey was reIt is not enough to publicize the Violence Recovery Program at Fen- leased in 2015, along with its data. survey’s findings. The data is a tool, way Health.

Brandeis has seen some changes not an answer. The administration The data will be collected and an- since 2015, such as the consolida- needs to utilize it as a way to prealyzed by administrators and hope- tion of PARC (Prevention, Advoca- vent sexual violence on campus as fully released by the end of this ac- cy and Resource Center) from two

well as support survivors.

SPORTS

March 8, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot 9

Men’s basketball claims ECAC Division III crown

By Sophie Trachtenberg staff

In his first year as head coach, Jean Bain lead the Brandeis University Judges to an incredibly successful season, winning 11 more games than the previous 2017-2018 season and ultimately capturing an Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship (ECAC) this past weekend.

After this three-game post-season extension, the Judges finished out the season with a record of 18-11, posting the most wins in a single season since their last ECAC berth in 2011.

In the opening round, Brandeis hosted the John Jay College Bloodhounds, winning handily by a margin of 75-49. This was one of the most explosive offensive games of the season, especially from behind the arc. Collin Sawyer ’20 hit six three’s, while Corey Sherman ’19 went four for six from three, shooting an impressive 67 percent. This led to a 20-point lead to end the first half, as the Judges never trailed the Bloodhounds over the course of the game. Such remarkable shooting continued in the second half, ultimately ending in a 26-point win for the Judges. Chandler Jones ’21 lead the team in rebounds and assists, totaling at nine and six respectively. Sawyer finished with a team high of 21 points, with Jones adding in 19 and Sherman putting in 16. Eric D’Aguanno ’20 also hit his 179th three-pointer of his career, moving him into fifth place on the all-time leaderboard.

Next, the Judges headed down to Frederick, Maryland, for the next three rounds of the tournament, taking on Marywood University in the quarterfinals. The Judges defeated the Pacers with a score of 86-77, making this their highest scoring game of the season. Throughout the first half, the game was close, having five ties and seven lead changes. Going into the second half, the Judges only lead by one point. The second half continued in a close fashion, with the Judges being able to pull away at the very end, hitting seven out of eight free throws to close out the game. Sherman lead the way with 20 points, with

PHOTOS COURTESY CRAIG CHASE

Latye Workman ’18 adding eight rebounds, and Lawrence Sabir ’21 having a team high of eight assists. This hot scoring night featured five Judges in double figures, coming from Sherman, Jones, D’Aguanno, Sawyer, and Workman.

In the semifinals against Drew University, the Judges kept with their high scoring trend, shooting a cumulative 54 percent from the field, which was their highest all season. After a close first half, Jones opened up the second with two quick baskets to extend the lead to 11 points. The Rangers went on a run to close in on the Judges’ lead, but Brandeis responded with a 9-0 run of their own, sealing their lead for the rest of the game. D’Aguanno led the Judges in scoring with 25 points on five made three’s. Workman added a team high of seven rebounds, with Sabir and Nolan Hagerty ’22 both contributing three assists a piece. This win would place the men in the finals with a chance to bring home their first postseason championship under Bain and his coaching staff.

Against the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers University-Newark, the Judges fought hard to bring home the program’s fourth ECAC Division III championship. The athleticism and quickness of the Scarlet Raiders was good competition for the Judges, as the two teams went

back-and-forth all half, seeing 10 ties and eight lead changes. Going into the half, Brandeis led by two, with Rutgers-Newark going on a 6-0 run shortly after the opening of the second half. The Judges forcefully responded after a timeout, outscoring the Scarlet Raiders 10-0. The game continued in this fashion, with each team going on their respective runs. However, in the final two minutes of the game, the Judges played lock-down defense, holding their opponents to only four points and forcing three turnovers. This result in a 72-60 win for the Judges, who were able to take home the ECAC crown.

Along with the first-place trophy, two players brought honors back to Waltham. Sherman received the ECAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after his impressive performances, as he averaged 16 points per game, shooting 50 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the arc. Jones was also named to the All-Tournament team while averaging 18 points and seven boards over the course of the four games.

As a program, the Judges are 4-0 in ECAC championship matches, improving to 12-3 overall in ECAC tournament games. These four added wins helped the men end the season with a totaled record of 18 wins and 11 losses, an 11 win swing from last year’s performance.

Fencing squad brings home six-weapon crown from NEIFC

By Camila Casanueva staff

It was quite the successful weekend for Brandeis fencing as both the men and women placed second overall in their three weapon competitions. It was just enough for the Judges to claim the overall six-weapon title at the 2019 New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference championships.

The Judges got going with the team squad competitions, as the men won sabre behind great performances by Alexander Holtmann ’21, Charles Catino ’20 and Lucas Lin ’22. On the women’s side, the Judges were able to claim third place in both foil and sabre.

The women’s foil squad included Renee Pite ’19, Hannah Mui ’20 and Wendy Mao ’21. Women’s sabre squad included Devon Brown

’21, Lupe Duran ’20 and Jada Harrison ’22.

On the individual side of competition, the Judges produced two champions and a couple second place finishers. Both victories came in sabre where an impressive performance by Holtmann ’21 won the men’s tournament while rookie standout Harrison ’22 took home the women’s. The runners-up were Chris Armstrong ’20 in the men’s epee, who was able to knock off the top seed from Sacred Heart, and men’s foilist Trevor Filseth ’20, who just fell short of the title by a single touch in the finals. Ian Quin ’20 also finished fifth in the men’s foil, while Lin ’22 was fifth in men’s sabre and Mui ’20 was fifth in women’s foil.

The Brandeis fencing team also took home two University Athletic Association athlete of the

week honors, both on the men’s and women’s side. For the men it was Alexander Holtmann ’21 who won the individual men’s sabre crown at the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference championships on March 2 as the eighth seed in the direct elimination tournament. The Brandeis men’s sabre squad won their weapon title by one point over MIT, and the Judges won the combined men’s and women’s six-weapon titles, edging Vassar, 104-103, for first place. For the women’s fencing team, it was Jada Harrison ’22 who has had an impressive rookie season. Harrison ’22 won the individual sabre crown for the Brandeis women, awarding her the top seed in the single-elimination bracket and edging her opponent by one point in the semifinals and two points in the finals. She helped the Judges

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

to the overall six-weapon crown and the women’s sabre squad to third place.

The Judges are back in action

next Sunday at the NCAA Regionals at Vassar College where they aim to continue their success.

10 SPORTS

The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2019

Men’s and women’s tennis sweeps Bates

By Shea Decker-Jacoby editor

After coming back from California, the Brandeis men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to Maine for their first regional match and they did not disappoint. The nationally ranked No. 19 women’s team rolled past No. 37 Bates 8-1 and the No. 10 men knocked off No. 23 Bates 7-2. For the women, the doubles matches helped Brandeis take an early lead, sweeping all three matches. Olivia Leavitt ’19 and Lauren Bertsch ’21 started the Judges off with a clean 8-4 win. In the second set, Diana Dehterevich ’20 and Keren Khromchenko ’19 played a close match, which led to a tie breaker.

The Judges came out victorious taking the win 8-7 (7-4). In the final doubles match, Sophia He ’19 and Ana Hatfield ’22 finished the sweep with an 8-6 victory.

In the singles matches, started with Dehterevich who fell 7-6, 6-4, but this would be the only loss for the Judges the rest of the day. Leavitt closed out the win in the number two seat with a final score of 6-2 and a close second set at 7-6. Khromchenko played a gripping third seat match in three sets with scores of 7-6 (97), 4-6, 6-3 to take home the victory. Bertsch played a dominating match against her opponent in the fourth seat. Beating her with a score of 6-1, 6-1. She pulled out strong in the fifth seat match, overcoming her opponent

TYLER NG ‘19

by a score of 6-4 and 7-5. Michele Lehat ’19 closed out the day only playing one set, since the match was already secured by the Judges and won the set 6-3.

The men had an equally successful match against Bates as the No. 10 Judges dominated the doubles matches and secured 4-6 wins in the singles matches. In the doubles matches, the first seat was played by David Aizenberg ’20 and Anupreeth Coramutla ’21 and earned an 8-5 victory. Adam Tzeng ’22 and Jeffrey Chen’s ’22 match was the first victory for the

PHOTO COURTESY ELI WAXER

Judges in competition and won with a score of 8-2. Tyler Ng ’19 and Colt Tegtmeier ’22 earned the third and final doubles win for the Judges with a score of 8-5. In the singles action, Tzeng earned the Judges their first victory in the fourth seat with scores of 6-3, 6-0.

In the first seat, Aizenberg fell 6-7, 6-0, 6-1. Coramutla won three straight sets to secure a victory.

His final scores were 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The Judges secured their win with Chen in the number five seat at 6-4, 6-4. Ng finished out the day with with a three-set match, 2-6,

WOMEN’S TEAM

PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM.COM/BRANDEISTENNIS

7-6, 10-1.

The men also faced Division I Bryant and won 5-2 as third first match as a top ten team in the nation. The match was played under Division I rules, which meant the doubles matches were played to six with all three combining to count for one point, and no-ad scoring in games. The Judges earned up the double’s match point with a sweep of all three matches. In the first seat, Aizenberg and Coramutla won by a 6-4 decision. Ng and Tegtmeier secured the second seat win with a final score of 6-2.

In the number three seat Nikhil Das ’21 and Rajan Vohra ’21 completed the sweep at 6-4. In the singles competition, Bryant won the first three sets in the third and fourth seats, but the Judges came back and took the second. Jeffrey Chen ’22 won his match 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Ng won in the sixth seat with a 6-4, 6-1 decision to close out the Judges’ scoring for the day.

The men are back in action on Saturday against Tufts at Natick Racquet Club and the women will be back at home against MIT at 12 p.m. on Saturday.

Women’s track and field seeded first leading up to nationals

By Sabrina Chow editor

For the second year in a row, Brandeis will be heading to the indoor NCAA national championships. This past weekend, the men’s and women’s teams competed at Tufts University’s Last Chance Meet, competing for a higher seed time at nationals.

The team is led by senior captain Emily Bryson ’19, who will be competing in both the mile run and the distance medley relay (DMR) as the anchor. E. Bryson is the only team member competing in multiple events.

According to an article by Brandeis Judges, E. Bryson set school records in both of these events this most recent indoor season. She ran a 4:45.48 mile on Feb. 15, 2019 at the Fastrack Last Chance Meet in Staten Island, NY and the DMR team ran a 11:41.98 at the Tufts Last Chance Meet.

Julia Bryson ’19, Leinni Valdez ’21 and Doyin Ogundiran ’19 also ran the race alongside E. Bryson.

J. Bryson ran the 1200-meter leg, Valdez ran the 400-meter leg, Ogundiran ran the 800-meter leg, and E. Bryson anchored on the 1600-meter leg.

The Judges team is seeded first in the nation with a seed time of 11:34.54.

J. Bryson and Ogundiran were eligible to compete in other events at nationals, the mile and 800-meter, respectively, but decided to forgo their individual events to focus on winning the national ti-

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD TEAM

tle for the DMR. In the 2018 indoor season, the Bryson twins, Ogundiran and Valdez’s sister Lisbeth Valdez ’21 placed third in the DMR and earned All-American honors.

Rookie Jac Guerra ’22 will be joining E. Bryson in the mile run event. Guerra’s third place time of 5:06.61 at UAA’s a few weeks ago was converted to 5:03.61 and ranked him 38th nationally at the end of the regular season. With other runners choosing to compete in other events, Guerra is seeded 16th out of 20 at the meet this week. E. Bryson is seeded first with a seed time of 4:45.58, almost 10 seconds faster than the runner seeded second.

E. Bryson told The Hoot in an

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

email that she feels a lot of pressure heading back to nationals not only being a senior, but also to live up to her performance from last year.

“I’ll definitely be nervous heading into my races this weekend, but I try not to look at them as being any different from any of my previous races from this season,” E. Bryson told The Hoot. “I know I’ve prepared all season for this, so I know I’m ready and am excited for some fun races and great performances.”

Guerra told The Brandeis Hoot in an email that he did not expect to be competing at nationals. He is happy to be competing in the mile, especially with teammate E. Bryson on the track with him.

“I’m trying not to think about the fact that I’m the only firstyear,” Guerra told The Hoot. “I don’t want to psych myself out thinking that the older runners will have an edge on me. I’ve learned that while actually racing all of those things don’t tend to matter anyways.”

Guerra is also extremely excited for the weekend. He was originally going to the meet as a reserve for the DMR but feels better knowing that he will be competing in a race. “Some really fantastic runners don’t get to race as an individual for their entire collegiate careers, so I feel very fortunate and very grateful for my team, Coach Evans, and this program,” said Guerra. “I am ner-

vous, of course, because I do want to perform to ability. A lot of people don’t realize how mental competitive running is, so I’m trying to keep the nerves high enough to motivate me, but not so high as to hold me back.”

The biggest takeaway that Guerra has gotten during his first indoor season at Brandeis is to “trust the process of training.”

Guerra cited how Brandeis Coach Sinead Evans focuses on longterm goals.

E. Bryson has learned to take each race one at a time. “I walked away from a few races this season disappointed with my performances and struggled a bit in the beginning of the season executing races well tacitly, but as the season rolled on I just kept focusing on one race at a time and running faster and faster with each race.”

Guerra also looks up to the seniors on the team as inspiration and motivation for a place he wants to be in the future.

On the other end of the spectrum, E. Bryson finds it surreal that it will be her last indoor race competing for Brandeis. “I’m excited to just give these races everything I’ve got. This NCAA’s is also especially exciting since they’re in Boston and I’ll get to race with so many friends and family supporting me, and I can’t think of a better way to end my indoor career for Brandeis.”

The NCAA Division III National Championships will be held on March 8 and 9 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, MA.

OPINIONS

March 8, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot 11

APAHM: what it means to dream

By Jamie Noh and Carter Yee special to the hoot

In response to this past week’s edition of the Arts section of the Justice, we—the Brandeis Asian American Student Association (BAASA)—wanted to express our anger towards not only the designer of the page but also towards the editorial board of the Justice.

Although the person in charge of its creation is certainly at fault, it is our assumption that it had to pass by multiple students before publishing. While there are a number of issues with the page as a whole, we wanted to address the two aspects that we found most disappointing.

As we explained at the start of our ceremony on Saturday night, APAHM stands for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and is typically celebrated during the month of May. APAHM provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the resilience and achievements of those who came before us. As such, it is particularly offensive that the Justice would choose to represent our event with a font with well-known racist and Orientalist connotations.

Since its creation in 1867, the “wonton” or “chop-suey” font has been used to signify the otherness and foreignness of our culture as Asian Americans. It has also been used to prop up an exoticized imagination of what it means to be Asian. In viewing the arts section, we are acutely aware that its use is meant to emphasize the “Oriental” aspects of our culture show.

Fonts similar to the one used in the Justice are filed under “foreign” on websites providing samples of typography design.

As the children and grandchildren of immigrants, we have grown familiar with the ways in which our identities require us to qualify our place in America.

We understand that we are not seen as full-blooded Americans in the same way that some of our peers are. These reminders come to us with the same ease that the

PHOTOS BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

question, “Where are you really from?” flows off their tongues.

For this year’s opening ceremony, we sought to explore our dreams for the future of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. As such, we find the use of what appears to be a Caucasian man to be a particularly inappropriate choice to represent our hopes for our own people. But even if we accept that this decision was made without any malicious intent, we wish to highlight the issue in assigning white men as the default. In the lead up to our event, the members of BAASA discussed their hopes for progress.

Why then, was it that the Justice felt it would be OK to erase these in favor of someone who does not represent our struggle?

We feel that doing so trivializes the powerful messages that were expressed during our night of celebration. But while the way we are represented is certainly

an important factor in all of this, we feel that the issue goes deeper. To us, this demonstrates a lack of awareness about the danger in perpetuating stereotypical depictions of Asian Americans

lyzing this issue. We recognize that as students of the current AAPI classes, members of the AAPI community and executive board members of BAASA and Brandeis Asian American Task

“They are embedded in the long history of colonialism, xenophobia and racism that inform American society today and we understand that many people, both Asian and non-Asian, are unaware of the long history of racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.” and illustrates the necessity of AAPI studies at this university.

As was shown on our Facebook page, it is easy for someone who is reading this to think that we are overreacting and over-ana-

Force (BAATF), we have a heightened sensitivity to these issues.

This is only because we know how deeply the implications of this poster run. They are embedded in the long history of colonialism, xenophobia and racism that inform American society today. We understand that many people, both Asian and nonAsian, are unaware of the long history of racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

However, that notion brings to light one of the many important issues highlighted and celebrated during APAHM— Brandeis’ forthcoming AAPI studies department as well as BAATF’s ongoing work in ensuring the current Kay Fellow, Dr. Leanne Day, who has taught multiple AAPI studies classes, stays on campus as a member of the forthcoming department.

This poster has brought to our attention the reality of the Asian American image to other students on campus, which has made it even more evident that there needs to be comprehensive education on Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and all ethnic minorities in academia in order to create a better understanding and dialogue on campus. While we are sure that the designer of this page did not mean malintent, ultimately, intent is irrelevant in this situation.

We are deeply frustrated with knowing that our event, which we worked tirelessly on for a year, will be viewed by current and future members of the Brandeis com-

munity as nothing but a kitschy, Oriental celebration. When in reality, BAASA’s history is one of outspoken Asian American activism and coalition building.

BAASA was founded in 1971, in the wake of the occupation of the Ford Hall in 1969 and the invasion of Cambodia. Along with sister organizations Brandeis Latinx Student Organization (BLSO) and Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO), BAASA pushed the campus administration to recognize and take action on issues of admissions and financial aid for minority groups such as Asians, Hispanics and African Americans.

After the fall of Hanoi, BAASA co-sponsored a demonstration in Boston of Asian Americans against the war, gaining nationwide recognition. It was the only Asian American student group in the Boston area at the time. Now, our focus is not just on promoting and aiding the Asian American community but connecting all Asians and non-Asians alike, having pride in our culture but also in other cultures, and recognizing that while people have many differences, we all have much more in common.

Our history and mission are deeply important to our club as we continue to hold events and spread the idea of solidarity among all members of the Brandeis community and beyond.

We sincerely hope that the Justice is thinking deeply about their actions at this time. We call for cultural sensitivity in regards to your future content, particularly with the wave of culture shows from various ICC clubs throughout this month. We ask that you be mindful of the image that you are upholding of not only these student clubs but of the Justice.

You posted this poster without any consultation of our club, signaling to us that you do not care about our opinion on the matter and seek to merely use Asian bodies to tout diversity in your newspaper. If there is one thing that BAASA does not stand for, it is the perpetuation of minority marginalization.

We have just one question: Who did you create this for?

12 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2019

An economic education, please?

According to the Council for Economic Education’s annual Survey, only 22 states in the US require that students at public high schools take an economics class before they graduate. Global statistics are hard to find, but the case is fairly similar in all other countries we looked into.

By John Fornagiel special to the hoot

As a STEM major who was not interested in economics back in high school, my basic economic knowledge is extremely limited.

I have never taken an economics course, and now that I am in college and pay attention to politics, I find myself falling behind due to a lack of economic understanding. I feel that if economics was required in high school, I would be more civically engaged and would understand the economic side of politics much more than I do now.

Look at the United Kingdom — there are many studies done now that indicate that when people voted on Brexit, they did not understand what a customs union is and how leaving it would impact the economy and therefore them.

Now, when people realize how much it impacts them and that a lot of those impacts are not exactly positive, they are no longer so certain about their decision. This is something that could have been avoided if economics was a larger part of the education system.

Understanding economic principles is not only important for citizens to engage in their civic duty but also for the population to properly manage their money.

Every job has one thing in common—people end up receiving a paycheck. Without a proper economics education, however, many people do not know what they will end up doing with their money. Whether it is a newlywed couple taking out a loan to buy a

house or an older couple saving for retirement, it is essential that they both have a solid economic foundation in order to make the best decision for their future.

In fact, 78 percent of Americans say they are extremely or somewhat concerned about not having enough money for retirement. Although this could be in part due to circumstances outside of their control, many cases could point to a cause being a lack of understanding in personal finance.

We cannot just rely on people learning all of these things from their parents: That is an altruistic idea at best. Not all parents will teach their children what taxes are or why they are needed, especially if the parents themselves never really learned. Many just accept taxes as a part of the status quo without thinking too much about it.

Most of today’s politics revolve around economics, and it is very common for me to hear students giving their take on political issues when they have no idea what they’re saying because of a lack of an economics background. That is one of the things that gets to me most: I do not understand how you can have an opinion on a topic you do not fully understand.

That is irresponsible at best. Understanding economics is key to understanding today’s political world, which is important for everyone to understand. Furthermore, understanding economics changes people’s perspectives on many current issues.

Someone who has never taken economics might not even realize many of the economic lim-

itations of the government. From free healthcare to “the wall,” it is the nature of the citizen to want many services from the government. Oftentimes, citizens do not understand that the money of the government is generated from taxes, and hence, is limited.

Another benefit of economics is understanding the difference between short and long term goals and benefits.

People might see short-term improvement, such as a decrease in taxes and think that it is a good thing. In the short term, of course, it is a good thing since people have more income. When the issue is looked at in the long term, however, one could also see all the downsides of those tax cuts, such as a budget deficit, which could potentially lead to a decrease in social security benefits in the future (for example) because of the lack of funds.

Some also argue that economics should not be a requirement in high school but in college. We take issue with that proposal too.

The basic principles of economics should be known by the vast majority of the population. Since not all students attend college, and of those colleges, not all of them are colleges that offer economics, the subject will be taught to a greater portion of the population if it is a high school requirement. Furthermore, it is much more difficult to enforce a national requirement on private colleges. Despite this difficulty, it is still extremely important to understand basic economic principles, no matter if it is learned in high school or in college.

By Sasha Skarboviychuk editor

As someone who is an economics major, I might be a little biased, but I do not understand how an economics course is not a national requirement. Economics is so important both for academics and just for being a citizen.

Unlike many subjects students are required to take before they graduate, economics is something that is going to be useful regardless of what one is planning to do in the future.

I keep remembering this exchange I had with a friend a few years back (he has never taken economics) who told me that taking out a loan on a 50 percent interest rate is a good idea. I am at a loss of words about this situation: This person is going to have to go out into the “real world” in a few years, and this is their understanding of taking out a loan.

Sure, not everyone who has never taken economics is like this, but this is something that can easily be prevented through education system reform.

I grew up in a family of businessmen, so that was a common conversation topic in my house, but that is more like the exception to the rule than the rule. And when people do not know the economic consequences of an action, it really could lead to chaos.

Whether you’re going into law, politics, history or any other humanities field, a basic understanding of economics is invaluable. Even something as distant as philosophy utilizes economic

principles (or economics has philosophical principles, depending on who you ask). In my humble economics major opinion, economics has more use to the average person than taking a science or an art (both of which are high school graduation requirements).

You might not have to deal with biology in your everyday life, but you cannot avoid encountering economics.

Furthermore, even if a student does not go into a social science field, understanding basic economic principles is an important aspect of civic duty. Many policies generated by legislative bodies are economic, including categories such as taxation and social security. Without knowledge of basic economic principles, many citizens will blindly vote for policies according to what they think is right or wrong, without even considering the economic impacts of such policies. In some cases, policies that sound good from a moralistic view are very detrimental economically.

I am not saying that students should be required to take anything more than a very basic introduction to economics; no one other than an economics major in college will need the graphs or mathematical equations that are in economics. But a class that offers a very basic understanding of how the market works, what money is and why it works the way it does, what a government’s budget is and what a budget deficit is, why people pay taxes, interest rates, trade, unemployment and other basic but necessary topics for people to know.

Achieving change requires focusing on the actions of the presidency

By Alex Kougasian staff

A recent update from the Trump administration on new plans to enforce human rights worldwide took much of the country aback.

In an article entitled “A U.S. Ambassador Promises a Global Push to Decriminalize Homosexuality,” the New York Times reported on Richard Grenell’s announcement that the Trump administration would be starting an international campaign to decriminalize homosexuality.

Grenell is the American ambassador to Germany, but is more prominently the highest ranking openly gay representative in the Trump administration. It is worth mentioning that this decision is very unlike the other decisions we have seen from the Trump administration, leaving many skeptical as to the nature of the intention behind this campaign. While it has been speculated that the campaign was just a means to crack down harder on Iran, Grenell assured the New York Times that “This is not just about Iran. This is about 71 countries, and Iran is one of them.”

This explanation was not sufficient for many critics of the Trump administration. A guest writer for GLAAD, an LGBTQ media organization, composed a piece with a rightfully distrustful tone regarding the new informa-

tion. Jeremy Hooper wrote that one of the oddities surrounding the campaign was how sparingly it was referenced or elaborated on outside of Ambassador Grenell.

But the main crux of his piece was about the fact that Trump was not aware of the plans for this campaign and how that half-heartedness, along with the air of subtlety amidst the administration, should keep LGBTQ Americans vigilant.

Another prominent thinkpiece regarding the recent developments was an article in Out magazine entitled “Trump’s Plan to Decriminalize Homosexuality Is an Old Racist Tactic” written by Mathew Rodriguez. Rodriguez highlights how the Trump administration has failed and even actively harmed the LGBTQ community with the way they dealt with issues like HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ members of the military.

Rodriguez takes this a step further by offering that perhaps the entire campaign is merely another use of LGBTQ people by the right as a “pawn to amass power and enact its own agenda.” Specifically, Rodriguez believes the plan has racist undertones in the way that white people in power are “protecting” a minority group from another minority group to justify their oppression of the “aggressors.”

As open-minded, yet skeptical liberals, the questions we are left with are: What are the true intentions of the Trump administra-

tion in this new campaign? And to what degree should we be wary of Trump regarding these efforts?

I worry that both these questions have the same disappointing answer.

The true intentions of the campaign are likely both multi-faceted and difficult to determine.

We can speculate and, while I am inclined to believe some of the speculations, I am not sure that the intention of the campaign is what is of import.

Trump’s administration has been the root of numerous problems for many underrepresented groups. So in trying to evaluate the president, it can be easy to get wrapped up in exactly what motivates the president when he seemingly deviates from his socially unjust ways. I would argue that we must treat this phenomenon just as we would treat the other inexplicable features of Trump’s presidency. In evaluating Trump and his administration we must attempt to focus primarily on his actions.

It is true that this campaign might have racist undertones, but if Ambassador Grenell’s assurances are true, then this campaign will be truly impactful regardless of intention. The history of American politics has taught Americans that almost no decision is made, or piece of legislation is passed, without its purpose being partly to appease the ulterior desires of politicians. This is not to

PHOTO FROM WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

say that we should not keep an eye on the intentions of government officials. Rather, I am suggesting more of a focus on the concrete actions as that is where I believe we can truly change what needs changing.

It is important to remember that while Trump is very different from many politicians of memory, he is still a politician and should be evaluated in the same manner.

It is in part his unconventionality that has caused many of the shortcomings of the modern liberal movement.

This is why it is so important that we keep in mind the Trump administration’s promise to promote and enforce the decriminalization of homosexuality

worldwide, not only in Iran, but also in the many other nations that have actively neglected those human rights. It is a promise that they may very well follow through on for the wrong reasons, but by looking at the outcome we can hone our criticism or our satisfaction in a time when the liberal movement needs clarity more than anything else.

Hooper had written that the LGBTQ community should remain wary and vigilant, and this is a point with which I could not agree more.

While neglecting intentions might be the best way to find clarity, it is the case in our society that some groups will lose their voices if they are not screaming.

March 8, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot

OPINIONS 13

Re: the Gates’ annual letter

By Sabrina Chow editor

I think 2018 was quite a year for everyone. And even though we’re well into March, there is always time to reflect upon the previous year.

For me, 2018 brought lots of highs and lows, but it was ultimately a huge learning experience, and it has helped shape me into the person that I am today.

Since discovering Bill and Melinda Gates’ annual letter that they have been sending out for over a decade now, I have always been curious to see how some of the richest people in the world have grown over the past year. It amazes me the impact that the Gates’ Foundation has on society and their constant philanthropic commitments to all their endeavors for the benefit of the whole planet.

This year for their letter, the Gates’s analyzed nine things that surprised them this year. “We believe in a world where innovation is for everyone—where no child dies from a disease it’s possible to prevent,” they said at the beginning of the letter on their website.

“But what we saw was a world still shaped by inequality. That discovery was one of the most important steps in our journey to philanthropy. We were surprised, then we were outraged, then we were activated.”

Some of the things that are among these top nine are very surprising, so prepare yourself.

Africa is the youngest continent Africa is young. Like really young. The average age of an individual in North America, according to the Gates, is 35 years old.

Talk about existential crises. The median age in Africa is 18!

And they predict that this age will continue to stay the same, or even lower depending on how their society progresses. And the Gates hope that “the right investments will unlock the continent’s enormous potential. Young Africans will shape the future of not only their own communities but the entire world.”

M. Gates cited studies that show that better educated women raise healthier children. And I can’t agree with this more. Everyone should be able to get an equal amount of education, or at least an education that makes someone self-sufficient. If women stay in school and get a good education, it decreases their risk for teenage pregnancy.

At home DNA tests can find serial killers and prevent premature births It honestly amazes me how much technology has advanced for the short-ish time I’ve been on this planet. And while it amazes me, it also really scares me. While the Zodiac Killer is still at large, a lesser known murderer, the Golden State Killer, is no longer at large. And he was caught in the most interesting way: Through his DNA. Officials ordered a DNA test on a sample from the Golden State Killer and matched him to his distant relative. The magic of science, people.

DNA research has also impacted the medical field. Through the 40,000 samples that 23andMe has voluntarily collected over the years, researchers have found a

potential link between preterm labor and six genes in the body.

This essentially means that children could be born premature just because of six small genes in their body. Even though this has both unethical and scientific potential, it should be noted how advancements of medicine can make a lasting impact.

M. Gates also highlighted how little we know about prematurity, both the effects on the mother and the effects on the child. Even though it affects 10 percent of the female population, it is one of the most understudied aspects of medicine.

We will build an entire NYC every month

On to the topic that I love to talk about and get frustrated by so much: Climate change. Fun fact of the day, a lot of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that are spread into the atmosphere are because of methane. You might ask, where does that methane come from?

“Bovine flatulence,” according to B. Gates. But to us lay people, cow farts. Just cow farts.

But voicing the similar opinions of the Gates’, “The largest point is that if we’re going to solve climate change, we need to get near-zero emissions on all the things that drive it—agriculture, electricity, manufacturing, transportation, ad buildings.”

Raising awareness on an issue can only go so far. Action is required to make things happen in a society that is so set in their ways.

Individuals like Greta Thunberg, a sixteen-year-old climate activist in Sweden, are amongst those leading the pact in taking action to question why nothing is being done about climate change.

But on the other side of it, if we don’t decrease the amount of nonrenewable energy and increase renewable energy that is used, we will most likely not see the Earth at the end of the millenium.

And leave it to the Gates Foundation to help fund these solutions and invest in the companies working towards the aforementioned sectors to save the planet without destroying the climate.

B. Gates talked about how the European Commission recently committed to invest in research and development in the five sectors and how Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a one billion dollar private fund, is challenging its investors to guide investments in clean-energy companies.

Data can be sexist Data is flowing all around us in different ways. Whether that be Facebook conspiracies or Google tracking your every step on social media, data is all around us.

And M. Gates really demonstrated how there is a clear artificial divide in data that distinguishes men from women.

“Data leads to better decisions and better policies. It helps us create goals and measures progress.

It enables advocacy and accountability,” according to M. Gates.

But she highlighted a group of individuals that are working towards a unification of gender data distribution.

M. Gates talked about her personal experiences visiting Nairobi and seeing firsthand how women are treated differently in all pockets of society but how every woman still matters, and someone in the world cares for her.

She also talked about the lack of equality in society and how society should be a reflection of

CARTOON BY HELEN WONG/THE HOOT

the values of all individuals that make up that society. “What we choose to measure is a reflection of what society values,” M. Gates said. “That’s why when it comes to understanding the lives of women and girls, the world can’t accept ‘I don’t know’ as an answer.”

You can learn a lot about processing your anger from teenage boys Maybe puberty isn’t the worst thing in the world after all. The Gates’ visited a Georgia state prison, and while talking to inmates, realized that a lot of people who get locked up from a young age ultimately ended in prison because they made one bad decision that ended up spiraling.

However, the Becoming a Man (BAM) program has been implemented to help alleviate the number of boys that face the fate of many men who are currently incarcerated. Similar to the show “Scared Straight,” which took at-risk youth into prisons to convince them to change, BAM explores a more emotional connection and learning to deal with one’s anger.

There’s a nationalist case for globalism I’m not one for politics, ask any of my friends, but I can appreciate it from afar. Being major philanthropists, both Gates firmly believe that global engagement is part of our patriotic duty as a country.

M. Gates highlighted the fact that our country invests in foreign aid because it helps not only increase the stability of countries around the world but also security at home. Being at war is never a fun time, but the people fighting for our country help keep us safe here back in the United States and not at war. “There is nothing about putting your country first that requires turning your back on the rest of the world,” noted M. Gates.

B. Gates also spoke to the major health efforts that the Gates Foundation has been a part of and how the government should also commit to the fund. The Global Fund, founded in 2002, was created to help combat AIDS, T.B. and malaria, which has helped over 27 million people since their founding.

According to the letter, rich countries like the United States spend 0.1 percent of their budget on health aid, which is so little.

Why be so adamant about helping millions of people who do not live with the same luxuries as we do?

When was the modern flush toilet patented?

The evolution of the toilet was one of the last things that I expected to be in the letter, and yet here we are. It was shocking to find out the horror stories that people in developing countries go through just to go to the bathroom. I’m dying if I have to hold it for an hour. Imagine having to hold it for an entire day while you are up and about just to avoid the public humiliation that may come with it. According to the Gates Foundation, more than two billion people lack access to a decent toilet, and this kills nearly 800 kids every day.

Some of the newest toilets that are hopefully hitting the market soon are ones that are completely self-contained and are able to kill pathogens and safely dispose of waste on its own. This will save all the kids who are dying due to unsafe and unsanitary living conditions. Some of the waste is even converted to fertilizer and water for handwashing!

M. Gates also brought in the feminine perspective that sanitary toilets are necessary for girls who are going to school who may be on their period. No one should have to skip school because they don’t have access to a decent toilet.

Textbooks are becoming obsolete It is no secret that education in the United States, and the world, is shifting away from textbooks and more towards technology. These new advancements allow not only for a new approach to learning but also in the ways teachers are able to teach their students. No longer are we confined to textbooks but more interactive platforms that make education more bearable, especially for the younger generations.

If I could go to school and play on an iPad and still learn about climate change and learn my multiplication tables, I would have been much more happy about

it. Coming out of this is also the transition to more “nontraditional” college students.

Let’s face it. College is open to everyone, regardless of age, and the typical person that is seen as a college student is shifting. Yes, it is still a majority of young adults coming right out of high school, but colleges are also starting to see a lot of older individuals coming back to school to finish their degrees. Which is great!

These greater shifts toward technology are helping to redesign higher education and meeting the needs of today’s student, especially relating to the topic of accessibility on college campuses.

Mobile Phones are the most powerful in the hands of the poorest women “Connectivity is a solution to marginalization,” said M. Gates in the letter. As a society so focused on technology and staying connected through technology, I could not imagine being in a community in which technology is inaccessible.

They highlighted different opportunities mobile phones have that allow women to challenge typical social norms and decrease the gender equality gap that is very apparent in developing countries.

M. Gates spoke about Go-Jek, an app created in Indonesia that gives women the opportunity to have their own personal incomes, so women are able to be independent from potentially abusive men. “We can help seize these opportunities by ensuring that inequity doesn’t keep them from having access to technology in first place,” wrote M. Gates.

This past year brought a host of surprises and curveballs that I did not expect, and neither did the Gates apparently. But it brought us one step closer to breaking down gender inequalities and fight for a more equal world in general.

This piece will end with the ending of their letter, focused on the power of optimism in our society. Because there can never be too many optimists.

“Optimism can be a powerful call to action… the more optimists there are working for a better future, the more reasons there are to be optimistic.”

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14 The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2019

Hadassah-Brandeis Institute responds to problematic slideshow

By Medjine Barionnette staff

Last week, I reviewed the opening and artist talk on the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI) exhibit “One Foot Planted,” during which a problematic photo was displayed from an independent artist portfolio. On Tuesday, I sat down with the director, Lisa Joffe, and Amy Powell, assistant director for communications. Susan Metrican, director of the arts, called in to our meeting over the phone.

The issue in question was over Meirav Heiman’s photo of a “Black Dinner,” in which the guests were wearing afros and black face. It was displayed as part of a series of color-themed dinners.

While discomfort in the room was felt, it wasn’t addressed in that moment. The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute staff simply didn’t deal with the photo while it was on display.

“We actually had a whole rehearsal the day before,” Powell said, though she clarified that the preliminary viewing of the PowerPoint in question was not for content but for concerns over language issues.

Both Amy Powell and Lisa Joffe confirmed that the picture in question wasn’t in the preliminary PowerPoint—which implies that the artist didn’t provide all of the content to be screened. This begs the question, did the artist know how the photo would be perceived?

I wanted to give Heiman the benefit of the doubt, however, the picture of the black dinner was of white people in black face and afro wigs. Yes, she was experimenting with color with the themed dinners, but why was the black dinner the only one with racial implications? The red din-

ner was not a depiction of Native Americans in racially insensitive garb. She could have found actual black people and put them in black clothing to convey a black dinner if she wanted to depict black people—which she did not do. I will say again that there is no veil of ignorance to hide behind. The United States has been dealing with black face recently, such as with the controversy over Virginia’s governor in February.

When traveling to another country, understanding the current political climate of that country can save everyone some very unnecessary grief.

HBI staff spoke to Heiman after the event ended, and she expressed remorse and contrition.

She didn’t intend to offend anyone, but she still did.

Susan Metrican said, “We have great responsibility in the kind of images and words that we represent, and so clearly something like this can come up and be felt by many different people whether it was understood by the creator or not, just to acknowledge that responsibility is there whether you understand or not.” And she is right. Both the artist and HBI should have done the bare minimum of screening. A run-through should have been on the table without the artist bringing it up themselves. Screening for images that could hurt or offend others should be a regular practice. Not thinking about that beforehand is insensitive and negligent on behalf of the artist and the HBI. As to why she didn’t intervene about the photo during the event, Metrican said, “Clearly my first reaction was not to take that up with anyone there; it was only several hours later that I realized I could have done that… in this particular instance kind of hosting the artist and basically hosting the event, just that dynamic had

me sort of frozen.”

She continued to say that in hindsight she could have addressed the picture during the Q&A portion of the talk and given the artist a chance to respond.

She also said that the Q&A portion was an opportunity to make it clear that “An image like that has very painful resonance within our culture,” she said. “Images are very powerful for artists and cultural producers who produce and create content.”

As Metrican said, images are incredibly significant. Whether or not one intends to upset others doesn’t matter—intentions do not matter.

What matters is the effect that your actions, your art and your words have on others. This is not only an important moment for the HBI but the entirety of the art community in general. The content one creates can be interpreted any number of ways and taking into account how it may or may not hurt a potential viewer is important. That isn’t a defense of censorship or political correctness, it is advocating for creators to take responsibility of their content and accountability for the potential consequences.

As hosts and event curators, being unprepared or frozen is unacceptable. There are many departments on the Brandeis campus that would not handle this situation well. The way HBI handled the initial situation says a lot about what’s lacking on the Brandeis campus in terms of ways to handle uncomfortable and controversial situations.

Director Lisa Joffe said, “In terms of what will follow… I think it was a learning moment for all of us. We are going to be meeting with Mark Brimhall-Vargas from the Office of Diversity to talk about what are strategies to use in these kinds of situations and

The Israeli artist, whose work is on display in the Hadassah-Brandeis Instute, showed a powerpoint featuring the artist and others in blackface last Thursday.

MEIRAV HEIMAN

to know that there isn’t a perfect strategy, but it’s our obligation to engage with these things when they happen in real time.”

I appreciate that Lisa Joffe, Amy Powell and Susan Metrican were willing to talk to me, but concrete

PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIACOMMONS.COM

steps should be put in place so that this doesn’t happen again.

The way HBI handled the situation proves that there needs to be more diversity training on the Brandeis campus for all departments.

PHOTO COURTESY HADASSAH-BRANDEIS INSTITUTE

‘Much Ado’ adds something new

By Joshua Lannon staff

Hold Thy Peace’s (HTP) recent production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” added a new spin on the classic comedy. While the plot of the play was maintained, the setting changed from Messina, Sicily to a high school straight out of a ’90s romantic comedy. In the spirit of Shakespeare adaptations like Ten Things I Hate About You, HTP set its production as a high school drama. However, HTP’s production does not alter the dialogue to suit the modern high school aesthetic, instead opting to maintain the original Shakespearean dialogue. While this sometimes results in a disjunction between the dialogue and the new setting, it is more than made up for by excellent acting and hilarious hijinks.

In her directorial debut at Brandeis, Olivia Ellson ’21 does an excellent job of meshing together Shakespeare’s work and the aesthetic of a ’90s romantic comedy. Each of the characters is altered to a high school equivalent.

For example, Don Pedro, portrayed by Harrison Carter ’22, is

changed from being a prince to a popular jock type, the high school equivalent of a prince. All the characters are portrayed as their high school equivalents like with the lovers Claudio and Hero, portrayed by Nickole Sandoval ’21 and Taylor Kincaid ’22, who are a jock and cheerleader respectively.

Ellson further adds to the teen romantic comedy aesthetic through the set, costumes and props.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this production is the set design by Amanda Pyun ’22. The stage itself is set up like a basketball court, but the really fascinating aspect of the set is how the audience views the court.

Along each wing of the stage, chairs have been set up and elevated to resemble bleachers; the audience is then encouraged to sit on these bleachers. This clearly mimics how an audience would watch a high school basketball game from the bleachers, but in the context of a play, it puts the audience in the rare position of actually being on stage during a performance. This allows the audience to feel more immersed in the plot because they are so close to it. In fact, at several points in the play, actors would actually

walk through the audience. The set brings to mind the phrase breaking the fourth wall, which can take the form of an actor breaking the invisible wall which divides the audience from the stage by addressing or referencing them. This set, however, has a somewhat inverse effect because rather than breaking a fourth wall to audience, the audience becomes two of the other walls.

While this type of staging does have its drawbacks, such as a lack of wing space and being able to see characters enter and exit, these problems did not arise during the performance. While there were occasional sounds of people exiting and entering, overall the transitions between scenes were done very well. Furthermore, since the play takes place in a high school, having the characters enter through the door and through the audience makes sense and does not detract from the immersion.

The excellent costume design also helped blend the aesthetics of the play. Costume designer Sophia Massida ’20 and assistant costume designer Gabi Stahl ’21 utilized simple modern clothing as costume, as well as common teen tropes. For example,

the jocks, like Don Pedro and Claudio, are mostly shown wearing basketball jerseys, a uniform which is reminiscent of their characters’ professions as soldiers in the original Shakespeare play.

On the other hand, Don Pedro’s bastard brother Don John, portrayed by Celia Bernhardt ’22, wears a black jacket and darker colors to signify their status as a delinquent type character. Don John’s association with this trope identifies him as a trouble maker but also an outsider much like his character in the original play.

Whether it be jackets or jerseys, every costume is used to identify a character with a particular trope, like jock or delinquent. At the same time, the costumes are reminiscent of the original character depictions but in a modern perspective.

Above all else, what makes the performance so enjoyable is the incredible performances by each cast member. Every character has a moment to shine, whether in a dramatic scene or, more often than not, a comical scene. In particular, Halley Geringer ’19, who portrays Beatrice, is especially adept at playing a rebellious teenager but also layers her performance

by revealing Beatrice’s more caring nature beneath her initially standoffish personality. Another notable performance was Elizabeth Gentile’s ’20 portrayal of Benedick. Gentile portrays Benedick initially as a typical jock type but adds depth to the character through his flustered interaction with his love interest Beatrice. The will-they-won’t-they dynamic Beatrice and Benedick share in the play encapsulates a teen romantic comedy, and their excellent portrayals make them the most interesting and relatable characters in the show.

By adding a teen romantic comedy aesthetic to their production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” the cast and crew were able to display an excellent Shakespearean performance while also bringing a modern perspective to the show.

The unique and well-designed set offers a new perspective for the audience. Elements like the costumes and acting help bring this modern perspective while still paying respect to the original material. Overall, this production demonstrates how Shakespeare’s works are still relevant today and how these works can be adapted for modern audiences.

March 8, 2019

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The Brandeis Hoot

‘Dark Souls 3:’ my favorite fighting game

By Stewart Huang staff

When people think about the “Dark Souls” series, they often think about their reputation as brutally punishing single-player action RPGs, but little did they know that these games also have multiplayer/PVP modes. In fact, they are the one thing that kept me coming back long after I have exhausted every point of interest in the campaigns. And to celebrate the upcoming release of Sekiro, Shadows Dies Twice, From Software’s (Dev for Souls series) new IP, I’d like to take us back to their last game, “Dark Souls 3,” and showcase the multiplayer aspects, which isn’t as wellknown but equally as brilliant as the single-player campaign.

There are three main modes to multiplayer: invasion, co-op and dueling in the Undead Arena. Invasion is perhaps the most engaging but also the most demanding.

Simply put, it’s a mode in which players “invade” other player’s game worlds and try to kill the latter, who are called hosts, as they progress through the campaign.

It is an intense game of hide and seek, baiting and waiting, with the game world as the hunting ground. But at the same time, it’s an incredibly difficult game of fighting multiple opponents at the same time, due to how the host can (and often does) “summon” other players to protect himself from the invader.

There are also several other

downsides to the invader, such as having his usage of Estus, the game’s healing potion, halved, and having his health reduced by 30 percent, all of which make invasions hard to pull off. It is precisely because of its difficulty that makes it extraordinarily rewarding when you do win. Not only is it a feat of great skill, but also a demonstration of the invader’s knowledge about the game, such as how to counter certain weapons and playstyles, and the calculated preparations that went before the invasion, like having specific items or weapons readily available to better finish off the opponent. I myself love doing invasions in the DLC maps, which are the most expansive and the most popular ones, hunting lone players or being hunted by “gankers” determined to exterminate me. Sometimes I like going aggressive and fight them all at once, but other times I prefer to hide in the corners and pick them off one by one with my sorceries.

There are physical rewards, too, which the games hand out after you have defeated a player in an invasion or killed the host, according to your current covenant (like a clan). These covenant items can be used to exchange useful spells and weapons, or even respect your character attributes.

All in all, invasion is possibly the most challenging way to play multiplayer in “DS3,” but nevertheless the most engaging and rewarding (though I personally still prefer dueling).

Opposite to killing other players

PHOTO FROM GAMESPLANET.COM

and ruining their progress, you can also join them and help them play through the game, whether to go through an area, fight a boss or fend off invaders. And since DS3 is a difficult game, you should never run out of players to assist. I used to help random players fight the final boss all the time, just because I wanted to relive the encounter. Co-op can also be a great way to convince people to play with you: “We can play together, it’ll be easier!” I know I did this to one of my friends, but since I had already beaten the game and I knew everything about it, I didn’t want to make things too easy for him. I purposely neglected to help him and really enjoyed being the witness of all his untimely demises, though he and I both had a great time in the end. But if you want to be even more deviant, you can gang up with players to bully invaders. Since there is no limit to how many times a player can summon/be summoned, you can be summoned over and over as long as the host lives, or summon an infinite number of players if you are the host. Now I have personally never done this, but I can imagine that it would be morbidly entertaining, albeit a little despicable, to annihilate invaders with such brute strength in numbers.

There are also covenant items to be had after each boss fight won, or invader killed, similar to the ones given in invasions. The main takeaway here is that there is a ton of options when it comes to co-op in “DS3” and it’s an amazing feature for players who don’t want to suffer alone. (But beware! Playing co-op increases the chances – prioritized by the matchmaking algorithm – for you to be invaded!).

Now comes my favorite part, dueling in the Undead Arena, a mode which offers isolated small, maps for players to fight in, with my favorite being the Round Plaza, encased by ocean-blue skies and set underneath a gigantic full moon. Unlike playing through the PVE content, which has you anxious about everything at once, about your souls (in-game currency that you can lose upon death), about dealing with mul-

PHOTO FROM WIRED.COM

tiple enemies at the same time, about where they might be hiding, and about where you might fall off and die, dueling in the Undead Arena allows you to focus tightly on the Souls series’ biggest strength – the 1 to 1 combat. It is such a punishing but robust, well-designed system that challenges the player to think deeply about every input’s impacts and its consequences. Yet at the same time, it becomes highly addicting once you get the hang of it, because you feel like there’s always room for improvement and winning a fight feels satisfying (a recurring theme in the series) due to how much skillful input and game knowledge that requires.

Through every duel, you get to learn every aspect about your weapons’ mechanics – its range, its damage, its move-set’s timing for dodging and “poise frames” – and the weapons relationship to other weapons – what counters what. You get to learn advanced techniques such as setup parries, running attack buffering, ring swapping, baiting, delayed timings, identifying backstab timings, identifying true combos and aiming without lock-on or crosshair, by learning from every opponent and every defeat. The range of encounters is also staggeringly diverse, since the game features such a deep customization for your character: 9 stats to

upgrade from, hundreds of weapons and spells and probably thousands of armor pieces to choose from.

Every opponent has a unique gimmick or personality (there are meta set-ups, but thankfully not many people are that desperate to use them) that they’re role-playing. This is what earned the game and the series the nickname: “Fashion Souls.” There is just so much freedom to express individuality. I personally love playing as a battle-mage, with light robes and armor, capable of dishing out damage through fast sorceries and gigantic weapons like the Great Club. And I have hundreds of hours in this game of me just dueling with that character.

There are of course balancing issues regarding PVP, since the game was designed chiefly with PVE content in mind. In fact, there are many, like rolling being too abusable and the fact that some weapons are objectively better than others in every way. But despite these numerous flaws, the game still successfully provides a rich gameplay experience, in addition to its stellar single-player campaign, with invasions, co-op, and especially dueling. It is challenging, enjoyable, complex, and endlessly addicting. That’s why “DS3” is my favorite non-fighting-game fighting game. And it should be yours too.

‘Apex Legends’ is actually pretty good

By Noah Harper editor

The first time I downloaded “Apex Legends,” I deleted it after five minutes. It felt stale, like ‘Titanfall 2”-lite with “Fortnite” jammed in. Then I played it a few more times at a friend’s house, and the gameplay proved to be a little more fun than I’d originally thought—though I remained cynical. However, since I had been broke for the past two weeks, the idea of a free new video game that millions of other people were playing (that’s not “Fortnite”), was too much to resist. So I redownloaded it, and now I can’t stop.

For the uninitiated, “Apex Legends” is a battle royale game. It places players into squads of three who jump to wherever they want on a big map. You land, and then you have to scavenge for gear, and a circle that gets progressively smaller funnels players into the same area. Eventually, one team emerges victorious.

I’m not a sucker for the battle-royale game mode. I don’t find

PHOTO FROM NEWHAVENREGISTER.COM

it immediately compelling. But “Apex Legends” takes that idea and makes it viable for people like me who are looking for a little more strategy and cooperation in their video games. The game is also a hero shooter that forces you to work (and communicate) with your teammates, scratching my “Overwatch” itch. It’s addictive, nail-biting first-person gameplay that forces you to be strategic. In short, it’s like crack.

A great online multiplayer

game allows you to make your own stories. There has to be room for creativity and exploration. I can’t forget the skin-of-my-teeth moment the other day when another teammate and I were revived from the brink of death, and our squad ended up finishing in second place. Or the time I was matched with two high-level players who went straight for Skull Town (the Tilted Towers of “Apex”) and proceeded to massacre everyone while I cowered in

the corner with my measly pistol.

By forcing you to play with other people in a meaningful way, the game gives you control over the narrative.

I hate talking to internet strangers, so the fact that I can ping enemies, gear, directions, etc. without talking or being verbally harassed by twelve year-olds is great. There’s something fulfilling about telling your team that there’s an enemy over on the left or that there’s a rare helmet in this chest without having to use a headset. The pinging system is so great that “Fortnite” has already copied it.

As a fan of the “Borderlands” games—games that made the first-person looter shooter popular, I enjoy that beginning dash to grab gear as fast as possible. I get a dopamine rush scavenging for weapons, armor and ammo that’s reminiscent of “Borderlands” and “Destiny.” While in “Fortnite” or “Call of Duty’s” “Blackout” mode it can feel like a long time before you get a good gun, “Apex Legends” minimizes that downtime; it’s another part of the

battle-royale game praxis that the game improves.

“Apex” feels great because it was made by Respawn Entertainment, a studio founded by ex- “Call of Duty” developers responsible for “Titanfall” and “Titanfall 2.” As one of the six people who played “Titanfall 2,” I can say that the same great design and gameplay experience carry over. Your character has weight, and, even though you cannot use giant robots to smite your opponents into oblivion, the parkour, zipline and mud slide traversal feel as good as in those games.

The game runs great. It’s rarely buggy, and I usually load into matches within seconds. Your teammates can be toxic, but it’s the internet, so that’s kind of to be expected. It just works, which is sometimes a lot to ask (looking at you “Anthem”).

“Apex Legends” is free, so there’s no reason not to play it. Just do what I did: download it, play it, delete it and repeat. According to gaming site Polygon, “Apex” reached 50 million players in its first month—it’s a hit! Go play it!

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The Brandeis Hoot

March 8, 2019

BAASA’s ‘Dare to Dream’ celebrates Asian American identity

By Noah Harper editor

Culture, family and identity were resonant themes that repeated throughout the Brandeis Asian American Student Association’s (BAASA) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month opener. The event, called “Dare to Dream,” provided a space where identity could be celebrated and experiences shared by a supportive community.

The show began and ended with soulful solo musical performances. Both Eli Kengmana ’19 and Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner played deeply personal songs onstage and shared their stories.

Kengmana, alone on stage with his guitar and a microphone, spoke first about struggling with mental illness and tensions with his father revolving around that.

At times, he said, it seemed like

PHOTOS BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

he didn’t understand what his son was going through—or didn’t care. “In the Asian American community there’s a lot of stigma around mental health, particularly depression and anxiety,” Kengmana said.

He played two original compositions, the second leading into a cover of multi-instrumentalist Yvette Young. Kengmana played the guitar with incredible finesse—seemingly able to pack in the sounds of multiple instruments into one. The songs were haunting. You could feel the struggle he’d described through the music; hope, too. It was very moving.

Max Tang ’19, president of the Asian American Task Force, was next with a spoken word performance. She recounted having a conversation with her father about his experiences as an immigrant in the United States. “I’ve been in this country for a long time,” he told her, “But I still feel like an outsider.”

Tang then told the audience about three groundbreaking Asian Americans: Bhagat Singh Thind, Yuji Ichioka and Yuri Kochiyama. Thind was a World War I veteran from Punjab, who

was denied citizenship because he wasn’t white. It took over two decades of appeals and attempts, but in 1936, he was finally given citizenship. “America belongs to him,” Tang said.

She told the stories of Yuji Ichioka, a Japanese American interned in Utah during World War II, who pioneered Asian American Studies at UC Berkeley, and coined the term “Asian American,” and of Yuri Kochiyama, also placed in an internment camp in World War II, who went on to become an outspoken political activist.

Kochiyama famously appears in a photo of Malcolm X, right after he was shot, cradling his head.

“America belongs to them,” Tang said.

After impressive dance numbers by Revelasian, a traditional Chinese dance group, and Rice Paddy Heroes, a self-described “group of failed singers trying to dance,” Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast went on to close out the event.

Zauner’s first album as Japanese Breakfast was written right after her mother, who was Korean, died of cancer. She talked about losing that connection and how her music has been a form of

grappling with that. “A lot of my music has tackled reconnecting with my culture.” she said.

“It’s a bit emotional for me as a half-Asian woman to see young people embrace their culture,” Zauner said. “It’s so moving to see you all doing that now.”

In a stripped-down solo set, Zauner played songs from her 2017 sophomore album, “Soft Sounds From Another Planet.”

Without a backing band, it was immediately obvious how incredible Zauner’s voice is, distinct and striking with considerable range.

Before finishing her set, Zauner told the audience to “work really hard and tell your stories as honestly as possible. When you’re faced with rejection, just keep going and something will come of it, I promise.” She capped things

off with a surprisingly great cover of Cher’s “Believe” and a rousing performance of her own “Machinist.”

“Dare to Dream” celebrated culture and wasn’t afraid to discuss tensions with identity and heritage, both within the Asian American community and outside of it. There were recurring stories regarding struggling with one’s identity in a country that hasn’t traditionally made a place for you, a forced American transience, as Max Tang’s father mentioned. But in acknowledging and, in a way, celebrating the struggles, there was a powerful feeling of optimism and excitement.

It was a fun, moving, poignant event that showcased a strong culture and community on campus.

Unstuck from time and self, ‘Transit’ demands your attention er named Weidel. Complicating matters further is the fact that Georg himself is constantly mistaken for Weidel (due to some plot movements I don’t want to spoil). Georg, disconnected from country, family and—thanks to the film—time, risks alienation from his own identity, as the line between himself and Weidel blurs.

There are similarities aplenty to “Casablanca” (and I’m far from

By Jonah Koslofsky staff

There’s an espresso machine in the first shot of “Transit.” It’s not an especially fancy espresso machine, an average appliance you’d expect in any modern café.

But protagonist Georg (Franz Ragowski) isn’t having coffee in the present—“Transit,” we soon learn, is set at an undetermined point during the height of the Nazi occupation of France. Georg, a German-Jewish refugee, is on the run from the fascist authorities, fleeing Paris for the port city of Marseilles in hopes of securing passage out of Europe.

But the viewer is never allowed to settle into this semi-conventional World War II narrative—if that opening espresso machine didn’t give it away, “Transit” embraces anachronism. German director Christian Petzold (“Phoenix”) denies any and all period accuracy: The cars, trains, ships, streets, restaurants and offices are all indistinguishable from what you would see on any trip to Europe today. It’s a move of peak

‘TRANSIT’ Refugees Georg and Marie in the midst of an

PHOTO FROM VARIETY.COM

expressionist nightmare

formal expressionism; the devil is in the details: You won’t see any period inaccurate technology (i.e. cell phones), but some contemporary marker shows up in nearly every shot.

In one of his most disturbing images, the fascist soldiers in Petzold’s occupied France casually drive police vans and wear the standard uniform of any EU cop.

Massive passenger boats headed west, the only hope of escape for our heroes, look like luxury cruise ships. Petzold seems intent on cramming modern details into

every single shot, never letting his audience escape the obvious issues these objects and vehicles trigger.

To be clear, bold aesthetic trappings aren’t the point—rather, Petzold has his sights set on the emotional implications. By the time Georg arrives in Marseilles, he’s a mess; equally paranoid and ashamed, a lonely and traumatized survivor. Others in Marseilles share a similar fate, as the city becomes purgatory not only for Georg but also Marie, the wife of a prominent communist writ-

CHRISTIAN PETZOLDE

PHOTO FROM MUBI.COM

the first critic to point them out).

But as usual, Petzold’s real influence is Hitchcock. It’s not the first time the German auteur has echoed the master of suspense, as the brilliant “Phoenix” (2015) also cited “Vertigo.” His unlikely marriage of World War II narratives to stories Hitchcock would tell has become a goldmine. As Petzold’s characters chase truths and individuals that don’t exist, we come to understand their fractured psyches and daily dissonance.

The whole thing just works.

Petzold closes the distance between viewer and subject with his radical aesthetic choice, and the performances by Franz Ragowski and Paula Beer (as Marie) eliminate any additional space. Petzold’s cinematography is also fantastic, producing a bevy of quality frames. Using an extra-wide aspect ratio, his camera translates the terror of fascism into a visual language anyone alive today can read.

It’s far from comfortable but so very effective. Never has a simple espresso machine signaled so much.