The Brandeis Hoot 10/16/2015

Volume 12 Issue 18

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

October 16, 2015

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

Adjunct faculty turn campaign outward

By Charlotte Aaron and Hannah Schuster editors

photo by karen caldwellthe hoot

faculty speak out

Brandeis students, staff and faculty spoke in support of creating a union for non-tenure track professors on Tuesday, Oct. 13. In the ever-busy wake-and-shake area between Usdan and the library where students pass on their way to classes or lunch, union supporters discussed why they believe adjunct faculty members need collective bargaining rights and a place at the table with administration.

The unified faculty will seek higher pay, improved job security and career advancement opportunities.

Non-tenure track professors often have year-to-year contracts and, each year, must wait to find out if they still have a job, according to speakers at the event.

“I have taught hundreds of students, and can say without question that I love doing this … but my own See SPEAK OUT, page 2

Panelists discuss the importance of being an ally

By Elianna Spitzer Staff

At Ally Activism: Process, Tensions and Possibilities, a panel at the Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC), panelists discussed the underlying issues regarding allyship and its usefulness within a social justice movement on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The panel featured Brandeis students, members of the WSRC, and other professors. Phoebe Schnitzer Ph.D of the Brandeis WSRC acted as a moderator for the panel and defined allyship as “choosing to engage in a social cause regardless of personal identity or group membership.”

The panel members focused on different areas of what it means to be an ally including personal identity, privilege and communication. Keigan,the panel’s first speaker,focused on the idea of “positionality.”

“I see positionality as an intangible space that one holds in relation to a social issue or injustice. Positionality is formed by identity markers such as race, class, gender, socioeconomic status, … and one’s own lived experience.”

Keigan explained that affects the way an ally innately responds to a situation within a cause. “It is imperative to understand your positionality before taking action as an ally. By thinking critically about your own identity you can hopefully get a sense of how everything you experience is a reflection of that space you occupy within [that] identity,” she said.

Allies working towards a cause

Inside this issue:

may make the mistake of imposing their personal identity markers on the cause as a whole. “For me, understanding positionality means understanding that I can only speak for myself. As a self identified female I can absolutely not speak for all women.

I’ve run into problems before of trying to be inclusive of all women without taking into account the innumerable differences that exist amongst women.”

Keigan has gained her knowledge surrounding this idea through experience and believes it is important to learn from one’s mistakes. “I often ask myself, ‘Why are we so afraid to make mistakes in the context of social justice allyship?’ And one reason I find is that mistakes make us confront our individual privileges,” said Keigan.

Max A. Greenberg Ph.D, of Boston University, echoed this idea of confronting one’s own privileges through the lens of male activism in the feminist movement. “Men are working to undermine a system which fundamentally privileges them… because it privileges them, they are, to some extent, working against their interests, and that is a source of tension. They share a political stance with feminist women, but that the same time, they have a different field of power to negotiate,” he said.

Greenberg presented a dichotomy within the feminist movement. He noted that male activists possess the very privileges that they are fighting to end. “Men are frequently given more attention, more respect, unSee ALLY, page 4

News: Beacons program reopened for sophomores Opinion: 9/11 Flag rearranger explains why Arts: Special Collections adds dime novels Features: V.P. of Operations Gray sits down Editorial: Adjunct faculty deserve better pay

Gender and Sexuality Center celebrates anniversary with grand opening

By Emily Sorkin Smith Editor

In the lobby of the newly opened Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC), adorned with rainbow ribbons and filled with people wearing pronoun buttons, students and community members gathered for the center’s Grand Opening on Wednesday, Oct.15. The ceremony celebrated the one year anniversary of the center’s founding and fell during National Coming Out Week. The GSC is affil-

iated with the Intercultural Center, though it is located near the Rape Crisis Center (RCC) and the Queer Resources Center (QRC) in Usdan.

Felix Tunador is the current Gender and Sexuality Coordinator at the ICC, working alongside four student administrative assistants to create a space filled with resources about gender and sexuality. Tunador is the one professional in charge of the GSC. Molly Gimbel ’16, one of the student administrative assistants for the center, served on the task force

during her sophomore year that proposed creating a center and hiring a full-time professional to manage the center. They saw a need for a full-time position, instead of the part-time position often held by graduate students, to give students the time and resources they needed to discuss gender and sexuality. Finding time to meet with the program coordinator at the ICC was, before the creation of the GSC, much too difficult.

“We recognized that there was a

photo by sophia he/the hoot

gender and sexuality center

fall concert Page 2 Alt. rockers The Mowgli’s excite Page 15 audience in Levin Ballroom with Page 10 help from student openers Page 5 Arts: Page 8 Page 12

See GSC, page 3

men’s soccer wins again

Judges take down Mass. Maritime Academy in defensive showdown

Sports: Page 7

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot SPEAK OUT, from page 1

situation is such that I am still an adjunct instructor who works on a yearto-year contract, every year having to wait to see if there is a position,” said adjunct professor Christopher Abrams (FA). “I myself have to struggle every time that my wife and I want to finance our house or apply for financial aid at daycare,” he said at the event.

Part-time faculty receive lower pay than tenure-track professors. Each student at Brandeis pays around $6,000 in tuition per class, yet some professors earn less for teaching a class with many students, according to a fact sheet for Brandeis Faculty Forward. The national median pay for an adjunct professor is $2,700 per three-credit-hour course, according to the American Association of University Professors, whereas the national average for tenured professors is over $80,000 a year.

Also according to Brandeis Faculty Forward, if an adjunct’s course is canceled or reassigned, the professor receives no compensation for the time they spent preparing.

The Service Employees International Union spearheads adjunct action organizing campaigns, Faculty Forward movements, at universities such as Brandeis to help adjunct professors form unions. In 2014, Tufts became the first school to approve a union affiliated with the SEIU, a three-year contract. Through the Tufts deal, adjunct faculty hope to see pay increases and receive health, retirement and other benefits if they teach at least three classes and be guaranteed the chance to interview for full-time positions when they become available, according to Andy Klatt, lecturer in Romance languages at Tufts who spoke at the Speak Out. The “agreement grants a 22-percent pay raise over the next three years,” according to a BU webpage, bringing their average salary per course to over $7,000.

SEIU represents 21,000 “college and university adjunct and contract faculty,” according to the Brandeis Faculty Forward website. The SEIU unionized faculty demand $15,000 total

compensation per course, according to the SEIU’s website. “The amount of $15,000/course reflects a fair and proportionate amount for non-tenure track faculty at four-year institutions to receive. The dollar amount factors in the standard salary and benefit package of tenure track faculty and then takes into account the other non-instructional duties they also perform,” SEIU Faculty Forward website reads.

SEIU also represents faculty at Northeastern University, Boston University and Lesley University.

Non-tenure track faculty at Northeastern voted to unionize in May. In response to the election results, the provost wrote in a letter, “Northeastern will now bargain in goodwill with SEIU about the terms of employment for part-time faculty members who were eligible to vote in the election.”

In 1969, only 21.7 percent of college and university faculty were non-tenure track. By 2009, this percentage rose to 65.5 percent, according to SEIU. In 2013, up to 75 percent of college professors were non-tenure track, said an NPR article.

The Brandeis Labor Coalition hosted the Speak Out event on Tuesday and has endorsed the Faculty Forward movement along with Brandeis Democrats.

Brian Hough, vice president of College Democrats of Massachusetts, has worked with their labor movements and supports unionization efforts to “respect and advocate” for faculty. He also wants students and professors both to be involved with the movement.

Adjunct professor Marc Weinberg (ENG) is proud to teach at Brandeis, he said at the Speak Out event, though he sees many injustices within the school’s system. Earning a teaching position here, as Weinberg says, is difficult, and most professors have postgraduate degrees. “We love teaching, and we are good at what we do,” he said. However, he believes the situation with the non-tenure track status poses challenges.

At the event, there were stickers that read “I support the Brandeis Faculty Union” as well as free Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and Munchkins.

October 16, 2015

photos by karen caldwell/the hoot

SPEAKERS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR A UNION ON NON-TENURE TRACK PROFESSORS

BRIEF: Brandeis Beacons will work with alumni and philanthropy

By Hannah Schuster Editor

Second-year students can apply to serve as Brandeis Beacons, a new program through which students work with alumni and encourage donations to the university. Beacons also have opportunities such as annual dinners with the university president.

Brandeis unveiled the program last year. Dean of Students Jamele Adams announced that current sophomores could begin the application process in email on Monday.

Working with the Brandeis Alumni Association Board of Directors and senior university leaders, Beacons organize programs to “inspire a culture

of philanthropy and support among the student body that will Brandeis for generations to come,” according to Adams. He said the programs will highlight “what makes Brandeis great, including culture, leadership, service and university pride.” Beacons will also plan events connecting students and alumni, such as the Beacons Conversation Series. Alumni, former students’ parents and other friends of the university speak to the Beacons. Alumni speak about what they were involved in at Brandeis and their experiences since graduating.

“In the past we have had medical professionals, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, lawyers and many more guests come to talk to us about their

field, share their experience and give friendly pieces of advice and encouragement,” said Mesa Robinov ’17, who was one of the first Brandeis Beacons.

Last year the university nominated students, such as Robinov, to pilot the Beacons program. Robinov sees the significant role alumni play in the university’s history and future, as donors and the “founders of our favorite clubs, the athletes that record and the members of the community that made a difference,” and now the donors that keep university activities and facilities functioning.

Applicants should, “demonstrate commitment to leadership and service, along with enthusiasm, com-

munication skills and passion for Brandeis,” said Adams in his email to second-years.

“Beacons inspire pride, excitement and love for ‘OUR HOUSE,’ Brandeis University,” said Adams. He is known for his annual performance piece during Orientation This is Our House, which encourages school pride. Last year, Brandeis found itself at the center of an online controversy when a student faced backlash after another student posted her comments about the murder of two policemen on the conservative website Truth Revolt. In response, students posted positive stories about Brandeis using the hashtag “#BrandeisIsOurHouse,” and the phrase remains a call

for unity and school pride.

Students already work with alumni in positions such as liaisons for reunions. Liaisons “represent the current Brandeis student body” to alumni according to the Brandeis Alumni & Friends website. Students direct alumni around campus, share stories about their time at Brandeis and assist with logistics of events, among other responsibilities.

Second years must submit applications to the Beacons program by Oct. 20, and candidates will be chosen in early November, according to Adams. He was unable to respond to The Brandeis Hoot’s request for further comment on the program as of press time.

October 16, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot

In The Senate: Oct. 11 Bylaw amendment debated: Should votes in the Senate be public or private?

• Senate members debated whether or not they want to instate an amendment to their bylaws that would require all recorded votes to be made public.

• “Publishing who votes for what makes it too political,” one member said. “It will ruin friendships.”

• “It’s stupid to say people won’t be influenced [by friendships] and vote in their best interest,” a Senate member said.

• “We are here to represent people, and if they want to engage us and ask us why we voted for people, then they’re doing their job,” another member responded.

• No decision has been made.

Dining Updates • More options available for students to use meal swipes in the Stein.

• Usdan and Sherman menus are now up online.

• Orange juice problem addressed.

• Although the Senate couldn’t bring freshly-squeezed orange juice to campus, they are bringing a representative from Coke to recalibrate the orange juice concentrate machines which have been dispensing liquid unworthy of the title orange juice.

• Challah is coming back to Louis’ Deli.

Student Union Update Show on WBRS • A new WBRS show will feature Union members and their initiatives every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. for 30 minutes.

Spoon University recognized but not chartered.

• “A lot of spoon and not a lot of Brandeis,” a Senate member said.

• The final tally of votes for chartering: 8 nays, 8 yays and 3 abstains.

Behind the Scenes, a club for “techies,” was unanimously recognized and chartered.

• Funding, if granted, will pay for all theater technology purchases, rather than each theater group purchasing their own equipment.

• “It will solve the whole territorial issue,” said a Senate member.

Will Jones ’18, Rosenthal Quad Senator, was finally sworn in to the Senate—the last of the Senate members to be sworn in.

NEWS

Students gather at presidential debate viewing party

By Ryan Spencer

Special to the Hoot

Students gathered together to watch the first Democratic presidential debate on CNN at a viewing party on Tuesday night in Schwartz auditorium. Three student groups, Brandeis Democrats, Brandeis for Bernie and Brandeis for Hillary, hosted the event to bring together students to watch the debate between democratic candidates. The debate featured former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee and former Senator Jim Webb of Virginia.

The Facebook event, created for the Democratic Debate Watch Party, invited students to “come learn about the issues impacting our country and compare the visions of the different candidates” and had 257 people say that they were “going” to the event.

However, the general turnout was far less than 257, with closer to 100 students attended the viewing party.

During the over two-hour long debate, candidates covered a range of topics including racial discrimination, Wall Street and economic reform, immigration, gun control, climate change, issues in Syria, college finance and more. Throughout the debate, students cheered and clapped when they agreed with a candidate’s point.

Clinton addressed her email scandal, in which she is being investigated for potentially keeping confidential information on a private email server.

Sanders, in a show of solidarity, said he was tired of hearing about Clinton’s email and would prefer to focus on other issues facing the nation.

“The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn

emails,” said Sanders. Such a declaration led to a handshake between the two Democratic front-runners.

Later in the debate, candidates

3

gling with college debt to refinance their debt to a low interest rate and provide free tuition to students attending public colleges and willing

photo from internet source

showed differences in opinions. On the topic of gun control, Sanders tended to be softer than Clinton. He stated he doesn’t support the idea of victims of gun violence being able to sue gun companies, an idea which Hillary supports.

When it came to economics, Sanders and O’Malley each said that as president they would aim to reinstate Glass-Steagall, a piece of legislation which would restrict commercial banks from also participating in high-risk investment. Clinton, on the contrary, said she would not reinstate Glass-Steagall.

Clinton’s economic plan involved saving the Consumer Economic Protection Board and giving “regulators the authority to go after the big banks.”

Regarding college debt, Clinton said that as president she would provide the opportunity for those strug-

to work “10 hours a week.” Sanders sustains that he aims to make public colleges free for all Americans.

Noah Coolidge, representing both Brandeis Democrats and Brandeis for Bernie at the viewing party, said each group hoped the event would, “educate people...and promote discussion on campus.”

Brandeis Democrats do a lot to “engage people on campus” and plan to hold voter registration drives in the future, said Coolidge. He is drawn to Sanders because of the Vermont Senator’s stance on income inequality, an issue he believes will be big in our generation.

Brandeis for Bernie is looking to organize trips to New Hampshire where the first Presidential Primary takes place. Representatives from Brandeis for Hillary did not respond to The Hoot’s request for comment as of press time.

Full-time staff member coordinates GSC GSC, from page 1

real lack of time in this person’s day,” Gimbel said of the Gender and Sexuality coordinator at the ICC. “It was really hard to get very many things accomplished because there wasn’t a lot of time that [they] could spend with...students,” she said.

The GSC is separate from the QRC, which serves more as a counseling center, with students trained by outside professionals to advise other students on matters of gender and sexuality. The GSC is designed as a community meeting space.“The Gender and Sexuality Center is a center, it’s a space for people to come and hang out,” Gimbel argued, “there’s a library in the space and you’re able to take books out of there, a lot of clubs meet in these spaces.”

Before the GSC was formed, it’s space had white walls and old carpeting. Now, as Gimbel described, it has been transformed into a dynamic and welcoming space for all members of the Brandeis community.

“It’s almost unreal to see this space,” Gimbel said.“It’s filled with people, it’s filled with life, it feels like it’s breathed in. It’s just such an amazing thing to see because it wasn’t this when we started, it wasn’t this space.

Its really evolved, and I think it’s something that so special and so important.”

Julian Kal Rasku, a new employee at the Brandeis mailroom, went to the GSC opening after being referred by a member of the Women, Gender, and Sexuality department.

He believes that having a center like the GSC will be eye-opening for the Brandeis campus “I think it will be a

good milestone, a good place to start, to gain an understanding as a campus.” he argued. “The fact that it does state gender and sexuality, both of those, is pretty huge i think.”

The GSC is currently workshopping a program that would be similar to the “allies training” the ICC offers.

“Allies Training” focuses on the support and awareness that allies can provide the LGBT community in a three-hour program offered several times each year. The GSC is calling their program “Safe Zone” training, though they have no specifics at this point.

Brandeis offers many resources and organizations for students, including dedicated events at the ICC and monthly brown-bag lunches to discuss ally related topics.

AT THE GSC OPENING CEREONY, ATTENDEES WORE BUTTONS WITH THEIR DESIRED PRONOUNS, SHE, HE, THEY, ETC. photos by sophia he/the hoot

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 16, 2015

Students among panelists discussing ally activism

photos by sophia he/the hoot

ALLY, from page 1

earned praise, and sometimes rapid escalation to leadership status, [as well as] higher pay, within feminist anti-violence work,” he said. Though they may be subject to higher scrutiny as to their reasons for wanting to work towards the cause, the inequalities remain.

Nicola Curtin Ph.D., of Clark and

the Brandeis WSRC, also addressed the problem of privileged allies. She looked at the issue in terms of “framing,” or the manner in which an ally communicates information about a cause. The information can often be framed in a manner that promotes outside help or fights against an injustice.

“I became really interested in whether or not we could understand

how privileged versus marginalized group members might respond differently to these ‘helping’ [or] ‘injustice’ frames,” Curtin said.

In her work, Curtin found that a “helping frame” appealed to the privileged audience and generated more allies for the cause. However, the same frame alienated the marginalized group members of the cause.

The panel concluded with a chance

for audience members to pose questions to the panel members. The consensus amongst the panel and audience members was that allyship and the issues surrounding it must be continually studied and learned from.

Curtin best explained this in a quote from author and blogger Mia McKenzie, “[Allyship] is not an identity, it is a practice. It’s an active thing that must be done over and over and over

again in the largest and smallest ways everyday.”

Ally Activism: Process, Tensions and Possibilities was the latest event at the WSRC. The next event, Kristen Waters will give the seminar “Maria W. Stewart and Her Circle.”. It will explore the converging paths of black revolutionaries in the mid-1820s and their lasting effect on commerce, activism, and intellectual production.

Students launch social media campaign in support of Planned Parenthood

By Abigail Gardener Staff

To drum up support for Planned Parenthood after the Senate passed a bill defunding the organization, Brandeis Students for Reproductive Justice (BSRJ) launched a social media campaign on Facebook in early October.

BSRJ’s campaign was an extension of Planned Parenthood’s own Pink Out Day on Sept. 29. As part of the national event, people across the nation were encouraged to wear pink, post selfies with the hashtag “#StandWithPP,” donate to the organization and share their Planned Parenthood stories to raise awareness about the reproductive healthcare services Planned Parenthood provides for both men and women.

The social media campaign encouraged students to post pictures of themselves on the BSRJ’s Facebook page with the hashtag #StandWithPP. A link to the “I Stand with Planned Parenthood” website was included with each picture posted so that students could learn more about the cause.

“We decided to bring the #StandWithPP campaign to Brandeis as a way to raise awareness about Congress’ attempts to defund Planned Parenthood. As students, it is easy for us to focus in on our work and lives on campus and forget about the world around us,” said Ari Keigan ’18, BSRJ current events coordinator, who hopes the campaign will raise student

awareness about the national debate over Planned Parenthood and reproductive health care.

Many people are not aware of the health services that Planned Parenthood provides. According to their website, 80 percent of clients receive services to prevent unwanted pregnancy, such as contraception dispensation. The organization also provides Pap tests and breast exams, which are critical in detecting cancer. Abortion services, making up three percent of Planned Parenthood services, as well as STD tests and treatments, including those for HIV, are provided.

Planned Parenthood also leads educational programs for 1.5 million young adults each year.

Campaigns like BSRJ’s social media event try to spread awareness about Planned Parenthood’s services and build support for the organization so that more people will take a stand against the potential government defunding of the organization.

Social Media Co-Coordinators Tessa Collins ’19 and Madie Lefkowitz ’19 “asked the student body to send in pictures of themselves visibly supporting Planned Parenthood,” Collins explained. The hashtag has become popular in the wake of government attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, and “all of BSRJ thought it was important to disseminate that message to Brandeis,” she said.

A new organization, BSRJ formed when the student leaders in Brandeis University Students for NARAL decided they wanted to broaden their

photos from internet source

scope of focus to include education, service and health care issues, rather than just policy.

“We wanted to emphasize education opportunities and direct service in our activism, as well as interaction with policy,” said Lexi Ouellette ’18, co-president of BSRJ. “We are energized by the ability to partner with individuals who can bring about direct change in the attitudes on this campus and in our community surrounding reproductive justice,” she said The members of BSRJ will continue to work with members of Brandeis NARAL to accomplish their goals.

Future endeavors of BSRJ include both on- and off-campus events.

“Ideas in development include direct service in the greater Boston area,

teach-in opportunities about health care access on campus and a community zine shining a light on people’s relationships with their bodies and their reproductive health,” said Co-President Sophie Warren ’18.

Many students want to be directly involved in both the community and on a larger scale if the opportunity arises. “Rallying and lobbying is another big thing we’ll be doing. As the year progresses, we will be watching the news for any new legislation regarding reproductive health and justice, and we want to go to the State House, send letters to lawmakers and make our voices heard,” Collins said.

The Facebook #StandWithPP campaign is just the beginning of BSRJ’s efforts to make progress and make their voices heard, both on campus

and on a larger scale. They hope to continue to branch out and work with others to accomplish their goals and spread their message of reproductive justice for all.

In raising awareness about Planned Parenthood, Ouellette said BSRJ hopes to “draw attention to PP allies on campus,” and introduce their club as an outlet for those who want to fundraise or volunteer with an organization they are part of.

“We hope … [the campaign] lets people know that we exist, that we want to work with Brandeis students and we’re looking to begin that meaningful work today,” said Ouellette.

Brandeis Students for Reproductive Justice meets Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. in Olin-Sang 112.

October 16, 2015

FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot 5

Spotlight: V.P. for Campus Operations Jim Gray

By Jacob Edelman Editor

Vice President for Campus Operations Jim Gray has a pretty broad job description. Falling under his purview is overseeing grounds, public safety and police, environmental health and safety, sustainability, university services, dining services, conferencing and events services and facilities services, including construction. When asked how he would describe what he does, Gray responded that it isn’t terribly overwhelming.

“I’d describe my job as an interesting portfolio of interesting things. Every day is different, and that’s the kind of environment I enjoy,” he said, continuing, “Our’s is a customer service organization.

We make it possible for faculty, students and staff to do what they do.”

Indeed, Gray is responsible for maintaining the facilities and services that keep the clockwork of the university moving. Contending that while his job “isn’t rocket science,” he acknowledged the trickiness of maintaining and responding to the workings and needs of the entire campus community.

A commercial real estate developer in years past and a law student before that, Gray sees his career as having two portions. Having attended Indiana University for both his bachelor’s and law degrees, Gray went into private sector real estate development, management and construction for Duke Realty Corporation for 14 years. “I enjoyed my career

photo from internet source

in the private sector very much … but I also wanted my career to have a half to it that involved, at least to some extent, giving back to nonprofit mission enterprises,” Gray said.

Gray considered the idea of returning to his alma mater for work, where he had also served on the Board of Trustees for two years, but while considering that next step in his career, Harvard University recruited him to be the an associate vice president in charge of Harvard Real Estate Services for eight years.

After that point, Gray spent most of his time working with universities, going to University of California, Berkeley for several years before finally being recruited to lead campus operations at Brandeis. “I wanted to get back into a larger operations role like I had at Harvard. I was thrilled to be offered the position,” he said.

When asked about some of the most important tasks confronting

today’s university operations, Gray stated that deferred maintenance is a huge issue. He noted, “We haven’t been keeping up with the maintenance of our physical plant as well as we should have been. The university has recognized the significant issue, and we’ve spent a significant amount to fund more activity.”

According to Gray, construction is something that’s concentrated during the summer months on campus, but larger projects naturally have to be conducted over a longer period of time. Deferred maintenance such as replacing a steam line can be done in a shorter period during the summer. However, projects like building remodels, updating residence halls and renovating dining halls take longer, as was apparent early this semester with several first-year residence halls and Sherman dining hall.

On the subject of current projects, Gray also noted that Campus Operations is engaging in a lot more surveying of “customers,” as he calls the faculty, staff and students who Campus Operations serves. Campus Operations are developing a set of “Key Performance Indicators,” which are used to determine what are important to the community and how to use the same amount of money to more positively impact the quality of campus life.

Finding efficiencies is a major theme of Gray’s future plans—holding down costs while providing the necessary resources for running the university. “Any time we can spend a dollar and get a dollar and a half of value, that’s a gigantic step forward,” he said, noting that the “Turn

“

We’ve been talking about it since 2008 or before, and we haven’t really moved the needle — our carbon consumption is the same. We find that unacceptable.

”

V.P. for Campus Operations Jim Gray

gryzmish administration center

it Off ” campaign reduced both the electric demand on the hottest day of the year while working to set a lower electric rate for the university to pay for the upcoming year.

Gray stressed how the campus could be more efficient through helping the environment, saying “Sustainability is a huge focus this year …

The first thing I wanted to do was get a good sustainability person hired, and we hired one. The president lent her considerable and enthusiastic support, and on Friday, we had the first meeting of the president’s task

photo from internet source

force on campus sustainability. We’re trying to focus on reducing our carbon footprint, which we really haven’t been successfully doing to this point. We should do better.” Gray said later on, “We’ve been talking about it since 2008 or before, and we haven’t really moved the needle—our carbon consumption is the same. We find that unacceptable.”

Gray continued, “I’m committed to making progress on this topic with the help of a wide community. Having a campus-wide focus on this problem will move that needle.”

Virtual Reality Club pushes technological boundaries

By Albert Reiss Staff

When the phrase virtual reality comes to mind, we may think of advanced video games or very complex data visualizations. Despite these misconceptions, Brandeis has introduced a new club to educate the community on this topic: the Brandeis Virtual Reality Club.

Club founder and president Mike Makevic ’17 explained his curiosity in this arcane topic. He alluded to his “passion for 3D modeling, game design and the applications of virtual reality in data visualization and education.” These interests stem from Makevic’s involvement in Deis 3D since his first year at Brandeis.

While most virtual reality clubs are concerned with playing games, the Brandeis Virtual Reality Club is unique in that it takes a more technical approach to the field. “We are unique because we don’t play games.

We make, design and code them. We teach people the raw basics and applications of this field,” Makevic explained. Therefore, membership in the club requires hard work and dedication, as well as an interest in the more quantitative aspects of virtual reality.

Most of the work being done now involves organizing the club as well as keeping its members up to speed on the various facets of virtual reality. Because it is a new club, Brandeis Virtual Reality needs to educate “people on the technical aspects of game design and virtual reality. This means showing them what software to use, and where to find the resources they need,” Makevic said.

Luckily, he is experienced in the field and will be able to make sure

photos from internet source

that club members have a firm educational grounding in virtual reality.

Once the members are all educated, Makevic has plans of “splitting the members into groups and having each work on a particular project that interests them. We hope that they will eventually have the skills they need to pursue their goals with our help.”

By having different groups take on on different projects, Makevic hopes to accomplish more for the club in an efficient manner. The focus of the club is not to force members into tedious projects, but to allow for people’s passions to guide their decision-making concerning virtual reality.

What is most astonishing about the club is that many of the members

have no prior experience in virtual reality. Therefore, when their enthusiasm is translated into actual projects, it is a big deal. Makevic explained that he enjoys “people’s enthusiasm. Everybody has amazing ideas, and eventually seeing them implement these ideas is very rewarding.”

One of the difficulties of running a virtual reality club is dealing with the fact that it is a young technology.

Therefore, not only do members have to learn more about the field, but also wait for new technology to be released. Makevic noted how “the most frustrating thing about the club is that a lot of the hardware (VR headsets) is not out yet. It hasn’t been released.

We are eagerly looking forward to

getting new tech once it comes out.”

In spite of these misgivings, Makevic makes a strong case for why people should join the Virtual Reality Club. “People should join our club because not only is it fun and interesting, but we also teach them real life skills that can be applied anywhere. 3D modeling, game design and coding have many applications outside of virtual reality.”

Some might say that virtual reality lacks applicability in their lives.

However, according to Makevic, living in a world that is increasingly connected, “virtual reality is going to be the future of interactivity, and getting a head start benefits everyone.”

6 Features

The Brandeis Hoot

October 16, 2015

Brandeis’ distinguished faculty: Bernstein and Maslow

By Zach Phil Schwartz Editor

Building Brandeis into the worldclass institution it is today took time, patience and most important of all, the right people. It was too heavy a task to handle entirely at the management level—it was a task that required the right minds be distributed throughout. While the administration worked tirelessly to stimulate Brandeis’ totally unforeseen growth, the exceptionally skilled and dedicated teaching faculty provided the pulse needed to bring the university to the next level. The newborn school attracted world-renowned leaders in their fields, like Abraham Maslow and Leonard Bernstein: two past members of the Brandeis teaching faculty who exemplified Brandeis’ mission of excellence.

A pioneer in the field of psychology, Maslow was born in Brooklyn in 1908 to Russian Jewish parents. He got his start in psychology at the University of Wisconsin, where he went to graduate school. He conducted research at Columbia University, where he developed his theoretical approach to the field known as humanistic psychology, as opposed to the then more prevalent empirical school. Maslow would become a renowned leader in psychology, in conversation with greats like Sigmund Freud.

In 1951, Maslow founded Brandeis’ psychology program, bringing both a well-known figure and his humanistic school of thought to the three-

year-old institution. In a 2013 article in BrandeisNOW, Leah Burrows explains how Maslow’s pioneering views and theories on psychology were met with much disagreement and dismissal among the other faculty in the program, somewhat tarnishing his reputation here in the process.

She explains how Maslow’s fellow faculty “didn’t appreciate his views,” and thus he faded after his time as a Brandeis professor ended in 1969. He died one year later of a heart attack at the age of 62.

Maslow was a pivotal professor in the early history of Brandeis by spearheading the psychology program as well as impacting students with his teachings, although today his memory goes less noticed than it should.

The BrandeisNOW article says that “it is generally hard to preserve the legacy of professors, even ones as influential as Maslow.” This is why the legacy of past professors must be celebrated, especially in the event that their memory does fade.

A true way of honoring Brandeis’ past is exhibited in the annual Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts, an event first begun by Bernstein himself—then a member of the Brandeis faculty—at the 1952 commencement. Like Maslow, Bernstein was a high-profile figure before joining the Brandeis faculty, acting as yet another spark that would thrust the university to greatness.

Bernstein, arguably one of the most important musical figures in contemporary American history, is often grouped with contemporaries Aaron Copland and Dmitri Mitropoulos.

leonard bernstein and abraham maslow

He was born in 1918 to Ukrainian Jewish parents in Lawrence, MA, and grew up playing an upright piano that can be found today in Slosberg Music Center. He began his Harvard education at the age of 17, at a time when anti-Semitism and intolerance were pervasive in several institutions of higher learning. By 1945, he was the music director of the New York Symphony Orchestra. In 1951, he began his teaching career as a Brandeis professor, acting on his devotion to musical education as well as his desire to teach at the newly-born nonsectarian Jewish-sponsored institution, having gone through the education system himself at a time of severe intolerance.

Bernstein was a professor at Brandeis until 1958, during which time he also acted as a major figure

photos from internet source

at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA. After parting with the university as a professor to become the music director at the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein became a university fellow, showing a fierce devotion to Brandeis even after his tenure as professor had concluded.

Bernstein continued to show his devotion to the university in his service on the Board of Trustees from 1976 to 1981, continuing as a trustee emeritus until his death in 1990. Bernstein had devoted himself to almost 40 of the first 42 years of Brandeis University, throughout which his exceptional music career interwove with a passion for education and what the university stood for.

Leonard Bernstein died of a heart attack in 1990, shortly after announcing his retirement from conducting.

He was 72 years old.

Maslow and Bernstein were both extremely influential national leaders in their fields and also represent the exceptional faculty that thrust Brandeis University to greatness. In 1948, Brandeis had 13 faculty members who provided the world-class education that the institution today prides itself on with over 500 members. Sadly, faculty members’ legacies tend to fade, which is why it is important to remember those influential figures who originally molded Brandeis. Not only do the skilled faculty members work toward the academic goals of the university, but they also believe in the values it stands for. This is what attracts high-profile figures to teach here and what will continue the university’s ongoing tradition of excellence.

October 16, 2015

SPORTS

The Brandeis Hoot 7

Picard reflects on soccer career

By Lily Wageman Staff

Leading the men’s soccer team to an 11-1-1 record and being named fourth in Division III, captain Jake Picard ’16 has started off with a promising final season at Brandeis.

He was named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on Sept.

14 after milestone efforts of scoring two game-winning goals over the week.

He then went on to score a third game-winning goal later in the week in overtime against Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Picard now has nine career goals, five of which have been game-winners. His three game-winners this season are tied for most in the UAA. He also shares the captain role with Connor Lanahan ’16 and Robbie Lynch ’15.

Beginning soccer at the age of five, Picard later played for the Suffield, CT, travel team and eventually joined a premier team that consisted of players from across the state of Connecticut.

After his collegiate soccer career, Picard would love to continue playing and even coach. He describes soccer as having been a fundamental pillar in his life and intends to continue with it in the future.

The senior captain is currently a double major in Health: Science, Society, and Policy and psychology with

photo from internet source

the hope to attend graduate school to become a physical therapist. Picard’s favorite class here at Brandeis has been Comparative Anatomy with Professor Jim Morris (BIOL). He said, “I love learning about the human body, and Professor Morris’ brilliance was incredible to experience.”

When Picard is not on the field or

in class he still loves being outside and active. He enjoys playing other sports such as tennis, golf, and frisbee because the non-competitive setting allows for fun and relaxation. As a student-athlete, it can be tough to succeed in both school and athletics, but according to Picard, it all comes down to time management. “It is es-

Cross country puts up commendable performance

sential for me to plan out my school work and soccer schedule so that I can perform optimally in both areas,” he said.

Picard felt honored after being named UAA Offensive Player of the Week, but he was a little surprised because, as he said, “I play a possession-minded game and never thought

Men’s soccer reaches 11th win of the season

By Zach Cihlar Staff

photo from internet source

By Sarah Jousset Editor

The men and women’s cross country team took part in the 2015 Open New England Championships this past weekend at Franklin Park in Boston.

The women’s cross country team, ranked 22 in Division III by the USTFCCCA, delivered one of their best performances in years, finishing 17th overall and third of the Division III teams present. In the top five Division III teams, Brandeis ranked 3rd, below MIT and Middlebury. MIT was fifth overall in the competition, and MIT and Middlebury are top 10 ranked teams in Division III. Rookie Emily Bryson ’19 led the Judges as the team’s top finisher, finishing 27th overall and third in Division III in the 5K. Bryson excelled in her first season, making this meet her third in a row finishing first for the Judges. In addition, Bryson gave the best performance by a Brandeis run-

ner at the Open New Englands since 2010, when Grayce Selig ’11 finished seventh overall. Maddie Dolins ’17 finished second for the Judges, placing 39th overall and sixth in Division III. Kelsey Whitaker ’16 contributed a third runner for the Judges in the top 20 for Division III, placing 17th in Division III and 95th overall. Bryson’s twin sister also gave a strong performance for the Judges, as Julia Bryson ’19 was among the Judges’ top five runners in the 5K, finishing 146th overall and 35th in Division III. Molly Paris rounded out the Judges top five with an overall performance of 250th and 62nd in Division III. The men’s cross country team gave a similar performance in the Open New England Championships, finishing 28th overall and seventh among Division III schools present. Ryan Stender ’18 was the team’s top finisher, placing 22nd in Division III and 89th overall. This was Stender’s third meet in a row as top performer. This performance earned Stender Univer-

sity Athletic Association Player of the Week for men’s cross country for the week ending October 11. Matt Doran ’17 finished second for the Judges placing 144th overall and 33rd in Division III, while Liam Garvey ’18 finished 160th overall and 35th in D ivision III as the third finisher for the Judges in his first meet of the season.

Roger Lacroix ’18 had his highest finish, with fourth for the Judges in the 160th place overall and 37th in Division III. Brian Shepard ’18 rounded out Brandeis’ top five finishers, placing 166th overall and 39th in Division III. The top five finishers for the Judges finished within one minute of each other, making the race a tight one.

The men’s and women’s cross country teams head to Connecticut College this weekend for a tune-up tournament before the New England Regional Championships in November in the same location. The Judges will return to Franklin Park in three weeks for the University Athletic Association championships.

I would receive this honor.” He further demonstrated his humble nature when he responded to a question about whether he has a favorite player or coach who inspired him. “I would say my whole team inspires me. It is incredible to play alongside such a talented group of guys every day, and experience firsthand their passion and commitment to the game.”

The captain went on to describe his leadership style as leading by example, trying to put forth his best efforts on and off the field in the hopes that his teammates will emulate his work ethic. Picard said that the best part of competing for Brandeis is “putting on the jersey and representing our school. We travel around the country for our UAA and NCAA games and have the privilege to wear Brandeis on our uniforms.”

However, his favorite moment in his soccer career has been being a part of Coach Mike Coven’s 500th career win this season. He believes that the team was fortunate to be the group that was able to participate in this pivotal moment. “[Coach Coven] has been here 43 years, coached 43 different teams, and we were the team to get the 500th win for Coach.”

Picard looks forward to the rest of the season, hoping to make it further in the NCAA tournament than last year. The team is back in action this Friday, Oct. 16 for their homecoming game against the University of Chicago at 6:30 p.m on Gordon Field.

Brandeis Men’s Soccer overwhelmed Massachusetts Maritime Academy in the home game on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in a 1-0 victory. It was the Judges’ 11th win in total for the season, advancing their record to 11-1-1. The Massachusetts Maritime Buccaneers entered the game with a 4-6 record.

The game was the Judges’ 10th match decided by a single goal.

Brandeis has impressively won all 10 of these close match-ups, seven of which have been 1-0 wins.

The Judges entered the game coming off their second conference win against Case Western Reserve University, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday Oct. 11. The match against Massachusetts Maritime was seen as a UAA tune-up in preparation for the hectic homecoming weekend games against University of Chicago and Washington University.

Brandeis was on offense for a majority of the game, putting continual pressure on the goalkeeper and defense of the Buccaneers. The Judges tallied nine shots on goal out of the 24 shots taken throughout the entirety of the game. Josh Ocel ’17 led the home team with eight shots on goal..

Brandeis’s aggressive tactics required eight saves from the visiting goalkeeper Joe Cohen ’17, five of which occurred in the first half with three saves in the second.

Brendan Gawron ’19, of the Buccaneers, led the visitors by taking three of the eight shots from the Mass. Maritime offense in the duration of the game. The Buccaneers had three total shots on goal throughout the game, two of which were saved by Brandeis goalkeeper Kenn Fryer ’16. For Mass.

Maritime’s third shot on goal oppor-

tunity in the 88th minute, visiting forward Alex Thompson ‘18 took the shot, but was stopped by Conor Lanahan ’16, senior captain for the Judges.

The Judges only goal quickly followed the whistle that began the second half of the game. Ocel took a free kick in the 47th minute from approximately 20 yards away and Patrick Flahive ’18 headed it in for the goal.

The goal was Flahive’s first of the season and second of his career. Also, it was his first game-winner goal in his career.

The assist from Ocel was his seventh of the season. Ocel in particular has done quite a bit of work for the Judges in the recent games. He has been a strong contributor in Brandeis’s last five goals, whether by assist or direct goals. He now leads the UAA conference in assists throughout the 2015 season.

The men’s soccer team has a busy upcoming weekend, with home games on Friday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 18. On Friday at 6:30 p.m., the Judges face off against their third conference opponent University of Chicago.

Chicago currently has a 7-3-2 record, and is without a win against other conference opponents. The second game of the weekend on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. will find the Judges battling Washington University in St. Louis for their fourth conference match-up. Washington University’s current record is 7-2-3, and also hasn’t won against a UAA participating opponent.

Brandeis men’s soccer is currently ranked first in the UAA conference for their overall record. They are tied with Emory University for first in the UAA for their 2-0 record against conference opponents during the 2015 season.

ARTS, ETC.

8 The Brandeis Hoot

By Adam Lamper

October 16, 2015

Mowgli’s concert brings a ray of sunshine to Brandeis

Staff

This past Saturday, the spirit of southern California was brought to Brandeis University, in spite of the gloomy weather outside. Los Angeles natives The Mowgli’s took center stage in Levin Ballroom to an excited audience. The seven-piece alternative rock band is composed of keyboardist Dave Appelbaum, drummer Andy Warren, bassist Matthew Di Panni, guitarists Spencer Trent and Josh Hogan and lead vocalists Colin Louis Dieden and Katie Jayne Earl. Though each member was undoubtedly well-versed in their particular area of expertise, it was the duality in their instrumentation and vocals that truly made them a spectacle to watch.

The night opened with three of Brandeis’ own artists: Remy Pontes and Makalani Mack, followed by Marcelo Brociner. Pontes and Mack lulled the audience with their contrasting yet complementary R&B vocal styles, performing acoustic covers of songs like Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” and The Weeknd’s “Rolling Stone,” as well as original pieces that “don’t even have a name yet,” as explained by Pontes. “Naming songs is uncool these days. I just don’t do it,” he added. In contrast to their smooth, acoustic playing, Marcelo brought the energy of the crowd up in preparation

photos by adam lamper/the hoot

for the main performance of the night.

With a thumping bass and high-tempo synth rhythms, it was seemingly impossible to not dance along. Like the high-octane music, Marcelo’s signature rapping style was nothing short of exhilarating.

As the members of the band first walked on the stage, they were greeted with about 80 percent of the audience applauding, with audible boos coming from the rest of the crowd. Though presumably a well-intended joke by friends of the opening acts, Mowgli’s singer Katie Jayne Earl chose to play along saying, “We really would like to thank you all for being here tonight, and for

those who were booing us, the door is that way.”

The group’s first song of the night was their hit, “Say It, Just Say It,” off their 2013 album, “Waiting for the Dawn.”

Combining their domineering alternative rock sound with vibes of both indie-rock and pop, this is the quintessential Mowgli’s song. Musically, it’s nothing you haven’t heard already from other groups of the genre like American Authors or Walk the Moon, but its upbeat, catchy and poignant lyrics keep you listening until the end.

In contrast to the the alternative-rock themes of the majority of their songs, a few numbers like “Whatever Forever,”

“Emily” and “Love is Easy” refreshingly had underlying themes of contemporary indie-folk and country-rock, which stem from Dieden and Hogan’s roots in the Midwest and American South.

These musical themes were kept at a minimum to perpetuate the energy of their intensely, feel-good music.

The group’s fourth number of the night, “Room for All of Us,” was written in line with their messages of positivity, acceptance and love, which is reflected in their mission statement, “Love is all you need. It’s been said many times and many ways of course, but it’s truer now than ever.” Released as a single just last week, “Room for All of Us” hopes to

spread that message through the worldly influence of the International Rescue Committee, an organization that aids refugees displaced by social or political conflict, and to which all the song’s proceeds will be donated. The group will also be selling a poster during their fall tour in support of the IRC, and encourage listeners to donate directly to the organization as well, reminding them that “Every little thing you do in this world has an effect.”

By far the most entertaining portion of the performance was the group’s two-part finale of their two most popular hits, “I’m Good” and “San Francisco.” The latter of which they had performed on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live, and reached #13 on Billboard’s alternative chart in 2013.

Like the majority of the night, these songs were more of a conversation, with the members of the band engaging with the audience in a way that involved a fair amount of singing-along, clapping and, most prominently, dancing.

The Mowgli’s will be kicking off their 2015 fall tour this Saturday, Oct. 17, and will be back in town Saturday, Nov. 21 for their performance at Paradise Rock Club in Boston. For those who missed the chance to see this past concert, or new and old fans alike, this may be the last opportunity to see them perform until the release of their next album.

SEA coffeehouse taps creativity to promote sustainability

By Clayre Benzadon Staff

Students for Environmental Action (SEA) highlighted environmental issues, especially water pollution, during their first coffeehouse of the semester, on Wednesday, Oct.14 Various groups performed, including the Charles River Ramblers, TBA, Voices of Soul, False Advertising, Isaac & Mack, Bad Grammer and Company B. The Charles River Ramblers started the night off at Chum’s with a soulful Scottish song. David Chernack ’17 played guitar and Rebecca Weiss ’18 played violin. There was a small number of people at the event, which created an opportunity for the audience to feel as if they were directly connected to the performers.

The next song was more of a folk song, where Weiss improvised by “flatfooting”

(a dance that emphasizes the percussion-like sound of feet stomping along to the rhythm), while Chernack switched to the mandolin. For their last song, the band surprised the audience with an emotional rendition of “Wagon Wheel”

by Darius Rucker. They not only played instruments but sung along to the music as well.

TBA acted out comedy skits. The first one engaged the audience by asking them to come up with a name for a movie that has never come out before.

One student shouted out, “The Man Without an Arm.” The scene kept on changing as the actor continued playing along with the theme of loss in different types of genres of film, for instance in the “cowboy” genre. The scene concluded with one of the actresses announcing, “This town ain’t big enough for the two of your arms.” Their last bit included the line game, “I like my men/women like

I like my ....” The funniest ones that the group members thought up were, “I like my men like I like my shoes—with a long tongue,” and “I like my women like I like my shoes—all tied up.”

Another one of their skits required a TBA member to step out of the room.

While the member was gone, the audience had to come up with something relating to an environmental concern.

The TBA member had to guess what the situation was once they stepped back into the room. The audience came up with, “polluting streams by having sex with Tiger Woods in the mountains.” The rest of the TBA members acted as though they were newscasters, asking questions to the member onstage that alluded to Tiger Woods, sex and pollution.

The next act, Voices of Soul, made my skin shiver in awe. Their voices have such power and intensity. They sung “Hit ’Em Up Style” with an incredible variation of

photo from internet source

strong voices and beats. The song they concluded with was particularly memorable. They recreated Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and group member Sam Bhutto ’16 did a great job of hitting the high notes and putting a twist on Gaye’s original voluminous voice.

The SEA coffeehouse created a safe space to let expression flow creatively,

exploring the theme of environmental action through song and improv comedy. The Charles River Ramblers set the mood for a relaxing environment, and Voices of Soul intensified that spiritual setting. TBA provided comic relief to the show by parodying the stereotypes of different movie genres. They also provided improv scenes that subtly promoted helping the environment.

October 16, 2015

ARTS 9

The Brandeis Hoot

Incoming English prof. shares poetry

By Alana Hodson Staff

This spring, the Brandeis community will welcome Kirun Kapur to teach Directed Writing: Poetry Workshop in the English Department. As an opportunity for Kapur and Brandeis students to become acquainted, she gave a poetry reading on Wednesday, Oct. 8. In Pearlman Lounge, Kapur shared some of her work from her first novel, the critically acclaimed “Visiting Indira Gandhi’s Palmist,” which won the Antivenom Poetry award in 2013.

After a brief introduction, Kapur began the reading with a poem titled “Anthem.”

Her strong and gentle voice illustrated a scene of a family going about their morning activities in India, setting the theme for the following poems. Her words, so richly infused with the culture of India, transport the audience to another time and another world altogether. Throughout the reading, Kapur’s masterful use of imagery filled the small room with the scent of coconut oil,

the sweet taste of cool melon, the noise of “glass bangles hoisting sacks of sugar,” and suddenly the walls of Pearlman Lounge fell away to reveal the vibrant scene of an Indian marketplace.

She prefaced each piece she read with a short bit of background information, and before reading “Family Portrait, USA,” Kapur explained that before writing her first novel, she had decided on two things: to not write about her family and to not write about herself. With a grin, she confessed that she failed completely with these two goals, as most of her poems were indeed about her life and family. However, she doesn’t regret her “failure” since she had been interested in exploring family dynamics, and by using her own experience, her writing acquired a unique perspective. “Family Portrait, USA” was written about Kapur’s mother, whose family is European, while the next poem, “Mango is the King of Fruit,” was inspired by her father, who came to the United States from India as an adult.

Kapur wields the strength of a global perspective, having grown up in Hawaii

and spent her career working throughout North America, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Her writing career began with a powerful start as a writer for the Indian magazine Manushi which is centered on feminism and gender studies. She has also achieved much recognition for her work as a poet and writer in many journals, such as Poetry

photos by sophia he/the hoot

By Sabrina Pond

International, Massachusetts Review and FIELD, and has been awarded fellowships through the Harvard Extension program from the Fine Arts Center in Provincetown, Vermont, Studio Center and McDowell Colony.

She also takes an insightful and creative approach to political events, such as with her poem “The Melon Cleaver” about the Partition of India, and the chaos, violence and many deaths that resulted.

As the lines of the poems were repeated, narrating a scene where a young boy is trying to buy melon from a vendor, her haunting words engraved themselves in our thoughts, conveying the feelings of pain, betrayal and wondrous disbelief as “the boy in front reached out to pay, the melon seller waved his cleaver … with the other hand, he stabbed the boy with a dagger.”

Venturing to expose a little bit of vulnerability with her audience of potential future students, Kapur shared a new poem she had written about Hawaii, drawing attention to the mistreatment and exploitation of women. She concluded the poetry reading with “From the Afterlife,” captivating the audience with metaphors of human and nature until the last stan-

za, “I’m proof that nothing is lost. You can breathe me in.”

Kapur has also taken on the role of professor at Boston University, where she taught creative writing. Currently, she is the poetry editor for the Drum Literary Magazine, and when asked about her role as editor during the Q&A session after the reading, she explained how she strove to bring poetry into the publication, since only works of fiction and non-fiction were included before her appointment to the staff. “To me … poetry lives out-loud,” Kapur said. She is also the co-founder of the Tannery Series, which is an arts organization that brings authors to the Boston area in order inspire a greater interaction between with poetry and the public.

Kapur has achieved much success in her career, having been awarded the 2012 Arts & Letter/Rumi Prize for poetry and named to NBCNews’ list of Asian-American Poets to Watch. With her open and amiable personality, poetic expertise and multicultural experience, Kapur certainly fits the bill for the Brandeis staff, and creative writing students should look forward to her presence on campus next semester.

‘Selma ’65’ contemplates the darker side of American history

Editor

Sometimes the most poignant stories are the real ones, the accounts of events that actually transpired. The most powerful mode of expression is not through the endless search of the imagination for the most outlandish, mind-bending fantasy, but through the retelling of historic figure’s stories—from the infamous to the least well known. The same can be said of the Oct. 8 performance of Catherine Filloux’s “Selma ’65” in the SCC Theater, which finds a way to recount events that are hardly remembered, despite their importance to history.

“Selma ’65” follows the lives of two characters, Viola Liuzzo and an FBI informant, whose lives intersect amid the charged climate that resided in Selma, AL, in 1965. The play centers around the gruesome murder of Liuzzo, a white woman and activist, and Tommy Rowe, a paid FBI informant. Liuzzo plays an instrumental role in the March to Montgomery in the play, at which point the KKK decided to target her as an aggressor to white supremacy. The gut-wrenching storyline, which speaks even more to an audience well-ac-

quainted with the various incidents of police brutality against African-Americans over the past year, requires a harsh return to the all-too-visible signs of racial prejudice, as they existed then, and as they still exist today.

The one-woman play is laden with rich, arresting images of violence and brutality as they occurred in the 1960s in America, when Jim Crow laws ruled supreme and were the ultimate representation of inequality in that time.

The backdrop of the performance fully disclosed the menacing and dark nature of the time with gnarled, twisted trees, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the deeply troubled time.

That, combined with costume designer Suttirat Larlarb’s use of simple accessories, effectively paints the both desperate and hopeful quality surrounding the Selma marches.

Actress Marietta Hedges, was challenged to fully encompass the likeness of two characters who just happen to have wound up in opposite predicaments, though their stories still merge.

An added element that goes without mention is that Hedges had to switch genders throughout her performance, which is infrequent in stage theatre. In her opinion, this represents a unique

opportunity: “Additionally, playing both Viola and Tommy will make for exciting theatrical storytelling, affording me the chance to play a man’s role.

Women are still fighting for parity in the American theater. And it is time our profession, which encourages men to play women’s roles, extends the same artistic challenge to its female artists.”

Having premiered earlier in Sept. 2014 for a 16-performance run at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City, “Selma ’65” is a relatively new play. Its success banks on its use of perspective with intermittent flashbacks between the two main characters, both of which give completely different understandings of the struggles evident in the ’60s. Both Rowe and Liuzzo are incredibly dynamic characters, thanks to the Hedge’s ingenious portrayal and diligence toward her craft. She powerfully conveys the youthful optimism that they both possess amid a world of rapid social change, sketching a rather complex and layered depiction of both Rowe and Liuzzo overall.

As a playwright, Filloux has an extensive collection of award-winning and critically acclaimed work precedes her.

For the past 20 years, Filloux’s intrinsic passion for social justice has permeat-

ed her work, some of which includes “Luz,” “Dog and Wolf,” “Lemkin’s House,” “Killing the Boss,” “The Beauty Inside,” “Eyes of the Heart,” “Silence of God” and “Mary and Myra.” She has written works for the Vienna State Opera House, Book Wings Iraq, Contemporary American Theater Festival and the Houston Grand Opera and is also featured in the documentary film “Acting Together on the World Stage.”

Her years of experience writing plays shows throughout “Selma ’65,” directed by Eleanor Holdridge, and shows a playwright at the peak of her craft. In an interview, she was reported to have said, “As an actress whose work focuses on socio-political issues, Viola’s story is

of the kind I want to tell,” she said. “It’s one with a strong female protagonist and compelling civic issues. I quickly learned that few knew of this woman and the man at the center of her death, an undercover FBI informant, Gary Thomas Rowe (Tommy). We hear so much about the martyred men of the movement, African-American and white, but very little of the contribution made by women.” Her words bring to mind the power in storytelling, and the numerous ways that playwrights can illuminate broader social issues through their craft. All in all, “Selma ’65” is a performance that reacquaints audience with a story that should be told.

photo from internet source

10 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 16, 2015

Special Collections lifts the curtain to reveal rare gems

By Emma Kahn Staff

The Brandeis Archives and Special Collections department recently acquired materials belonging to dime novel author Ernest A. Young, donated by Victor Berch, Brandeis’ first Special Collections librarian, and Elliot P. King.

Berch and King did extensive research to locate the large conglomeration of works, a hunt featured in a 1988 volume of “The Dime Novel Roundup.” The new collection of papers involving Young’s work contains manuscripts, typescripts and business and personal correspondences that date from 1871 to 1936.

Young was a much-sought-after novel-

ist who spun together entertaining and relatable plots for his readers. While dime novels initially contained Western stories and frontier tales, the genre later branched out to include other topics such as detective stories, for which Young became renowned.

“Though not a great deal about Ernest Young’s personal life is known, this collection offers insight into his personality,” wrote Hansol Lee ’18, Archives and Special Collections assistant in a blogpost.

“His comical side is plainly evident in the birthday verses he wrote, and his serious side is clear in his correspondence about the deaths of his family members. On a humorous note, like many dime novel

authors, Young held a variety of pseudonyms, ranging from Wesley Henshaw to a more feminine Ernestine Youtz.” Many of the works acquired by the Archives and Special Collections library relate incredibly vivid tales about the past.

Despite the antiquity of many of the materials collected, the Special Collections department maintains a strong sense of vivacity. Certain items are especially prominent depending on current trends, specific courses offered or even popular research topics.

“Right now, there is a lot of interest in our Louis Brandeis collection because of the upcoming anniversary of his nomination to the Supreme Court. Our current exhibit is on our World War I poster collection, so there’s also a lot of interest in that material,” said Anne Woodrum, Special Collections librarian in an interview with the Brandeis Special Collections Spotlight blog. “Students, staff and faculty at Brandeis are some of our primary users, but we also have researchers coming from all over to use our collections. This past summer we had researchers from Texas and Belgium visiting to use our collections, for example.”

Brandeis’ Special Collections owns a

particularly vast number of resources pertaining to dime novels thanks to the interest of Edward Levy, a lifelong collector of dime novels and also the first president of the Brandeis Bibliophiles, a group of rare book enthusiasts formed to acquire rare materials for the Goldfarb library.

“We have 168 linear feet of dime novel material dating from the mid-19th to early-20th centuries. The five major publishing giants of dime novels are well represented within the collection, along with material from some of the lesser-known publishing firms. Altogether Brandeis holds over 1,000 titles, so it’s a significant resource for anyone interested in researching popular literature from this time period,” Woodrum said.

Not only does the new collection of Ernest Young papers contain his novels, but dispersed within the works are also correspondences with many individuals, including his publishers. The correspondence with various individuals in Young’s life serves useful for understanding both his artistic life and the pragmatics of the publishing industry in the era and the business of dime-novel writing.

There is truly no better way to describe the Special Collections department than

photos from internet source

the “gem of the library.” While much of undergraduate research today is conducted through online resources, a visit to the second floor of the library is highly recommended; the department’s collection provides a unique window into the past, one that may be incredibly useful when looking for exceptional primary resources. The collection contains a large assortment of incunabula: books printed prior to the 16th century on subjects such as history, literature, philosophy and Judaica; first and limited editions; and fine press publications.

The department also offers numerous services ranging from classroom instruction on primary source research methods, to the display of physical and electronic exhibitions, to lectures and outreach programs. The Archives and Special Collections department is certainly an undervalued asset to the Brandeis community.

The Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections, located in the Goldfarb Library, is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition, many exhibits and collections can be accessed online.

‘The Intern’ fails to meet expectations

By Santiago Montoya Staff

The two leading stars of the film “The Intern,” Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, have both benefited greatly from the genre of comedy at some point throughout their careers.

De Niro entered the world of comedy back in 1999 with “Analyze This,” which instantly became a critical and commercial success, and earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. After “Analyze This,” De Niro continued pursuing and stretching his comedic prowess with “Meet the Parents” in 2000. This film also became a mass hit both critically and commercially, and earned him another Golden Globe nomination.

After years of collaborating exclusively with Martin Scorsese, De Niro has joined David O. Russell in yet another perfect collaborating team.

They have collaborated together in several projects, including one of Russell’s most memorable and recent films: the comedy “Silver Linings Playbook.” The picture earned De Niro his seventh Oscar nomination and his first nomination in an approximately twenty-year gap.

Now, De Niro hopes “The Intern”

photo from internet source

will bring him some of the success he has found in comedies during the past decade.

As for Anne Hathaway, her story is quite different. She actually started her acting career in comedy: Do comedies like, “The Princess Diaries” (2001), “Ella Enchanted” (2004), “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” (2004), “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) and “Get Smart” (2008) come to mind? In reality, comedy is a formula that has worked well for Hathaway, but it is also something she has attempted to evade in the past years, trying to

prove herself a real actress. It doubtlessly has worked; she has the Oscar to prove it. However, her latest projects have not been able to replicate her earlier successes, and her return to the silver screen with “The Intern” seems to be a desperate maneuver from her part.

“The Intern” was directed by veteran Nancy Meyer who, at this point in her career, has developed her own success formula. She has demonstrated that films starring a female lead do indeed work. This quest for the right formula started with “Private Benjamin” (1980), which was

carried entirely by Goldie Hawn.

In addition, Meyer obtained an Oscar nomination for penning the script. Her most recent films have been dominated by strong and dignified ladies, such as Diane Keaton in “Something’s Gotta Give,” Kate Winslet in “The Holiday” and Meryl Streep in “It’s Complicated.”

Meyer has crafted a brand throughout the years. Her films, in certain form, have singled out from many others, mainly for its strong and adamant feminist voice. “The Intern” is not the exception. Nonetheless, it is not the sole ingredient Meyer

utilizes in her films. Another of her usual key ingredients is placing a masculine male lead in the midst of a feminine cast. They have ranged from Mel Gibson in “What Women Want,” to Jack Nicholson in “Something’s Gotta Give” and Alec Baldwin in “It’s Complicated.” In “The Intern” the masculine, macho figure is none other than Robert De Niro.

Something completely distinct from Meyer’s previous films and radical about “The Intern” is that De Niro steals the show with his Woody Allen-esque character, while in Meyer’s films it is often the female lead who happens to own the show.

De Niro reminds us again what real acting is with his character, Ben Whittaker.

The film’s premise is about a high-powered executive at a new fashion website, and De Niro as Whitaker is a senior intern who is hired to work for Hathaway’s character after he denies the idea of retirement. Fortunately, there is not one single shred of romance between the two characters; it’s more of a friendship and professional relationship, which turns out to benefit both of them. Ultimately, De Niro’s character inspires Hathaway’s character, Jules Ostin, to become a better person.

October 16, 2015

ARTS 11

The Brandeis Hoot

PCC screens ‘Perks’ for Mental Illness Awarness Week

By Zach Gordon Staff

The Psychological Counseling Center, in partnership with Brandeis Students for Disability Activism and Active Minds Brandeis, held a screening of the critically acclaimed film, “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Friday, Oct. 9.

The screening was held in honor of the last day Mental Illness Awareness Week. The coalition of organizations advertised the movie night as a viewing of “a culturally significant film” and a discussion about mental health with staff and students.

Despite its setting in the Volen auditorium, the event itself was rather small. A handful of students filtered into the space before the film began.

The movie was wonderful and more than a few tears were shed in the audience, but the more interesting and important portion of the evening was the discussion.

The audience and a panel comprised of students and staff members of the PCC held a dialogue about not only the film but also mental illness as a whole. Points of the movie were lauded, others were criticized. One feature of the film which many students drew issue with was the lack

of representation for people of color.

Many found that it white washed the topic of mental illness, and made the movie less relatable than it could have been had there been more characters of color. However, most of the comments and assessments of the film were positive.

One of the most positively commented upon aspects of the film was how ordinary its depiction of mental illness was, and PCC Clinical Director Joy von Steiger even mentioned this as a reason for her liking the movie. PCC volunteer Leah Friend ’17 commented on how “Perks” portrays mental illness, stating that “it normalizes it. I think it has this charismatic, real, genuine way of transforming something that everyone goes through into something that everyone can pick up.” Many audience members echoed Friend’s sentiments.

After the event, The Brandeis Hoot reached out to club and volunteer representatives of each of the organizing groups to talk about the screening and mental illness awareness week. A representative of Brandeis Students for Disability Activism commented on what the movie did right, saying, “‘Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is one of a variety of recent films that focus on the experience of the mentally ill

rather than portraying mental illness as either a superpower or a source of violence and interpersonal pain.” The representative, who requested anonymity, went on to explain that there are still problems with the way media portrays mental illness. They specifically cited the way the media portrays mental illness in LGBT people and people of color. The representative summed up their comments by expressing gratitude that discussion on this important issue took and continues to take place.

According to Cassidy Tatun ’17, the president of Active Minds, the club is a recently founded “chapter of a national organization dedicated to decreasing the stigma surrounding mental illness on college campuses.”

Through discussions in club meetings and planned events such as the screening Friday, Active Minds tries to start a dialogue about mental illness to end the stigma. Both Friend and Tatun agreed that talking about mental illness is one of the most important things students and faculty can do to end the stigma.

Tatun stated the importance of a conversation on mental illness very clearly by recalling the tagline Active Minds uses in their campaign to end stigma, saying “Stigma causes shame,

‘You’re the Worst’ returns with impressive start to second season

By Andrew Elmers Editor

One of my favorite new shows from last year, “You’re the Worst,” returned to the airwaves last month. Needless to say I was very excited to see where showrunner Stephen Falk, former executive producer on both “Orange is the New Black” and “Weeds,” took it.

Focusing on a couple in their late-twenties living in Los Angeles trying to put their lives together, the show’s comedy is fresh and surprisingly contemporary when compared to other comedies. The first season got better and better with each new episode, so the second season had much to live up to.

Originally airing on FX, the show transferred over to their comedy-oriented sister station FXX for the second season. With the same cast returning, featuring British comedian Chris Geere as Jimmy Shive-Overly—a snobbish writer who had one successful book and has done nothing since—and Aya Cash as Gretchen—a determined PR agent who helps out her clients much more than herself—the couple hooks up for a bit after meeting each other at Jimmy’s ex’s wedding before getting into a relationship by accident and moving in together. Along for the ride are Jimmy’s

roommate Edgar, portrayed by Desmin Borges, a lovable veteran suffering from PTSD and Gretchen’s best friend Lindsay, played by Kether Donohue, a self-centered woman whose husband leaves her at the end of the first season after she cheated on him.

The second season starts with Jimmy and Gretchen moving in together to Jimmy’s house, still with Edgar there, and the two trying to make their relationship work without it becoming boring. Therefore, they party hard each night with worsening results, trying to hold onto the last of their youth before slipping into normality. The next few episodes focus on them expanding the depth of their relationship and trying to be productive members of society, although this concept escapes them. They go shopping for furniture, try to catch up with old friends and Jimmy tries to find writing jobs after suffering from writer’s block.

The main side plot of the series focuses on Edgar’s increasing crush on Lindsay.

After her husband leaves her, Edgar sees his opportunity to try and enter a relationship with her. Instead, the selfish Lindsay only manipulates Edgar into helping her talk to guys and send out risque photos to men over the Internet.

A romance that no one wants to witness

photo from internet source

blossom, it seems inevitable they will get together at some point this season, although the writers have done a good job so far keeping them apart.

Where this show really excels is with the problems the characters face in each episode, and their inability to effectively solve them. Simple problems with relationships, work and living arrangements are all too much for the four main characters to handle, and they only complain about them, leaving the audience laughing at them instead of with them. Yet this template works well for comedy TV. Successful shows like “Seinfeld” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” revolved around this concept of idiotic characters who can’t really help themselves and always wind up in absurd situations. In fact, pretty much every comedy show follows this format to some extent.

Yet “You’re the Worst” is different, if only because the problems presented to the characters are much more believable than any standard comedy, and it feels as if the events weren’t scripted.

Additionally, the secondary characters are extremely well-developed. The best is Gretchen’s main client, Sam Dresden (Brandon Mychal Smith), the head of a rap trio that is a clear parody of Odd Future. Other memorable characters include Jimmy’s pre-teen neighbor Killian, who is the target of Jimmy’s vitriol and Vernon, the husband to Jimmy’s ex at whose wedding Gretchen first met Jimmy.

With the main conflict of “will-theyor-won’t-they” between Jimmy and Gretchen already settled, “You’re the Worst” faces a tough challenge to progress forward with fresh content, but has done so admirably in the second season. Although some strange scenes have shown up in the new episodes that weren’t present in the first season, “You’re the Worst” has turned the corner to being something more than a flash in the pan.

shame causes silence, and silence hurts us all, and that’s something that I really believe in and sticks with me.”

She continued her point, saying, “being somewhere where you can openly discuss what’s wrong and feel like you have support can be life changing for people. It can be lifesaving for people.”

The PCC and Active Minds hope to provide a platform and a space for students to discuss both their personal experiences with mental illness and the topic on a broader scale. They

hope to host more movie nights over the course of the semester, and are meeting this Friday, Oct. 15 to discuss the next film to be shown. Everyone in attendance at the screening recognized the importance of the discussion on mental illness.

Von Steiger codified the goal of the screenings eloquently, saying “I think that the more people who have difficulty who can speak up about their struggles the more people will feel less shame about it.”

photo from internet source

Embassy Cinema Show Times 16 Pine Street Waltham Pan 3D

Friday - Thursday Friday- Saturday

4:20 9:45

Pan 2D

Friday - Thursday 1:30 Friday - Wednesday 7:20

Beasts of no nation Friday - Thursday Friday - Saturday

Sicario

Friday - Thursday Friday - Saturday

The Intern

Friday - Thursday Friday - Saturday

Black Mass

Friday - Thursday Friday - Saturday

The Martian 2D

Friday - Thursday

The Martian 3D

Friday - Thursday Friday - Saturday

Steve Jobs Thursday

“

1:10 | 4:10 | 7:05 9:50 1:25 | 4:15 | 7:15 9:55 1:20 | 4:05 | 6:45 9:30 1:05 | 4:00 | 6:50 10:00 1:00 | 7:00 3:45 9:35 8:00

“You’re the Worst” is different...because the problems presented to the characters are much more believable...and it feels as if the events weren’t scripted.

Andrew Elmers ’16

”

EDITORIALS

12 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Andrew Elmers Theresa Gaffney Senior Managing Editor Jess Linde Senior Copy Editors Mia Edelstein Julie Landy News Editors Charlotte Aaron Hannah Schuster Arts Editor Sabrina Pond Opinions Editor Zach Phil Schwartz Features Editor Jacob Edelman Sports Editor Sarah Jousset Hoot Scoops Editor Emily Sorkin Smith

T

Support adjunct faculty unionization

he Brandeis Hoot supports Brandeis Faculty Forward and the right to unionization of Brandeis adjunct, contract and otherwise non-tenure track faculty. As shown at Wednesday’s Speak-Out event hosted by the Brandeis Labor Coalition, our non-tenure track faculty care deeply about Brandeis and their students, but sometimes struggle to make ends meet. The event was also openly endorsed by the Brandeis Democrats.

Currently, the national average salary for tenured professors is in the area of $80,000, whereas adjunct professor salaries amount to around a quarter of that. Many non-tenure track faculty are paid a specific amount per course, and because many staff members’ contracts only allow them to teach one or two per semester, they experience serious financial hardship.

Low pay, short contracts and a lack of negotiating power at many American colleges and universities can even force non-tenure track faculty to try to teach at multiple institutions, which adds costs of travel and more paperwork

Copy Editor Allison Plotnik

Photo Editor Karen Caldwell

Volume 12 • Issue 18 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

STAFF

Clayre Benzadon, Rachel Bossuk, Sharon Cai, Zach Cihlar, Talia Franks, Zachary Gordon, Emma Gutman, Curtis Zunyu He, Emma Kahn, Naomi Klickstein, Nabi Menai, Monique J Menezes, Santiago Montoya, Joon Park, Nicole Porter, Albert Reiss, Emily Scharf, Marian Siljeholm, Eliana Sinoff, Elianna Spitzer, Hannah Stewart, Sarah Terrazano, Michael Wang, Katarina Weessies MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information.

Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events. Recognizing that better journalism leads to better policy, The Brandeis Hoot is dedicated to the principles of investigative reporting and news analysis. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.

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to the desks of already-busy teachers. All of these factors and the non-tenure status of these hard-working professors contribute to job security that is shaky at best.

As the national Faculty Forward website says, “When colleges act like corporations, we all pay the price.” Non-tenure track faculty teach classes just like tenured faculty, and have just as much positive effect on Brandeis students through their work at the university as tenured faculty do.

Considering how over-complicated and long the tenure process can be, it is unfair for any school to treat its faculty as expendable.

That Brandeis is part of that category is unacceptable. We are a university that stands for social justice and human rights that falls behind Boston University, Tufts and other much larger universities in the Boston area in the treatment of non-tenure faculty.

Brandeis’ policy takes faculty for granted, something that can be easily repaired through union negotiation to allow more fair contracts.

Last year, “Inside Higher Education” report-

ed the Tufts union’s success in arranging for higher compensation and longer contracts, as well as easier access to applying for permanent or tenured positions there for faculty. These facts were shared at the Speak-Out Wednesday

by Tufts lecturer Andy Klatt, as was Klatt’s relief that he and his colleagues no longer had to worry about their job security while also working to be the best educators they could.

The Hoot hopes that Brandeis professors will be able to do the same thing in the near future.

However, we also acknowledge the complexity of the situation and the need for faculty support for a unionization vote. The Hoot thus calls on tenured faculty at Brandeis, as well as the Brandeis student body to support a “yes” in unionization. To do so would allow adjunct and non-tenure track faculty to negotiate on equal terms with Brandeis, rather than wait in fear for their fates to be decided. It would support movement towards an egalitarian system in a grassroots and populist way, in support of Brandeis’ values as a university. Change is never easy, but in this case, it is necessary.

Flying Banshees

Senior Layout Editor Sasha Ruiz Layout Editors Lisa Petrie Ludi Yang

October 16, 2015

By Naomi Klickstein staff

Across 1. ____ and drab 5. Melodic shriek 9. e.g. gorillas 13. Word with trash or centric 14. Obsolete web browser (abr.)

15. Type of battery 16. e.g. George W. 17. Radiograph 18. Han Solo’s pal 20. Frozen princess 21. Skin damage 22. Eminem song title 23. “In other words” (abr.)

25. Traditional Okinawan weapon 26. Banshee junior 29. Fond du ___ 30. Brandeis major 31. Award for sports player 33. File format 35. Dad’s sister 39. Banshee captain 41. Home of the Fertile Crescent 42. Tummy muscles 43. Man with a badge (abr.)

45. Albanian university 47. Nutrition info.

50. Banshee senior 57. CD-___ 58. Sgt’s shout 59. Climbing type 60. Poet’s before 61. Equestrian command 63. Video game pioneer 65. Length x width 67. Mexican 68. Frisbee throw

69. Wren’s home 70. Where leg meets foot 71. Worker insects Down 1. HBO serial killer 2. Not urban

3. Persian 4. Word with paper or band 5. Minty bit 6. Winehouse’s bane 7. Legal rule 8. Feat in ultimate (with “out”) 9. “Honest” prez 10. Good thing to have 11. French assignment?

12. Banshee sophomore 19. Dir. from Newton to Watertown 22. Orange County airport (abr.)

24. English assignment 27. Top dog 28. Brief series of notes 31. Ms. Piggy’s question 32. Bygone movie player 33. Student of Socrates 34. 1-down’s TV sister 36. Husband of 35-across 37. Unaffiliated org.

38. Apex 40. Artificial sweetener 44. Famous naturalist 46. Corrections 47. French chair 48. Emergency shocker (abr.)

49. Creeps 51. Not tight 52. Muslim leaders 53. Frisbee formation 54. Robin Hood actor Flynn 55. Seinfeld now 56. Upright 62. Orbiter since 1990 64. Trig. function 65. “Eureka!”

October 16, 2015

OPINIONS 13

The Brandeis Hoot

Letter to the Editor: Abolish Columbus Day

By Abbie Goldberg special to the hoot

At a progressive liberal arts school with its claims of social justice and commitment to do good in the world, I think many of us understand why Christopher Columbus, mass murderer, rapist, thief and general symbol for colonization, is not exactly the sort of guy worth honoring with a national holiday. It’s important to delegitimize these symbols by doing things like changing the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but I also think it’s important to notice the ways our own communities uphold structures of colonization and oppression. Though I know some time has passed, in the context of this week’s holiday I think there is still a lot to say that was left unsaid about an instance of indigenous erasure here at Brandeis: this year’s 24-Hour Musical.

Hillel Theater Group and Tympanium Euphorium’s 24-Hour Musical is one of my favorite Brandeis traditions. The creative and energetic show tends to be

many students’ first introduction to theater at Brandeis and to Brandeis itself. Why then did this year’s musical, “Peter Pan,” rely on racist stereotypes and perpetuate a long tradition of indigenous erasure?

First of all, I would like to acknowledge that I, like essentially everyone else at this school, benefit from settler colonialism. To the best of my knowledge, Brandeis is located on occupied Massachusett Tribe territory. I am here because of the systematic genocide of those people and indigenous peoples across the country.

It’s also important to note that the term “indigenous peoples” falsely groups together many distinct populations whose experiences of colonialism and the world in general are vastly different. That said, I am going to continue using it for lack of ability to talk about individual communities at length.

Peter Pan’s Neverland is a world full of mermaids, fairies, ticking alligators and “Indians.” The problem with such a whimsical, magical, irrelevant place is that

photo from internet source

indigenous people aren’t whimsical, magical and irrelevant but rather are very much alive in the world today. They face oppression in the form of environmental rac-

ism, dispossession of land, trauma from boarding schools and sexual violence, placement of youths in foster care, social stigma and many more systems of violence.

It’s convenient to think of indigenous genocide as a thing of the past—something we can feel See COLUMBUS, page 14

But first, should I take a selfie? No.

By Nicole Porter Staff

Do you remember a time before Instagram and Snapchat? Surprisingly, it was only four years ago that Instagram and Snapchat were introduced to the public. In those four years, both social media platforms have blossomed into beautiful sharing spaces for imaginative photos and artwork. Please excuse my thinly-veiled sarcasm.

I use both Instagram and Snap-

chat. I do not have anything against the platforms themselves; it is the content on these platforms that really makes me cringe. Of course, I’m speaking of the trend that has become so commonplace in our culture that it has become a household word, a theme in countless songs and even an entry to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It is defined as “an image of oneself taken by oneself using a digital camera especially for posting on social networks”: a selfie.

Selfies, in theory, are not a bad thing—they are just pictures.

However, no one could have ever expected how selfies would evolve from the years of taking low-quality pictures in the bathroom mirror. Before the selfie was popularized in 2010, it was seen as selfish and narcissistic to have pictures of just yourself on your Facebook and MySpace profiles. However, in 2010, when the iPhone came out with the front facing camera, selfies became more common.

When Snapchat and Instagram came out only a few months later, selfies became more and more popular with every picture. Today it is normal to take a selfie and post it on Instagram with the Valencia filter and “#nomakeup” under it. However, selfies do us more harm than we realize.

We let ourselves get caught up in the storm selfies create. We see celebrities, our friends and even random people looking like they came from a professional photo

photo from internet source

shoot. People post pictures with the caption “#wokeuplikethis” while wearing a full face of makeup. We tilt our phones at awkward angles to hide our flaws and use filters to make our skin look Photoshopped. Why do we do all of this? To fake perfection, to get more likes, to impress our socalled friends on these sites? We do it because, even though we try not to be, we are conceited and want people to like our pictures.

Natural beauty and its value are lost in a society where everywhere we look, people are flawless and make perfection seem easy.

We deceive ourselves in pictures to make ourselves look better to others.

People may say that selfies encourage self-confidence, but that isn’t entirely true. You may see that edited picture of yourself and feel good for a moment, but when you are constantly bombarded with pictures of other people, you can’t help but start to pick out your flaws and compare yourself.

Eventually you don’t see yourself in the picture; you see the flaws you have picked out.

Another problem with selfies is that we too often base our self-esteem on the number of “likes” the selfie gets. The number of people that happened to tap the screen on your picture has no relation to your self-worth. Yet somehow society has implanted into our minds that to be a worthy person you must be popular on social media. That couldn’t be more wrong. Self-worth is based on morals and what you do with the life you are given, not how many people give your picture an imaginary thumbs up.

Selfies are a trend that have affected many while establishing itself in our culture. Its effects have created an air of vanity and egotism on social media sites.

Pictures used to be about capturing a moment or smiling with friends, but they are now about looking the best and getting the most attention. We need to take a step back and remember that self-worth doesn’t come from the X-Pro II filter but from who you are as a person.

14 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 16, 2015

Division III athletes deserve respect

By Amanda Ehrmann Special to the Hoot

One of the main elements we sacrifice when choosing to go to a Division III school is the excitement surrounding that huge game. However, just because Brandeis is Division III does not mean our athletes are somehow less capable than Division I athletes.

In fact, Division III athletes aim for a well-rounded college experience, in the sense that they do not want to limit their future.

“Nowadays, some 5-star and blue chip recruits are choosing top Division III tennis schools over Division I schools because of the academic level,” Ethan Saal ’18, a member of the men’s tennis team, said. “Those that know they definitely don’t want to compete after college turn toward the importance of their education.”

However, Saal is not one of those students; his goal is to “[show] athletes around the world that they can still be a professional athlete after receiving a world class education.”

Other Brandeis athletes like Sarita Biswas ’16, one of the captains of the women’s tennis team, believes that “Division I sports tend to be better because they can give scholarships to their athletes, so they can recruit the better players.” However not all

student-athletes chose Division I schools.

Many athletes at Brandeis sacrificed the athletic support of a Division I school for the one-on-one interaction with the coaches and chance to participate in other extracurricular activities that come with Division III sports. Division I schools limit the lives of their athletes, but that is not always a positive. These schools’ sports are a major source of their schools’ revenue and reputations, but according to a current N.C.A.A. report, the graduation rate of football and basketball plays is 20 percent below the college average. Some Division I athletes are under-qualified academically and only attend college for sports.

That’s not to say that our athletes are not dedicated to their sport just because they value education. Most sports at Brandeis hold mandatory practices and conditioning for around three hours a day, sometimes more, in addition to weekly competitions during their sport’s respective season. Brandeis athletes are typical, ambitious Brandeis students.

A member of the swimming and diving team, Maya Saar ’18 practices 18-20 hours per week from September to February. She says that “balancing everything is definitely hard, and there are times when I get jealous of the kids who are just full-time

photo from internet source

students. But I think that juggling everything is a great skill to learn, and it can be done.” Biswas agreed with this, adding that it “forces me to manage my time more efficiently.”

One of the main reasons Brandeis sports are not appreciated as much as they should be is because of the lack of support from the school. Universities are sorted into divisions partially

because of their facilities. Brandeis University facilities are not state-ofthe-art. Saal points our attention to the indoor tennis courts, which, due to some water damage, have been unplayable for a few months. She also pointed out that Division I athletes end up getting benefits like free gear.

While the Brandeis Athletics Department advocates for their stu-

dent-athletes, the school does not allocate enough time or funds to athletics. Division III athletes are just as valid and talented as Division I athletes and deserve more support from the school and the students. Next time there’s a home game, make sure to go support our Judges and all their hard work.

‘Peter Pan’ insensitive choice COLUMBUS, from page 13

guilty about but separate from.

Empty guilt is lot easier than daily grappling with decolonizing our minds and behaviors, but it’s unacceptable. We must pay attention to the ways our actions uphold structures of white supremacy and settler-colonialism.

Non-indigenous people using offensive stereotypes to portray “Indians” for entertainment is red face. The token “Indian,” Tiger Lily, wore a feather headband and spoke in broken English and so-called ancient Indian proverbs.

The song sung by the “Indian Ensemble” was called “Ugg-a-wugg” and included the line “puff-awuff, puff-a-wuff, puff-a-wuff, powwow.” The messy blend of culturally loaded symbols with nonsense sends the message that it’s acceptable (if you’re from a place of privilege) to draw freely from other people’s experiences to create an image that’s not grounded in reality or

even an attempt at understanding.

I was in the 24-Hour Musical for a few hours before dropping out, and during that time, vari-

ous members of the production staff used copyright laws to justify “Peter Pan’s” blatant racism. Essentially, this is saying that laws

around a show written in the 1950s have more legitimacy than indigenous peoples’ right to be recognized and respected.

photo by sasha ruiz/the hoot

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD Write a letter to the editor to express your views on our writers opinions and see yourself featured in next weeks issue! Submit to letters@thebrandeishoot.com Have a piece you want published? Submit it to us at eic@thebrandeishoot.com Have an idea for a column? Contact join@thebrandeishoot.com

So many people on the 24-Hour production staff had the opportunity to come to the conclusion that such a racist display would be unacceptable anywhere and especially at a school that prides itself on social justice and especially after Brandeis Ensemble Theater did so much work last year to promote socially conscious theater on campus. That the musical was chosen anyway shows a dangerous amount of unchecked privilege.

I was told to view the racism in “Peter Pan” as an artifact to show how much progress we’ve made, but in a country that still celebrates Columbus Day, without any broader dialogue—without even so much as a note in the program acknowledging the ways we continue to benefit from settler colonialism and considering the decision to dress people up in brown-fringed cloth and call them “Indians”—I have to wonder if we’ve made any progress at all.

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October 16, 2015

By Jennifer Gray

OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot 15

Work-study system unfair to students

Special to the hoot

The Brandeis information page regarding work study makes it abundantly clear that an on-campus job is not guaranteed. These statements are phrased to present obtaining a job as something that a student need only show initiative and effort for. It paints students into two categories: those who deserve a job by merit and those who do not. The underlying, unspoken idea, however, is that work studies are not handouts, so “lazy” students will not receive them.

This distinction feeds into the American dream ideal that the truly hard-working people reach their goals with the right amount of determination and effort. All of this ignores that the system is plainly biased in favor of those who already have had access to opportunities. Obtaining a job, even at a supposedly fair and balanced place like a college campus, is not a matter of not trying hard enough, even if all the materials say otherwise.

Most jobs and work studies posted online on Brandeis’ careers site say they have a preference for some previous experience, as almost all jobs do. However, in a college campus setting, wouldn’t it be more logical for jobs to exist to provide students with firsttime experience? Students with little to no work experience fall into the loop of no work experience leading to no jobs, which

leads to no work experience.

Determination is not an answer.

As someone who has applied to now thirteen jobs since the beginning of the year—all of which had skill requirements roughly on par with that of the average first-year’s skill set—and obtained nothing more than one interview, I can say it takes a bit more than a good attitude to actually obtain a job.

The problem I have with this system is not necessarily the difficulty in achieving a work study even after it has already been factored into financial plans. The problem I have is that the university places this fault on the students for “not trying hard enough” in a system where they are naturally disadvantaged. This is not about asking Brandeis to change its policy and actually ensure job placements.

What I ask is for it to be aware that the students are not somehow at fault for failing to succeed at something rigged against them.

Providing more concrete ways for students to at least get on the path to an on-campus job would be ideal, but merely rewording the language to remove the idea of “laziness” in those who fail would be an adequate first step.

One issue is the underlying blame. The second is the presentation of the work study as an opportunity that when granted, would be foolish not to take advantage of. At the same time as subtly deriding the “lazy” student, stress is placed on the ease of application and the wonder of

photo from internet source

thechance to actually gain work experience. All of this ignores that the application is the only thing the student has any actual control due to the previously mentioned cycle of lack of work experience acting against them. Also, as it needs to be mentioned, the con-

tinuation of such a cycle is particularly absurd in an environment designed to help people begin to find jobs.

Some are able to succeed in this system; clearly someone must gain the job for which so many are denied. But the competition

between students, the discrepancy in what skills a student is likely to have and what is required and the subtle blame placed on those who fail to earn their generous reward of a job cannot be ignored due to the few who do achieve against the odds.

Flag rearranger speaks out on their 9/11 protest

By Anonymous

Special to the Hoot

There are a number of misconceptions I’d like to clear up right off the bat. First of all, there was not a group of “unidentified people” who rearranged the flags of the 9/11 display. Neither was the act done covertly. There was one person: it was me. People stopped to ask what I was doing all the while I was rearranging the flags, and I explained to each of them what I was spelling out, and why, in detail. Not one person tried to

stop me, or even suggested that what I was doing was in bad taste.

Possibly none of them wanted to start a confrontation, and so they all walked away thinking nasty thoughts at me. Possibly, none of them really cared. However, there’s a slight chance that my explanation was part of the reason that no one stopped me, and on those grounds, now that my actions have been condemned, I would like to share my rationale with the Brandeis community.

What is a memorial? What does mourning look like? At some lev-

el, we all know the answer. It’s not sales on Memorial Day or a few flags flown at half-staff on the anniversary of 9/11, and it’s certainly not a bunch of plastic flags shoved into the ground and then immediately discarded in the trash.

There is exactly one time when putting the flag at half-staff or shoving a few flags into the ground is appropriate, and that is when there is not time for anything else. When the president dies, when a national tragedy strikes, when we are all mourning and no one has time to do it right:

Then lower the flag, shove party favors into the Great Lawn, do anything and everything you can, because nothing will be enough.

But to do the same today, 14 years after the fact, when we have the time, when we can honor these people right, is beyond insulting.

In Judaism, some people have the custom of tearing their clothing upon hearing of the death of a relative. It’s a spur-of-the-moment act, it’s an anguished cry made physical, it’s lowering a flag because you can’t do anything

photo from internet source

else. What would you think of memorializing a relative’s death every year by quickly snipping a piece of cloth once, and then immediately going about your day without a second thought? That’s not mourning, and neither is this.

So why do people keep insisting that it is?

Well, it had better be, hadn’t it?

Because if the cheap displays of patriotism people make around 9/11 aren’t honoring the dead, then they’re using the dead. Because if we recognize this memorial for what it was, namely five students with political agendas setting up an insultingly empty display, then we need to think about why some people want to memorialize 9/11, but don’t care enough about the actual victims to see them as anything more than a number and a bunch of flags.

To those who say I politicized an apolitical space, reexamine your motives and your actions.

This memorial was never apolitical. It was barely a memorial at all. If you can cheapen the lives and deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans to a handful of flags, probably set up in 10 minutes and trashed even more quickly, then I see no reason why I shouldn’t have used those same flags to say that we started a war for nothing, that drone strikes aren’t justified, that the Uyghurs we tortured and raped in Guantánamo were people and that the invasions of the privacy of our own citizens were senseless and immoral. Because at least that means something, rather than the actual display, which meant nothing at all.

Lives are more than flags. It’s about time we treated them that way.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

WEEK IN PHOTOS

‘deis dems screen democratic presidential debate

photo by daniel kang/the hoot

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

night market Brandeis clubs enjoy cultural event by the SCC

October 16, 2015

the mowgli’s rock levin ballroom

Alt Rock band from L.A. energizes Brandeis crowd

photo by andrew elmers/the hoot

photo by adam lamper/the hoot

photo by andrew elmers/the hoot

photo by jacob edelman/the hoot

photo by sabrina pond/the hoot

photo by andrew elmers/the hoot

photo by sophia he/the hoot