The Brandeis Hoot 10/26/2018

Volume 15 Issue 20

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

October 26, 2018

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.

Climate change vigil held

Student criticizes Title IX

By Elliana Spitzer

By Sarah Terrazano and Noah Harper

editor

editors

During a climate change vigil at the base of the Rabb steps, students, faculty and staff passed out flyers on Friday, Oct. 19. The fliers were invitations to “Climate & The Human Consequences of Irreversible Change,” an event that will feature Jim Anderson, a climate scientist from Harvard.

The climate change vigil was in part a response to a report released on Oct. 8 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of scientists convened by the United Nations. The IPCC warned that if the rate of greenhouse gas emissions remains steady, the planet could stand to warm by 2.7 deSee CLIMATE, page 3

Sexual assault charges will not be recorded on a perpetrator’s transcript after a Title IX investigation concludes. Any record of disciplinary actions can only be found in a separate disciplinary file.

A Brandeis student and survivor of sexualt assault spoke to The Brandeis Hoot about their experience with the Title IX office and their frustration that disciplinary actions will not show up on their perpetrator’s transcript.

This survivor spoke to The Hoot under conditions of anonymity, for safety and legal concerns, and will be referred to as AT THE RABB STEPS

Prof. Sabine von Mering held climate change vigil.

See TITLE IX, page 4

PHOTO BY BEN BERISS/THE HOOT

Lecture shows two sides of Holocaust Speech and expression principles released

By Sasha Skarboviychuk staff

Two women recounted how they discovered their family histories and their ancestors’ different experiences of the Holocaust (one was a Schutzstaffel (S.S.) agent and the other a Holocaust survivor) at a lecture on Monday, Oct. 22 in Usdan International Lounge. Julia Lindahl and Rachel Cerotti gave a talk entitled “The Echoes of the Holocaust: Beyond Sides of History,” facilitated by Anna Ornstein, a psychiatry pro-

fessor and Auschwitz survivor.

Cerrotti’s grandmother, Hana Dubova, was the only one in her family who survived the Holocaust. Cerrotti decided to find the people who helped her grandmother survive. “She [her grandmother] did not tell me a story of war and genocide. She told me a travel story,” said Cerrotti.

Dubova’s story took over a year to tell; she passed away soon after, but Cerrotti was left with letters, diaries and photographs. This caused Cerrotti to want to retrace her grandmother’s journey, to see the characters and places in the

stories for herself.

Dubova was born in 1925 in Czechoslovakia. When Hitler took power, her family realized the seriousness of the situation too late. Dubova was one of the chosen Czech Jewish children who would flee to Denmark and would never see her family again.

Upon arrival she was placed in three foster farms; the third becoming her new home. When Dubova was 17, the Nazis were looking for Jews in the area. She was then smuggled to Sweden See LECTURE, page 3

CGES and Facing History and Ourselves sponsored a lecture about the two sides of the Holocaust.

LECTURE

Inside This Issue:

LimeBikes

PHOTO COURTESY EMILY COHEN

Page 3 Page 7 New bike sharing service introduced to campus.

Page 13 Page 12 FEATURES: PAGE 11 EDITORIAL: Put sanctions on students’ transcript Page 9 News: Library announces new fine system Ops: Don’t divest from fossil fuels Arts: “Good Place” makes philosophy funny Sports: Volleyball undefeated at Smith

By Sabrina Chow and Celia Young editors

The Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to adopt the “Principles of Free Speech and Free Expression,” a set of six principles that guide free expression on campus, according to President Ron Liebowitz in an email sent out to the Brandeis community. The Presidential Task Force on Free Expression was created in Nov. 2016 by President Ron Liebowitz “to come together to reflect on and re-examine our university’s policies and practices related to academic freedom and free expression.”

The 18-member committee, led by Professor George C. Hall (ECON), included students, a general counsel and representatives from almost every department on campus. Hall was at first apprehensive about leading the committee, but realized how he was more able to fill the position.

“I have nothing to lose by doing this. I’m not vulnerable in that regard. It also needed to be someone who was committed to being at the university for the long term,” Hall said in an interview with The

Brandeis Hoot.

“I’m also someone who, if in the process I ruffled some feathers, it was going to be okay,” He continued. “I was also somebody who could speak bluntly. I could speak frankly to the president [Liebowitz] and I don’t have to be worried about being fired.” Hall also commended Liebowitz for taking on this difficult topic and having a conversation about it with the Brandeis community.

The committee held community-wide meetings with the Brandeis community to discuss matters of free expression and sought to involve as many groups on campus, including the College of Arts and Science, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management and the Rose Art Museum.

“It’s a issue that there’s a lot of passions about and you know on this campus people speak frankly, or we hope people speak frankly,” Hall told The Hoot. Hall went on to explain that the committee didn’t get the opportunity to speak to everyone they had hoped, but the group of people that they did speak to helped them shape how they wanted the principles to

Close Looking Prof. Sherman and Prof.

Hannig discuss Hyman Bloom’s “Corse of Man” at the Rose Art Museum.

ARTS: PAGE 14

See FREE SPEECH, page 4

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

Lurie Institute receives $4.375 million grant

By Sabrina Chow editor

The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy received a $4.375 million grant from the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) on Oct. 1—the largest grant ever received since the Lurie Institute was founded in 2007.

Dr. Monika Mitra, the director of The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, will be leading the new Community Living Policy Center (CLPC) within the institute which was established by the grant, according to an article released by The Heller School.

Mitra is a Principal Investigator (P.I.) with Lurie Institute senior scientist, Joe Caldwell, and University of California San Francisco professor, Dr. Steve Kaye. Even though both of them are working on the project, CLPC will reside at Brandeis.

Prior to coming to Brandeis, Mitra was an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical School and a senior program director for the Disability, Health and Employment Policy Unit and the Center for Health Policy and Research, said Mitra in an email to The Brandeis Hoot.

Mitra has been researching about the healthcare experiences and health outcomes of people with disabilities for over 20 years.

“I am currently most interested in sexual and reproductive health of women with disabilities, violence victimization against those with disabilities, and disability-related disparities in health and access to care,” explain Mitra.

CLPC received the 4.375 million grant from the NIDILRR after a rigorous application process.

“Our goal of the center is to improve policies and practices that promote community living outcomes for people with disabilities in the United States,” explained Mitra.

“Institutional biases within programs, a severe lack of access to home and community based services, and other systemic biases often prevent people with disabilities from successfully living in the community.”

Mitra further explained that nearly half of individuals that need long-term services and supports (LTSS) are under the age of 65, and this number is projected to significantly increase with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation.

“The CLPC will examine barriers and facilitators to services and provide rapid analysis of community living policies and programs as they evolve,” said Mitra in an email to The Hoot.

“State Medicaid programs provide the bulk of paid LTSS in the United States, and we are particularly interested in what happens when states shift their LTSS programs into a managed care framework,” said Kaye in the article re-

leased by the Heller school. “We’ll also study innovative models of care coordination, and we’ll monitor the way states regulate service settings to avoid unnecessary segregation and isolation.”

The importance of center and disability policy relays in the fact that LTSS is extremely expensive and individuals who utilize these services will significantly benefit from better policies and practices.

“People with disabilities and older adults want to age with dignity and respect,” said Mitra.

“However, the current longterm services and supports system in the United States forces individuals to impoverish themselves before they can receive long-term care services from Medicaid.”

The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy is a part of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

“The Lurie Institute is dedicated to innovative research and training initiatives that promote effective policies to improve the health and well-being of people with disabilities and their families across the lifespan,” said Mitra in an email to The Hoot. “Using a collaborative and participatory approach...the Lurie Institute’s research addresses many critical issues facing people with disabilities and their families including poverty, unemployment, inequitable access to and quality of care.”

The institute was founded in 2007 by the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation and are funded by various federal grants.

October 26, 2018

IN THE SENATE: Oct 21, 2018 •Four of the six “Turkey Shuttles” are sold out with the remaining two shuttles nearing capacity, according to Sunday night’s Student Union meeting.

Shuttles will be made available on Nov. 6 to carry students to and from nearby polling stations, according to the Union.

• Senators brought attention to a new bike sharing service which has been introduced to campus. Provided by a company called “Lime Bike,” these green bikes can be rented using a mobile app.

• An initiative by the Health and Safety Committee aims to stock at least 70 bathrooms in residential quads with condoms.

The initiative hopes to work with Student Sexuality Information Service (SSIS) and Community Advisors (CAs). A similar tampon initiative is also being considered.

• The Union Dining Committee announced that the annual dining survey will be released soon.

• The Sustainability Committee announced that the Brandeis Sustainability Fund will be holding workshops on Wednesday, Nov. 7. The fund, which totals about $50,000, supports undergraduate student projects “to improve Brandeis’s environmental sustainability,” according to the Brandeis website.

•Campus Operations Working Group (COWG) announced it hopes to work with administration on adding another stoplight on South Street closer to Gosman and adding more laundry machines where feasible.

• Plans to place a baby grand piano, which would be donated to the university for free, in a first-year lounge on campus hit a standstill after talks with Dr. Tim Touchette concluded that it could not be placed in Polaris for accessibility reasons, according to Alex Chang, Senator for the Class of 2022. He noted that the piano will only be available until the end of the month when the would-be donor intends to move out of her residence.

• Senators also plan to reach out to the mailroom after receiving requests for an outgoing mailbox. An amendment to the Union bylaws which would add a definition of “Executive Session” was postponed until next week.

- Ryan Spencer

Professor describes loss and recovery in Rome

By Celia Young editor

A Boston University professor spoke about how Roman historical figures strove to recover lost information at an event sponsored by the Department of Classical Studies on Oct. 24.

Assistant Professor of Classical Studies Hannah Čulik-Baird described how the Romans’ search for lost knowledge mirrors a modern-day search for information lost after Brazil’s 200-year-old National Museum burnt down, with many historical artifacts inside.

Her talk, “Loss and Recovery of Knowledge at Rome,” was about a variety of Roman texts with an

audience of primarily graduate students.

Audience members were given handouts with Latin and English versions of the texts Čulik-Baird discussed during her lecture and followed along as she described several different anecdotes about recovering lost Roman knowledge. Čulik-Baird introduced the lecture by describing the fire, calling it a tragic loss and a reminder that the loss of ancient artifacts today is possible. She described a Wikipedia campaign to partially restore the loss, where visitors of the museum could contribute their photographs of the artifacts lost. Čulik-Baird compared the reconstruction of lost knowledge in

Brazil to a similar event in Rome, where the grave of the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, was unearthed and along with it several preserved books were discovered.

The books, which were burned by the magistrate of the town where they were uncovered, became a topic of Roman scholars who hypothesized about what knowledge could have been contained in Numa’s books. Some scholars even attempted to reconstruct what was in the books. Čulik-Baird described the story as centering on the idea of frailty—the frailty of Numa himself and especially the frailty of the information which was lost forever when the books were burned.

“There are just so many ways for ideas that have been passed not to reach us,” Čulik-Baird said. “And the tale of Numa also demonstrates that in the absence of an artifact intellectual curiosity tries to find some answers. The episode emblematizes the problem of the transmission of historical information in the Roman world, and it suggests what a Roman writer can try to do in the absence of direct evidence.”

Like the artifacts in the Brazilian museum, the books were burned and lost forever. But Čulik-Baird compared the efforts of museum-goers and Roman scholars, describing how, “a spirit of research leads to rediscovery.”

She told the story of Marcus

Tullius Cicero, a Roman orator and philosopher, who, based on an old verse, was able to find the tomb of Archimedes in Syracuse.

Though the story may or may not be true, Čulik-Baird said, it is illustrative of the drive to discover and confirm lost knowledge.

At the end of the talk, audience members asked Čulik-Baird about Cicero and how honestly Cicero portrayed himself. Čulik-Baird responded that Cicero is normally used as a source as historians have copies of his personal letters, which they believe to be more reliable. Čulik-Baird was introduced by Joel Christenen (CLAS), an Associate Professor of Classical Studies and the chair of the Classical Studies department.

Panel talks on domestic violence in queer community

By Sabrina Chow and Sarah Terrazano editors

Members of the Brandeis community gathered to hear a panel speak about domestic violence in the queer and transgender community. The panel featured various members of the queer and transgender community, as well as experts in the field, and was moderated by Deirdre Hunter, a lecturer in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

The panelists included: Damian Lima, an advocate for health and

rights of transgender, queer and immigrant people; Lauren Montanaro, a community engagement specialist at REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, an organization that is “building healthy communities by ending domestic violence,” according to their website; and Erin Miller, a manager at Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s domestic violence program.

Program Administrator for the Gender and Sexuality Center, Ryan Mishler, opened the panel with a statement focusing on the systems currently available for members of the queer community. “For many members of the LGBTQIA community around

this country, there are really no support systems or resources available to them that meet their specific needs as queer or trans folks,” said Mishler.

“When they do try to access these services or support systems, they are met with homophobia, transphobia and many times ridicule.”

Over the course of the panel, different topics about domestic violence were highlighted. The first topic of discussion was about the importance of talking about and addressing domestic violence in queer and trans communities.

According to Lima, the biggest reason to confront the issue is

“because it happens, and oftentimes people don’t think it happens.”

Domestic or sexual violence are issues found not only in heterosexual or cis relationships. Queer and trans people, especially queer and trans people of color, are already more susceptible to violence and vulnerability.

Montanaro highlighted the injustice that members of the transgender and queer community face. “If we don’t name the problem, if we continue to shroud in that isolation and that silence and continue to push it to the backburner,” said Montanaro, “then we’re doing a disservice to those

who are part of our community where this has been their experience.”

Miller spoke about her personal experiences growing up in a “heterocentric model of men committing violence against women.”

Comparing the historical context with the current climate of domestic violence, Miller said that people “need to center the leadership of historically marginalized and oppressed people—in particular, queer and trans folks of color.”

The rest of the panel included discussions of marginalization, vulnerability and reasons why abuse can occur in relationships.

October 26, 2018

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Climate vigil offers opportunity to come together CLIMATE, from page 1

grees Fahrenheit, causing flooding, droughts and wildfires and killing off as much as 99 percent of coral reefs.

The demonstrators at the vigil included members of Faculty Against the Climate Threat (FACT), he Multifaith Chaplaincy and the Brandeis Staff Action Team. They held signs and spoke to students to raise awareness about climate change. “We’re terrified. That’s why we’re here,” said Rabbi Liza Stern, the Acting Director of the Department of Spiritual and Religious Life.

Standing by the steps with a sign, Amy Rinaldo, Assistant Director of English Language Programs and a member of Brandeis

Staff Action Team on Climate Change, described how the enormity and immediacy of the threat laid out in the IPCC report felt daunting. “It doesn’t feel like it’s affecting our everyday, but I think we’re seeing that it is and it’s going to continue to. I’m feeling very powerless. Even just having this vigil, it’s like getting out there and making sure people know that there are a lot of others who care.”

Stern and Rinaldo echoed what other participants said about the vigil—they felt motivated to do something in the face of a looming threat.

Some of the demonstrators also stood in support of divestment, an issue that has been the subject of multiple demonstrations on campus. Brandeis has invested money

in companies that use fossil fuels, which significantly contribute to global warming according to the IPCC report.

The Board of Trustees has spent years pushing back the date of a vote on divestment. Last April, George D. Krupp, a member of the Board told members of Brandeis Climate Justice (BCJ) that they would vote within 60 days. In June, just before the deadline, President Liebowitz announced in an email that the Board would need to revise a 1974 investment statement, “Brandeis as a Responsible Investor,” before voting on the topic of divestment.

In the most recent report on the September Board of Trustees meeting, President Liebowitz told the student body through email

that the Board of Trustees had not voted on an updated version of the investment statement but had discussed the topic of climate change and Brandeis’ role.

The Oct. 19 vigil took place in the middle of climate change week, which spanned from the Oct. 15 to Oct. 21. The vigil was not the only event to acknowledge climate change. Earlier in the week, members of BCJ had hung a banner above the Rabb steps reading,“Climate Change Kills #DivestDeis.” They also passed out fliers reading, “We can’t wait any longer. Do better, Brandeis.

DIVEST NOW.” When asked about divestment at the base of the Rabb steps on Friday, a member of Faculty Against Climate Change (FACC),

Sabine von Mering (ENVS/ GRALL/WMGS), explained, “Divestment and a statement in support of divestment is really what gives the signal that we say we’re on board with the solution and not part of the problem.”

A banner hung on Oct. 24 outside of the Shapiro Campus Center read, “There is no such thing as an innocent stockholder.”

“Climate & The Human Consequences of Irreversible Change” will take place in Schwartz Auditorium on Oct. 29 at 6:45 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by multiple groups on campus including the Mandel Humanities Working Group on Climate Change as a Threat to Human Civilization and Life as We Know it and the Environmental Studies Program.

Stimell named interim Ethics Center director

By Ryan Spencer editor

Melissa Stimell (LGLS) will assume the role of Interim Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life on Sept. 1, succeeding Dr. Daniel Terris who accepted a job as dean of the Al-Quds Bard College of Arts and Sciences earlier this summer, according to the Brandeis website.

Stimell, a professor of the practice in legal studies, told The Brandeis Hoot in an interview that the Ethics Center’s work includes running a variety of programs that focus on three main areas: Peacebuilding and the Arts, International Justice, and civic

transformation.

The range of programs includes courses taught at Brandeis, a recurring conference for international judges, and other lectures, conferences, and projects, which take place both on and off campus. “[The Ethics Center] really encompasses a wide range of issues that are so important to students today,” Stimell said.

As Interim Director, Stimell told The Hoot that she plans “to continue all the great things that we’re doing and, because I am so closely involved in ENACT, we’re in the process of expanding that program to include two new pilot programs.”

The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT) is a program which

focuses on “engaging undergraduates at colleges and universities in state-level legislative change by learning to work with legislators, staffers, and community organizations to advance policy,” according to the Brandeis website. “[ENACT] started with a class I taught, or still teach, Advocacy for Policy Change,” Stimell told The Hoot.

“That course—which is funded by the Ethics Center—teaches students how to make legislative change at the state level,” she said.

“Students choose an actual bill and try to get it passed at the Massachusetts State House. They meet with legislators and advocacy organizations to help them understand the legislative process and to lobby their bill.”

In the coming months, ENACT,

which has programs at 29 colleges and universities, will be expanded to include the ENACT labor network and the health policy initiative, according to Stimell.

She explained that both programs “will offer research mentorships to students interested in those areas and will be offered to students across the country.”

Stimell also noted the Ethics Center’s management of the “Brandeis Institute for International Judges,” a conference which, according to the Brandeis website, “provides members of the international judiciary with the opportunity to meet and discuss critical issues concerning the theory and practice of international justice.”

This year the conference was held in Oslo, Norway and was at-

tended by two Brandeis students who had the opportunity to talk and work with international judges, according to Stimell.

In a post announcing the appointment of Stimell as Interim Director, the Brandeis website notes Stimell’s history as a public-interest attorney specializing in conflict resolution, criminal law, discrimination and child welfare.

Stimell directs the Brandeis in The Hague study abroad program, which places students in The Hague, Netherlands where they have access to the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the Peace Palace, and special war-crimes tribunals as part of their abroad experience, according to the Brandeis study abroad website.

Women recount family’s Holocaust experience LECTURE, from page 1

by a fisherman. Cerrotti found the grandchildren of her grandmother’s foster parents and, just like her grandmother, lived on their farm.

This project took Cerrotti eight years and changed her life in ways she never anticipated. “It is very interesting that I went out kind of in search of this lost history and following this journey that resulted in my grandmother losing everybody, losing her entire family, and yet I came out of it with more family myself,” Cerrotti said. She

started writing a book about her journey in 2015.

Lindahl is the granddaughter of an S.S. officer during World War II who, after feeling years of unexplainable guilt, decided to uncover her family’s secret and find the victims of her grandfather’s cruelty.

The S.S. were a military branch of the Nazi party originally serving as Hitler’s personal bodyguards but eventually became an organization responsible for duties including intelligence operations and running concentration camps.

Lindahl went to the German

Federal Archives, which is where her journey began. There she found pages of her grandfather’s records, and her grandparents’ application to get married as a couple in the S.S. Her grandfather oversaw farmers in Poland and was known for his brutality. Lindahl traveled to Poland to meet some of them. “To me some of the most important aspects of this journey were the conversations with eyewitnesses and survivors of my grandfather’s brutalities,” she said.

“The greatest surprise of these years of really consciously heading headfirst into darkness where

the meetings with so many strangers who put themselves in my way in moments when I felt like I simply could not continue or did not want to continue and who said you really can do this” because “it is necessary to continue to search for the truth,” Lindahl said.

One day, Cerrotti’s husband heard an interview with Lindahl on the radio.

Cerrotti reached out to Lindahl, and in a few weeks they started talking. “My reaction was ‘Oh I really do understand her [Cerrotti]’” said Lindahl.

Even though they worked on opposite sides of the story, they

both spent a significant portion of their lives on this. “There is great power in…not being afraid to see what happens when those two narratives touch,” Lindahl said.

When the two were done with their stories, Anna Ornstein offered her thoughts. She emphasized how important it is to understand why Cerrotti and Lindahl feel the way they feel.

The event was sponsored by the Center for German and European Studies and Facing History and Ourselves, a non-profit organization that develops educational material on injustices focusing on the Holocaust.

Library announces eliminated and reduced fines

By Lucy Braverman special to the hoot

The library announced a new fines program that eliminates “nuisance” fines, reduces expensive fines and accepts food pantry donations in place of fines.

Brenda Cummings, director of public services at the Brandeis library, described the four parts to the new fines program. In part one of the program, the library has eliminated what they call “nuisance fines,” which are small 25 cent per day charges on over-

due items from the library’s general collection, which includes anything in the main stacks, such as DVDs and CDs. These items go out for the extended semester and don’t contribute to the library’s revenue in any significant way. Cummings said, “We don’t want to be a place that’s punitive.” The library still charges fines on recall or high demand if someone’s really looking for it. But if no one is looking for the book, it’s not important if it’s a day or two late.

Part two of the program is the reduction of overdue fines on equipment the library loans out,

like laptops, chargers and other electronics. As the library’s equipment inventory has grown and more students rely on the equipment, the fines grew in consequence of students taking advantage of the system. Fines crept up to $5 and $10 per hour.

Most fines for adapters, cables, and calculators were lowered to 25 or 50 cents per hour, from the original fines of either $5 or $10.

Most fines for computers (which include a fine for the charger) were lowered from $10 per hour to $4.

Part three of the program has to do with amnesty waivers. Amnes-

ty waivers are given to students who request a waiver for fines for whatever reason. Students could only use the waiver once a year, but now the waivers are available once a semester.

Brandeis also introduced a new Food for Fines program. This program allows students to pay off their fines by donating non-perishable food or hygiene items to the library for Brandeis’ campus food pantry.

“A lot of libraries do it during the holiday seasons, but this is going to be an everyday thing for us [at Brandeis],” said Cummings.

The food pantry is located in

Kutz 102 and is accessible to any Brandeis community member in need from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Each donation counts as $5 towards the payment of overdue fines.

Also important to note is that while students cannot donate their meal swipes to pay off their fees, they can donate meal swipes to the pantry. The volunteer-based food pantry is set to be fully open for the Brandeis community in early November. The Food for Fines program is in a trial period.

Those interested in volunteering at the pantry should contact Steven Weglinski or Elaine Wong.

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 26, 2018

Sanctions not recorded on student transcripts TITLE IX, from page 1

they/them. The student detailed a difficult process throughout their Title IX investigation and appeal and spoke to The Hoot to shed light on how a respondent’s (also called perpetrator’s) sanctions will not appear on a transcript.

Under current administration policy, disciplinary or sanctioned violations do not appear on a student’s transcript. The Brandeis Rights and Responsibilities Handbook does not detail any explicit guidelines on transcript notation.

This includes disciplinary suspensions and Title IX violations like sexual assault. Sanctions will appear on a respondent’s disciplinary file, separate from a transcript.

“I just want it to not disappear,” the student said. “Brandeis is responsible for who they [the perpetrator] go on to hurt.” Without sanctions or mention of Title IX involvement on a transcript, “It’s like it didn’t happen.”

Elizabeth Tierney, in the Office of Human Resources, is the acting Title IX Coordinator, taking over for Robin Nelson-Bailey. In an email with the student, Tierney said, “With regard to the transcript question, when students receive discipline, the student is documented in the disciplinary file, and not on the student’s transcript.”

Julie Jette, Director of Media Relations, reiterated this statement, saying that “Student transcripts do not identify disciplinary sanctions.”

The student asked repeatedly for a policy change, both to Nelson-Bailey and Tierney. Nelson-Bailey told the student that it’s “standard practices.” Tierney said the same.

The survivor told The Hoot that in their experience, the process was more oriented toward protecting the accuser than the survivor. They described their Title IX investigation as a long, bureaucratic process, where staff slowed down the investigation or halted complaints.

The student filed a No Contact Order against their perpetrator, but the order was initially not processed by Brandeis Police. The student discovered this after reporting a violation of the order.

The order was then processed, and after reporting several violations, a few months passed before consequences of the perpetrator’s violations were decided.

After one of the fact-gathering interviews about the broken No Contact Order, Anthony Sciaraffa, the investigation’s Co-Examiner, said the goal was to figure out if the perpetrator was “just being stupid.”

In this survivor’s case, Special Examiner Allyson Kurker—an individual hired from outside the school whose identity is not stated on Brandeis’ Title IX site—was joined by Co-Examiner Sciaraffa.

Both examiners conducted interviews with the parties involved and any witnesses. Once this information was compiled, a report was written by the Special Examiner, and a decision for sanctions was reached by the Outcomes Administrator and sanctioning panel. The respondent was found responsible of the charges. There will be no record of the decision on the respondent’s transcript. It will appear on their disciplinary file, which can be requested by other educational institutions “who have a legitimate educational interest in the behavior of a student,” according to Brandeis’ website.

In New York and Virginia, state laws passed in 2015 require that college students found responsible for sexual assault retain documentation on their transcripts.

Recently-loosened federal Title IX regulations don’t mandate this; a private university in Massachusetts is under no compulsion to add this notation to transcripts.

Brandeis makes the decision on a case-by-case basis.

The complainant has the option to appeal the Special Examiner’s verdict, at which time the case is reviewed by the University Appeals Board, described by the Brandeis Rights and Responsibili-

ties Handbook as including “three members of the faculty and/or staff.” The handbook details no requirement of qualifications for the Appeals Board.

In an email to The Hoot, Julie Jette said, “Student Affairs solicits volunteers from faculty and staff at the university who are interested in serving on sanctions panels. These faculty and staff are then trained, and become part of a list for sanctions panel participants. Then, when a case arises, the chief Student Affairs officer or designee appoints sanctions panel members from the available list, and screens for conflicts prior to assignment.”

This student appealed the sanctions that the perpetrator, who was found responsible, was given,

an advisor could only be present during meetings after they committed to an investigation format.

At that time, the student had already retained a free lawyer from the Victim Rights Law Center.

The survivor explained that, in their experience, Title IX at Brandeis was practiced in order to protect the school and perpetrators, not the victims. “The problem is not that Brandeis doesn’t believe survivors—they do—it’s not wanting to help.”

According to the student, the university is so wary of a legal battle or poor publicity that they purposefully drag out Title IX investigations.

“I filed charges and they didn’t immediately or continually investigate. You have to ask them to in-

“The problem is not that Brandeis doesn’t believe survivors—they do—it’s not wanting to help.” judging the sanctions to be inadequate. The University Appeals Board reviewed it and did not rule in favor of the appeal. The student received a text message from Brandeis informing them that “an important letter” was emailed to them with the appeals decision. Officially closed, the investigation took months longer than the Obama-era federal guidance level of 60 days.

Brandeis’ Title IX website reads that the university is responsible for resolving complaints “promptly and equitably.”

The student told The Hoot that their experience has been the opposite: long wait times, bureaucratic procedures and a reluctance to proceed. In an initial meeting the student was repeatedly recommended by Paula Slowe, Brandeis’ Title IX case manager, to file an informal investigation, not a formal one. In the student’s initial conversations with Slowe, she informed them that they could not have their lawyer present—

vestigate over and over or else the process will essentially come to a standstill,” said the student.

Slowe told the student that they could face disciplinary charges if they chose to file a formal investigation, “which is crazy to say to a victim,” the student told The Hoot. If the student in any way reveals their assaulter’s identity, they could face charges of defamation or retaliation.

The disciplinary process does not allow the student to reveal their perpetrator’s identity to anyone—not to their friends or to the press. “I can’t warn anyone of who [the perpetrator] is,” the student said. With this anonymity, they fear the perpetrator will go on to assault others.

The student’s goal is to have disciplinary or sanctioned actions appear on transcripts. They believe this would decrease the likelihood of repeat offenses by the same perpetrator, as their record would follow them to future schools, jobs or internships. It

would also affect them transferring institutions or applying to graduate school. If Brandeis creates and enforces a policy for recording sanctions on transcripts in the future, the student feels “it would be all worth it.”

In a campus-wide email on Oct. 9, President Ron Liebowitz said that “Brandeis cares” about students who have faced sexual violence and that campus resources “can provide you with compassionate and timely assistance.”

The email also noted, “The university is committed to responding promptly and effectively once notified of any form of discrimination based on sex and forbids retaliation against an individual who has filed a complaint.” There was no mention of a change to the policy of withholding information about Title IX offenders on transcripts.

Sexual violence, as the Brandeis survivor noted, is often a repeat offense. They emphasized the university’s role in possible repeat assaults by not mandating that transcripts report sanctions.

“Right now, Brandeis is responsible for every person that a perpetrator goes on to assault at their job, at their internship, at their next school, at this school, at their grad school,” they said.

“Brandeis is just letting it all happen,” the survivor said. “But they have the opportunity to change this, and truly prove that they support survivors by getting ahead of the Massachusetts legislature and putting these violations on transcripts.”

Title IX was passed as part of the Educational Amendments of 1972. Its goal, according to the United States Department of Education, is to protect “people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance.” In practice, this has historically meant university Title IX coordinators reviewing and administering sanctions under the law in order to police gender-based discrimination (such as sexual harassment or assault) on campus.

Univ. releases free speech, expression principles SPEECH, from page 1

come across.

The first principle, “Maximizing Free Speech in Diverse Community,” states that all members of Brandeis should have the ability to put forth ideas for others to consider, engage and criticize and the university has the responsibility to encourage such discussion, regardless of the topic of matter.

“We want a place where everybody feels that they can speak up.

And not only that they feel they can speak up but everybody does speak up. We want it to be noisy,” explained Hall.

The second principle, “Developing Skills to Engage in Difficult Conversations,” pushes Brandeis in “reaching out fullest potential” with a curriculum that will expose students and the community to the viewpoints of others. “All this will require the intellectual courage to risk discomfort for the sake of greater understanding,” as stated in the principles.

The third principle, “Sharing Responsibility,” states that all members of the Brandeis com-

munity need to take responsibility for their actions and the impact of their actions on the general community. “The university must find ways to engage the whole community about each person’s responsibility to foster a just and inclusive campus culture so that all can participate fully in the intellectual and social life of the university,” the principles stated.

The fourth principle, “Rejecting Violence,” says that while peaceful protest is completely legitimate, physical violence is not allowed.

The fifth principle, “Distinguishing between Invited Speakers and University Honorees,” states that Brandeis should provide any necessary spaces for outside speakers, however, “there are certain circumstances, especially the granting of honorary degrees, in which an invitation issued by the university does constitute an endorsement of some major aspect of their life or work.”

It goes further to say that any protests against the university for making a “disfavored choice,” of a person to honor is not necessarily an attack on free speech.

The sixth principle, “Institu-

tional Restrictions,” which was added later in the drafting process, allows Brandeis to restrict certain expression that “unjustifiably invades substantial privacy or confidentiality interests.” It clarifies that the principles do not allow individuals to say “whatever they wish, whenever they wish, or however they wish.”

In an interview with The Hoot, Hall said that the committee looked at the University of Chicago free expression principles and a statement from Cornel West and Robert George. West and George are two public intellectuals from opposite sides of the political spectrum who released a joint statement in support of “truth seeking, democracy, and freedom of thought and expression,” after students protested a Middlebury College guest speaker resulting in the injury of a professor.

Part of West and George’s statement reads, “Our willingness to listen to and respectfully engage those with whom we disagree (especially about matters of profound importance) contributes vitally to the maintenance of a milieu in which people feel free

to speak their minds, consider unpopular positions, and explore lines of argument that may undercut established ways of thinking.”

The University of Chicago released a report from the university’s own committee of free expression, detailing their principles. Part of the statement reads, “Except insofar as limitations on that freedom are necessary to the functioning of the University, the University of Chicago fully respects and supports the freedom of all members of the University community ‘to discuss any problem that presents itself.’” The principles also clarify that this freedom “does not, of course, mean that individuals may say whatever they wish, wherever they wish.”

Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas worked on the principles after he was hired in January of 2017. In an interview with The Hoot, Brimhall-Vargas spoke about how the principles related to the Ford Hall protests.

“I think it would be disingenuous to say that the creation of the Principles of Free Speech and Free Expression had no connection to Ford Hall,” Brimhall-Vargas said.

“How could it not? Ford Hall was a very significant moment in our campus’ history with respect to protecting protest and freedom of expression.”

Ford Hall refers to a set of two protests in 1969 and in 2015. In 1969, around 70 African-American students held an 11 day sit-in in the Ford and Sydeman Halls and released a list of 10 demands asking for better representation on campus. Though not all the demands were met, the protest did lead to the creation of the African and Afro-American Studies Department (AAAS), according to a Heller School for Social Policy and Management article.

In 2015, a group of students issued a list of 13 demands calling for more black faculty and students at Brandeis, more programs to increase racial awareness and the establishment of a university Ombuds service, according to an original copy of the demands from the Facebook group of the organizers. The protesters staged a 13 day sit-in until an agreement was reached with the university administration, according to a Heller article.

October 26, 2018

NEWS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

Culture clubs gather to discuss racism, solidarity

By Rachel Wang staff

Three different Brandeis culture clubs hosted a discussion about the specific issues each respective minority group faces as well as instances of interethnic conflict and solidarity.

Members of Brandeis Asian American Student Association (BAASA), Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) and Brandeis Latinx Student Organization (BLSO) held the discussion Monday night in the Intercultural Center (ICC) lounge.

After each student organization gave a short presentation on cases of historical and present racism their people have experienced, attendees formed three large groups to discuss with fellow students about what they learned and how it related to the Brandeis community. Faculty members Elaine Wong, senior associate dean of arts and sciences for undergraduate education, Dr. Leanne Day (AAPI/WGS) and Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas were present to facilitate these discussions.

Jamie Noh ’21 and Laura Wei ’20 of BAASA first presented on the concept of the model minority myth, which casts the Asian American community as hardworking, docile and socioeconomically successful to excuse those in power from providing

them with services and to pit other minorities against Asians.

To illustrate intersections and tensions with the black community, Noh and Wei cited the LA Riots of 1992 in which Rodney King, an African American man, was tased and brutally beaten by policemen.

According to Noh and Wei, Southern Los Angeles’ Koreatown sustained the most damage during these riots.

Deborah Fataki ’19 of BBSO then gave a presentation on how black lives have been criminalized throughout American history. She discussed the founding of Black Lives Matter as a response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer George Zimmerman and many other unjust outcomes of police brutality. Fataki emphasized the “herstory” of BLM as a movement created by three black women.

She also spoke on anti-black sentiment within Asian communities, referring to incidents in which Asian store and restaurant owners inflicted violence or unfair treatment on black customers. Fataki reiterated the model minority myth and how it specifically harms other minorities. It insinuates that there is inherently something wrong with black and Latinx communities for not being as socially mobile and, it also assumes that racism looks the same across all racial contexts. Fataki challenged her listeners to be ac-

tive voters and debunkers of this myth.

Next, Marleny Nunez ’20 of BLSO talked about current injustices Latinx communities suffer under an administration that has radicalized immigration policy and criminalized Mexicans. She explained that the rhetoric of “Make America Great Again” in part draws from this idea of keeping America safe from “dangerous outsiders.”

Nunez also spoke about how Latinos often do not have access to a good education due to geographical zoning. Latinx children, according to Nunez, are especially vulnerable to the “school to prison pipeline,” or the disproportionate likelihood of people of color becoming incarcerated because of harsh systems of punishment within schools. In her concluding thoughts, Nunez spoke on anti-blackness within Latinx communities and how darker skinned Latinos are commonly stigmatized.

After the presentations, audience members split up into three large groups to discuss what they had just learned with their peers and a faculty moderator.

In one group, facilitator Elaine Wong asked whether or not people felt that there was solidarity between different minorities on campus. Answers were mixed, but a recurring sentiment was that it was always easier to stick with one’s own community.

As the conversation progressed, it became apparent that there were differing opinions on what solidarity means and how important it is to the Brandeis community. Those who highly valued interethnic solidarity asked those who were more ambivalent why they felt that way. One student voiced their frustration at the fact that the responsibility put on minorities to intermingle isn’t applied on white people in the same way.

Students of mixed race who had ties to multiple communities of color also shared that they often don’t know which group to align with.

The conversation shifted towards ethnic-specific events held at Brandeis, such as cultural festivals and performances.

Students discussed whether these events attracted homogenous crowds, why that was, and whether they were welcoming spaces to all people. Students acknowledged that these kinds of events often only drew people who were in the community that organized them.

The problem of information dissemination arose. Students noted that vehicles of receiving information like Facebook pages and listserv emails require recipients to actively choose to be informed (by liking a page or signing up for a listserv). Usually, people make that choice because they are already personally invested. In other words, it’s hard for

students to learn about relevant events that may be outside of their experience and interest. Wong offered up the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance (BPA) listserv, which informs its subscribers to a variety of cultural events, as a potential solution to this problem.

After the three groups reconvened, students shared what they had discussed, and found a consensus in the desire to know other groups, while they felt they did not know how.

Students brainstormed solutions to the problems they identified, such as showing up for the events of other minority groups, finding similarities between groups beyond racial oppression, and sponsoring more interracial events at the ICC. As the event closed, many attendees stayed for Korean-Mexican food and more conversation.

Kwesi Jones ’21 thought that the event was “thought-provoking” and its success “a relief.” He said, “It was good to see such a diverse group of people engaging in conversation without segregation.”

Noh commented, “As someone who organized this, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out.

But it seemed like everyone was willing to make tonight a positive experience!” Carter Yee ‘21 added, “The conversation tonight highlights a need for more conversations like this to happen on campus. It obviously doesn’t end here.”

Hiatt hosts community impact, education fair

By Hannah Wilson special to the hoot

Around 95 students interested in pursuing careers with nonprofits and educational organizations attended the Hiatt Community Impact and Education Fair on Thursday, Oct. 24. Hiatt recruited over 60 local presenters to connect with Brandeis students.

The Community Connections Club, a subsect of the Waltham group, assisted Hiatt in organizing the fair. Community Connections organizes other one day service programs in addition to the Community Impact and Education Fair.

Coordinators of Community Connections, Ashley Bass ’20, Megan Catalano ’21 and Jack Guerra ’22 each suggested that the Community Impact and Education Fair was created for the benefit of students with a path less traditional than medicine, law or business.

Bass hoped the program would engage students invested in making a difference and introduce them to the variety of career options they have. Catalano reflected that she was excited to watch the event come to life after planning it with Hiatt since August.

Bass and Catalano advertised for the event on social media and organized a Wake and Shake a

day prior to the event, encouraging more students to register for the event with enticing apple cider at their display outside Usdan. Presenters ranged from organizations based in Waltham to programs with bases around the world.

The potential employers included organizations such as Eastern Girl Scouts, Teach for America and City Year. Many of the opportunities centered around working with children in lower income areas, ranging from preschool to high school, and others focused on mental health issues. Some summer camps/engagement programs participated, including Camp Micah, Nashoba School,

Meadowscaping for Biodiversity and Breakthrough Boston.

Organizations local to the area participated as well and many of them were seeking interns and/ or volunteers for the upcoming Spring semester. Walker, a non profit school based in Needham, was hoping to connect with part time help for the 2019 year, seeking Brandeis students interested in working with children four to 12 who’ve experienced trauma or mental health issues.

The Leland home, the location of one of the Waltham Group Companions to Elders programs, was also looking for interns, considering students specifically interested in either media or de-

velopment. In addition, the local group the Waltham Partnership for Youth is hiring new volunteers and interns for their program within the Waltham public high school and their program conducting research regarding transportation availability for Waltham youth.

Many of these organizations even highlighted that they had previously hired Brandeis students. Participating students and presenters were treated to lunch at 12 p.m. by the Waltham Group.

The event engaged a large variety of students and emphasized the importance of engaging students interested in service with career opportunities.

Librarians call for support of fair contract

By Sabrina Chow editor

Librarians and a representative of the Service Employees International Union Local 888 (SEIU 888) were posted around campus during Family Weekend to urge students and members of Brandeis’ community to support librarians as they fight for a fair contract with the university. Since June 2018, the librarian’s union at Brandeis has been meeting with the administration to create a new contract for librarians.

According to librarian Esther Brandon ’12, MA ’14 in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot, “We have been negotiating with the Brandeis administration since June and the library’s union has

proposed a pathway to a fair contract. But Brandeis has not met us halfway.” Since the negotiations are currently ongoing, the union was unable to provide the specific details on what is being negotiated.

Surella Seelig MA ’05, the Outreach and Special Projects Archivist in University Archives & Special Collections, is a librarian that “create[s] digital and physical exhibits, teach[es] classes, and work[s] on creating conferences and projects based on our collections,” she said, in an interview with The Hoot. She is a member of the Brandeis librarian’s union that is handling inquiries on behalf of the Union team.

As a librarian, Seelig finds it extremely fulfilling to work with not only the collections, but also

members of the Brandeis community who are invested in their work and working to “better service our communities—not a day goes by where I don’t learn something from my work and from my colleagues.”

The Hoot spoke to four different librarians, who were advocating for support for their union contract, echoed similar messages of a fair contract. “We all come to work, and we get great joy out of it. But that’s not enough. Joy is not enough,” said Seelig in an interview. “We’re Brandeis, and we belong here just as much as anyone else. I feel very invested in the school, and I want the school to invest in me as much as I invest in it.”

Jen Giordano ’12, MA ’14, the user experience librarian, focus-

es specifically on making sure the library is meeting all the needs of students. “I feel like a lot of my identity is wrapped up in Brandeis and supporting and loving the faculty members, the students, the community and I really give my life and soul to Brandeis,” Giordano told The Hoot. “And as a staff member, we deserve a fair contract...We are here out of love and respect and commitment, and we know how great Brandeis can be, and we just want it to keep getting better. And part of that is treating the librarians union with dignity and respect.”

Seelig and Giordano, along with the rest of the librarians involved in the union urge students to voice their support of the librarians to the administration. Joanna Fuchs ’11, another librarian

tabling, hopes that students will “contact the Provost’s office and express how much the library means to you and what librarians mean to you for your research, schoolwork, to your overall experience at Brandeis. Get on social media, don’t be afraid to voice your concern. Because without the librarians or the library, there is no Brandeis.”

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

OPINIONS

6 The Brandeis Hoot

October 26, 2018

Escape from Irma

By Haley Prudent special to the hoot

See that blue dot? Yup, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got myself in this situation.

I remember quickly packing all my belongings into two suitcases and hopping onto a small boat with 40 of my peers.

This must be what it feels like to run for your life, I thought to myself. Although we weren’t running, we were sailing.

All of us were packed on a ferry boat, the only thing the Coast Guard could spare at the time.

The local islanders watched us drift through the warm Caribbean water, no chance they knew the monster that was coming for them. None of us spoke the entire way to Providenciales, the island with the international airport in Turks and Caicos.

The airport felt like a scene out of a movie. It was packed with people desperately searching for last minute flights off the islands. Anywhere out of the path of Hurricane Irma, the Category 5 hurtling directly toward us. The next few hours were a blur, with people approaching me asking if there was room on my flight. Just one seat for a local child, just two seats for an elderly couple here on vacation.

HURRICANE IRMA, 2017

PHOTO FROM BBC.COM

HURRICANE IRMA IN FLORIDA

I remember holding my passport with shaky hands, unable to fully process everything. My abroad program was being emergency evacuated; our headquarters sent a private jet last minute to get us all out. Our plane would be the last to leave before everything shut down for the storm, and we all knew it.

I watched families beg airport officials to speak with someone higher up. “I’m so sorry, there’s no room,” I heard them say to everyone. We weren’t allowed to take any extras because of U.S. immi-

PHOTO FROM ACCUWEATHER.COM

gration laws. My heart dropped when we boarded the jet to find an overwhelming amount of extra seats. The privilege slapped me in the face in the form of immense guilt for abandoning the little island I was lucky enough to call home. I try not to think about it.

One year later and I’m feeling a bit of deja vu. Most headlines I saw last week were about Hurricane Michael, the Category 4 classified as the third most intense hurricane to ever hit the U.S. Before Michael, it was Florence, another intense Category 4. Aside from all the disaster headlines, a “first of its kind” experiment was conducted on Florence. Led by Dr. Kevin Reed, the study illustrates how Florence would have looked without the influence of climate change.

Using a climate model that generates forecasts with and without climate change factors, researchers were able to find specific increases in weather patterns that wouldn’t have occurred if it wasn’t for higher precipitation, rise in sea levels and increased temperatures. They found that Florence was likely eight to nine percent larger than it would have been without climate change factors.

Our planet is already changing.

After collecting two decades worth of satellite altimeter data, NASA has started publishing

studies on how hurricanes are “intensifying significantly faster now than they did 25 years ago.”

Category 2 storms in particular are reaching Category 3 winds roughly nine hours faster than they did 20 years ago. Weather stations across the U.S. along with NOAA scientists have recorded a 10 percent increase in precipitation since 1948. The science is undeniable.

Natural disasters used to make me sad, but these days, I find myself angry. When I watched Donald Trump throwing paper towels at climate refugees, I wondered how we could have let this happen. Our own government rebukes climate change, calling science “fake news” and stating that global warming is a hoax, part of a greater scheme to support the left.

Trump not only pulled us from the Paris Accords but continues to hire policymakers who unravel crucial environmental regulations.

Trump originally named Scott Pruitt president of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), even though Pruitt has sued the EPA 14 times in efforts to block safe air and water regulations.

After Pruitt left in light of multiple scandals, Trump appointed Andrew Wheeler. Wheeler is a former lobbyist for the Murray Energy Corporation, the largest

coal mining company in America.

You see the pattern that’s going on here. Sadly, it’s often the poorest who repeatedly experience the wrath of climate change.

I watched the president play golf while people in South Caicos and other Caribbean islands like Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory) suffered without clean water or power for months. The region is already one of the most indebted in the world with 70 percent of that debt stemming from natural disasters. Governments are forced to borrow money for recovery efforts but aren’t able to repay the loans before another disaster strikes.

The evolution of environmental policy has been halted by our current administration, so the next question is what do we do? First, we can start by voting for officials who are dedicated to fixing the problem. Research your local candidates and exercise your right to voice your opinion. Next we can attempt to reduce our own personal carbon footprint. Decrease your meat consumption, drive less and unplugging are simple things individuals can do. Finally, we can focus on our youth. They are the ones who will develop new technologies to monitor our changing planet, create ways to save lives during these mega-storms and vote for future leaders.

A bias in education

By Alex Kougasian staff

Education systems all across the world are constantly trying to improve the rate at which students are able to learn information and trying to improve the choice that students receive in order to help them better succeed.

But much of the learning that a student does will go to waste if the information being taught is not objective. While this issue might seem like one that should be fairly uncontroversial, it brings up many questions about the nature of truth in regards to perspective that brings rise to controversy itself.

Most of the subjects in which this issue arises are humanities.

If a professor who is an expert in a field like politics or philosophy has a particular opinion on a topic, to what degree should they let it bleed through in their teaching?

On one hand, an expert opinion on any topic would be of impor-

tance to a student learning that topic.

But it is clear that students should receive an objective explanations to prevent their understanding being encoded with bias. This, I believe, has a simple answer. Opinions of an expert teacher should be taught to students along with all other expert opinions that exist. A teacher that transparently states their bias will then be able to still allow students to get an objective understanding of the material.

A prominent conservative view is that college campuses are breeding grounds for toxic liberalism. Much of what conservatives think this stems from is bias in the presentation of relevant political arguments in classes.

While most teachers certainly understand that being transparent about how information is being presented is of the utmost importance in the context of education, there are many who let their staunch views command certain topics in the classroom.

I believe that the idea that college campuses are systematically breeding such leftist behavior might not entirely be true given that conservative professors are guilty of the same practices. However, there is something to be said for the idea that students should be allowed to exercise their own judgements over the information that is taught to them free of biased influence.

The issue of ideology affecting education has also been an issue that has gone as high as the Supreme Court.

As recently as 2005, in the Kitzmiller v. Dover federal court case, the specifics of how religion should be treated when science is taught in school are still being debated. With the Kitzmiller v.

Dover case, many schools would like to supplement the teaching of Darwin’s theory of evolution with counter-arguments from religion, despite the fact that Darwin’s theory is widely accepted as a cornerstone of environmental science. This sort of issue becomes

as important as it is because both those who believe religion should be introduced and those who believe that Darwin’s theory should be taught on its own believe that bias is being injected to education by the other side.

I believe that to educate is to inform. From this definition, it would follow that the more information we can give students, the better.

This is not to say that we should present the idea of the earth being flat to little kids. Rather, we should present as much contextualized and digestible perspective as we can to students that are of the intellectual maturity to make their own judgements.

When I was in my junior year of high school, I ran a philosophy club. Every week we would talk about a new philosophical topic.

The second week of the club, I had plans to talk and then debate about the Ontological Proof of God’s Existence. After the meeting, I was told by the club advisor that I should not present that type

of argument again in the club.

This was extremely worrying then, and it still remains so for me today. I was not attempting to convince anyone of the argument, nor was I attempting to legitimize the point of view, I was merely taking an academic lens to an influential philosophical argument. Luckily, I was later given the opportunity to debate God with my classmates under a new club advisor, but the idea that a school would not allow for such academic discourse is upsettingly antithetical to my conception of education.

The decision in the Kitzmiller v. Dover case was that students should be “made aware” of intelligent design and other relevant arguments against Darwin. I would have to agree with this controversial decision.

This information and all other relevant postulation regarding a topic should be given to students in a contextualized manner in order to most thoroughly inform them.

October 26, 2018

OPINIONS 7

The Brandeis Hoot

The case against fossil fuel divestment

By Joseph Silber staff

In the aftermath of Senator Susan Collins’ vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, hundreds of progressive activists on Twitter announced their intention to participate in an economic boycott against Collins’ home state of Maine. According to an article published in The Hill, one individual, restaurant owner John Tesar, announced he would cease his annual purchase of “hundreds of thousands of dollars” worth of seafood from Maine.

Why should businesses and residents of the state of Maine be the punching bag for angry progressive activists? First off, Maine has two senators, one of which, Angus King, voted against Kavanaugh, so casting blame on the entire state is absurd. But, more importantly, these types of economic boycotts are missing the point: If you were appalled by Senator Collins’ vote, then vote her out of office in 2020.

If you’re out of state, then spend the next two years contributing to the Maine Democratic Party or other organizations that are recruiting candidates to challenge Senator Collins. It’s both cruel and counterproductive to take your anger out on the residents of Maine.

This brings us to the issue of fossil fuel divestment, which a vocal group of Brandeis students and faculty members have passionately advocated for over the past few years.

Brandeis currently invests a small percentage of its endowment in fossil fuel companies.

Since the Board of Trustees meeting in June, President Ron Liebowitz and Board of Trustees Chair Meyer Koplow sent an update that the Board hadn’t come to a consensus on the issue of divestment.

While this may have angered students who are committed to addressing the issue of climate change, they know full well that pressuring the administration to divest a small amount from a select group of companies will

EMPLOYEE IN MEXICO PUMPING GAS

achieve little-to-nothing in terms of turning the tide towards a more environmentally friendly planet.

With President Trump withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords and many politicians refusing to acknowledge the reality of climate change, the way to make a difference is to vote.

As is the case with boycotting Maine businesses, pressuring Liebowitz to divest Brandeis’ small amount of fossil fuel holdings will do nothing but punish select companies and their employees, making no difference on the national effort to combat climate change, as President Trump continues to jettison environmental regulations left and right.

Brandeis University already announced its intentions to comply with the Paris Climate Accords and has made efforts, such as the implementation of eco-friendly toilets two years ago, to demonstrate its commitment towards protecting the environment.

Students have a First Amendment right to peacefully protest

PHOTO FROM WALL STREET JOURNAL

on campus, but that doesn’t mean that those with the loudest voices represent the majority of students or are espousing a sensible position. In a country where less than 20% of 18-29 year olds voted in the 2014 midterm election, our voices are best heard when we show up at the ballot box, and we have that opportunity on Nov. 6.

Students that use the Liebowitz and the Board of Trustees as a piñata to air out their grievances surrounding the Trump administration are misplacing their anger, and the administration is right to occasionally stand up to them by rejecting their ideas, which is perfectly healthy.

It would, in fact, be unhealthy for President Liebowitz and the University to blindly give into protestors’ demands, which, as seen in other colleges across the country, gives the loudest students, often on the political left, ammo to impose whatever political agenda they wish to upon their campus, even if the majority of students disagree with them.

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And until the President or Congress presents a viable plan to reduce carbon emissions and viably re-train those workers in fossil fuel industries, it would be incredibly harsh to target those in the fossil fuel sector, which is what Brandeis students are aiming to do with their “demands” for divestment. Brandeis students should be smart enough to realize that, in an era where the economic gap between the rich and poor continues to widen, encouraging financial boycotts on fossil fuel companies would disproportionately harm those who are making just enough to put food on the table.

If it were up to many environmentalists and, unfortunately, many Brandeis students as well, coal miners across the Midwest, as well as gas station workers, would lose their jobs in an effort to combat climate change. Punishing those who work in these industries, many of whom in the latter category are immigrants making less than the median salary, is incredibly harsh, especially

when there are little-to-no efforts by politicians to retrain these workers with the skills to thrive in more eco-friendly industries.

My issue with those calling on Brandeis to divest their holdings from fossil fuel companies is part of a broader concern with those who misplace their anger.

This includes the progressive activists who are targeting Maine businesses for the actions of Senator Susan Collins, as well as environmentalists who are willing to throw tens of thousands of workers under the bus in order to reduce carbon emissions.

As a capitalist, I naturally cringe when a vocal group of students tries to impose their will upon the university as a whole, especially when it comes to how the university chooses to invest their money.

If you want to make your voice heard on environmental issues, vote this November.

Don’t impose your political will upon the university and your fellow classmates, many of whom don’t agree with you.

8 The Brandeis Hoot

WEEK IN PHOTOS

The purple flags represent the 5% of men and 9% of women who reported abuse in a relationship, according to the Spring 2015 Brandeis Campus Climate Survey. The blank spaces represent the trans and gender non-conforming people who were not included in this data.

WE BELIEVE YOU

Bebop on Oct. 20.

Brian Rauch ‘19 and Michael Harlow ‘19 performed at The

‘PAINT YOUR PRIDE’ Division of Students Affairs staff painted what Brandeis means to them. Their works are on display in Upper Usdan.

PHOTO BY HELEN WONG/THE HOOT

PHOTO BY CANDACE NG/THE HOOT

Cable 3 residents encourage each other with blackboard drawings in the lounge. The Hoot’s layout editor, Candace Ng, is the CA for this floor and thinks that her residents are the cutest.

YOU CAN DO IT

PHOTO BY SARAH TERRAZANO/THE HOOT

PHOTO BY CANDACE NG/THE HOOT

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL GARDENER/THE HOOT

LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS

October 26,2018

Prints of an artifact from Classical Studies Artifact Research Collection (CLARC).

ARCHAEOLOGY DAY

EDITORIALS

October 26, 2018

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Abigail Gardener Sarah Terrazano Senior Managing Editor Elianna Spitzer Senior Editor Ryan Spencer Copy Editor Natalie Fritzson Deputy Copy Editor Jennifer Cook News Editor Celia Young Arts Editors Ben Beriss Noah Harper Opinions Editor Sabrina Chow Features Editor Polina Potochevska Sports Editors Zach Cihlar Shea Decker-Jacoby Layout Editor Candace Ng Editor-at-Large Emily Botto

Volume 15 • Issue 20 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

STAFF

David Aizenberg, Juliana An, Caleigh Bartash, Camila Casanueva, Kevin Costa, Chris DeMena, Olivia Ellson, Daniel Freedman, Ariella Gentin, Kevin Healey, Jonah Koslofsky, Jackie Kostenko, Alex Kougasian, Emma Lichtenstein, Jenna Lifschitz, Ruoshi Liu, Gillian O'Malley, Renee Nakkab, Sasha Skarboviychuk, Zachary Sosland, Sophie Trachtenberg, Rachel Wang, Helen Wong

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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W

The Brandeis Hoot 9

Brandeis needs to be held accountable for Title IX

e are disappointed in the way that Brandeis’ Title IX office is handling survivor reports.

A survivor of sexual assault spoke to The Brandeis Hoot about their experience reporting to Brandeis’ Title IX office. Under current administration policy, disciplinary sanctions do not appear on student transcripts. Once the perpetrator of the assault was found responsible for the charges, the survivor repeatedly requested that the administration change this policy, but the administration responded that keeping sanctions off transcripts was “standard practice.”

In general, students who receive disciplinary sanctions should have them marked on their transcripts, but this is essential in cases of sexual assault. If the charges do not appear on a perpetrator’s transcript (which will then follow them on graduate school applications, internships, jobs, etc.), then it is as if the charges never existed and the assault never occurred. That completely invalidates the survivor’s

experience.

The manner in which the situation was handled by the Title IX office and Brandeis administration was unacceptable. What’s worse, the way it was handled is very different from the manner publicized by advertisements and posters placed all around campus and even emails from administration. It is offensive that President Ron Liebowitz’s Oct. 9 email to the Brandeis community reassured students that the Title IX office is committed to providing an environment in which survivors are treated “with respect and dignity” and to respond “promptly and effectively” to students who have faced sexual violence. Yet the survivor’s reporting process was quite the opposite: it took significantly longer than federal guidance suggests, and they often felt like Brandeis just did not want to help.

Perpetrators should be held more accountable for their actions, and the university should not punish the survivor, but rather the perpetrator. It is up to the univer-

sity to uphold the Title IX rights of survivors and give them the resources to “seek support and report the incident,” as it says on Brandeis’ Title IX website. The website clearly states that “The university... forbids retaliation against the individual who has filed a complaint.” However, the survivor told The Hoot that they could potentially be sued for defamation or retaliation if the identity of the perpetrator was revealed in any way.

Brandeis administration needs to be held more accountable for upholding their promises in respect to Title IX. Survivors should never have to question whether or not they should report their case because they are worried the administration will prioritize the university’s image over the student’s emotional wellbeing.

Survivors need to be able to feel comfortable reporting to the Title IX office with the knowledge that their case will be processed in an efficient manner and in a way that protects the survivor more than the perpetrator.

FEATURES

10 The Brandeis Hoot

October 26, 2018

Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides confidential aids for sexual violence survivors

By Sabrina Chow editor

The Boston Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year since opening in 1973. BARCC is the only comprehensive rape crisis center in the greater Boston area and the oldest and largest in New England, according to their website.

In an email sent by Gina Scaramella, the executive director of BARCC, “our mission is to end sexual violence through healing and social change.”

Scaramella began working at BARCC back in 1989 as a hotline volunteer before joining the staff in 1995. She has served in various other direct service positions over the years before becoming the executive director in 2003.

BARCC was founded at the “Cambridge Women’s Center by a group of volunteers and survivors who were dedicated to building a hotline to answer calls from rape survivors,” said Scaramella in an email to The Brandeis Hoot.

“The organization was founded on listening to survivors, building programs based on the needs of survivors, and influencing social change and policy reform.”

The website also states that “our goal is to empower survivors to heal and seek justice in ways that are meaningful to them.” BARCC assists survivors ages 12 and higher, along with their friends and family. They help through all aspects of their lives, including healthcare, necessary criminal justice, social services and schooling.

Outside of empowering survivors, BARCC works with different schools and organizations to teach them how to make their school and work environments safe. “We provide training in how to respond to survivors and create cultures that prevent sexual violence in the first place,” explained Scaramella.

From Scaramella’s perspective, the maintenance of a large and dedicated volunteer base is one of the largest aspects that has kept BARCC as successful as it has been. Through the volunteer base, BARCC is continuously able to interact with the community and be part of the solution to end sexual violence.

Since starting at BARCC, “I think the biggest impact has been from creating a channel for survivors getting access to quality care in local emergency rooms

WALK FOR CHANGE

PHOTOS FROM BARCC.ORG

Supporting survivors to end sexual violence.

through partnerships with area hospitals and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program,” said Scaramella in an email. “We’ve built a responding structure that has become vital in effectively supporting survivors at a critical time.”

Tying in to the increased interactions with the community, Scaramella has felt BARCC’s participation with the national conversation surrounding the #MeToo movement has increased the number of survivors who have sought out help “so we can move our culture forward on this issue.”

A reporter from The Hoot was offered the opportunity to speak to the first individual to call the BARCC hotline; however, due to the sensitivity of the topics, the interview was unable to occur.

Dory Cote was the first person to call the hotline in 1973. In an

article published by BARCC, Cote was expecting her call to be answered the same way that her calls with the police and emergency room had gone: a collection of unpleasant and accusatory questioning.

But with the hotline, “there was somebody there who was compassionate and understood about rape and didn’t retrigger me in any kind of way,” Cote said about the volunteer she spoke to.

“There was no doubt in my mind that she believed me. And I didn’t have to prove anything to her about the truth of what had happened.”

The article goes on to speak about how Cote has used her own experiences to empower others. A year after calling the hotline for the first time, Cote became a volunteer and started answering calls for the hotline.

“There was a lot of goodness that came from being on the hotline. To know that I could be of help to somebody,” said Cote in the article. “That I could be the voice on the other end of the line.”

She has continued to be a part of the organization since she first called the hotline.

“I could walk into that building at any time and there was always someone there to greet me, to support me, to hear me, to let me express my rage, to let me express my grief without judgement,” Cote said.

“And that, from my perspective, at my age, 45 years later, I know that saved my life.”

Students who are interested in getting involved can volunteer with different programs, intern at BARCC or take part in their Annual Walk for Change, according to Scaramella.

Gender and Sexuality Center engages community through programming

By Polina Potochevska editor

Located on the first floor of the Usdan Student Center, the Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) is a space on campus for all members of the LGBTQ community and their allies.

Ryan Mishler, the Program Administrator of the GSC, sat down with The Hoot to discuss the various events being held at the GSC this semester.

“I’m the advisor for the LGBT student organizations on campus.

I’m also in charge of administering programs and events throughout the year relating to gender identity and sexual orientation,” explained Mishler. “I’m also working with campus partners to make sure that the services on campus include LGBT people in their services whatever they may be, whether it’s the health center or the Department of Community Living (DCL), or what have you.”

Mishler said the center is a place of learning for the entire campus community about all issues surrounding gender identity and sexual orientation. Also, that the center is a place of community building for LGBT students, staff, faculty and allies. It was created in 2014 “and it was in a large part

due to student activism. Students wanted a place, an office space with a staff member dedicated to LGBT concerns,” said Mishler.

“Because of their hard work and their dedication, that’s why we’re here.”

The center is affiliated with the Intercultural Center (ICC) and is also a part of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI).

“When I began here in this position in July, my goal was to really work with other offices to create programming that shows the level of diversity and the varied experiences of LGBT people,” said Mishler. Student employees assist Mishler in the creation of events.

“This center would not be half of what it is without our amazing student employees. They bring passion and love of the community to everything that they do.”

The GSC’s programming this semester includes a range of events. On Thursday, Oct. 25, the GSC, along with the ICC, the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department and the Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center (PARC) held “Breaking the Silence: Confronting Domestic Violence in LGBTQIA Communities.” The panel was moderated by Deirdre Hunter (WGS).

The panel included Damian Lima, a Health Promotion Center Coordinator at Brigham and Women’s

Hospital, Erin Miller, a Manager at Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s Domestic Violence program and Lauren Montanaro, a Community Engagement Specialist at REACH. “Domestic violence in and of itself can be a topic that is seen as taboo, or we don’t talk about that in our wider culture, but I think that’s especially true for marginalized people like LGBT people,” said Mishler. They mentioned stories of cisgender gay men being denied support at domestic violence shelters, despite being survivors themselves. “I think we’re very lucky to live in the Boston area because there are so many resources and avenues of support for LGBT domestic violence survivors, and the goal of the panel is to highlight those resources and to shed light on the issue.”

Nov. 12 to Nov. 16 is Trans Awareness Week. The goal of the week is to “uplift and affirm the identities of trans and gender non-conforming folks.” Nov. 19 is Trans Day of Remembrance. The day began in 1998 as a way to memorialize trans people who had been murdered within the previous year. “It’s so important to memorialize those folks and understand the systemic violence that trans folks face on a daily basis, especially since for the most part the trans folks facing that violence

PHOTO BY POLINA POTOCHEVSKA/THE HOOT

are trans folks of color. They not only have to deal with transphobia but racism and they’re impacted by both,” said Mishler. They also wished to point out that the day is not only to memorialize those who have been killed but also to look to the future and provide “concrete ways for cisgender allies to support transgender people in their daily lives.”

On Dec. 1, the GSC will host a film screening and panel discussion for World AIDS Day. The center will show the documentary, “We Were Here,” which discusses the AIDS crisis within the queer community in San Francisco in the 80s and 90s. “I didn’t live through the epidemic, a lot of students here don’t have firsthand experience with the epidemic, and we need to understand the history of degradation and marginalization that queer and trans folks faced within that time frame,” Mishler said. The panel

will discuss the epidemic and how the issue has changed since then.

Some of Mishler’s favorite memories have been when students come up to them and thank them for providing an outlet to create a community on campus.

“That’s what makes this job really special for me, is connecting with students.”

The center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and has partnered with the Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) to bring community therapist Landen Motyka to the center from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The center will also continue to have Yes on 3 Campaign phone banks up to Nov. 1 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and hosts a multitude of student clubs such as the Sex and Sexuality Symposium, Queer People of Color Coalition, TransDeis, Shalem and Triskelion.

October 26, 2018

FEATURES 11

The Brandeis Hoot

Kindness Day brings happiness and joy to campus

By Jennifer Cook editor

Everyone could use a little bit of kindness in their life. Thus, the faculty and students of the sociology department created Kindness Day at Brandeis. Now, with loads of students and faculty behind them, co-coordinators Miriam Krugman ’20 and Michaela Cabral ’19 are taking this wellliked event to the next level.

Krugman is majoring in sociology and minoring in social justice social policy (SJSP), peace, conflict and coexistence (PAX), and women’s, gender and sexuality studies (WGS). Cabral is major-

ing in African and Afro-American studies (AAAS), WGS and creative writing.

Their involvement across multiple departments at Brandeis is indicative of all the departments at Brandeis joining together, students and faculty alike, on Kindness Day. The event has been occurring for nine years and garners support from more people each and every year, including volunteers.

The Kindness Day team consists of a student committee, volunteer coordinators, club outreach coordinators and “kindness catchers” who are volunteers that are not part of the committee. Together, they have been planning for this

PHOTO BY JENNIFER COOK/THE HOOT

year’s Kindness Day as long ago as last year’s Kindness Day. To kick off the festivities, there will be a coffeehouse on Friday, Nov. 2 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) Atrium to get people excited about Kindness Week. There will be multiple performance groups attending.

There are many events in the works, and the old favorites certainly have not been forgotten.

Kindness Cards, a crowd favorite, will be returning. There will even be an option this year to send a Kindness Card to someone abroad through Google Docs. The sticky note wall will also be returning, where attendees can write a positive message on a sticky note and take one with them. Some more events include cookie decorating, kindness and cocoa, and kindness rock decorating.

All Community Advisors will be doing Kindness in the Quads, where there will be a fun activity around every residence hall. The chaplaincy will also be partnering with the Kindness Day team in hosting a multifaith dinner and a mindful/compassionate listening zen zone.

Some other partnerships include the game room in order to provide free games, the Dean’s Suite, which will be doing a t-shirt giveaway, a reusable utensil giveaway, Wake and Shake, and letter writing with the Waltham Group’s Companions to Elders.

There will also be appreciation events, including Facilities Ap-

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK.COM

preciation Lunch, Brandeis Police Appreciation Lunch and writing thank-you letters to Sodexo facilities workers.

There will be lots of free merch, including sticky notes, pens and stickers.

“All of Kindness Day is free for students and anyone who engages with it,” stated Cabral.

These free things do not come without funding; Brandeis Kindness Day is funded by the Student Union, and it is also sponsored by departments like Student Activities, the Dean’s Suite, Academic Services, Human Resources and the Department of Community Living.

When asked what their favorite parts of Kindness Day were, both coordinators seemed very excited about the Kindness Cards— especially the act of delivering the Kindness Cards into student’s mailboxes, which they referred to as “stuffing.”

“It’s so fun to see people write them— people come back with

stacks...they get so excited, and it’s really fun to stuff them,” said Cabral to The Hoot. “Last year we had over 3,000...and we ordered 4,500 so...people can take as many as they want,” said Cabral and Krugman together. “It’s a really simple but a very...positive thing that happens, it’s one of my favorites,” Cabral said.

Krugman said that her favorite events were the Appreciation events because, in her words, “Sodexo workers, facilities workers...I don’t think they get appreciated that often.”

If this all wasn’t exciting enough, “some stuff is still in the works,” according to Cabral.

Tabling will begin the same day as the coffeehouse, which is Friday, Nov. 2.

Monday, Nov. 5 will mark the start of Kindness Week—the Kindness Day team will be tabling from Nov. 5 to Nov. 8.

Kindness Day is officially Nov. 8. The tables will be in Upper Usdan and the SCC atrium.

LimeBikes provide new way to get around campus

By Polina Potochevska editor

Every year, students request that Brandeis offer some sort of bike-sharing program. In March 2009, DeisBikes was created as an initiative between students in the Student Union and Environmental Studies Professor Laura Goldin’s “Greening the Ivory Tower” class.

After three separate attempts at student-run initiatives that were mostly ineffective, Mary Fischer, manager of sustainability programs, took the idea in a different direction: working with an external company, LimeBikes.

Fischer has been at Brandeis for three years and has been helping the university become more sustainable and energy-efficient with the help of facilities staff. Some of the projects she has worked on include the installation of LED lights in the Shapiro Campus

POP-UP EVENT

Center (SCC), composting initiatives and electric charging stations.

With the desire from students to start up another bike-sharing program, Fischer began to look into working with an external company about a year ago. The company Fischer chose was the same that the city of Waltham and other surrounding cities decided to use as their bike-sharing partner.

LimeBikes’ trial with Brandeis began Oct. 18 with 15 pedal bikes distributed in four locations on campus: Usdan, the Village, the SCC, and Charles River. By Oct. 23, there were only five LimeBikes left on campus. Every few weeks, LimeBikes will redistribute the bikes so that some are still on campus.

LimeBikes works through an app connected to your credit card, where you unlock the bikes with the code on your phone. Each half hour of riding costs 50 cents for students and a dollar for the pub-

Employees from LimeBike stopped by to share coupon codes and information with students on Oct. 24.

lic.

Your first ride is also free. As a part of the trial, LimeBikes will use data from their app to see how often Brandeis students use the bikes and how effective they are on campus.

“Across the country and really around the world, bike sharing is becoming more and more popular, and there’s new technology that companies have been using to allow people to share bikes and specifically without having to dock it at a bike station,” Fischer said.

Boston is famous for its Hubway bicycle stations, where bikes can be picked up from a dock but need to be returned to another dock.

LimeBikes, however, can be picked up and dropped off at any location, making them perfect for college students especially. Fischer asks that students take care to leave their bikes near racks and other designated spots, as one bike was left on the pathway to the SCC in the past week and could not be relocated without purchasing a ride, making it difficult for students to get by.

As of right now, Fischer does not know how long the trial with LimeBikes will last.

“We don’t have a set time, we want to see what happens… the weather is going to dictate a lot of it,” said Fischer. For example, if there is snowfall of two inches or more, the company would most likely remove the bikes, depending on how heavily used the bikes are.

Aaron Finkel ’20, who is on the outreach committee of the Student Union, worked together with Fischer to compose an email sent out to students advertising the

PHOTOS BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

new bike sharing program.

LimeBikes also came to campus on Oct. 24 to spread information and give out discount codes and coupons. Grace Agosto, an employee of LimeBikes, spoke to The Hoot and said “We’re super happy to be here on campus and at Brandeis, we have released a few of our bikes here and we’re happy to see the students already using them.”

“Not everyone wants to own a bike and have to maintain it, so it’s making biking more accessible to everyone,” said Fischer.

She also mentioned that if the pedal bikes are popular, they may

consider bringing electric assisted e-bikes to campus as well, which may be of further help for students who live off campus to reduce the amount of driving back and forth.

“When we first placed the bikes we were watching the app, we had [the bikes] used within the first 15 mins that they were placed and two or three more within an hour... it’ll be interesting to see the usage patterns and what happens,” said Fischer.

If you are looking for a faster and inexpensive way to get around campus, LimeBikes might be the solution for you.

SPORTS

12 The Brandeis Hoot

October 26, 2018

Bartlett leads volleyball to undefeated weekend

By Camila Casanueva staff

The Brandeis University volleyball team swept through their final non-conference tournament of the season at the Hall of Fame Invitational at Smith College.

The Judges’ first match was against Worcester State University. In the opening set, the Judges and Lancers were tied at 18 before making a 7-1 run to take the set 25-19. In the second set, Brandeis started strong with a 5-1 start, but the Lancers recovered, scoring four straight to even the score at five. The Judges never trailed, taking the set 25-22. No big runs were made in the final set, but the Judges took care of business, winning the set 25-10 and sealing the win.

The Judges matched their second best hitting percentage of the season, with 44 kills and just 15 errors in 119 attacks for a .244 mark. They were plus 10 for the match in kills (44-34) and had a 7-0 advantage in service aces.

Rookie outside hitter Stephanie Borr ’22 led the charge for the Judges with her best match of the season, earning her first collegiate double-double. Borr had 11 kills, her second highest total of the season, and 12 digs, a career

EMMA BARTLETT ‘20

high. She only made two errors in 29 attacks for a .310 percentage, while also serving up two aces.

Middle hitter Emma Bartlett ’20 added nine kills of her own without an error in 19 attempts for a team best .474 percentage.

Setter Marlee Nork ’19 dished out 23 assists, while Marissa Borgert ’21 had 16. Rookie standout and defensive specialist Kaitlyn Oh ’22 led all players with 17 digs.

In their second match of the weekend, the Brandeis Judges rolled past host school Smith College in three sets (25-11, 25-

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

16, 25-11). The Judges hit a season best .297 as they defeated the Pioneers with 33 kills and just 11 errors in 74 total attacks.

Brandeis had a balanced attack with six players registering between four and eight kills. Bartlett led the way with eight, while Borgert and Belle Scott ’21 had six each. Borgert also notched 15 assists, four service aces, and two block assists. Nork added 14 assists and a season high six aces. Oh led the defensive effort with 15 digs, Grace Krumpack ’19 added 12.

In the final match of the tour-

Men’s soccer drops final home game of season

By Sophie Trachtenberg staff

In their last home match of the season, the Judges recorded a 2-1 loss against the the Mammoths of Amherst College. This non-conference matchup was the first to occur between the two teams during the regular season since 1999, whereas both schools typically cross paths in the NCAA tournament, with games in 2014 and 2016 ending in ties that resorted to penalty kicks favoring the Judges.

The visiting Mammoths made the first moves, with both of their goals coming fairly quickly into the first half. Just a minute after kickoff, a long ball came into the control of Amherst, leading to a header and a subsequent shot on goal, landing in the far left net to get the game started.

Amherst connected yet again in

BRYANT NARDIZZI ‘20

the 12th minute, coming off of another header then pass combo, with a third Mammoth getting a touch before finding the goal. The rest of the first half went scoreless for both teams, meaning that Brandeis had some catching up to do in the second.

The fire to bring the Judges back into the game came from transfer Bryant Nardizzi ’20, as he scored near the 80th minute of regulation play.

His assist came from Noah Gans ’21, who brought the ball to the center of the field after dribbling up the right sideline and made a pass to his teammate.

Nardizzi was then able to take a few dribbles before positioning himself to take a strike from 20 yards out. The ball landed in the upper left corner of the goal, resulting in the final score of 2-1 for the game. This was Nardizzi’s sixth goal of the season, making him the team’s scoring leader.

Inside the stat line, Amherst outshot Brandeis 16-10, with shots on goal totaling at 9-5, while the Judges collected more corner kicks in a 5-2 decision. Keeper Greg Irwin ’20 made five saves throughout the match as well, with the Judges’ defensive line coming in to help, clearing the ball twice.

With the loss, Brandeis drops to a 7-6-2 record, while Amherst advances to 10-3-1. The Mammoths closed out the season against their NESCAC conference opponent at Trinity College from Connecticut this past Wednesday.

The Judges look to end their season with a three-game UAA road trip over the upcoming weekend, first playing at Washington University on Friday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. and the University of Chicago on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 12 p.m.

Lastly, the Judges will meet their travel partners from New York University on Nov. 3 at 12 p.m. for their last regular season contest.

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

nament, Brandeis continued its dominance rolling past Trinity College (25-15, 25-18, 2519). The Judges posted a 3-0 record throughout the weekend, not dropping a single set.

Sports Editor for The Hoot, Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 had 11 kills. Oh had 24 digs while fellow rookie Borr had 10. Borgert finished with an impressive career high of 43 assists.

Bartlett led the attack once again for the Judges posting 12 kills and no errors in 21 attempts for a .571 hitting average. She

also had three solo blocks. Her dominant and consistent performance earned her UAA player of the week for the second time this year. For the season, Bartlett leads the Judges in kills (2.72 kills per set) and blocks (0.80 blocks per set), ranking 11th in the UAA for kills and ninth in blocks.

With the solid performance over the weekend, the Judges improve to 11-14 on the season.

Women’s volleyball is set to play their last home game on Saturday, Oct. 27 against University of Massachusetts Boston at 1 p.m.

Women’s soccer on a roll

LAUREN MASTANDREA ‘22

By Gillian O’Malley staff

Ranked at No. 15 nationally, the women’s soccer team powered through miserable conditions in Westfield and came out on top, beating Westfield State 3-1.

Off to a quick start in just the fourth minute, senior Sasha Sunday ’19 scored her third goal of the season off a cross from teammate Julia Matson ’19. Minutes later, Matson pulled through with another key assist to rookie Lauren Mastandrea ’22 to raise the score 2-0. Mastandrea’s first career goal would also make her the 15th player on the team to score this season so far.

Nearing the end of the half, the Judges defended quite well, but, unfortunately, the Westfield Owls got on the board with a one-timer into the back of the net. However, in the 37th minute, Katie Hayes

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

’20 netted yet another goal for the judges from a cross that came from classmate Emma Spector ’20. Hayes leads the Judges for the most goals scored this season.

Throughout the entire game, the Judges controlled the pace and play. They had a 21-6 advantage of shots on net accompanied by an advantage of 6-3 for corner kicks. Helping them dominate the game were the goalies, Sierra Dana ’20, who had three saves in the first half, and Victoria Richardson ’20, with one.

Coach Dallamora was extremely impressed, as “the season is going phenomenally.” She is looking forward to their trip this weekend, as the Judges will travel to St. Louis to play Washington University on Friday and then off to Chicago to play University of Chicago on Sunday. The women’s soccer team will head into this weekend with an overall record of 11-2, placed fourth overall in the UAA.

ARTS

October 26, 2018

The Brandeis Hoot 13

‘The Good Place:’ a sitcom that teaches you to be a better person

By Rachel Groth special to the hoot

“The Good Place” is back for season three to give us our next adventure in the afterlife. The latest genius of Mike Schur, known for his work on “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Brooklyn-Nine,” The Good Place explores questions about ethics and life after death, masked underneath an amusing ensemble of characters. The show follows four deceased humans—recovering immoral Eleanor (Kristen Bell), anxious moral philosopher Chidi (William Jackson Harper), insecure philanthropist Tahani (Jameela Jamil), and witless DJ Jason (Manny Jacinto)—along with demon-turned-good Michael (Ted Danson) and artificially intelligent guide Janet (D’Arcy Carden).

Before season three, the show mostly takes place in the context of the afterlife. For the majority of season one, we are led to believe the humans are in The Good Place (a non-denominational concept of heaven), only to find out later that they are actually in The Bad Place. Since then, the show indirectly asks viewers moral philosophy questions. What makes someone “good” or “bad?” What should motivate us to be good people? Can a bad person change to become good?

Season three begins on Earth in a new timeline in which Michael saves each of the humans— whose memories of all the events from the prior two seasons have been erased—from their accidental deaths in hopes that they will have a second chance to become good enough people to get into The Good Place. When this plan fails, Michael continues to intervene by showing up in their lives and subtly pushing them together, believing that the group’s clashing personalities actually guide them to be the best versions of themselves. Chidi eventually befriends neuroscientist Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), and the pair begins a research study to investigate how near-death experiences affect the brain’s function in ethical decisions. Eleanor, Tahani, and Jason are eventually recruited to the study, thus getting the group back together.

The third episode of season three ends with a classic plot twist: the humans catch Michael and Janet opening a portal back to the afterlife. Finally, Michael and Janet confess who they are and explain everything that had happened to the humans since their first actual death, and that now with this knowledge, there is no chance that the humans can ever get into The Good Place.

After finding out that they went to The Bad Place, the ensemble of humans have an array of reac-

PHOTO FROM NYTIMES.COM

tions. Jason and Tahani decide to anonymously donate large sums of her money to charities and strangers they meet. Similarly, Eleanor, marked by her pride in her independence and rugged individualism, finds that she has difficulty stealing a stranger’s wallet, and instead is compelled to actually return it to him. Why did she have this urge to do good?

“Because,” she says, “I suck.”

The characters’ choice to attempt to do good despite knowing they will never get into The Good Place reflects the question of moral desert, the philosophical idea that you deserve something (whether good or bad) for an action you have done. It will be interesting to see how omniscient judge Gen (Maya Rudolph)

responds to the knowledge that these humans chose to do the right thing despite knowing that they will not be rewarded.

“The Good Place” does a great job of providing that comforting, lighthearted feeling you get when you watch your favorite sitcom, while still causing you to think critically along the way. The characters are relatable and lovable, each with their own unique background and growth trajectory throughout the series (despite their memory having been erased several times along the way). They even have love stories we can admire, though unconventional (go Cheleanor!).

But, in reality, the show could be perceived as quite dark, especially when you really examine

the plotlines—it is about four people who died, went to hell and are now on their way to eternal doom. There are definitely some intriguing or somber moments in the show that make you need to pause and stare into space for a moment (or at least that’s how I handle it).

But the show manages to maintain a light tone by adding comedy to the mix, reminding us that topics about morality and death do not have to be bleak. The absurd humor, brought alive by the show’s unconventional writing and hilarious actors, helps keep the show light, reminding us that it can be entertaining to speculate on our own morality and mortality.

‘Halloween’ sequel disappoints

By Zachary Sosland staff

“Halloween” (2018) is the latest entry in the long running horror franchise that started way back in 1978 with John Carpenter’s “Halloween.” Set 40 years after the events of the first film and ignoring all of the other sequels, this story sees Michael Myers escaping containment so that he can once again wreak havoc on the citizens of Haddonfield, I.L. Now seasoned in the role, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode must kill Michael and end his reign of terror for good.

I recently watched the original “Halloween” in preparation for this new one, and while it is not perfect, the film is still a great micro-budget horror milestone that was elevated by masterful direction. I also watched “Halloween II” since it takes place right where the first film ended and is a fairly underrated horror as its director, Rick Rosenthal, kept a similar suspenseful atmosphere of the predecessor. Unfortunately, this long-awaited sequel/reboot, which I was also anticipating, did not live up to the massive amount of hype that followed.

Whereas the technical achievements of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” inspired generations of horror filmmakers, this new feature is a mixed bag on that front despite having a much bigger budget of $10 million in comparison to the original’s mere $300,000. “Halloween” (2018) is the first horror movie for director David Gordon Green, who is primarily known for come-

dies such as “Pineapple Express” and dramas such as 2011’s “Joe” starring Nicolas Cage. While I have not seen his other movies, I did not feel that he was the right choice for this reboot. For starters, he doesn’t capture the tense atmosphere of Carpenter’s original classic outside of a few cool sequences. Many scenes that take place in the day are filmed and edited as if they were part of a comedy, specifically with how overly lit they are, but at least Green and the cinematographer are able to capture some ominous shots of Michael in the dark. There are also brutal kills that did not feel gratuitous and made the movie more entertaining. Best of all, John Carpenter, with the help of his son Cody and musician Daniel Davies, returned to compose the score for “Halloween” (2018), and it is one of the movie’s better elements. Carpenter creates an eerie synth-heavy score in the vein of the original that also adds new instruments such as electric guitars to elevate the intensity.

I have even more issues with the mostly uninteresting characters in “Halloween” (2018) partly because there are too many of them. Obviously, the first character I must discuss is Michael Myers himself. The main reason I love the silent and slow-moving character of Michael Myers in the first film is because it never truly explains why he kills people and why he is so hard to kill. Thankfully, the filmmakers of “Halloween” (2018) understand how essential this mysteriousness is to Myers and keeps it intact for the movie, which is how he stays scary even after 40 years. They

also keep Michael’s calculating nature, another trait that I love about Myers, since throughout the movie he studies his victims before sneaking up on and killing them. Jamie Lee Curtis is also terrific as an older, more paranoid Laurie Strode who is still scarred from her last encounter with The Shape and has prepared for his inevitable return ever since. As a result, Laurie has become isolated from the people she cares about, specifically her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) who has an uneasy relationship with her mother. This PTSD angle sounds fresh and inventive but is not as present in the story as I hoped. Instead, the movie focuses on several other characters, such as Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) who takes focus away from Laurie when she should not even appear in the movie. However, I do want to shout out young actor Jibrail Nantambu who plays a kid that Allyson’s friend is babysitting because his scenes are by far the funniest in the movie.

Some of my biggest problems with “Halloween” (2018) come down to the screenplay, which is narratively all over the place.

Danny McBride, who co-wrote this screenplay with Green, explained that they are big “Halloween” fans and wanted to take the series back to its roots with this new installment. While I give the duo points for trying, since they do at least come up with some good ideas, I do not think they were the right choice for this reboot. Where the original was this contained story that hardly left any downtime in between the suspense, numerous unnecessary

and underdeveloped subplots bog down “Halloween” (2018) when it should primarily focus on how Laurie struggles with her PTSD and how she is trying to reconcile with her daughter amid these difficult situations. After a while, it goes from being a “Halloween” movie to being a run-of-the-mill slasher except with less sex and weed smoking. The movie also includes several nods to the original “Halloween” that are only there for the nostalgia, although one or two of them actually felt subversive. One of the few new elements in this movie is that there is more humor—not surprising since the people involved are mostly known for comedy—which is giggle-worthy at best. Without spoilers, there is a wildly stupid twist in the third act that is so random and is resolved way too quickly to the point where I am wondering how it even received approval.

Although I did enjoy the movie’s climax, I still felt that the ending

was abrupt and unsatisfying in comparison. Similarly, I know I said that keeping Michael Myers mysterious made him scary again, but considering that “Halloween” (2018) takes place 40 years after the original and ignores all of the other sequels, it never truly explains how Myers was caught outside of one or two hints because anyone would know that killing him is much easier than apprehending him.

Despite all of the criticisms, “Halloween” (2018) is not a bad movie, but it is definitely an underwhelming one. It has some redeeming qualities, but this soft reboot still has too many flaws to make me like it even when I desperately wanted to. Anyone looking for an entertaining horror movie will probably enjoy “Halloween” (2018) while those looking for a worthy sequel to the first film should just watch the “Halloween II” from 1981 instead.

PHOTO FROM SLASHFILM.COM

14 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 26, 2018

Close Looking: Hyman Bloom’s ‘Corpse of Man’

By Shruthi Manjunath special to the hoot

“A dead body is itself a strange thing—it’s in the liminal between a person and an object.” What happens after death? Are we forever gone or do our souls remain lurking to watch over our friends and family? Is death a beautiful process as it marks the celebration of the end of one’s life and the possible beginning of another life? Or is dying a painful process that strips individuals of their souls and targets their individuality to make them just one amongst the many corpses present in this world? When one looks at a corpse, it’s the image of a person who once had autonomy. However, now he or she lacks the ability to express his or her thoughts and carry out actions.

Are there traces of an individual that are left behind in a corpse, or is a corpse simply just a body and nothing else?

In the second Close Looking session of the year at Brandeis on Oct. 24, Professors David Sherman (ENG) and Anita Hannig (ANTH) discussed their in-

terpretations of Hyman Bloom’s “Corpse of Man,” one of the earliest works exhibited at the Rose Art Museum. Bloom was a bold painter who channeled all of his energy into his art. He was interested in capturing the image of bodies and specifically wanted to highlight the vitality of living bodies. Sherman focused on two peculiar aspects of the painting that he believes Bloom intended for us to explore.

He specifically highlighted the fact that a dead body is a strange image to look at and a bizarre concept to think about. He explained, “We don’t normally [look at dead bodies] because it’s morally queasy to look at a grotesque stranger. It’s almost on the edge of taboo.” Individuals shy away from looking at dead bodies because they believe it is not acceptable in society to analyze the remains of someone who once had life in them. However, despite the fact that a dead body is a morally ambiguous image, the painting is exquisite and unique which causes our eyes to be drawn towards it.

Bloom is attempting to beautify the image of a corpse and possibly allow us to bask in the gratifica-

tion of looking at something that is not supposed to be looked at.

Sherman explained how “[h]is intention is to make us queasy… to make us take pleasure in the aesthetic experience of a dead person.”

Bloom uses a palette of bright colors to articulate the active process of decay. Yet the colors are contrasted with a black background, illustrating the combination of movement and stillness present after an individual has died. Furthermore, the proportions of the body present in the painting are not humanly possible, which causes us to be drawn towards the painting. Sherman highlighted how “[w]e’re supposed to look and we’re not supposed to look. The eye doesn’t settle.”

While Sherman took an analytical approach to the painting and pointed to specific techniques Bloom used, Hannig shifted towards a historical perspective on what the implications of this image are. She highlighted how the concept of death has been altered, as now it is not as normalized in society: “This painting speaks to our own society’s relationship

PHOTOS BY NOAH HARPER /THE HOOT

with death...death has really come to be seen as a medical problem or failure rather than an expected stage of life.”

Hannig described how Americans were previously more familiar with death; it was a common occurrence in people’s lives because science had not advanced to the point where death was a foreign concept that people did not have to worry about until later in life. This painting could be an attempt to reclaim death as a natural process and a celebration of one’s life rather than a sad event. Hannig cited various examples in which individuals attempt to form a new relationship with death, specifically through hospice doulas, along with magazine articles and books about death. In Hannig’s words, “[Bloom’s] painting expresses an ambivalence around the body

and the spirit.”

In my own interpretation, the yellow aura around the top of the individual’s body and the reddish-brown aura around his legs are the outer remnants of his soul attempting to leave the body. The aura surrounding the shoulders of the individual is the inner works of his soul, specifically what makes him different from other people. I believe that this painting is a celebration of individuality. Although everyone eventually dies, each person has something unique to contribute to the world.

Everyone is born into this world for some reason and once they have completed the task that they are set out to do, it is their time to move on. This painting, therefore, highlights the importance of living one’s life to the fullest as we never know what will happen to us.

Mira T. Lee reads ‘Everything is Beautiful’

By Lucy Braverman special to the hoot

Mira T. Lee read a few chapters from her critically acclaimed debut novel, “Everything is Beautiful,” at Brandeis this week. Lee’s book illustrates a young woman’s descent into psychosis from multiple perspectives, including first and third person narration, such as a chapter written from the perspective of a health behavioral psychology ward. The reader sees the woman, Lucia, from the outside for the first third of the novel, beginning to judge her the way outsiders judge mental illness.

The reader tries to be patient with her, tries to understand her, but the reader begins to feel like they don’t want to deal with it anymore. That is, until Lee draws the reader into Lucia’s head so that they can see the mental illness from the inside.

Lee said on her motivation for writing the novel, “What I have always been drawn to are questions that have no right or wrong answer…what emerged was this big messy cross-cultural family drama about two sisters and how their lifelong bond has been put to the test as the younger Lucia

struggles with a difficult mental illness.” Lee writes from multiple perspectives because she “wanted to take a 360 degree look at mental illness and its ripple effects,” but what her book really ends up being about is “relationships. And family. And how tricky it can be to do right by the people we love most.”

The diverse cast of characters, including Asian Americans, Jewish and Latino men, were consciously written in because Lee said, “it does happen to be my world. My parents were first generation immigrants. I lived abroad, and there definitely have been moments where I’ve felt like everyone around me was some kind of immigrant entangled in some kind of highly unlikely cross-cultural romance.”

Lee reads a chapter from the point of view of a Latino male, saying, “Carlos said, no wonder we get along, Chinos and Latinos, inside we are the same, full of rice.” On her hesitance to write about characters that aren’t from her background, Lee says “[as writers] we have to write what feels true. And secondly, we have to write our characters as individuals. Not as representatives of some group. And we need to explore the full range of our charac-

ter’s humanities.”

Her novel is mostly drawn from her own experience. “I have seen [mental illness] up close in my own family, and I have seen how scary psychosis can be. I have watched a loved one transform from being the person I’ve known my whole life into someone we would call crazy,” she said.

“I’ve also dealt with hospitals and doctors and social workers and I’ve known the feelings of frustration and powerlessness that so often accompany these illnesses. And the chaos they wreak on families.”

In the book, the author also gets into the head of Lucia, even though she has a mental illness Lee has never had. Lee says she “thought of [Lucia] as being smarter than me, quirkier than me, more perceptive, funnier, more attitude, and [asks herself] how do you write somebody who’s just more than you are? It’s hard, and I really had to stretch myself to do it. But again, I knew that in order to tell the story truthfully, I had to tell all sides.” Exemplifying Lucia’s unique voice, Lee reads from Lucia, “The first thing I noticed about Manny, the mole on his left cheek. A perfect circle, the size of a dime, and smack middle like a doorbell.”

Lee said that “More than anything I wanted [Lucia] to have agency. And she was going to do everything in her power not to be defined by her illness. I wanted this to be a book about her life.”

Her character Lucia writes, “When Esperanza was born, a pair of serpents lived inside my head. Her job was to warn me of the dangers of motherhood, which boiled down to this; if you touch your baby, she will die.” The reader sees how Lucia’s illness and her truth battle in her inner turmoil. Read from the perspective of Lucia, “so I wore thin cotton socks over my hands, dressed my

baby in layers, cocooned her in blankets, avoided her skin coming into contact with mine. If I did as I was told, I hoped they might spare her. But, it was hard to be a good mother like that.”

Lee’s characters all really try to do the right thing. She says, “The commonality among human beings is emotion, and the only way we can bridge our vast discrepancies in experience is through what we feel. Let us be humbled in the knowledge that one may never fully understand the interior lives of others. But let us continue to care.”

PHOTO FROM ARTSAKE.MASSCULTURALCOUNCIL.ORG

15 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

February 3, 2017

‘A Star is Born’ - shallow, for better or worse

By Jonah Koslofsky staff

“Directed by Bradley Cooper”—not a credit that inspires confidence. Whether he’s playing America’s Best Sniper, America’s Best Chef or a supporting character in a “Hangover” sequel, never have I said to myself “hey, when can we get this guy behind the camera?” Not to rip on Cooper too much, but never have I detected the presence of a rich, creative force hiding just under the surface of this unspeakably handsome actor.

But here we are, witnessing Bradley Cooper’s directorial turn with “A Star is Born.” And to be totally fair, it’s not like Cooper does a bad job. His smartest choice turns out to be his co-star: Lady Gaga turns in a seriously spectacular performance in her big screen debut (give or take a “Sin City” sequel). There’s a lot to like in this fourth iteration of “A Star is Born”—the first I’ve seen—even if I wasn’t particularly moved.

Set in an alternate universe where country/rock stars still draw enormous crowds and the Grammys are a relevant cultural institution, we meet Jackson Maine (Cooper), an alcoholic singer/songwriter who has seen better days. He’s also facing the loss of his hearing, and if you’re

looking for a similar subplot, check out Tessa Thompson’s character in “Creed.” Anyway, one day Jackson meets Ally (Gaga), an undiscovered singer; Jackson quickly realizes her talent is only matched by her complete disillusionment with the music industry. The first act of “A Star is Born” is usually pretty riveting, as Jackson coaxes Ally out of her shell and onto the stage with him.

It’s also in this first act where we get “Shallow,” the pre-release single from the soundtrack—which I’ll admit, I’ve had on repeat for the past two weeks. “Shallow” is great, and watching Gaga perform it for the “first” time produces an unforgettable scene. But then Cooper and Gaga leave the stage, and there’s still an hourand-a-half left of movie.

At least Gaga is magnetic throughout. Watching Ally claw her way up into a solo career is constantly captivating, and Gaga is sympathetic every second she’s on screen. She’s raw and real, armed with an unmistakable stage presence. I just wish I could say the same about Cooper, who’s gone full grumble-voiced Jeff Bridges. In stark contrast with Gaga’s clear understanding of Ally’s psychology, Cooper’s Jackson is muddled beneath a bad beard/ haircut and some tacked-on daddy drama. Again, Cooper’s not a bad actor (see “Silver Linings

Playbook”), but there’s not much substance to be found in his performance here.

From a technical standpoint, I’m also not a big fan of “A Star is Born.” Working with cinematographer Matthew Libatique (who, it turns out, also shot “Venom”), Cooper fails to produce many memorable images. His instinct seems to be contrasting long stretches of shaky, handheld camera movement with a stark, standstill shot that’s actually got some composition. There’s something to be said for the attempt to put the viewer in Jackson’s alcoholic perspective with these woozy takes but “Sharp Objects” this is not.

But apart from my technical issues, the real problem is that “A Star is Born” is just so empty.

When the credits rolled, I kept asking myself what Cooper and his screenwriters were trying to say about the nature of fame or addiction, and I couldn’t come up with any kind of meaningful answer. As much as we’re supposed to see “stardom” as a corrosive and harmful position, Gaga gets equal screen-time living her dream in a way that’s always framed positively.

Perhaps the intention was to avoid subtext entirely and depict a romance between two tried-andtrue archetypes. But two problems arise: First, Cooper doesn’t find

With ‘Old Shit Show’ Boris’ Kitchen keeps it weird

By Noah Harper editor

Though there had been due warning, it was still a surprise to see that an a capella group had taken the Mandel foyer hostage.

Luckily, this reporter managed to slip through between renditions of Alicia Keys and Florence & The Machine. I snagged a seat at the Boris’ Kitchen show last Friday while keeping my a cappella exposure to a minimum.

It was a full house for the “Old Shit Show.” There was a surprising amount of aging adults—perhaps they’d taken the event’s name literally. At ten after eight, the sketch comedy troupe filed into Mandel G03, conga-style, to “Africa” by Toto.

The show featured three newcomers, Elizabeth Hilliard ’22, Ysabel Munoz ’21, & Peirce Robinson ’22, and brought new life to old sketches from the comedy group’s almost two decades of existence. “I’m so glad that I got the chance to direct old shit,” said Claudia Davis ’19, the show’s director. The event rehashed old ideas but with such gonzo energy and commitment (even to sketches that didn’t quite work) that by the end even I was won over.

Things started out with Perry Letourneau ’20’s chain-smoking mother, who was fed up with the fact that her son was marrying his imaginary friend. “It isn’t worth the celia,” she said, giving up her objections. The sketch was stiff, but the character funny and memorable.

The scenario of elementary school kids engaging in an eighteenth-century style duel was an example of a sketch that, on the surface, isn’t super funny to begin

with, but because the players totally went for it, functioned above its own merits. The idea—I think—is a play on how far kids go when they play—adopting faux British accents, challenging one another to a duel, that naturally, within seconds, that becomes a grisly snowball fight replete with ghastly war wounds and a tailored rendition of something like a Wilfred Owen war poem—“What have we wrought?” It was dumb but delivered with such conviction that it became fun.

My first favorite, though, involved two children—the aptly-named Child #1 and Child #2—who really wanted to go upstairs to play. Their efforts were thwarted, however, when Letourneau’s “Stairmaster” (not to be confused with the exercise equipment of the same name) appeared. The Stairmaster twirled his cloak and exuded this creepy, captivating energy that made the sketch memorable. It was hilarious, too, how the children—Davis and Alan Omori ’20—kept suggesting “Bush Did 9/11” to each other as a possible answer to the Stairmaster’s quite complex trivia challenges.

There were a few odd one-offs: like the one in which a couple (Hilliard and Dane Leoniak ’20) sit at a table in silence for a few moments, and then, after Hilliard goes into the other room, Leoniak takes a bite of salsa and spits it out. “This salsa tastes like ass!” he exclaimed, jumping on the table.

“End scene!” Hilliard said. It was super weird, and I don’t really understand it, but it got me to laugh, so it was successful.

In another weird one, BK got us to stand up *twice* in order to herald the raising, and lowering, of the projector screen, as

the troupe sat there and praised its blank majesty. And then there was the meta-existential sketch.

As someone with a weird, broken sense of humor, I especially appreciated the commitment to the levels in this one: what starts out as a lame two-guys-walkinto-a-bar joke aborts into the performers openly questioning the validity of their jokes and second-guessing whether or not the audience thinks any of this could possibly be funny. “This is funny!” Leoniak, as “Dane” the sketch writer, assured us. As the performers criticized their own performance and escalated the scene, I heard one of my favorite lines of the night: “Brandeis hasn’t seen quality improv in like 60 years!” which got plenty of laughs and groans apiece.

My late favorite sketch, that lagged a little but was still funny, had three sports jersey-clad people (the three BK newbies: Hilliard, Munoz, and Robinson) repeatedly singing “We’re the jocks at Brandeis!” As other characters struggled to figure out just what sport they did—Soccer? Swimming? Racquetball?—the jocks remained both bro-ey and Brandeisian, chest-bumping as they said, “I respect you too man!” They exited to the exclamation: “Let’s go respect some women!”

The Old Shit Show worked because it committed to its weirdness and kept things moving quickly. There wasn’t really time to get bored or mad at a sketch because the selected repurposed sketches were prudently short. I look forward to seeing what the troupe will do with fresh material—Brandeis desperately needs some lightening up. Keep it weird, BK.

anything more than an archetype in Jackson Maine. But worse, it always feels like “A Star is Born” is trying to make some kind of statement about celebrity, and coming up empty. You can’t have Dave Chappelle—Dave Chappelle! One of the most famous people to renounce their celebrity status!— show up and give a pep talk about the spotlight without some desire to say something about fame.

There’s a moment at least an hour into the indulgent runtime of “A Star is Born”—when Cooper lectures Gaga on the virtues of using your platform as a celebrity to speak truth and say something that matters. All you can do is wish the director of “A Star is Born” had taken the same message to heart.

PHOTO FROM YOUTUBE.COM

PHOTO FROM USATODAY.COM

Arts Calendar Rachel J. Peters, Composer and Lyricist Brandeis alum Rachel J. Peters returns for an informal talk about her musical career. Slosberg Music Center Room 212.

Friday, Oct 26 at 4 p.m.

New Music Brandeis: Composer’s Collective The first in a series of contemporary music concerts, “Composer’s Collective” is an evening of music programmed and composed by Brandeis graduate students. Recital Hall at Slosberg Music Center. Friday, Oct 26 at 8 p.m. .

Student Music: Play for your Plate.

Everyone who attends must perform—there’s no division between the audience and the musicians. Make music for pizza! Chum’s on Friday Oct 26 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Digging in the Dirt: Historical Erasure and Trans Archival Recovery A screening of the short film “Happy Birthday Marsha”—“a fictional short film by Sasha Wortzel and Tourmaline, that imagines transgender rights pioneers Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in the hours leading to the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.” There will also be two presentations on genderqueer archival research by art historian David Getsy and Perlmutter Artist-in-Residence Tuesday Smillie. Saturday Oct 27 at 2 p.m. in the Wasserman Cinematheque.

Hookman by Lauren Yee An “existential slasher comedy” presented just in time for

Halloween, with performances on Saturday Oct 27 and Sunday Oct 28 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on both days. Merrick Theater in Spingold.

Incendio The third annual cultural celebration put on the Brandeis Latinx Student Organization.

There will also be a silent auction benefiting Border Angels, a charitable organization focused on migrant rights and immigration reform. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday Oct 27 in Usdan’s Levin Ballroom.

Noises Off Opening Thursday, Nov 1, “a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On.” Free for Brandeis students Cecilia Vicuña: Disappeared Quipu Cecilia Vicuña’s new exhibition opens at the MFA, a pairing of quipu (a record-keeping device of knotted cords used by the ancient indigenous people of the Andes) from the Peabody Museum of Archeology and a site-specific video installation

by Vicuña. Through Jan. 29, 2019 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Admission is free with Brandeis ID. The Cabin in the Woods Joss Whedon’s mind-bending meta horror movie screens at the Brattle Theatre on Halloween. Wednesday, Oct 31 at 9:30 p.m.

Want to see your Brandeis arts event listed? Email a brief summary to eic@thebrandeishoot. com

16 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 26, 2018

‘Through Lines’ at Rose reveals art connections

By Noah Harper editor

“This really will be a conversation, not a lecture,” said Professor Nancy Scott (FA), one of whose specialities is Modernism in Europe and America. The guided conversation was the second in a series, “Through Lines” at the Rose Art Museum, that aims to bring knowledgeable art experts into the museum to talk about a few selected works of art. Scott’s “Through Lines” focused on the connections between pieces of twentieth century modernism, giving insight into the museum’s significant collection.

So much information is not given in the title cards next to paintings; there’s no way to know the stories behind the artworks from just reading the artist’s name and dates. For example, the influence

of Alfred Stieglitz, a patron of the arts who was instrumental in bringing avant-garde European art to the United States.

In the first room of “Passage,” we glanced at a photograph of the hands of Alfred Stieglitz. Stieglitz, who later married Georgia O’Keeffe, was a renowned photographer and gallery organizer in New York around the turn of the century. As a patron of the arts, he was instrumental in bringing avant-garde European art to the United States. Stieglitz helped evacuate artists from Europe as the First World War broke out, one of whom, Marsden Hartley, has work on view at the museum.

“Music” (1920) by Florine Stettheimer depicts a dancer performing in the middle of an arctic scene, perhaps to the tune of a piano player off to the right, illu-

PHOTO FROM AYAYA.CO.UK

minated by “wonderful dripping, incandescent spots of light,” as Scott called them. The painting is stage-like: “They’re addressing us in some way,” she suggested.

We then moved onto “Musical Theme (Oriental Symphony)”

by Marsden Hartley from 19121913. “As one of my students said, he is in love when he paints this,” Scott said, then telling us how Hartley had fallen in love with a German soldier, who died during the war.

She showed us a picture of one of his later works,“Portrait of a German Officer” from 1914.

The contrast is striking, bright Cezanne-inspired colors in “Musical Theme” give way to a much darker and grim palette.

Returning to the painting, Scott related the story of how Stieglitz had helped Hartley escape Europe as the war loomed. She helped us dissect the other influences the work reflected: Gertrude Stein, Kandinsky, Paul Cezanne. “This is the foundation of twentieth-century modernism,” she said.

We turned to a painting by Juan Gris, “The Siphon”—“This is our best Cubist painting,” Scott said.

“This could be the whole tour.”

We lingered there for several minutes, unpacking the layered, collage-like quality of Gris’s fractured depiction of a seltzer bottle on a table in a cafe. “There’s so much going on here, but you have to kind of tease it out,” Scott said about the painting. “I love to work on it with the students.”

“The whole thing about Cubism is that it’s there and it’s not there,” she said. There was a “flickering, kind of in-and-out quality,” to the painting—it was our job to attempt to reconstruct the pieces.

Scott explained that “The Siphon” and Hartley’s “Musical Theme” had been at Brandeis since before the Rose existed.

“Did they hang in the President’s

PHOTO BY NOAH HARPER/THE HOOT

office?” a philosophy professor joked. But the stories of how paintings came to the Rose are fascinating—in some ways mirroring that of Brandeis; as the Rose’s collection grew, so did the University.

For example, our next work, Asger Jorn’s “The Vegetable Cell and its Private Properties,” was donated to Brandeis by a pair of brothers who made their fortune off an Elvis songbook. Their donation, comprised of Jorn’s work, de Kooning’s “Untitled,” and pieces by Robert Motherwell, helped to put the Rose on the map.

“The Vegetable Cell,” Scott said, is “one of the works that’s rarely on view” but very popular with students. Two canvases arranged vertically, it’s a series of multicolored dots that crackle with energy and seem to give life to a curling black form. It was suggested that perhaps a biology professor could come make a literal interpretation of the piece—maybe science and art can come together.

After viewing Marisol’s “Ruth” (1962), a sculpture rendition of

Ruth Kligman—who, I learned, survived a car crash that killed her lover Jackson Pollack—we briefly discussed two large pieces of very abstract work by Harvey Quaytman on the back wall. “We have never had these on the wall before,” Scott said. She compared them to “an arc or a portal,” saying that “They draw me into this other place.”

The walking tour helped me to learn a good deal more about the Rose. The institution has such a rich history that’s not easily available.

Perhaps they might find a way to disseminate these fascinating, insightful contexts—from Stieglitz to Elvis to Pollock—to a broader audience, either through video or audio or written guides.

There’s so much to know and explore, and in an unguided tour, you’re just getting the tip of the iceberg. But I’m thankful for this “Through Lines” series because every time I visit my appreciation for the Rose grows just a little bit more.

Hold Thy Peace presents ‘Tempest’

By Ben Beriss editor

Brandeis’ resident Shakespeare company kicked off their year this weekend with a production of “The Tempest,” the Bard’s classic tale of sorcery and power. The production, directed by Kat Lawrence ’20, brings together multiple approaches to the text to give each scene a unique energy.

The story focuses on a powerful sorcerer, Prospera (Prospero in the original version), who has been banished to a desolate island with her daughter by familial treachery. Furious at the injustice she suffered, Prospera has spent years learning how to become a master in the art of magic to take back her position. The show opens with a calamitous storm, caused

by Prospera, which shipwrecks the royalty of her native country on the island with her, unaware of her plans to exact justice.

The titular tempest is one of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes and this production’s version sets an impressive standard for the rest of the show. With the boat’s crew pitching about on stage, clinging to each other, ropes cleverly manipulated to show destruction of their ship, accompanied by dramatic swells of music and dancing from the show’s spirit dancers, the show started with a true tempest.

The scene also set the precedent for the show’s heavy use of dance and movement, which played a large role in helping to keep Shakespeare understandable and underscoring the emotion of his language. The technique was most noticeable in the production’s addition of the spirit dancers, an ensemble of spirits under Prospera’s command who appeared on stage to accompany any large sorcerous feats or celebrations with dramatic dances which brought a frantic, “witches’ celebration” spirit to traditional flowing, elegant dances often associated with Shakespeare and underscored Prospera’s awesome power and the supernatural nature of the story.

The main plot follows different groups of shipwreck survivors on their journey to the all-powerful Prospera (played by Emma Johnson ’22) who controls their fates with the help of her spirit Ariel (Leah Nashel ’20). Johnson does an impressive job both as Prospera and Center of the Story; saddled with lengthy expositional speeches, she manages to remain compelling throughout and make Prospera’s transition from somewhat-controlled rage to eventual outpouring of forgiveness visible in every scene. Nashel is superb, excelling as a Puck-like mischief maker while luring people to Prospera with tempting song and trickery but keeping Ariel’s

distinctive human edge always present. Ariel has always stood out in Shakespeare’s canon for her (or his in the original version) human-like affections, and Nashel does an excellent job balancing those affections with her role as a powerful force of nature given a prankster’s body. Prospera is also accompanied by her daughter Miranda, who Micaela Grimes ’22 plays as an adorably naïve but loving teen who becomes even more delightful when joined by her love-at-first-sight beau Stephen Tracy ’22, who is every bit as saccharinely adorable as she.

Together, they turn their characters into symbols of the good that simple true love can bring.

The first group we are introduced to separately from Prospera is the King of Naples, Alonso, played by Harrison Carter ’22, and his retinue. The scene is largely dominated by Carter’s emotional devastation at the seeming loss of his children and country in one shipwreck, though this despair is tempered by a metallic commanding demeanor.

This group is succeeded by the comic relief of the show: drunk jester Trincula (originally Trinculo) played by Esther Shminkin ’21 and butler Stephano played

by Joshua Lannon ’22. A classically funny pair, Shminkin and Lannon do an excellent job living up to the jokes given to them, em-

bodying the hilariously misguided self-confidence which defines the characters. This confidence is amplified when they stumble across Caliban, played by Aaron Young ’22 and the only native of the island, who mistakes them for gods and asks for their help overthrowing Prospera, who has enslaved him. Young’s performance is impressive in the way he becomes laughably pitiable without becoming a caricature defined only by insults and failure.

Having set up the characters almost as chess pieces, Prospera then begins to bring them together and terrorize them through Ariel. With a dramatically winged jumpsuit from costume designer Gabriela Stahl ’21 and spookily dramatic lighting by lighting de-

signer Noah Mark ’19, Ariel and a chorus of spirit dancers who provide a truly arresting reverb to her voice bring a hair-raising climax to the show, setting up for an emotional resolution.

The production does, unfortunately, somewhat suffer from a lack of focus between its comedic and dramatic elements. Many of the less crucial scenes are played lightheartedly and there are deliberate laugh lines, yet Prospera’s monologues are largely serious and the show has the trappings of a serious show, as with the spirit dancers. Despite the occasional tonal inconsistency, however, the show does an excellent job presenting the classic tale.

PHOTO BY NOAH HARPER/THE HOOT