The Brandeis Hoot 10/04/2019

Volume 16 Issue 17

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

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.

October 4, 2019

Board forms diversity committee, updates on framework

By Sabrina Chow editor

The Board of Trustees formed a new ad hoc board committee, the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) during their September meeting, according to an email sent out by President Ron Liebowitz on Oct. 3. The two-day meeting also touched on Liebowitz’ Framework for Our Future, the campus climate and university fundraising and finances.

The Committee on DEI will be chaired by trustee Debbie Bial ’87 and will provide the administration with advice and expertise to address various DEI issues around campus.

The committee will work with Chief Diversity Officer Mark BOSTON STATE HOUSE Brandeis

students joined the climate strike on Sept. 20. Read more on page 4.

Brandeis releases annual campus safety report

By Celia Young editor

Reported sexual offenses have decreased this year from seven in 2017 to only one case in 2018, according to the federally-mandated Clery report released to the Brandeis community each year.

The report also records an increase in liquor law violations that were referred for disciplinary action from 119 in 2017 to 161 in 2018.

Reported rapes decreased from two in 2017 to zero in 2018 along with the overall decrease in reported sexual offenses. Drug abuse violations referred for disciplinary action also decreased by half, from 60 to 30.

One hate crime with a religious bias involving a swastika occurred in 2017, reads the report. In 2017, Brandeis police removed two swastikas and posters targeting pro-Palestinian student groups in two seemingly unrelated incidents, according to an earlier The Brandeis Hoot article.

Reported cases of aggravated assault decreased from five cases

Inside This Issue:

in 2017 to two cases in 2018. Dating violence decreased from 12 reported cases in 2017 to one reported case in 2018, and domestic violence increased to two cases in 2018 from zero in 2017.

Rates of other crimes including arson, motor vehicle theft and robbery were fairly consistent with the past two years.

There were four fires in 2018 in Massell Quad, North Quad and Charles River Quad compared to two fires, in North and Rosenthal Quads, in 2017.

The report, released on Oct. 1

by Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, includes “statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, and in off-campus buildings or property owned, leased or controlled by Brandeis University. This report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those regarding sexual assault, alcohol, and other drugs,” according to the report.

Over 100 buildings and 325 acres that make up Brandeis are See CLERY, page 3

Brimhall-Vargas and “will also help set collective goals and monitor the university’s progress” to create a “more welcoming and inclusive place to live, learn, and work,” according to the email.

The board also approved the appointment of Monique L. Nelson as a new board member.

Nelson is the chair and CEO of UniWorld Group (UWG), the country’s longest-standing multicultural market agency, according to their website. She is also on the New York Advisory Board for The Posse Foundation, of which she is an alumna. Nelson received her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in human and organizational development and her master’s of business adSee BOARD, page 5

PHOTO BY CELIA YOUNG/THE HOOT

Brandeis outfits classrooms with reinforced locks, plans for more

By Tim Dillon special to the hoot

Over 95 classrooms were outfitted with reinforced locks and deadbolts this summer, and Brandeis intends to install new security cameras and upgrade existing cameras.

These changes to campus safety—announced in a Student Union Senate meeting by Senior

SHAPIRO CAMPUS CENTER Brandeis

American and Israeli Jews

News: Brandeis reflects on student life in self study Page 2 Page 15 Ops: Set a good example Features: Meet Brandeis Writers in Residence Page 7 Two authors discuss their relationship.

Page 13 Sports: New Athletic Hall of Fame inductees EDITORIAL: Pop the bubble Page 9 NEWS: PAGE 3

Representative to the Board of Trustees Zosia Buse ’20 and confirmed by Interim Vice President of Campus Operations Richard Reynolds—are part of an ongoing effort by the university to increase safety on campus.

These changes come in addition to plans to hire new security personnel and other policy changes announced by University President Ron Liebowitz in the wake of the recent stabbing of two

plans to install new security cameras on campus.

Jpegmafia’s latest This broke our brains.

ARTS: PAGE 17

Brandeis graduate students.

Buse announced the lock installation and new security cameras in a Sept. 22 Senate meeting, which Reynolds and Emergency Management Director Joshua Manfredo confirmed to The Brandeis Hoot in an email. The locks were installed by the Brandeis Facilities Services Department, according to Reynolds.

See SAFETY, page 6

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

Self-study reflects on student experience, counseling resources, financial aid and diversity

By Sabrina Chow editor

Brandeis analyzed its student population in the third part of a September 2018 self-study conducted as part of the university’s reaccreditation process by the New England Commissions of Higher Education (NECHE).

The fifth standard focuses on the student body, including counseling resources, financial aid and diversity at Brandeis. Looking forward, said the study, the university is focused on sustaining and enhancing current efforts in admissions. The university hopes to continue outreach, enlarge the applicant pool and increase the diversity of the student body.

With student services, Brandeis hopes to continue to address the changing needs of students within an evolving society.

Brandeis is also focusing on another topic, “organizational restructuring and integration,” or the launching of a university-wide task force to look at the student experience at Brandeis. This task force was chaired by Associate Provost Kim Godsoe and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Karen Muncaster.

The self-study allows Brandeis to reflect on nine different standards provided by the NECHE. The standards of accreditation help to establish criteria for institutional quality, according to the Brandeis website.

Standard V: Students The fifth standard, students, ensures that the institution is setting and achieving realistic goals to enroll students that are representative of the population and promotes intellectual and personal development of its students, according to the NECHE website.

Since 2017, the university has been working towards improving the Brandeis Health Center and Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC). They are generally working towards a “broader approach” for managing student wellness.

Following an evaluation by an external resource done in 2017, two new positions were created, including a “case manager to work closely with students of concern and a wellness promotion specialist to implement a comprehensive, campus-wide health and wellness program for all students,” according to the self-study.

The university also surveyed students from the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment.

Through this survey, they learned that Brandeis students reported higher than average levels of anxiety, depression and stress. Because of this, Brandeis started the Care Team, which is modeled off of other support teams from other universities in the U.S. They also hired more staff “with specializations in eating disorders, substance abuse, and trauma, and we expanded our group counseling program,” according to the self-

study.

The university also joined the JED Campus Program which provides benchmarks on various efforts performed by an institution, including mental health, substance-abuse prevention and suicide-prevention, wrote the self-study.

Through these efforts, the BCC saw a 12 percent increase in use from fiscal year (FY) 2014 to FY15 and a six percent increase in FY15 to FY16. The BCC also has services in multiple languages, including Cantonese and Mandarin, French, Spanish, German and Hebrew.

Through student-voiced concerns about sexual misconduct on campus, Brandeis created the Office of Prevention Services to “coordinate campus efforts and provide confidential support services, and a task force for Sexual Assault Reponse, Services, and Prevention to review policies and procedure and make recommendations for change,” according to the self-study.

The Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Misconduct, completed in 2015, further demonstrated issues of sexual misconduct on campus. All graduate students are now trained to be responsible employees under Title IX. Sexual violence prevention is now an integral part of new student orientation, explains the self-study, as well as bystander intervention training on the same topic.

For financial aid, of the 420 students who enrolled in Brandeis in the 2016-2017 academic year that demonstrated financial need, only three students did not receive financial aid for undisclosed reasons, according to the self-study.

These grants averaged $41,854.

The average financial aid package for students during the 2016-2017 school year was $44,761, with 97.4 percent of need met.

The study also noted a New York Times study conducted in January 2018 that ranked Brandeis 14th among 65 elite colleges in proportion of students from households in the bottom fifth of family income.

The study also noted that the graduating class of 2017 reported an average of $26,289 in college tuition debt at graduation. The average in Massachusetts for that year was $31,466 according to the self-study.

Brandeis is also constantly working towards diversifying the student body, wrote the self-study.

This is done through a more geographical balance in acceptances and increased enrollment of underrepresented minorities. In 2009, 70 percent of students resided in the Northeast (which includes the New England and Mid-Atlantic states) and 17 percent from other parts of the country.

In 2016, 58 percent of students were from the Northeast while 25 percent of students were from other areas. The university also noted that two-thirds of the international student population comes from China. In the 20162017 school year, 19 percent of

the incoming class were international students.

Like many other universities, there is a “declining interest in the humanities among a generation of college students concerned about job prospects,” stated the selfstudy.

Because of this, Brandeis created the Humanities Fellowship program in fall 2016, which provides merit scholarships and special academic opportunities to students enrolled in the program.

The university also provides numerous programs that attract promising students from economically disadvantaged high schools and from groups that are typically underrepresented in highly selective colleges, explained the self-study.

These programs include the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program (MKTYP), founded in 1968 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Scholars. Brandeis is also a Posse Partner School, which is part of the Posse Foundation, founded by a Brandeis alumnus.

Outside of academics, the “university takes on various responsibilities that extend beyond classroom instruction: to support student’s learning, to provide complementary kinds of educational (and recreational) experiences, to attend to their overall well-being, and to assist them in proceeding to the next stage of their lives (jobs or further studies),” stated the self-study.

Brandeis has over 250 different student organizations that all students are able to take part in.

There are also 29 intramural sports leagues, 19 club sports teams and 19 varsity-level sports on campus, according to the selfstudy.

The Intercultural Center (ICC) hosts 17 different student organizations and in 2014 established the Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) for students of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Seven student groups are affiliated with GSC. The formation of GSC also helped to trigger a new LGBTQ support group in the BCC and created a policy that allows students to write their preferred names on rosters, according to the self- study.

As a non-sectarian university, Brandeis also provides students the opportunity to practice a variety of different religious denominations, including: Catholic, Muslim, Protestant, Buddhist and other Dharmic faiths alongside Judaism. The Chaplaincy Working Group produced a reorganization of chaplaincies under the leadership of director of spiritual and religious life. Rabbi Elisabeth (Liza) Stern is the current director.

The hiring of the first chief diversity officer, Mark Brimhall-Vargas, in 2017, also helped to create the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which helps to further integrate all religions on campus.

This is the third part of a series that looks into the self-study.

October 4, 2019

IN THE SENATE: Oct. 2, 2019 •

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The Senate passed an amendment to allow senators to enforce the Union code of conduct on Tuesday. The amendment allows senators to vote to punish Union members who violate the code of conduct, and if a twothird’s majority vote is reached, distribute punishment ranging from revoking access to the Student Union office to impeachment.

Offenses outlined in the Student Union code of conduct include personal attacks, favoritism, mismanagement and restricting the free expression of other members.

The Senate also discussed a possible amendment to eliminate office hour requirements for Senate members and to lower the number of meetings a senator can miss from three to two. Senators are currently required to hold three hours of office hours a week, said Union Vice President Guillermo Caballero ’20, which constituents do not often attend.

Chair of Club Support Joseph Coles ’22 pushed back on the amendment, saying office hours make the Union more accessible and are well attended in his experience. The Senate will consider the amendment next week.

Caballero gauged senators’ interest in joining a committee to work on Pride ’Deis, an Oct. 11 Brandeis community LGBTQ Pride celebration. Pride ’Deis will be a partnership between the Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC), the Prevention and Advocacy Resource Center (PARC) and potentially the Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC), said Caballero. Senators volunteered to place pride flags around campus and to table in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) and in Upper Usdan dining hall.

The senate also discussed Student Union-wide diversity, equity and inclusion training in response to student protests last year under the name #StillConcernedStudents.

The protests brought attention to allegations of racism in the Department of Community Living (DCL), students of color’s comfort with Public Safety and opening more free off-campus transport routes to aid low-income students.

Brandeis has since opened more shuttle routes and denied any findings of racism in DCL. Diversity, equity and inclusion training was postponed due to lack of attendance last week, according to the Senate agenda.

Coles reported that he was forming a list of clubs to decharter if they do not submit anti-hazing forms, which were due Sept. 16, according to a Student Activities email.

Dining Committee Chair Nancy Zhai ’21 reported that price labeling was updated in The Hoot Market, more commonly known as the C-Store. She also said the dining committee was working to update Einstein’s Bagels online menu to make sure Brandeis’ new dining provider food contract is sustainable.

Health and Safety Chair Josh Hoffman ’21 reported that he was working with the Administrative Director of the Brandeis Health Center Dianna Denning to make the Student Health Center more visible to students. He also wants to work on making the BCC handicap accessible and creating a mandatory sex education program for incoming students. He also reported that the general chemistry courses were being investigated because of a high drop-out rate of students with disability accommodations in those courses.

Facilities and Housing Committee Chair Trevor Filseth ’21 reported that he was looking into elevator certificate expirations. Krupa Sourirajan ‘23 reported that she would meet with DCL on Wednesday to discuss providing North Residence Quad with more shower shelves.

Services and Outreach Committee Chair Alison Leibowitz ’23 reported that Levin Ballroom was booked for Midnight Buffet, a campus party every semester before finals week, for Dec. 10.

Senate Sustainability Committee Chair Oliver Price ’20 said that his committee was working with the Dining Committee to reinstate a meatless Monday program and increasing the presence of the Brandeis Sustainability Ambassadors (BSA) on campus.

The senate voted to change the name of the Brandeis University Conservative Organization (BUCO) to Masorti.

The club is a conservative Jewish organization, said Rules Chair Scott Halper ’20, and wanted that to be clear in their name.

Coles said he would reach out to IfNotNow—a political activism club against American-Jewish support for the occupation of Israel and Palestine—which the Senate accidentally chartered in its last weekly meeting due to a voting miscount. Though the club is no longer seeking to be chartered, Coles hopes to work with the club in case it decides otherwise.

-Celia Young

October 4, 2019

IN THE SENATE: Sept. 22, 2019 •

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NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Senior Representative to the Board of Trustees Zosia Busé ’20 gave an update about the Brandeis Board of Trustees meeting held last week Sunday, Sept. 14 through Tuesday night, Sept. 17.

Though she is under a confidentiality agreement, Busé said, she briefed the senate about Board efforts including several students in the Heller School of Social Policy being denied visas, voting on a new trustee and a search for proposals for a Brandeis dining provider.

Busé said Sodexo was unlikely to stay on as Brandeis dining provider, though Sodexo may submit a proposal for a new contract. “Sodexo and Brandeis came to the mutual decision that it wasn’t working out,” said Busé. She also assured senate members that Brandeis was taking steps to make sure current employees did not lose their positions if a new dining provider was selected.

Busé also said that Brandeis had conducted a holistic review of campus safety, updating 96 of the university’s classrooms updated with anti-break-in locks. Busé also reported that several students in the Heller School of Social Policy were denied visas, and that Heller was working with the students.

The senate also discussed during executive session—which non-senate members cannot attend—mandatory union diversity, equity and inclusion training. The training was postponed due to lack of attendance, according to the senate notes.

IfNotNow’s Brandeis chapter——a campus group part of a national organization trying to end American Jewish support of the occupation in Israel and Palestine, according to the organization’s website—presented at the senate meeting to be chartered. Club member Miranda Sullivan ’22 presented to the senate, describing IfNotNow’s need for space and funding at Brandeis to hold Shabbat dinners and other campus events.

IfNotNow received one less vote than the two-thirds margin required for chartership. The Brandeis Hoot checked the vote count after the meeting and requested the official count from Senator-at-Large Nancy Zhai ’22. The Hoot found that only 13 out of 20 Student Union senators, voted to charter IfNotNow, which did not exceed the two-thirds majority necessary to charter the club. The club withdrew their request on Sept. 27 in a statement to The Hoot, upon learning about the vote miscount.

The senate also confirmed the appointment of Liat Fischer ’20 to co-treasurer due to the large responsibilities of the Union treasurer. Fischer was appointed by Student Union President Simran Tatuskar ’21.

- Celia Young

Students updated on campus sustainability

By Rachel Saal editor

The Office of Sustainability updated students on new efforts to make the school more sustainable, including financing renewable energy across the country and eventually discontinuing the sale of plastic water bottles on campus, with the exception of the Hoot market and vending machines, according to Mary Fischer, manager of the Sustainability Programs Office on Thursday in the International Lounge. She said that these efforts would reduce plastic bottle usage on campus by approximately 10,000 bottles annually. The school has a contract with Coca-Cola in which the company gives the university $50,000 back per year for selling their products. Brandeis has four years left of that ten-year project, so if they were to break the contract early, the university would lose $200,000 by stopping those sales.

According to Fischer, Brandeis is the 12th highest university in carbon-offsets, and this initiative would further improve the school’s standing. She said that renewable energy solutions would be difficult to implement on campus; to power the entire

school, there would need to be solar panels that cover the entire surface of the campus or 13 wind turbines. Instead, it was decided that the funding would go toward offsetting carbon emissions in areas with higher carbon footprints.

Eversource is also helping the university enstate an energy storage project, the Tesla 780-kilowatt lithium-ion battery-based storage system, which will both save Brandeis $50,000 annually on its electric bill and reduce peak demand.

The battery will charge overnight when the price of electricity is at its lowest and discharge during the day when prices are at their highest. The university can then buy more of its electricity at the least expensive times, according to Eversource’s website.

“Large commercial customers, like Brandeis University, can use battery storage in order to help lower their costs and benefit the environment,” said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency Tilak Subrahmanian.

Other initiatives that the Office of Sustainability is working on include adding 40 more compost bins around campus.

Fischer said that composting is more important than recycling in lowering the school’s carbon footprint, so this would be the

first step in working toward that.

Other groups at the forum included the Senate Sustainability Committee (SenSus), Brandeis Climate Justice (BCJ), Student for Environmental Action (SEA) and Symbiosis and The Heller School. These groups spoke about their efforts, including a clothing exchange by SEA and tabling by the BCJ. Student Union Senator-at-Large and Dining Committee Chair Nancy Zhai ’22 also announced that as Brandeis considers new dining vendors, she will be holding open forums to hear the community’s input.

There was also a table at the forum with various options for students to become involved with different initiatives such as signing the petition for bottled water sales to be discontinued on campus, signing a green pledge and taking a reusable water bottle.

Stickers with barcodes that connect users to the “Fill it Forward” app were available for students to take. This app allows users to log the water that they drink everyday and the organization donates to those who don’t have access to clean water. Fischer said that some of the most important things that students can do to make an impact are washing clothes in cold water and switching to LED lightbulbs.

PHOTO BY RACHEL SAAL/THE HOOT

Authors discuss American and Israeli Jews

By Aaron LaFauci staff

Though rifts between Israeli and American Jews have possibly never been higher, the tensions are anything but new or simple, according to a dialogue between Director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies Dr. Jonathan Sarna (NEJS), and Senior Vice President of Shalem College in Jerusalem Dr. Daniel Gordis, writer of the book “We Stand Divided: the Rift between American Jews and Israel” on Thursday afternoon.

After a brief introduction of the two speakers, Dr. Sarna began the talk by calling attention to an older text called “We Are One!”

by Mel Yurovsky. The title mirrors a once common sentiment in Jewish culture, but this sense of togetherness has since been replaced by Dr. Gordis’ contemporary slogan “We are Divided.”

“We are one Jewish people, but we face a very serious rift that we should try to bridge, which was the purpose of the book,” said Dr. Gordis after stating that “We are One and We are Divided are not mutually exclusive.”

Much of Dr. Gordis’ speech attempted to clarify many of the polarized talking points that plague the American-Israeli cultural dialogue. Early in the talk, Dr. Gordis placed much emphasis on the idea that the current divide is not a direct result of

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

the Jewish occupation of Israel.

“The conventional wisdom can’t be right because this battle predates occupation, predates conflict with the Palestinians,” said Dr. Gordis.

Dr. Sarna responded to this with a summary of Jewish migratory history. He stated that if he were to write a book about this subject, he would call it “Promised Land Versus Golden Land,” alluding to the choice that many Eastern European Jews faced between resettling in America or the region surrounding the Holy Land. Dr. Sarna said that “80 percent [of Jews] actually chose America.” He went on to explain that the first year that

Jewish movement to Israel surpassed movement to America was in 1925, the year after America imposed the Johnson-Reed act restricting mass immigration.

“In my personal opinion . . . had America said we will take in all Jews forever, wherever they live, whenever they want to come through the golden door, I have my doubts . . . whether there would be a state of Israel,” said Dr. Sarna.

The talk then turned to the chief differences, politically and culturally, between Israelis and Americans. In answering the question “Why are we so different?” Dr. Gordis explained that “the countries have fun-

damentally different purposes . . . American Jews are Americans, Israeli Jews are Israelis.”

“We have pretended for a long time that Israel was a kind of Hebrew speaking, falafel eating version of the United States in a very bad neighborhood,” said Dr. Gordis. The two populations of Jews are divided ideologically between American “Pluralism” and Israeli “Zionism,” Dr. Gordis continued.

Where Jewish liberalism has a strong political footing in America, Dr. Sarna explains that liberalism across the Atlantic in Israel has largely been erased as a result of the Holocaust

and then the Second Antifada.

The ’90s marked a time of peace in Israel, but according to Dr. Sarna, “[The Second Intifada] destroyed liberalism in Israel.”

American Jews in 1948, and again in 2000, were largely unable to grasp the impact of these tragedies on European and Isreali Jews.

Dr. Gordis concluded the discussion portion of the talk by stating that “the idea that either one of these two communities can do without the other is beyond foolish.”

It is not only American dollars that the Israelis require, explained Dr. Gordis, but that, without American influence, “[Israel] has a danger of moral callousness, it has a danger of ethnocentrism.”

At the core of Israeli colleges and universities are “American ideas,” said Dr. Gordis.

In return, Israel can provide American Jews with “a sense of purpose.” “Israel enriched American Jewish Culture,” said Dr. Gordis, “We desperately need each other.” The talk was set to begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Mandel Reading Room, but the space reached capacity while an equal amount of attendees waited outside to be seated. “We somewhat underestimated all the enthusiasm for Dr. Daniel Gordis!” said Dr. Sarna. The event was quickly relocated to Olin Sang (nearly filling the hall), and the talk was underway before 6 p.m. The talk was followed by a round of questions.

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 4, 2019

Brandeis students join national strike for climate justice

By Celia Young and Victoria Morrongiello editor and staff

Among the thousands of people gathered in Boston City Hall Plaza for a national climate strike on Sept. 20 were close to two hundred Brandeis students—some skipping class for the day to show their support of addressing climate change.

The strike was one among a national series of protests inspired

by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old activist leading the national strike ahead of the Sept. 23 U.N. Climate Action Summit, where she gave an impassioned address, telling world leaders to take action to reduce the impact of climate change.

Back in Massachusetts, students boarded one of four 10:30 a.m. buses to Boston, some dressed in black at the request of protest organizers and Professor Sabine von Mering (GRALL, ENVS, WGS,) who organized the buses.

Von Mering spoke about the reason she helped organize Brandeis students to attend the protest.

“There’s a number of reasons why we do this,” said von Mering in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot after the strike. “The people in power need to see that we want them to act...We’ve made that abundantly clear now, and we know there is the U.N. Climate Summit on Monday, and they can now say, ‘Look, millions around the world told us that we need to act.’ We gave our own politicians the marching orders.”

On the bus, students learned different chants in preparation for the march. The ride into Boston was fun and empowering, said Maryam Chishti ’20, and a blend

of students from all disciplines— not solely environmental studies majors, said Leah Sagan-Dworsky ’21—joined in on the protest. Von Mering also saw many students she had never met before at Brandeis.

Some students came because they wanted to protect future generations, like Chishti, who hoped to improve the environment for her children.

“I want to have children and make sure they can live full and successful lives,” said Chishti. “I’m not going to go on with life as it is…[I’m] putting my foot down.”

Others were motivated to attend the march due to personal experiences with climate change.

Gabi Burkholz ’21 skipped her morning class in order to attend the march. Originally from California, Burkholz shared a story where a forest fire almost burned down her summer camp.

Burkholz said the disaster could have been completely preventable if measures had been taken.

“One class for a good cause couldn’t hurt,” Burkholz said.

“My generation and the generation after me—we shouldn’t have to live at risk of climate catastrophe. It is fixable.”

And one student said that regardless of anyone’s personal experience, climate change should be an important issue.

“You can’t be a person and have this not hit home for you,” said Elyse Hahn ’20.

Students arrived in Boston around 10:30 a.m., before the march took place. The students listened to many speakers describe the threat of climate change and the importance of activism.

Gina McCarthy, the former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, encouraged the crowd to demand change, saying, “If the United

PHOTOS BY CELIA YOUNG/THE HOOT

States doesn’t want to act as a whole, then we will make them.”

McCarthy encouraged the youth to be proactive in the fight for climate justice instructing the crowd to “Pull up their gender neutral pants and do something.”

Another speaker, Jermey Ornstein, from Sunrise Movement—a movement of young people fighting to stop the climate crisis according to their website—spoke directly to his peers.

“We are holding up the weight that falls down to us [children] that our elders failed to carry,” Ornstein said.

Ahria Ilyas, a member of Youth on Board—a group based in Somerville, MA that trains student leaders, according to their website—also spoke to the crowd where she said that the youth must pick up the pieces of a problem they did not cause.

Protestors marched from Boston City Hall Plaza to the Massa-

chusetts State House around 1:30 p.m., and Brandeis students joined in chanting: “The people are rising, no more compromising” and “Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Climate Change has got to go”. And just a few minutes into the march, the crowd started singing “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie.

During the march, The Hoot spoke to Libby Williams ’20, an environmental studies major who said that the Sept. 20 protest was the largest she had seen compared to previous climate protests she attended.

As throngs of people marched past Boston Commons, many flowed into the State House. Others gathered in the commons or dangled from lamposts to take photos of the crowd or climbed on top of the wall in front of the State House to lead chants.

Brandeis students gathered in the shade in front of the State House to wait for the afternoon

bus back to campus, though some stayed for the rest of the protest. Von Mering—leading students in a handmade polar bear costume—walked students back to the two returning buses.

Von Mering said the total order of the buses could cost upwards of $2,000 but was confident that different departments could chip in to cover the cost.

She also emphasized that Dean of Students Jamele Adams and other Brandeis administration members were very helpful in arranging transport for students.

In speaking with students on the way back to Brandeis, von Mering said that she felt students had found a new community on campus.

“I was asking them on the way back what was the most impressive,” von Mering said. “One person said [it was] to be in that crowd together and shouting and feeling that you’re one. You’re together in this, you’re not alone in this.”

Reported sexual offenses down, liquor law violations up according to annual Clery report CLERY, from page 1

under the jurisdiction of university police, according to the report. Brandeis University Police is made of 27 people in total, including 15 police officers, five sergeants, one chief lieutenant, two security officers and four parking monitors.

University President Ron Liebowitz announced his intentions to hire a night lieutenant and an

additional daytime public safety officer in an email to the student body after the recent stabbing of two Brandeis graduate students.

The jurisdiction of the university police includes the main campus, the Angleside and Charles River Road residence halls, property on Turner Street and any other property belonging to the University, reads the report. All Brandeis police officers are trained at the Massachusetts State Police Academy and/or the

Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC), according to the report.

The report details policies on notifying the Brandeis community of ongoing threats to campus and other emergencies through the Brandeis Emergency Notification System (BENS) as well as other means, and when Brandeis may not notify the student body.

“Taking into account the safety of the community, University officials will determine the content

of the notification and initiate the notification system, unless issuing a notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or officials’ ability to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency,” reads the report.

The report also describes Brandeis’ sexual assault policies, and encourages students who experience a sexual assault to immediately report it to Brandeis

police. Students can also report to the Dean of Students office and employees can report to the office of Human Resources. Brandeis also offers an online reporting system, and victims can choose whether or not to report incidents to law enforcement.

Brandeis also offers informal and formal resolution processes under the Office of Equal Opportunity, directed by Sonia Juardo.

October 4, 2019

NEWS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

Former Chair of Federal Reserve shares concerns

By Rachel Saal editor

Janet Yellen, former chair of the Federal Reserve and the first female to ever hold the title, said that she has concerns with the current state of the economy during Brandeis International Business School’s (IBS) 25th anniversary celebration in Spingold Theater. She spoke with Rosen Family Chair in International Finance Professor Stephen Cecchetti (ECON) to roughly 600 audience members, according to BrandeisNOW. Yellen explained the actions that led to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, including shadow banking, which she said “still remains a problem.” She said that

mortgage lending is safer, however, due to rules that were put in place following the recession.

“Economic performance is better when central banks operate in a nonpolitical way, independently,” said Yellen. “We are worried about developments that we see happening in the United States, politicization of the Federal Reserve, and feel that that would be a grave mistake. We’re now in a period where there’s deregulations, deregulatory fever. Regulations are being dialed back. That concerns me.”

Yellen said that she is also concerned about the country’s spending. “I’m perfectly comfortable with the debt to GDP ratio that we have today and think it could even be a little bit higher, but that’s not the end of the story at all,” said Yellen. “What I’m

worried about is the trajectory the debt to GDP ratio is on.” She continued, “We have a 2.8 percent primary deficit today, and that is not small. If you left the primary deficit at 2.8 percent, it would result in a run-up over time in the debt to GDP ratio.”

Yellen is a distinguished fellow in residence with the economic studies program at the Brookings Institution. Yellen also served as vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board from 2010 to 2014 before serving as chair in 2014 to 2018. She was also president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco from 2004 to 2010, as well as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors from 1997 to 1999, according to the Brookings Institute website.

“I don’t regret anything that has

been done, but I do think there are holes, and I don’t think we did enough,” Yellen said. “I worry that as time goes by, the same kinds of vulnerabilities that led to that financial crisis can recur. I think a lot has been done, but I’m still worried, and I dont think its enough because let’s think about why we ended up with a financial crisis.”

She continued, “When you see very rapid growth in credit, very rapid growth in gas prices, history suggests there’s likely a problem at the end of this, and it may be really wise, for the sake of the economy and its financial and economic stability to do something to constrain the price of gas prices and lending, or other areas where this might develop.”

Yellen, who also serves as a member of the Climate Leadership Council, shared her con-

cerns about the effect that climate change will have on the economy.

She has signed the Economists’ Statement on Carbon Dividends, which has been signed by over 3,500 economists, including Cecchetti, 27 Nobel laureates, all four former Federal Reserve chairs, and 15 former chairs of the Council of Economic Advisers unite behind carbon dividends as the bipartisan climate solution, according to the Climate Leadership Council’s website. Yellen said that climate change might be the “top issue facing the globe.” She added that the 15 agencies who collaborate in the United States to assess the impact on climate change published that climate change is going to negatively impact the economy’s growth and will do so to a substantial extent unless there is “rapid and effective legislation.”

Board update highlights diversity committee BOARD, from page 1

ministration in international marketing and finance from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University.

Liebowitz, along with Provost Lisa Lynch, presented an update on the Framework for Our Future process and how the work being done in the process relates to the work that has been done over the past few years in regards to various external reviews and working groups. The email noted that the administration received over 250 task force recommendations that will be factored into furthering improving the university.

Dick Reynolds, the interim vice president for campus operations, presented an interim report on the work of the Framework’s Task Force on Focused Physical Planning, which Reynolds chairs. According to the report, “strategic investments in the university’s physical plant are essential for achieving Framework goals and initiatives.”

Liebowitz’s email also said that the board provided the senior administration with feedback about the progress of the Framework and will begin to preview the draft report in October and November and will look for input and feedback from the greater Brandeis community in the coming weeks.

Zamira Korff, senior vice pres-

ident of institutional advancement, spoke about the university’s constant fundraising efforts.

She explained how the goals of the Framework cannot be met with sustained support from the Brandeis community. “[Korff] explained how we are working to improve our capacity to engage with and solicit feedback from these communities,” wrote the email.

The email said that the university is planning on hosting small-group discussions, Presidential Roundtables, on campus and around the country, to engage with different groups of the Brandeis community.

They also had the opportunity to speak with newly tenured/ promoted faculty members about their research and teaching and their Brandeis experience. Graduate and undergraduate students were also invited to speak about the living and learning experience at Brandeis.

The board approved the promotion of Professor Aldo Musacchio (IBS) to professor with tenure, effective immediately.

The board also discussed the recent drop of Brandeis in the U.S. News rankings and the ongoing efforts to improve campus safety. They also spoke about current research that is being undertaken with SimpsonScarborough to “help us understand our reputation among key groups, including prospective

undergraduate and graduate students; academic and administrative leaders at peer institutions; philanthropic-minded adults who are likely to be interested in Brandeis; and our alumni, families, and friends,” said the email.

The Academy Committee was updated on plans for Raymond Ou, vice provost of student affairs, “to conduct a review of mental health services on campus,” according to the email. Ou will also oversee a self-study of the Hiatt Career Center, which will be followed by an external committee review.

University Professor Irving Epstein (CHEM), Senior Associate Provost Kim Godsoe and Professor Melissa Kosinski-Collins (BIOL) presented on the five-year $1 million Inclusive Excellence grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

“The grant will help build our capacity for inclusion and success in the sciences for students of all backgrounds, expanding the success of the Science Posse and Galaxy programs,” according to the email.

The committee was also briefed on information from the incoming graduate and undergraduate classes. There has been an increase in visa denials for graduate students from Africa in the past year.

The Resources Committee reviewed the financial results from FY19 and looked at the updated

budget for FY20. The email added that FY19 was the fifth year that the university had an operating surplus in the budget. In FY19, there was a $3.7 million surplus on a total revenue budget of $356 million. They also received a report from Human Resources (HR), which is currently looking for a permanent HR vice president.

HR anticipates the search process will be completed within the next four months, said the email.

According to the email, Chief Information Officer Jim La Creta also updated the committee on key initiatives within technology services, including the creation of a Data Governance Committee and an IT Governance Committee and a Workday HR/ Finance Implementation update.

The Institutional Advancement (IA) Committee looked into fundraising in FY19 and FY20 and the committee’s long-term and short-term objectives. The email said that Korff told the board that the fundraising totals for FY20 is “well ahead” of last year.

Patsy Fisher, Vice President of Alumni Relations, is working with external consultant Kathy Edersheim to “build a powerful, sustainable, volunteer-led campus-wide alumni relations program that would serve the Brandeis community in a number of ways,” according to the email.

The initiatives will be implemented during the next academic year.

The Nominating and Governance Committee received a report from the Diversity Recruitment Subcommittee about their efforts to build a “strong pipeline of diverse trustee candidates,” said the email. There was also discussion about the new trustee orientation program and ways it could be improved.

The email said that the Risk Management and Audit Committee heard an update on the university’s audit and accounting issues from a representative from KPMG, the university’s auditors.

Vincent Lim, assistant director of strategic initiatives, gave an update to the committee on the Enterprise Risk Management process, “which had identified campus safety and security as its pilot risk area for in-depth study,” said the email.

Ed Callahan, Chief of Police, and Josh Manfredo, Director of Emergency Management, also updated the committee on recent measures taken to enhance campus safety and security, according to the email.

The Investment Committee reviewed “investment returns, risk exposures, liquidity, cash flows, and investment manager news,” according to the email.

The endowment’s FY19 return was approximately 5.8 percent and assets have grown to $1.074 billion from June 30, 2019, which was up from

Brandeis signs letter on visa processing delays

By Alyssa Fu special to the hoot

Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz was among 43 presidents of colleges and universities who signed a letter addressed to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation that raised awareness for recent delays in visa processing for foreign-born students, along with more delays in programs connecting these students to employers in the U.S. According to the letter, delays in visa processing have increased 46 percent over the previous fiscal year and many have been set aside for further review by the State Department, leaving students with limited updates on their status as they are forced to miss portions of the semester.

An increased amount of Requests for Evidence, where the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asks a person to provide evidence for why they are pursuing a visa, have also placed potential foreign-born employees on hold in the process of issuing visas, denying them jobs and travel, according to the letter.

Even students with valid visas can have their visas revoked at Boston Logan International Airport when traveling back to campus from overseas countries, according to a WBUR article on Aug. 27. There are several cases of international students being denied entry upon arrival to the airport.

In one case a student attempted to return to the U.S. at Logan International Airport to attend classes at Harvard University and was refused, WBUR report-

ed. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman reportedly claimed in a statement to The Harvard Crimson that “Applicants must demonstrate they are admissible into the U.S. by overcoming ALL grounds of inadmissibility including health-related grounds, criminality, security reasons, public charge, labor certification, illegal entrants and immigration violations, documentation requirements, and miscellaneous grounds.

This individual was deemed inadmissible to the United States based on information discovered during the CBP inspection.”

The presidents in their joint letter emphasized more than 68,000 international students were enrolled in Massachusetts higher education in 2018 and contributed more than

$3 billion to state economy.

“We depend on our ability to attract talented students and scholars from around the world, but the [immigration] policies are too often giving international students a reason to take their talents and contributions elsewhere,” the letter read.

The concern over decreased international student applications was supported by a report released by the Council of Graduate Schools earlier this year, which shows applications from international graduate students are dropping with a 4 percent decrease between the 2017 and 2018 admission cycles.

WGBH noted on July 30 that higher education is one of the few top industries left in the U.S. and these continued visa slowdowns could undermine that ranking.

“An environment that thwarts the opportunities for and contributions of these individuals is detrimental to the state’s economy, undermines the educational experiences of all Massachusetts college students, and stifles future innovation and business growth,” the presidents continued in their letter, as cited in a WBUR article on Sept. 18.

Alongside President Liebowitz, signatories include leadership from Boston University, Clark University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, Simmons University, Suffolk University, Tufts University, Amherst College, Babson College, Boston College, Emerson College, Mount Holyoke College, Regis College, Smith College, Wellesley College and Williams College.

6 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 4, 2019

Administrators update community on accessibility

By Rachel Saal editor

Several student and faculty groups informed the community about the changes in the university’s accessibility in the Shapiro Campus Center on Thursday. Representatives from these groups each spoke for five minutes about the updates and plans that their groups face.

Dean of Academic Service Erika Smith said that on Sept. 16, the university posted a national search for a new director of student accessibility support to succeed former Director Beth Rogers-Kay. Rogers-Kay, whose retirement was announced in an email on Sept. 6, will be leaving the university after 14 years. Smith said that there were a “few hiccups” with the transition but that the team in place has been doing a good job. “[Rogers-Kay] was in conversation with me about it,” said Smith, who was Rogers-Kay’s direct supervisor. “I worked with the team, and continue to work with the team, to shepherd the transition. She was great in helping us to transition in the beginning of the academic year. There was a little bit of messiness because there was a little bit of uncertainty in the beginning of the year, but that’s really all I can share.”

Scott Lapinski, accessibility spe-

cialist for graduate students, said that Student Accessibility Support (SAS) is trying to raise awareness for its services. The department has been tabling and having a student panel, a new link on the website for accessibility issues, and faculty development. The SAS’s services seek “to promote the growth of undergraduate and graduate students through individual connection with students, campus-wide initiatives, and collaboration with others in the Brandeis community,” according to the Brandeis University website.

A graduate student in the audience, however, said that a lot of the resources that were mentioned were targeted at undergraduate students and that graduate students “weren’t welcomed.” She said a lot of graduate students don’t know that they are allowed to get accommodations.

Vice Provost of Student Affairs Raymond Ou said that the current mechanism requesting accommodations is being evaluated. He also said that Debra Poaster, medical director of the Brandeis Health Center, will have a more “abbreviated” schedule for the rest of the semester, and that an announcement will be released soon with more information.

Vice President of Operations Dick Reynolds gave examples of “one-offs” that the university has been doing, such as making the

Starr Plaza in upper campus more accessible, within the “combined rubric of looking at everything in terms of universal design principles” and within the requirements that are enforced by “various local and state authorities.”

“I think you’re all abundantly aware that this is topographically a difficult campus, so we’re also constantly looking at just sidewalks and conditions of sidewalks and alike,” said Reynolds.

“And frankly, to make it clear, our people can’t be everywhere all the time. We need your help. If you see something, let us know.”

Reynolds said that the Task Force 4, the fourth task force laid out as a part of President Liebowitz’s framework for the future, is also hopefully nearing the end.

He said that this program created plans for the near-term developments on campus including renovations, creation and demolition of campus buildings. These plans will support the recommendations that came from the first three task forces, according to Reynolds.

Reynolds also said he will be succeeded by Lois Stanley on Oct. 15.

Matthew Sheehy, the university librarian, talked about new accessibility developments such as access to a program that allows books to be ordered in a digital format and having a service that delivers optical character recognition (OCR) documents

so that they can be read to you.

Sarah Ferguson, Brandeis’ web accessibility specialist, said the parking office has added an email address so that it can be digitally contacted and that there is a new report button so that you can report concerns on brandeis. edu/support. Sixty percent of the main website is now accessible, and they are continuing to make the website more accessible, according to Ferguson.

She also said that OCR software is being added to scanners on campus. The software is currently on scanners in the Gryzmish Center and the Mandel Center and five other places on campus will have the software put in.

Senior Associate Provost Kim Godsoe gave a list of many initiatives that have begun in the school, including increased resource accessibility for people doing research and many physical accessibility updates that have been made in the Heller School.

“We know that there is a tremendous amount of work to be done, but I also want to highlight that we are trying to make steady inroads in a lot of places,” said Godsoe.

She said that the accommodations are not limited to students but also available to faculty and staff.

Sandy Ho, a research associate at the Lurie Institute, said that Lurie has regular speakers, and upcoming speakers include

Rebecca Cockly, director of the Disability Justice Initiative at American Progress, who was awarded as 2020 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life.

Sonia Jurado, inaugural director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, said that her goal is to think about how goals can be addressed in the future. She said she thinks that a 504 Committee would be the next best step and that she would like to hear from members of the community that would be good for the committee, ideally before the end of the semester and that she can be reached through the Office of Equal Opportunity.

“I wish I had known that these resources were available, and there can be amazing progress that can be made, and if students don’t know how to ask the right questions, ask the right people, find the right link, we’re not going to be able to make our own materials accessible.” Shoshi Finkel ’20, one of the original students that drafted the letter to President Liebowtiz asking that their accessibility concerns be addressed. She said that she appreciated that their concerns have been taken seriously.

Jurado said that, like other 504 Committees on other campuses, they are looking at how to best make that information available to everyone.

Taste is more complicated than we think, says gustation researcher Dr. Kathrin Ohla

By Lucy Frenkel staff

Taste, as we think of it, doesn’t really exist, according to human gustation researcher Dr. Kathrin Ohla. Our expectations, past social experiences, other sensory systems and the sequence in which food comes into our mouths help to shape our taste judgements, Ohla told an audience of students and faculty as part of the joint neuroscience/biology colloquium series on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

To understand how tasting flavors works, Ohla—a team leader at the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine in Jülich, Germany—had to manipulate her research participants’ experience by blocking off their ability to smell, see, swallow and hear their food.

When she performs EEG experiments, which are tests that monitor electricity in the brain— and in this case measure gustatory responses—Ohla sprays the taste in liquid form onto the participant’s tongue rather than just giving them the food whose flavor she wants them to taste.

When given a food, participants’ resulting EEG signal can include a lot of “noise” from an amalgam of non-flavor factors, including appearance, smell, sound and texture of the food. Our taste is influenced by other senses as well as our expectations of what something is going to taste like.

Ohla sprays, rather than pumps, food solution onto the tongue of her EEG participants. This step, although seemingly small, is actually huge for achieving some control in experiments.

The flavor solution is equal-

ly distributed along the parts of the sprayed tongue, so that the resultant EEG firing patterns, which are supposed to be showing the firing patterns of the five flavor receptors alone, aren’t actually showing differences in intensity of the stimulus.

Second, there’s no swallowing of any of the stimulus liquid, which would give participants the liquid’s texture to think about, rather than just its taste.

The taste is also held at a constant temperature, to minimize thermal sensations that could impact the EEG recordings.

Finally, all of the stimulus is given at roughly the same time. This gives the experiments some temporal control, which is really important when trying to establish what the stimulus causes, said Ohla.

Ohla also put a plug on par-

ticipants’ noses so that they didn’t experience smell, which influences the taste EEG. And, she puts headphones on the participants, so they don’t hear when she sprays liquid on their tongues. It turns out that participants hearing the stimulus being sprayed can affect the EEG, or in other words, sound can affect whether we like a food or not.

Westerners typically think of just four flavors: salty, sweet, bitter and sour, said Ohla. But there’s a fifth flavor that isn’t as commonly thought of: umami, or savory—a flavor more recognizable to people living in parts of the world which consume more meat products, as in Asia. Different parts of the world being exposed to different flavors more often is something that scientists may overlook, but is extremely consequential when doing lab work, said Ohla.

Ohla said she was inspired to study taste when she realized how little we actually know about it.

To demonstrate, she talked of E. Bruce Goldstein’s “Cognitive Psychology,” a classic for neuroscience students. There are 142 pages dedicated to vision, compared to just five on taste.

And it isn’t the case that taste is “just that simple,” said Ohla.

Early on in her career, Ohla saw that scientists weren’t controlling for taste very well, making conclusions potentially unreliable and invalid. Knowing this, she set out to try to create a more controlled way to study human gustatory perception.

Twenty years ago, it might have been easy to overlook taste as part of our sensory system.

But as Ohla and others have shown, there is still much to be gleaned about the taste process.

Brandeis installs reinforced locks, plans for new security measures after recent stabbings SAFETY, from page 1

The addition of new security cameras is going to be conducted alongside upgrades of existing cameras. Existing security cameras needed to be upgraded, and so adding additional cameras was “a given,” said Buse.

Reynolds elaborated that the university has had a consultant review the existing surveillance system for the past few months, and that the university will start accepting bids for new cameras and control systems “soon,” he wrote to The Hoot.

As of press time, no specific estimates have been provided about when the university expects to

have the cameras installed and upgraded. No university officials provided any estimate of the cost of the cameras nor the locks when asked.

However, Reynolds wrote that both he and the university believe that the new measures are “well worth the cost.”

The decision to install these new security measures involved the Departments of Campus Operations and Public Safety, as well as the Risk Management and Audit Committees on the Board of Trustees, said Buse in an interview with The Hoot. Reynolds also mentioned the Facilities Services Department as having been involved in the decision but

emphasized that the final decision was made by “university senior administration.”

In addition to these planned upgrades to physical security, Reynolds confirmed Liebowitz’s statement about new security personnel in the wake of a recent stabbing incident off campus which led to the hospitalization of two Brandeis University graduate students.

Liebowitz announced that the university would be “increasing the size of [the] campus police force,” including the hiring of a night lieutenant and a new public safety officer for daytime, according to an email addressed to students, faculty and staff on Sept.

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

26. The email did not clarify when these new personnel will be hired or when they will begin work. Liebowitz also announced that the university will be considering an increase in BranVan services at night.

The Hoot contacted Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Stewart Uretsky and Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan. Neither provided statements about the new security measures.

FEATURES

October 4, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot 7

Resilience Fair raises awareness for on-campus resources

By Emily Botto editor

The Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) atrium was transformed on Tuesday, Sept. 24 as the Resilience Fair set up shop, luring students to the event with Lizzy’s Ice Cream and booths peppered with candy and stickers. Lizzy’s donated ice cream for the event free of charge, and volunteers from the Department of Community Service helped dole it out to the students.

Wendy Gordon-Hewick, a coordinator and one of the primary creators of the Resilience Fair, stood guard at the beginning of the half-circle of tables set up by each club, student organization or university department.

For Gordon-Hewick, this was a long time coming. “I’m so glad that it’s finally here,” she said as she organized the flyers and the “passports”—pieces of paper with boxes that students could get checked off by each booth to win prizes—on the Care Team’s table.

The Care Team at Brandeis is a student resource that responds to threats to personal safety, personal or emotional distress, academic distress or any other possibly dangerous behavior by coordinating “the resources of the university to intervene and

provide necessary support,” according to the Brandeis website.

Gordon-Hewick is the Care Team Case Manager, and she has been working with the administration to get the fair up and running. She said that the main goal of the fair is “to help students gain awareness of all the resources here at Brandeis” because many students who could use these resources do not know that they exist.

The Resilience Fair highlighted many different resources available on campus, including: the Dean of Students Office, Brandeis Counseling Center, Prevention, Advocacy, and Resource Center (PARC), International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO), Intercultural Center (ICC), Food Pantry, Academic Resources, Student Accessibility Support, Health Center, Graduate Student Affairs, Health and Wellness Services, Center for Spiritual Life and Gender and Sexuality Center.

Lara Erikson, assistant director of the Center for Spiritual Life, which includes the Chaplaincy of religious leaders on campus, talked about the events the department leads, specifically the Zen Zone. Reverend Matt Carriker, the Brandeis Protestant Chaplain, leads the Zen Zone, an event to practice mindfulness and awareness. Erikson said that connecting

with one’s spiritual life “can really be a source of resilience for people.” The Center for Spiritual Life has numerous other events and resources such as Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Muslim services.

The other resources represented at the Resilience Fair were also looking to raise awareness for their clubs, such as the Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC), founded in 2014.

A representative from the GSC said that the Center is there to support queer students, offer therapy sessions and provide a “safe space for people to come and hang out.” They said that they are still “in the phase of raising visibility.” The center is hosting a “queer and trans clothing exchange,” according to its website, on Oct. 11 to celebrate National Coming Out Day. The Fair also hosted drop-in programs, made up of three outside organizations that support student resilience. Members from these programs came to the SCC to show students even more about resilience on campus. Yoga and Mindfulness, two of the drop-in programs that often work with the Center for Spiritual Life, helped students relax and learn about meditation.

The third drop-in program was a visit from one of the

PHOTOS FROM BRANDEIS.EDU

PHOTO FROM THOUGHTCO.COM

HARLEY QUINN

on-campus therapy dogs. Harley Quinn, Harley for short, waited outside the SCC to eat treats and be pet by students.

The Brandeis therapy dogs are popular Instagram celebrities around campus, and Harley was

a huge draw to passers-by, directing students toward the Fair, so they could check off the therapy dog station on their passports.

The Resilience Fair will return to the SCC twice more this coming school year on Jan. 29 and March 4.

Meet the Brandeis Writers in Residence: Chen Chen and Grace Talusan

By Emma Lichtenstein editor

The Brandeis Writers in Residence are phenomenal people with interesting stories and incredible writing abilities. Brandeis hosts two Writers in Residence, one in poetry and one in novel writing. The Jacob Ziskind Poet in Residence is Chen Chen, who began his time here at Brandeis in fall 2018. Grace Talusan is the Fannie Hurst Writer in Residence, beginning her residency at the start of this semester.

Chen Chen When asked about how he liked Brandeis in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot, Chen Chen immediately replied, “oh, I love it here!” He claims that the creative writing department is fantastic here, and how dedicated students are to the craft of

writing. Chen has taught a creative workshop and a nonfiction writing workshop, and is currently teaching a poetry workshop.

Though he likes teaching here, Chen also mentioned that he is grateful for the flexible schedule he has.

His next publication will be a chapbook—a small collection of poetry—titled “GESUNDHEIT!” that he worked on with best friend Sam Herschel Wein.

This collection will feature individual work by both and two poems they wrote together.

Chen’s past work deals with topics that have clearly hurt him, often referencing his mother for shaming him when she found out he was gay and the struggles of immigration from China. Chen says that these are the topics that demand to be written about; it is less that he chooses the topic, but rather that the topic chooses him.

He acknowledges the benefits

STUDENTS STAND IN LINE AS GRACE TALUSAN SIGNS BOOKS

PHOTOS COURTESY ALONSO NICHOLS

of writing experiences that have impacted him this strongly. He says it is “the most specific writing, most specific experiences that readers end up connecting with.” Even if they cannot relate with the circumstances, they can relate to the emotions conveyed through the memory.

Chen knew that he loved writing from his childhood, when he would make up fanfiction-like skits for his friends to act out during recess.

His decision to pursue writing as a career solidified in his junior year of college when he took a creative writing course.

It was in college that he felt like he had “permission to write about more personal topics,” like the heavy ones noted earlier.

He mentions that with one of his poems, “Race to the Tree”—that took him almost six years to write—he was struggling to balance the desire to have good writing while also processing the emotions of the work. With this in mind, he advises writers to not attempt to write about heavy topics until they feel ready to face the emotions that these topics will bring.

Grace Talusan Though she came to Brandeis very recently, Grace Talusan is already very happy here. On Sept. 18, she did a reading from her novel “The Body Papers” in the Bethlehem Chapel. Talusan told The Hoot she was stunned at the packed room she spoke to, acknowledging the difficulties of actually getting people to show up to book readings.

But even before she arrived she was excited for the position, say-

CHEN CHEN

ing that she “accepted it, like, right away.” Like Chen Chen, she is really grateful to be able to have the flexibility this position allows her.

Talusan is only responsible for teaching one class, giving her to have an excess of free time to work on writing. Currently, she is doing research on Jewish refugees in the Philippines that arrived before World War II, studying the harmonious society they had before the war to the effects of the war.

Talusan’s most recent work is “The Body Papers,” a memoir of her life that touches on the hardships of her childhood, particularly the sexual abuse she endured from her grandfather for seven years.

She knew that she wanted to get the point across, to put in enough detail that people will understand but without graphic repetition.

The decision to publish such heavy material was not an easy one.

Talusan says that she was “writing it because I had to.” Writing it was a form of healing, but

PHOTO FROM AAWW.ORG

putting it out in the world was a tough choice. In the end, she says that she “did it for me, did it for the next generation… for all the people taught to keep a secret… even if it’s not your fault.”

Talusan knew she wanted to be a writer from a young age. She joked about photos of her from her childhood, pretending to write. She had the “desire to write even when I didn’t have letters yet.”

Inspirations to Talusan include Lynda Barry, Jessica Hagedorn and Jia Tolentino, all women of FilipinX descent.

Talusan really emphasized the importance of taking space up as an immigrant woman of color. She discussed not seeing a teacher that looked like she did until she toured colleges; she remembers being floored by seeing a woman of color command the classroom. She hopes to be the representation that she wished she had as a child.

8 FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot

October 4, 2019

The Ottoman Empire: a complex anomaly

By Shruthi Manjunath editor

Brandeis welcomes a new class titled “The Ottoman Empire: From Principality to Republic by way of Empire” taught by Professor Amy Singer (HIST). This class explores the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire as it grows from a small kingdom to a large empire, and will be offered every second year.

Professor Singer joined Brandeis as the Sylvia K. Hassenfeld Chair in Islamic Studies and Middle Eastern Studies in summer 2019, according to a BrandeisNow article. Singer comes to

SULTANS OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Brandeis from Tel Aviv University, where she taught a similar subject. At Tel Aviv University, all the students knew the history of the Ottoman Empire as it is an important part of Israeli and Palestinian history. Most of the students’ families were connected to the Ottoman era and therefore students had many opinions on regional politics and connections to history. In contrast, most Brandeis students are less familiar with the Ottoman Empire.

Therefore, Singer faces different challenges with the students.

In an email with The Brandeis Hoot, Singer explains that she is currently researching the city

PHOTO FROM THOUGHTCO.COM

of Edirne, also known as Byzantine Adrianople, or the second capital of the Ottoman Empire.

She is fascinated by the idea of a capital in the early fifteenth century. Since the Ottomans experienced a lot of movement during the Ottoman era, Edirne is a “wonderful location from which to observe a city, a capital and an empire in the making.”

The Ottoman empire is a hard topic to study due to a variety of reasons. Specifically, the Ottoman empire spans over six hundred years, making it difficult to understand and remember the chronology of events. In addition, the geography of the Ottoman Empire is challenging to remember, due to the fact that students at Brandeis are not as familiar with European geography. Lastly, there are a long list of people who played a part in the Ottoman Empire and remembering them will be difficult.

Singer plans to highlight the formation of the Ottoman empire and how the empire changed overtime through various changes and challenges. She specifically explains that she wants to emphasize “the way in which buildings can be read as documents” and “how foundations/endowments (waqf) configured economic and social relations, funding culture and infrastructure through charitable endeavors.” A “waqf ” is defined as a donation made by a Muslim to a specific cause, whether it be religious or educational. In addition, Singer will call attention to how

AMY SINGER

ethnic nationalism led to the fall of the Ottoman empire and the birth of the Republic of Turkey.

The history of the Ottoman Empire is unique because there are few specific biographies of each ruler. Change in the Ottoman Empire was based on commanders, merchants, financiers, infantrymen, viziers, queens, princesses and many others. Therefore, this class will consist of exploring interactions between individuals based on economics, the balance of power, or other factors.

In terms of unique methods of conducting the class, Singer has added new materials that students can explore on Latte. These materials include images, maps, ways to learn the Turkish language, “A Magnificent Century” —a historical television drama about

PHOTO FROM BRANDEIS.EDU

the Ottoman Empire, as well as selections from Ottoman literature, art and architecture. As part of their homework, students post questions before class and Singer answers to them. This allows students to spend more time on the class material than class time allows and work on their understanding of this complex empire.

Overall, Singer hopes to persuade students that understanding history is important and makes their lives more interesting. Singer hopes that when students leave her class at the end of the semester, they gain an interest in the Ottomans or have an appeal to learn Turkish. She hopes that these students desire to study more history and learn more about how history allows the world to make sense.

EDITORIALS

October 4, 2019

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Candace Ng Polina Potochevska Managing Editor Emily Botto Senior Copy Editor Natalie Fritzson Copy Editor Jennifer Cook Senior News Editor Celia Young News Editor Rachel Saal Arts Editor Jonah Koslofsky Opinions Editor Sasha Skarboviychuk Features Editor Shruthi Manjunath Sports Editor Sophie Trachtenberg Layout Editor Sabrina Chow Social Media Editor Emma Lichtenstein

Volume 16 • Issue 17 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

FOUNDED BY Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

STAFF

Faria Afreen, Medjine Barionette, Emma Belkin, Camila Casanueva, Chris DeMena, James Feltner, John Fornagiel, Lucy Frenkel, Madeline Herrup, Stewart Huang, Gunnar Johnson, Alex Kougasian, Aaron LaFauci, Dane Leoniak, Jesse Lieberman, Josh Lannon, Victoria Morrongiello, Zach Newman, Zachary Sosland, Emerson White, Grace Zhou

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

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

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

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T

The Brandeis Hoot 9

Pop the bubble

he editorial board of The Brandeis Hoot would like to express our sincerest condolences to the members of the Brandeis community who were hurt in the off-campus attack two weeks ago. It is a terrifying and sad event that should have never occurred, yet we are grateful that everyone is alive and in recovery.

We would like to thank the Waltham Police Department and the Brandeis Police for keeping the community informed and protected in the face of the threat. We also acknowledge the work of the administration in sharing announcements about increased safety measures and promoting resources on campus for students who would like additional support in the wake of the attack.

It is an unfortunate reality that violence occurs, and as much as students may talk about the “Brandeis bubble” as a small community within an insulated campus, we are on the edge of a busy town in an even busier area of Massachusetts, and there are constant risks to safety. We neither think that students should feel unsafe nor are we trying to scare anyone. We simply want to remind students that even if the campus feels like a separate world, it is easily breached by the outside.

Compared to other schools, Brandeis has a relatively open cam-

pus with minimal security measures. There are no gated areas, and anyone can enter most academic buildings and student centers during the week. Some buildings, such as residence halls and the science center, require card-swipe entry, but these card readers on the exterior of the buildings are the extent of the buildings’ securities. In reality, it would be very easy for someone to tailgate and follow a student into a residence hall. Students also prop open doors to residence halls for convenience’s sake, making it easy for non-Brandeis students to enter.

The administration has announced that it will be implementing greater safety measures, such as a night lieutenant and an additional daytime public safety officer as well as new and upgraded security cameras.

The unease that many members of the community are now feeling could be perpetuated by these new security measures, reinforcing the notion that students, faculty and staff need to be scared. Reinforcing the walls that separate Brandeis from the rest of the community will not make us safe from the world but less prepared for it. We should not be dependent solely on the administration’s security measures and Brandeis Police to keep us safe.

These new security measures will

not be effective on the Brandeis campus if the students do not work to maintain their own safety. We should take part in our own protection by walking in groups at night, making sure the residence hall exit doors remain locked and not allowing strangers to enter buildings behind us. In addition, Public Safety recommends the following safety measures, as listed in the Clery report: do not lend your key to others, lock doors, do not advertise personal information, report broken windows and do not take showers late at night.

Allowing others to protect us without being proactive about our own safety creates a bubble that cannot be popped, and an inability to protect ourselves after we leave campus.

While Loop Road circles our campus, it also connects Brandeis to South Street and the Greater Boston Area. We need to accept the reality that Waltham and the rest of the world are not as guarded as Brandeis, and that Brandeis itself is not as insulated as we think it is. We are not untouchable or invincible, on or off campus.

Editor’s note: Senior News Editor Celia Young was not involved in the writing of this editorial.

10 The Brandeis Hoot

CLUB TENNIS

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

Success at the third annual Slice N ‘Deis Club Tennis Tournament!

KENNY CHESNEY

RUGBY

WEEK IN PHOTOS

She thinks my tractor’s sexy.

PHOTO BY EMMA LICHTENSTEIN/THE HOOT

Jesus can’t play rugby because he only has 12 friends.

BOO

If you look closely, he’s sticking his tongue out at you.

OSWALD

The bookstore is getting spoooooooky for Halloween.

PHOTO BY SHRUTHI MANJUNATH/THE HOOT

MAX

October 4, 2019

PHOTO BY POLINA POTOCHEVSKA/THE HOOT

PHOTO BY POLINA POTOCHEVSKA/THE HOOT

Look closely, his eyelashes almost reach his nose.

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

SPORTS

October 4, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Women’s soccer wins four straight

By Camila Casanueva staff

The Brandeis University women’s soccer team has been rolling with a 5-2 record and they did not let up on Saturday as they came away with a 4-0 victory over Lasell University in a non-conference match.

Makenna Hunt ’22 scored two goals to lead the way, while classmate Juliette Carreiro ’22 collected two assists. The Judges scored twice in the first eight minutes, both on crossing passes from the left side by Carreiro. She delivered a great pass to Hunt on the near side for her fifth goal of the sea-

son at 7:13 mark, then fed Daria Bakhtiari ’21 a ball to the far side, where she would handle the rest, blasting home her second goal of the season to make the score 2-0.

The Judges were able to extend their lead three minutes into the second half as Ruby Siegel ’23 finished off a corner kick from classmate Caroline Swan ’23 for her first career goal to give Brandeis a 3-0 advantage. Hunt would close out the scoring in the 66th minute with an impressive shot from 30 yards out that found the upper left corner of the goal. The multigoal game was Hunt’s third of the season and her team-leading sixth of the season. Impressively, the Judges have produced a two-goal

scorer in each of their five wins this season. Brandeis finished with a 19-9 advantage in shots.

Goalkeeper Victoria Richardson ’20 played the first half in goal for the Judges, earning the win without making a save, while Rebecca Gold ’22 made four saves in the second half to secure the win.

In their second contest of the week, the Brandeis women’s soccer team came out firing as they went off for four second half goals to blow open a close match as the Judges defeated visiting Wellesley College, 5-0.

In the 35th minute it was Hunt once again who came to the Judges’ aid as she knocked home her team-leading seventh goal of the

PHOTO BY GRACE ZHOU/THE HOOT

season. The goal came off a nice cross from Swan who picked up an assist for the second game in a row. Brandeis blew things open with a pair of goals that were just three minutes apart early in the second half.

In the 57th minute it was Carreiro who would score her fifth of the season when she found the right side of the net off a feed from Katie Hayes ’20. Hayes would knock in a goal of her own, her first of the season and 10th of her career in the 60th minute when she headed home a service

by Hunt.

In the 70th minute it was Carreiro again, making a great delivery this time to a streaking Jessica Herman ’23 who dribbled in on net for the score, her third goal of the season and Carriero’s team-leading fourth assist of the season. Emma Spector ’20 would close out the scoring in the 75th minute by taking advantage of a Wellesley miscue to score her second goal of the season and the fifth of her career. Brandeis goalies took care of business as both Richardson and Gold made one save in their respective halves of play. Brandeis outshot the visiting team 19-6 and had a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The team kept up their winning ways as they defeated visiting Emmanuel College 1-0 in a non-conference matchup on Gordon Field. The Judges have been on a hot streak and it was no different in this contest as Brandeis’s first shot on goal provided the game’s entire offense.

Swan sent a corner kick into the box where midfielder Bakhtiari handled the rest, heading it home for her third goal of the season. The assist was Swan’s third

of the season, one in each of the last three games. The first half was evenly played as Brandeis outshot Emmanuel 5-3. It was in the second half that Brandeis took the major advantage as they outshot Emmanuel 18-1 and had seven of their 10 corner kicks in the final 45 minutes. The one goal would hold up for the Judges as goalies Richarson and Gold handled business, each making a save in 45 minutes of work. Richardson would earn the win by playing the first half.

The Judges earned their fourthstraight shutout as they went on the road to defeat Lesley University. Their first goal would come in the 26th minute when Swan netted her first goal of the season and of her collegiate career. Brandeis outshot Lesley 8-1 in the first half.

However, the home team would turn the tables a bit in the second half, getting the first shot on goal after the break in action. But it was ultimately Brandeis that would strike again in the 57th minute as Spector found Carreiro who blasted home her sixth goal of the season. Carreiro is now second on the team in goals scored and tied for first with 16 points. The lead would hold up as goalie Richardson made three second-half saves.

She would finish with four stops as the Judges registered their fourth straight shutout; it was Richardson’s second solo shutout of the season. With the win the Judges improve to 8-2 and look to continue their winning streak over Homecoming Weekend as they will take on Carnegie Mellon to open up University Athletic Association (UAA) play at Gordon Field for an 11 a.m. contest on Oct. 5.

Volleyball hosts first UAA round robin weekend

By Courtney Thrun special to the hoot

It was another busy week for the Brandeis women’s volleyball team as it played three opponents (Emory University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Rochester) in the University Athletic Association (UAA) round-robin and one regular season opponent, Roger Williams.

To kick things off on Saturday, the Judges played Emory, last year’s national champions. The Brandeis women battled hard, es-

pecially in the third set, but were unable to defeat the now 12-1 Emory Eagles. The Eagles beat the Judges 25-12 in both the first and second sets, and got a slight lead on the Brandeis team in the third set which ended with a score of 25-17. The visiting Eagles won on both sides of the court. Their offense was well executed with a hitting percentage of 0.293, as opposed to the Judges hitting percentage of -.040. Their defense was also well executed with seven blocks and 41 digs, compared to the Judges’ six blocks and 24 digs.

The second game the Judges

played on Saturday against Carnegie Mellon ended in a similar fate. Although Brandeis did win the first set 25-17, they were unable to secure any more set wins, and the Tartans walked away with the victory. The Judges struggled greatly in the second and third sets, losing 25-15 and 25-11.

They did however battle hard in the fourth set, nearly pushing the match to a fifth set, but alas, they finished the set down six with a score of 25-19 and a final score of 3-1 sets for the Tartans.

The Judges had a better offensive game than their match against Emory, with a hitting percentage of 0.105 and winning the battle of aces 5-2. Unfortunately, they were outshone in the defensive category. The Tartans had eight blocks and 68 digs, while the Judges only had five blocks and 49 digs.

On Sunday the Judges faced their last UAA opponent of the week, the University of Rochester. The two teams duked it out, neither team allowing the other to obtain an easy victory. The first set went to Rochester 25-12, but Brandeis was quick to answer back, winning the next two sets 25-13. The Yellowjackets secured the fourth set 25-18, pushing the game to a fifth set. Ultimately it was the Judges who emerged victorious, winning the set 15-8, with an overall score of 3-2. Led

by Emma Bartlett ’20, who had 17 kills, Brandeis was able to earn a hitting percentage of 0.167, their best of the weekend. The Judges were also able to win the battle

EMMA BARTLETT ‘20 SENDS BALL OVER NET

of digs 76-68, led by Kaitlyn Oh ’22 who had 23 digs herself. The Yellowjackets did however get the best of the Judges in blocks (5-4) and in aces (17-10).

After back to back to back UAA opponents, the Brandeis women’s volleyball team was able to play a regular season game against Roger Williams University. The teams were very evenly matched, and pushed two out of four sets into overtime. The first of those sets was the first, which Brandeis ended up losing 27-25. The second set went much better for the Judges who won it 25-18. The third set was also pushed into overtime,

PHOTOS BY GRACE ZHOU/THE HOOT

and once again the Hawks came out on top, winning the set 30-28.

The fourth and final set was another close one, but unfortunately the Judges were unable to push for a 5th and lost 25-23, for a final score of 3-1. The stats from this game are a clear representation of how evenly matched the teams were. Brandeis won the battles of hitting percentage (0.196-0.189), blocks (18-8), and aces (11-10), while the Hawks won in digs (7270).

Stay tuned for the Judges’ next game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Thursday, Oct. 3rd at home in Auerbach Arena.

12 SPORTS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 4, 2019

Men’s soccer picks up two wins and two ties, beats undefeated MIT

By Emerson White staff

In the last two weeks, the Brandeis men’s soccer team finished with two ties and two wins, leading up to conference play. The Judges came to a draw with both Western New England University and Wheaton College, but were able to get back on the winning side, coming out on top of Mitchell College with a score of 3-0, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2-0.

Last week the Judges traveled to Western New England University where they tied the Golden Bears 2-2. The home team was the first to score in the 10th minute when Chris Manousos was able to connect with the net on a penalty kick. Just 10 minutes later, the Judges were able to equalize in the 20th minute when Michael Burch ’22 connected a through ball to classmate Jared Panson ’22, who found the net, scoring his second goal of the season.

Brandeis quickly went on to take the lead less than two minutes after their first goal when rookie Adam Kulick ’23 recovered Panson’s rebound and find the back of the net, giving him his first collegiate goal. The Judges closed out the first half 2-1, but in the second half Charlie Argyle got his head on a free kick from Connor Prindle for the Golden Bears, tying the score at 2-2. In overtime Brandeis and Western New England each connected with the net, but both goals were called off, the Golden Bears for a hand ball and the Judges for offsides.

Overall, the Judges outshot

the Golden Bears 16-14, while each had seven on goal. Senior goalkeeper Greg Irwin ’20 also made five stops for Brandeis. Irwin’s performance led him to be UAA’s men’s defensive player of the week.

Then on Tuesday the men’s soccer team was on the road again to play Wheaton College. The Judges battled the Lyons into double

overtime, but were unable to secure the win and tied 0-0. This gave the Judges their third tie of the season and their second tie in a row, after coming to a draw with Western New England.

Despite the Judges outshooting Wheaton 20-18, they were unable to get one past Wheaton’s goalie, Diego Medina. Greg Irwin also performed well for the Judges

making six saves, just one short of a career high. With less than two minutes left in the game the Judges were able to put one in the net, but the goal was called off for being offsides.

Finally, the Judges were able to end their losing streak when they traveled to Mitchell College on Saturday. They beat the Mariners 3-0, giving them their fourth win

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

WILL DENIGHT ‘23 SCORES TWO AGAINST MIT

of the season. The Judges scored all three of their goals within the 15 to 30 minute mark.

At the 16 minute mark, Dylan Hennessy ’19 scored the first goal for Brandeis on a free kick. Then just a short five minutes later Panson sent a corner kick into the box and Max Breiter ’19 was able to get his head on the ball and send it into the net. Finally, freshman Will DeNight ’23 closed out the scoring in the 31st minute, giving the Judges the 3-0 win.

Overall, the Judges outshot the Mariners 20-2, allowing only one shot on goal for Mitchell. Irwin only had to make one save to secure his third shutout of the season.

The Judges returned to Gordon Field on Tuesday where they faced Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at home.

Brandeis gave MIT their first loss of the season, beating the Engineers 2-0. DeNight was the star of the game for the Judges, scoring both of the teams’ goals.

With these two goals, DeNight now leads the UAA. Jake Davis ’22 gave DeNight the assist in the 33rd minute of play, and DeNight sent the ball into the back of the net. DeNight then added his second goal of the night in the 72nd minute.

Brandeis outshot MIT 22-10 and had 10 shots on goal, and Irwin played his part in the win with three saves. This gave Irwin his third shutout in a row and his fourth of the season.

Brandeis moves on to 5-2-3 for the season as they move into conference play this weekend, where they will face Carnegie Mellon University.

XC strides at UMass Dartmouth Invitational

By Caroline Wang special to the hoot

After their last race at the Wellesley Invitational, the Brandeis cross country team headed to their annual race at the UMass Dartmouth Invitation. Men placed seventh, while the women’s team placed 13th, with the men improving six spots from last year’s competition.

Overall, the men’s team placed fourth among NCAA Division III schools, while the women’s team placed 10th.

Mark Murdy ’21 took the lead for the Judges’ men’s team with an eighth place finish out of 250 competitors. He improved 27 places from his first year. Murdy came back strong from an injury that caused him to miss his sophomore season, placing first in the

ERIN MAGILL ‘22

Wellesley Invite three weeks ago.

He finished this 5-mile race with a time of 25:30.21.

Matthew Dribben ’22 also made great strides. He finished in 45th place last year, but this time he not only cut half a minute off his time but also placed in 17th overall.

His finishing time was 25:53.22.

The other top five finishers for the Judges were Dan Curley ’20, Alec Rodgers ’20 and Casey Brackett ’23. Curley came in 51st with the time 26:53.00, his first time breaking 27 minutes at UMD. Next was Rodgers in 61st place with a time of 27:09.38. Last was Brackett, the only rookie to cross the finish line, with a time of 27:40.08. The team looks forward to seeing his potential growth in future competitions.

These top five male finishers helped the Judges to place 7th as a team, with a score of 209. The

PHOTO FROM TWITTER.COM

Judges were only cumulatively 8 points higher than the 6th place finishers from Assumption College. Brandeis fell behind the top finishers from the first-placed Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), followed by UMass Lowell in second and Trinity College (Conn.) in third. The top runner came from the Bantams of Trinity, as Weyessa McAlister finished at 24:46.42.

On the women’s side, the Judges’ top five finishers were Erin Magill ’22, Bridget Pickard ’23, Hannah Walsh ’22, Leinni Valdez ’21 and Natalie Hattan ’22. The women’s competition took place on a 5K course.

Magill broke her personal record by 30 seconds, making this run 40 seconds faster than her best time on this specific course.

She finished with an overall time of 18:54.59, with her average speed falling at four minutes per kilometer. Such improvements helped her place 13th, moving up 23 spots from her last performance at the University of Maryland (UMD.) Pickard came second for the Judges team with a time of 20:13.57. In just her second race as a collegiate athlete, the rookie runner from Westwood, MA finished in 68th place out of 263 runners.

Walsh followed next for the Brandeis women. In her second year running for the Judges, she beat her previous time at UMD by about 25 seconds, therefore placing 98th in the race. She was able to cross the finish line with a 5K time of under 21 minutes, run-

MARK MURDY ‘21

ning exactly a 20:47.33.

Next, Valdez came in 102nd place with a time of 20:50.54, with Hattan coming in right behind to round off the top five finishers from Brandeis. She ended in 121st place with a time of 21:01.34.

Lastly, Kate Danzinger ’22 came in at 153rd place with an impressive time of 21:41.16.

Overall, the team scored 376 points, which placed the Judges’ at 13th overall. Holy Cross came in first, followed by Mount Holyoke and then WPI. Holy Cross had the best showing with four

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

out of their top five runners finishing within the top 20, and the fifth coming in at just 23rd place.

Mount Holyoke was also notable, with their two top runners coming in one after the other and placing in 5th and 6th respectively.

The Judges have a busy schedule coming up, first returning to action this Saturday at the Keene State Invitational. Two weeks later, they will head to the Connecticut College Invitational, and then finally the UAA championships on Nov. 2 at Carnegie Mellon.

October 4, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot

SPORTS 13

Six inducted into athletic hall of fame

By Sabrina Chow editor

Six former Brandeis athletes will further their legacy as they are inducted into the Brandeis Athletic Hall of Fame. These Judges are the 16th class of athletes to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after its inception in 1993.

All the inductees will be honored around campus and the surrounding Brandeis community during Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6.

Harold “Hal” Appel ’56 Appel was an undersized twoway lineman for the Brandeis football team, standing at 5’8” and 165 pounds while he was on the team. He was known as one of “Benny Freidman’s Boys” during his time at Brandeis. Friedman was the athletic director at Brandeis from June 1949 until April 1963 and was the first head coach for the football team.

As a football star, Appel received three All-New England

honors during his senior year and an Associated Press (AP) Little All-America Honorable Mention.

He is now a member of the Board of Fellows, which is a group of alumni and friends of the university elected “in recognition of their significant contributions of time and resources to the university.”

Barry Harsip ’73 Harsip was one of the best men’s soccer players before the Mike Coven era. Coven was head coach of soccer for 44 years at Brandeis (1976-2006). As a defender, Harsip received All-New England honors when there was only one All-New England team among NCAA Division I, II and III athletes.

After leaving Brandeis, he received his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1979 and a masters of education in counseling from Boston College in 1976. Harsip is a lawyer that specializes in family issues and also teaches courses.

Misael “Misa” Fossas ’85 Fossas is among one of the most decorated cross country and track and field athletes in Brandeis program history. He was a member of the 1983 cross country team that won nationals and is also a three-time All-American runner in both cross country and track and field.

During his junior season, Fossas finished 14th at nationals in cross country. He also placed third in the 10,000 meter run at national outdoor track and field championships. His senior season he finished seventh at nationals.

Fossas is currently the head coach for men’s and women’s cross country and track and field at Nichols College.

Jerrion (Benjamin) Forrester ’96 Forrester was also a track legend during her time at Brandeis.

Her school records on the 55-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter dash still stand after 25 years. She is also a 12-time UAA champion and four-time All-American.

Women’s tennis starts off fall season, Dehterevich shines

By Sophie Trachtenberg

Her All-Americans are twice in the 55-meter dash indoors and twice outdoors in the 100-meter dash.

After her Brandeis career, Forrestor became a staff attorney in the Office of Public Defender in New Brunswick, NJ and has been there for over 10 years. She mainly represents minors under the state’s custody or supervises in complex litigation dealing with child welfare.

Matt Christian ’05 Christian was a decorated Brandeis swimmer who still holds records in the 200 and 400 yard individual medleys. By the time he graduated, he also had six individual records and four relay records. Christian was a three time All-UAA swimmer and a 12-time New England champion in various events.

After graduating, he received his masters of business administration from Northeastern University.

Aizenberg leads men’s tennis

By Francesca Marchese

editor

special to the hoot

Brandeis women’s tennis team saw action in back-to-back weekends to begin their fall season, first competing at the Wallach Doubles Invitational hosted by Bates College in Lewiston, ME, and then again at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association New England Women’s Regional hosted

by Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT. At Bates, the Judges sent two pairs of doubles partners to compete for the weekend. First, Diana Dehterevich ’20 and partner Lauren Bertsch ’21 took on the hosting Bobcats to open up round two, defeating them handily by an overall score of 8-0. In round two, Isabel Cepeda ’21 and Ana Hatfield ’22 defeated Bates again by an 8-2 margin. Next in the quarterfinals, Dehterevich and Bertsch moved on to play against opponents from Merrimack College, defeating them by a closer score of 8-6. This is where Cepeda and Hatfield fell to the Bowdoin Polar Bears, falling 8-0.

With the win over the Merrimack Warriors, the duo of Dehtererich and Bertsch then advanced to the finals, taking on

LAUREN BERTSCH ‘21

DIANA DEHTEREVICH ‘20

another pair from Bowdoin. After a hard-fought match, the team fell by a score of 8-6, being named the runner up. In the consolation bracket, Cepeda and Hatfield defeated Merrimack by a close margin of 8-7(6). Also in consolation play, Cepeda and Grace Wang ’23 fell to opponents from Colby College in an 8-1 fashion to close out the tournament.

In the ITA regional the following weekend, Dehterevich had yet another impressive showing, making it all the way to the round of sixteen. She was seeded at 9-19, first taking on a Middlebury Pan-

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

ther, the host of the tournament, and won in a three match set by scores of 6-1, 6-7, 10-5.

Next, she took on the Babson Beavers on the second day of matches, winning handily by scores of 6-3, 6-2. Lastly, in the round of sixteen, Dehterevich could not continue the streak, falling to MIT in a lengthy match, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 10-4.

Hatfield also advanced past the first round as she beat an opponent from Springfield 6-2, 6-2 to make it to round two. She then fell to the Tufts University Jumbos by the exact same score in the following match. For Bertsch and Cepeda, their first round competition proved to be quite tough, as Bertsch lost to a sixth-seeded Wesleyan 6-1, 6-0, and Cepeda also yielded a loss to Wellesley with scores of 6-2, 6-4.

The Judges also competed in the doubles category, however, Dehterevich and Bertsch did not see the same outcome as the weekend beforehand, as they were upset in the first round by the Amherst Mammoths with a score of 8-6.

Hatfield and Cepeda also took the court, putting up a great fight yet still falling 8-5 to the top seeded duo from Tufts.

The Judges will compete again on October 11th and 12th, this time at both Amherst College and Mount Holyoke College in the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament.

Lorraine (Wingenbach) Maxwell ’09 Maxwell is one of the most famous volleyball players in the history of the program. She was the first All-American volleyball player in Brandeis’ history and a career leader in kills throughout her four years. Maxwell is also third highest in service aces and fourth highest career number of digs.

She was also a part of the two top scoring seasons in program history, which happened during her freshman and junior years.

Maxwell and her team won back to back Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) titles her freshman and sophomore years in 2006 and 2007. 2007 was also a record year for the volleyball program, with 28 total wins in the season.

After her undergraduate career at Brandeis, Maxwell went on to Brandeis’ International Business School (IBS) where she completed her master’s degree in international economics and finance. She is now an international business analyst at Rich Products Corporation in New York.

Last weekend, Brandeis men’s tennis traveled to Colby College in Waterville, ME to compete in the 2019 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) New England Regional Tournament. Brandeis captain David Aizenberg ’20 found great success this weekend, as he not only advanced to the quarterfinals in both the singles and doubles draws, but he also was recognized as the University Athletic Association (UAA) Athlete of the Week.

As the third seed in singles action Aizenberg opened the tournament with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Babson’s Jason Weisman. In the second round, he defeated his opponent, Jan Wegner of Colby College, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). His success over Weisman advanced him to the second day of action in the ITA Regional Tournament.

In the round of 16, Aizenberg secured the win over Middlebury College’s Aidan Harris, 6-1, 6-2.

Unfortunately, he was unable to outplay Stan Morris of Middlebury College in the quarter finals, falling 6-4, 6-3.

Aizenberg and his doubles partner, Anupreeth Coramutla ’21, entered as the second seed. After defeating Justin Patel and Michael Vergara of Bowdoin College, Aizenberg and Coramutla advanced to the second day of play, where they reached the third round with an 8-3 win over Shaw Rhinelander and Kevin Ma of Amherst College, but suffered a tough loss to Tufts in the quarterfinals with a final score of 8-6.

Coramutla also advanced to the second day of action as the sixth seed of the singles bracket, after clinching a three-setter from Joshua Maxwell Conlin of Babson, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 and defeating Peter Freylinghausen of Williams, one of the doubles champions, 6-3, 6-1. Unfortunately on day two, Coramutla fell to Noah Lillienthal of Wesleyan, the 9-16 seed, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, in the round of 16.

Adam Tzeng ’22, a 9-16 seed in the ITA Regional tournament as well, outplayed Bass Lin of Emerson in his opener, 6-2, 6-3, and continued to find success over Middlebury’s Andre Xiao, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Boris Sorkin of Tufts, the second seed and eventual champion, edged out Tzeng in the third round, 6-3, 6-3. However, in the doubles competition, Tzeng and his partner, fellow classmate Jeffery Chen ’22, won their opener easily over a talented duo from MIT, 8-0. However, the Judges fell short in the second round, losing 8-3 to Ravaghan and Kam of Williams College.

Chen edged out Ross DeRose of Trinity, 6-1, 7-5, which advanced him to the second round of the singles competition. However, the Brandeis second-year fell short in the second round to opponent Robby Ward of Middlebury College, 6-2, 2-6, 6-0. Next, Nikhil Das ’21 fell to his opponent in the first round of singles action, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, while the pair of Colt Tegtmeier ’22 and Simon Kauppila ’22 were defeated by top seeded and eventual champions Taylor and Freylinghausen of Williams.

DAVID AIZENBERG ‘20 AND ANUPREETH CORAMUTLA ‘21

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

14 The Brandeis Hoot

OPINIONS

October 4, 2019

The difference between satire and trolling

By Alex Kougasian staff

Hate groups in the modern era have needed to devise unique ways of justifying or inserting their hateful beliefs in the mainstream. The public is generally culturally against such overt representations of racism or sexism, so hate groups are relegated to outsider status until they can find ways to permeate the collective social consciousness. In America, hate groups have unfortunately become more widely accepted.

Riding on the back of conservative emotion and through the masquerade of nationalist traditionalism, hate groups have found a home in Trumpian political thought.

This account requires some clarification. Hate groups likely would not have been able to break into the mainstream if the mainstream did not carry these ideas latently to some degree. This is also far from the first instance of hate groups being successful in this plight.

But the point of presenting the triumph of hate in the Trumpian era is to shed light on why we need to think critically about the strategies of these groups. Their goal is to reorient our collective values to align with theirs of prejudice and “otherism” by blatant or subconscious means. One such subconscious means is the perversion of satire.

Sites like 4Chan, Reddit, Facebook and Twitter carry pockets of hyper-offensive “comedy” com-

munities. To say that everyone who participates in this form of “comedy” is hateful may be a slight stretch. But it can be said with certainty that all who participate are contributing to hate in a very tangible way. Those who do this defend their actions by citing free speech or by maintaining that it is “just a joke” when confronted about their hate.

There is a sinister purpose to this that transcends the immediate shock of the “jokes” themselves. Hate groups revel in the ambiguity left behind by more opaque forms of irony. If you joke about hating Jewish people enough, does it matter whether or not you are being ironic? This normalization is the goal of hate groups that promote the weaponizing of irony.

When the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, had its style guide made public around two years ago, one of the recommendations made to its writers was to “[mock] stereotypes of hateful racists” as a way of maintaining a more palatable tone when voicing genuine hateful opinions. Irony, for hate groups, is a vehicle for mainstream indoctrination.

Whether we like it or not, every instance of satire in mainstream culture contributes to a veil of irony behind which transparently hateful people hide.

How, if at all, can we differentiate this intentional re-engineering of morality from the satire in which comedians engage on a regular basis? As I stated previously, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that the normalizing of irony aids the normalizing of hate. So

regardless of circumstance, mainstream comedians that promote similar genres of satire will have some responsibility in the creation of this issue. But to say that all comedians and laypeople that engage in satire are committing an analogous sin to the ones committed by reprehensible champions of hate feels like a worrying comparison to draw.

There is a necessary distinction between the two groups. Both groups may contribute to the same issue, but it should remain clear that the hateful exploit the non-hateful to spread their ideology. Comedians and laypeople intend to use satire in a relatively obvious way. That is to say they attempt to use satire, not to obscure a thought but to subvert it. While satire is not always transparent, it is generally thought to be the case that obscure instances of satire have failed to some degree. On the other hand, hate groups and complacent actors take part in something known as “trolling.”

Trolling occurs when irony is not used to subvert a thought; trolling is the functional enshrouding of a thought through irony. Some individuals troll with the intent to bother people. In order to soften the message until it becomes tolerable by the public, hate groups troll in order to obscure their abhorrent message.

Whether intended or not, the result is the normalization of radical ideology.

Trolling is an evil brought about by satire’s popularity. The conclusion that should be drawn from this designation is that, while satire may not be bad in it-

self, obscure satire does have the potential to be bad and should be avoided. If satire is used, the point being made should be bold and unmistakable. Some consider joke-telling to be worth interpreting as an art form. However, as with other forms of art, interpretation breeds normalization for better or for worse. Films with propagandized interpretations have normalized and spread the ideologies they harbor just as jokes with racist or sexist interpretations.

It is important to note that the use of interpretations to normalize and spread thoughts is not new and is not always bad. In-

terpretation can be used to code society with healthy understandings of race, gender and sexuality.

This has been done by LGBTQ comedians in order to make the deconstruction of the binary or dissections of heteronormativity more acceptable.

Even so, the vulnerability of the social consciousness warrants a critical analysis of the ideas we are being encouraged towards, especially if subliminally. Reality both conforms to and creates our understanding of it; it is imperative that, with what power we have over the way we see the world, we discern truth and inclusion over fallacy and hate.

PHOTO FROM SAVAGECHICKENS.COM

When someone’s choking...

By John Fornagiel staff

While eating out at a restaurant and relaxing with your friends and family, one of the last things on your mind would be the presence of a hazard, such as choking.

However, according to the National Safety Council, choking is the fourth leading cause of death due to unintentional injuries.

Knowing the steps to take when someone is choking is crucial to quickly and effectively restore proper breathing.

The universal sign for choking is two hands clutching the throat, and in addition, most adults and children often panic and stand up.

However, if the person that is choking does not give these obvious signals, other signs to look for include an inability to talk or cry, a weak or strong cough, pale blue skin and an inability to breathe.

Assessing the person for signs such as a cough are important, as these help to determine what needs to be done to help the person. If the person has a strong forceful cough, then encourage them to continue coughing. This will eventually dislodge the foreign object. However, if the person has a weak and ineffective cough, then it is essential to administer abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich Maneuver. By recognizing the need for the Heimlich Maneuver and by administering it effectively, the person should be able to dislodge the foreign object and breathe freely. The steps to administer abdominal thrusts on an individual

PHOTO FROM HEIMLICHHEROS.COM

other than yourself are detailed below: 1. Stand directly behind the person choking.

2. Make a fist slightly above their belly button.

3. Grip your fist with your other hand.

4. Forcefully perform a J-shaped motion. Pull the person choking towards yourself, and then perform a quick upwards motion, trying to forcefully and quickly pop your hands up underneath their ribs.

5.

Continue until blockage is dislodged.

In the case of an obese or pregnant victim, instead of your hands being placed above their belly button, they should be placed on the chest of your patient.

It is also essential to perform the J-shaped motion in the Heimlich Maneuver forcefully, to dis-

lodge any objects.

Now imagine a situation where you are choking, except there is no one around to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on you.

Although a very scary scenario, this can easily happen if you are alone frequently.

To perform the Heimlich Maneuver on yourself, follow the procedure below.

1. Make a fist slightly above your belly button 2. Grip your fist with your other hand 3. Bend over a hard surface such as a countertop or table.

4. Jump over the hard surface and land on your abdomen. Simultaneously push your fist inwards and upwards in a J-shaped motion 5. Continue until blockage is dislodged

PHOTO FROM DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

An infant choking is perhaps one of the scariest situations for a person to be in, and due to their size, the procedure in this scenario is drastically different than for an adult. For an infant, it is essential to stay calm, compose yourself, and follow the process below.

1. Sit down and hold the infant face down on your forearm with their face in your palm.

2. Using the heel of your palm with your other hand, firmly hit the infant in the middle of the back five times.

3. Turn the infant face up so the infant is resting on your forearm. With two fingers on the other hand, push downwards on their sternum to a depth of one inch. This will likely require more force than you initially think.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3.

Now that you have dislodged

the object from the victim’s mouth, go pat yourself on the back for a job well done; you could have very well just saved a life! Performing the Heimlich Maneuver and other skills is one of the first steps in becoming more comfortable with dealing with this medical emergency. By being brave enough to step in and save a life, you will prepare yourself to deal with the same emergency once again, this time with a new confident look on your face.

Note: These articles are goodfaith attempts to be helpful to the Brandeis community, and are by no means to be taken as universal.

This article does not replace the advice of a medical professional.

This article is not written on behalf of the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo) and is not affiliated with BEMCo in any manner.

October 4, 2019

OPINIONS 15

The Brandeis Hoot

Vaping-related illness takes eight lives

By Danielle Wright special to the hoot

Bridge to Wellness (BTW) is a peer led group at Brandeis for educating and empowering students to prioritize well-being and practice healthy decision making around substance abuse, stress management, nutrition, fitness, and mental health. BTW works to strengthen access and connections between students and campus resources. Through active community involvement, BTW hopes to improve the student experience at Brandeis for all.

The recent wave of vaping-related illness is suspected to have taken the life of yet another person. According to USA Today, this marks the eighth individual to have died due to vaping-related lung disease. Because e-cigarette technology is so new, the relationship between the products and health is not fully understood.

This setback unfortunately leaves these investigations in only the early stages of research and analysis.

The 530 confirmed and probable cases of vaping-related lung disease are disturbingly comparable to cases involving toxic inhalation pneumonitis normally seen in occupational or communityenvironments where fires, accidents or other high levels of exposure to metals or chemicals occur. Data collected from these cases shows a pattern of coughing, severe breathing difficulties, nausea, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea over a series of days.

Aside from symptoms, data has also pinpointed that the majority of patients suffering from respiratory distress are young men.

As of now, no specific product or substance has been identified as the cause of such illnesses, but cartridge hacking or mixing liquid agents might result in contaminants and the production of new toxic agents that can possibly cause lung inflammation and scarring.

A deeper investigation must be conducted in order to study the results of such practices, but e-cigarette fluids are already shown to carry six categories of potentially toxic compounds.

Two flavor substances have also demonstrated the ability to disrupt gene expression pathways of critical cell processes necessary for bronchial epithelial cells in humans.

While data on how patients use the devices, illicit e-cigarette usage (authorities are analyzing what other substances reside in black market cartridges) and pa-

tient pre-existing illnesses must be collected to target the culprit, it is understood that patients are seeing lung illnesses after vaping THC, nicotine or a combination of both.

Since vaping products have been released, millions of adults decided to switch their nicotine source to vaping devices as a potentially safer substitute to cigarettes.

However, with flavored products at the forefront of the market, it comes as no surprise that adolescents were the primary target audience for marketing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vape ads have reached over 18 million middle and high school students. Not surprisingly, trends developed through social media challenges and the popularity of the Juul, a specific brand of vape, became widespread among youth.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse collected data showing that 25 percent of high school seniors were using some form of e-cigarettes as of 2018. This data is particularly alarming because nicotine is more destructive for the adolescent brain.

According to Yale Medicine, the developing brain is more receptive to a primitive mechanism known as the “reward system,” and nicotine plays into this mechanism to make it much more difficult to resist, and much easier to get addicted.

Despite being invented in 2003, it was not until 2010 that vaping took off as a popular trend. Its popularity only grew as flavors were introduced and vape mods became more complex.

According to the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey, the percent of Brandeis undergraduates who reported e-cigarette use in the last 30 days rose from 3.4 percent in 2016 to 9.0 percent in 2018.

While many patients will recover from the vaping-related illness that brought them to the hospital, the lifelong health conditions are

still unknown. Because these devices are so new, it seems the consequences will remain unknown to the public until they happen to real people or until more intensive studies take place.

The claim that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative spread and stuck due to the lack of research available about the short and longterm effects of vaping and the limited knowledge on the chemicals in the devices.

Because the $2.6 billion e-cigarette market was able to walk the thin line between full-disclosure and a complete lack of information, individuals are now suing e-cigarette companies for false information on the dangers of vaping. Since the emergence of these cases, public agencies have begun taking steps to learn more about e-cigarette products and are pushing back against the reckless actions by the e-cigarette companies.

The enforcement arm of the Food and Drug Administration has begun intensive research to support the investigation headed by the CDC. Their work involves close communication with state and local health officials to gain comprehensive facts on the cases.

With assistance from state public health officials, the FDA is testing a number of products for poisons, heavy metals, cutting agents, pesticides, opioids, toxins and other chemicals. This information will hopefully allude to which products are high risk for causing the vaping epidemic.

In conjunction with the investigation, the Trump administration announced that e-cigarette companies will be forced to remove flavored vaping products from the market in efforts to protect the youth population.

The FDA is in the process of completing a policy to eliminate much of the non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes. These steps intend to take a firm stance against the distressing illness and aim to support the affected communities across the country.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Governor Baker declared a four-month ban on all vaping products in Massachusetts. While this is a bold move to protect public health, nicotine and THC are addictive and some vape users may find it hard to go without. There are many resources out there to support you, like www.mylifemyquit. com, which offers free quit coach-

ing for young adults via text or phone calls.

Brandeis students can make an appointment at the Health Center by calling (781)-736-3677 to discuss nicotine cessation medications and other options. Students can also access the Counseling Center at (781) 736-3730 for individual and group support for quitting or cutting back on nicotine and/or cannabis. There is also a local Marijuana Anonymous meeting held weekly on Wednesdays from 8 to 9 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church of Waltham at 6 Eddy Street.

Up until recent weeks, regular users of e-cigarettes could brush aside concerns about harmful consequences due to ignorance on the matter. Now, potential evidence of deadly toxic inhalation is undeniable, and users, policy makers and public health organizations are taking more direct action on vaping regulations.

In the words of a Brandeis Legal Studies and HSSP professor, Sarah Curi, “we are in the early stages of understanding it all, and we need science, public health and politics to come together in order to find a solution for this epidemic.”

PHOTO FROM KDRV.COM

Doing nothing: it’s okay

By Emily Botto editor

As I started classes this semester, I listened to every person in every class list their majors and minors, each person reciting a longer and longer list.

At Brandeis we joke about everyone having more than one major, about the overachievers and the never-had-a-moment-tobreathers.

And sitting in class as a first-semester senior listening to upperclassmen listing their two to three majors and two to three minors, I wondered what kind of example we were putting on for the freshman class.

These fresh-out-of-high-school 17- and 18-year-olds are watching us as upperclassmen, and they’re thinking that this is the norm. Because at Brandeis, it is.

We are setting an example of overworking ourselves. I’m not trying to assign blame because I don’t think there is anyone or anywhere to assign it.

You could blame the student body, the administration or society as a whole, but none of these are quite right. The exact cause is not clear, but the effect is undeniable.

Sophomore year my roommate burned out from working and studying nonstop since freshman year of high school.

We spent the whole year worried about her as she continued to go through school and work even though she could barely walk and had visited countless doctors trying to figure out what was wrong.

My graduated friends talk to me about all the people they know who had to move home because they had a nervous breakdown after joining the workforce.

These stories are endless, and

they happen because of this college culture of pride in one’s exhaustion.

Brandeis has endless resources to help us handle our hectic lives, and more are appearing as clubs and departments every semester.

Increased staff at the counseling center, therapy dogs, meditation sessions, “Stressbusters” and Resilience Fairs all show exactly how much help we need when it comes to handling our stress.

I am grateful to the administrators that saw the need for these resources because they are important for the health of the student body.

However, recently I have started to wonder why we need them in the first place.

As Brandeis students, and as students in general, we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hold our breath until graduation. And then hold our breath until retirement.

But we shouldn’t have to force ourselves to work harder than we should because we’re scared of the world that is chasing us after we graduate.

Yes, we need these resources, and yes, I am grateful that they are available to us, but I am sad that they have become necessary for us to survive, and I wonder what will happen when we don’t live in a place that provides these resources for us.

We as upperclassman need to let others know that it is not commendable to work instead of sleep, that it is not impressive to not have any time to eat because you have back-to-back activities from dusk to dawn.

We need to take care of ourselves over our studies and over our career because the better we feel and the healthier we are, the better we perform at school and at work.

I can’t stop our society or our

school from putting as much pressure on its young people as it does, nor can I resist bowing under this pressure myself, feeling the anxiety and stress that comes with the never-ending question “What are you doing next year?”

But I can implore, as a senior, that no one feels the need to take on more responsibilities or classes just so they feel like they’re doing “enough” because “enough” doesn’t exist.

What does exist is a place where you’re doing what you love and what you enjoy without being choked by the lack of time to rest or room to breathe.

So, take on that extra major or minor, join that third or fourth club but only if it’s something you truly want to do.

On the other hand, drop that extra class that you don’t need and lie in bed in the middle of the day on a Tuesday because you goddamn deserve it.

16 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

On privilege

By Faria Afreen staff

I immigrated with my mom from Bangladesh when I was four to join my dad who was then a photograph specialist at a shop in Cambridge, MA. I realize that while my parents may not be college educated, growing up in Cambridge has given me enormous privileges. I think it’s still hard for people to understand that being privileged is not black and white. It is not that you are or you are not. We fall on a radar graph, but I like to think of it more that we all are fortunate somehow. Perhaps it’s that we come from loving families, our family owns a car or we went to a really great high school. We all have different types of social, economic and institution capital that we can leverage.

I have had friends tell me that they feel guilty about being fortunate because they do not have to worry about money or home. I love my friends, so I tell them that it is important to realize that if they want to do something about their privilege, feeling pity is not it. Giving back to the community, taking a friend out to lunch or dinner or leveraging your privilege to make sure others are heard is the way to go.

For example, when I was at the student fair, my club: Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), which was founded to help Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans gain leadership experience, careers and degrees in the science, was between two other clubs: Brandeis Encourages Women in Science and Engineering (BeWise, for which I am also an E-board member) and Society of Asian American Scientists and Engineers (SASE). Both clubs had many more people sign up for their email list than SACNAS. I told the freshmen gathering around that SACNAS is a national organization which aims to increase the diversity of the science workforce and about our upcoming events, but many sim-

ply smiled and moved on. Sitting there and having people pass by as I advertised our club upset me. I’m trying to figure out how we can teach others to care about issues that are not directly affecting them. How can I still voice my thoughts without generalizing so people care?

Despite this, I think the sciences at Brandeis really bonds people from different backgrounds because the classes are rigorous.

However, as a first-generation student, I quickly realized that everyone has some other method of support. I once had a TA tell me that she aced her classes because she had gathered practice exams from up to five years back. There are other people who take Adderall, have hired personal tutors or have a Chegg account. There are also others who I heard have simply cheated using their phones during the test or in the bathroom. Many even have parents who can talk to them about what they’re learning.

It’s a little amazing to me to think about all the ways I have to level the playing field for myself, but it is also really great for my ever-present imposter syndrome.

First generation students can perhaps have similar resources too, through the institution, but it’s usually costly in time and/or money. I can’t go to office hours in the evening when I’m doing my homework; I have to plan to see a TA or a professor. I can’t afford to drop a class and take it over the summer. Simply put, time is money and money is time.

So I hope, dear science students, that as you are studying for exams in the coming weeks, you study with someone you’ve never studied with before and go get lunch at Sherman with someone new, someone you know you immediately crossed off as your potential friend because of how they look or because of other implicit biases. More than once I have had someone ignore me as their partner, although I was sitting right next to them, for someone behind them. It’s unwelcoming and you can do better, especially if your future goal is to enter the medical community.

PHOTO COURTESY REALTRIV.COM

October 4, 2019

SSIS: advice column Welcome back to the Student Sexuality Information Service (SSIS) column, where we answer any and all of Brandeis students’ questions about sex, sexuality, identity and relationships. If you have a question you’d like answered in our next column, email ssis@brandeis.edu or leave a question in the Google Form link on the Student Sexuality Information Service Facebook page. Any and all questions are welcome: there are no bad, stupid or weird questions! (Note: These answers are good-faith attempts by SSIS to be helpful to the Brandeis community, and are by no means exhaustive or to be taken as universal. If these answers don’t resonate with you, either pay them no mind, or reach out to us with suggestions for improvement!)

By SSIS

special to the hoot

I was addicted to masturbation as a young child, and the shame involved in that has shaped my adult sexuality in a really negative way. Also like... the compulsion aspect makes me nervous.

I’m worried I will get addicted to sex.

Believe it or not, this concern you have is not an uncommon one. It is rare as a society that we address adult masturbation, let alone child masturbation. However, this does not mean that it does not happen or is even uncommon. Many children masturbate before they have any idea what it means or what they are doing.

They simply discover that this one body part feels good when touched and may explore that manually or often by rubbing up against something like a rocking horse or a stuffed animal.

Not only are you not alone for having had this compulsion as a child, as it’s a perfectly normal one, but you also are not alone in grappling with the shame surrounding it. A lot of our shame surrounding our sexuality comes from negative childhood experiences. It then becomes tricky as an adult to step away from this shame and fully enjoy one’s own sexuality.

A possible positive way to go about this is to experiment with masturbation in a healthy, safe environment in your adulthood.

Feeling safe is different for every individual, but one possible way to explore your sexuality without

crossing a line into which you feel that you are out of control is to set clear boundaries. These boundaries can be simple, such as making sure that you are in a private space while masturbating so as not to encroach onto others sense of security.

Boundaries can also include making sure that you have finished all the projects and you need to complete within the day before engaging in sexual acts, so that you do not feel as though sex or masturbation is obscuring your day-to-day activities. Being able to remain within boundaries you set for yourself may allow you to regain that sense of control you fear in a sex addiction.

Lastly, I would like to emphasize that masturbation is normal and can be a really positive way to express self love. It is also normal to feel compelled to masturbate; this does not mean that anything is wrong with you, addiction or otherwise. As long as your masturbation is not a negative intrusion into someone else’s life or your own, then feel free to enjoy yourself.

My boyfriend and I have been dating for a month. He just told me that he’s really into feet. How do I handle his weird fetish?

It is completely normal to be a bit perplexed when a partner discloses a new thing that they are into, no matter what the kink is.

You may be unsure how to incorporate this new thing if you are into it or how to avoid it like the

plague without hurting your partner’s feelings if you are not into it.

It can be especially confusing when this kink is something new and a little more outside of the mainstream. However, there are a few things we can do when introduced to a new idea such as this one. A possible first step is to ask your partner more questions about it. If your partner is into feet does that mean that he likes looking at feet, or does he want to incorporate that body part into sex, or is this primarily a thing he enjoys in porn?

Understanding some of the particulars may give you a better idea as to what his fantasy entails. In this step, it is important to keep in mind your partner’s feelings. Even if you are repulsed by this fantasy, it can be kind to not act disgusted by your partner. At SSIS we like to say, “don’t yuck someone else’s yum.”

A second possible step is to then examine how you feel about this kink. Is this a hard no for you? If so you may want to communicate that to your partner, as you never have to do anything you are uncomfortable with. Or is there a bit of wiggle room? Are there some aspects of this fantasy that you may be willing to try?

For example, maybe you are not comfortable with incorporating feet into sexual acts, but maybe you are comfortable with sending your partner pictures of a fresh pedicure. If this is something you want to explore, maybe you and your partner can discuss different ways to incorporate this kink.

PHOTO COURTESY SSIS

ARTS

October 4, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot 17

‘All My Heroes Are CornBalls’ review: CHRIS IS DISAPPOINTED

By Chris DeMena staff

MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT ORGANIZED ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT THIS ALBUM BUT HERE I AM ANYWAY. Last Friday, Baltimore’s own Jpegmafia released the follow-up to his critically acclaimed album “Veteran,” “All My Heroes are Cornballs.”

And man… I don’t know what else to say… I’ve never heard anything like this; it’s incredible.

OH SO YOU WANT SOME CONTEXT? HERE! HERE’S SOME CONTEXT! In January 2018, Jpegmafia, aka “Peggy,” released his sophomore album “Veteran.” The album featured nothing but insane production, energetic performances from Peg and sharp lyrics on every track.

The album landed on many best of the year lists eleven months later and, as a result, increased Peggy’s notoriety exponentially. How Peggy would build off “Veteran” was hard to say. “Veteran” was already very experimental, very dense sonically and very satirical.

It already featured a track called “I Cannot Fucking Wait Until Morrissey Dies.” So where did he have left to go on “All My Heroes Are Cornballs?” … Now what?

GOODBYE MUSIC, HELLO WASTELAND. This album is beautifully chaotic, but in the same breath, there’s something very simple about it. First of all, it’s

completely dominated by a pure irreverence for traditional song structures. Beats switch without warning, like in the opening track “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot” which almost feels like a bridge between this album and “Veteran.” The track switches back and forth between a heavenly melody and what sounds like Peggy shouting over a car crash. I don’t want to say the tracks on this record are quiet, but compared to a lot of the very loud, dense tracks on “Veteran,” it almost feels relaxing. On the production, Peggy’s doing more with less; the beats are less compressed on this record.

For instance, the beat for “DOTS Freestyle Remix” is comprised of literal fire, some drums and a synth lead.

He also makes a habit of letting the instrumentals speak for themselves more on this record like on the many breaks in “Beta Male Strategies” or the two different “type beats” on the album. These songs are much more melodic than “Veteran’s”—Peggy does much more singing as well—yet these moments are really just as aggressive, even songs like “BBW” that have a very pretty instrumental feature lyrics like “Don’t meet the lord filled with lead.” … What am I even talking about?

Meanwhile, Peggy still hates racists and the alt-right as much as ever, but some new themes appear on this record. The rollout to this album was accompanied by a

series of disappointments, where he’d show other musicians (and Hannibal Buress) previews of the album, each of which began with the artist shitting on him. The refrain on the track “Free the Frail” shows how expectations have been occupying Peggy’s mind.

“Don’t rely on the strength of my image, if it’s good, then it’s good, that shit is out of my hands.” Even the title of the album, “All My Heroes are Cornballs,” critiques fame and legacy, referencing how fame is constructed and questioning whether those heroes were ever deserving of fame in the first place.

NO, I DON’T WANT YOUR NUMBER, NO. Pretty much all these tracks on this album stand out for one reason or another, but I’m going to try to keep this brief.

“Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot” is gorgeous. “Beta Male Strategies” features Peg insulting 4chan users with their own lexicon.

The legacy theme appears here as well when he says “when I die my tombstone is Twitter.” I think on “JPEGMAFIA TYPE BEAT” Peggy is almost trying to parody his own sound, but it still sounds incredible and features a great beat change. On “Grimy Waifu,” Peggy compares military practices towards guns to owning a body pillow. “Thot Tactics” is one of the catchier moments on the album where Jpeg sings “I wanna be your girl, I wanna rock your world.”

And then towards the end of the album on “BasicBitchTearGas” a

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cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs” comes out of nowhere.

Rap music looks a lot different than it did just five years ago (Remember Fetty Wap?). But now Peggy’s making it feel as if rap music is evolving so rapidly that it evolves over the course of this album. The way he weaves all these different sounds into these absurd tapestries is just an unbelievable piece of artistry. OF COURSE, BEN SHAPIRO DOESN’T THINK RAP IS MUSIC AND HE WENT TO HARVARD AND HIS DADDY WENT TO MUSIC SCHOOL SO WHAT ARE WE EVEN TALKING ABOUT? This album is just so unique.

It’s almost as schizophrenic as

the internet. It’s self-referential; it’s structureless; it’s cancerous; and it’s wildly entertaining. This review was so tough because at heart, I’m really just at a loss for words. I don’t know whether or not this is the best album of the year. I don’t feel like I know anything anymore.

Editor’s Note: On a Sept. 15, 2019 episode of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” political commentator Ben Shapiro said that “rap is not music.” Shapiro’s comment also references a previous tweet “Fact: rap isn’t music. And if you think it is, you’re stupid” posted on Jan. 9, 2012.

‘Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus’ review: a return to glorious insanity

By Sam Finbury staff

If you have never watched “Invader Zim,” then I am sorry to inform you that you have missed out and frankly, should feel a little sad about it. Airing on Nickelodeon from 2001 to 2006, the show, about an inept alien invader and the overzealous conspiracy theorist trying to expose him, was unlike most other cartoons at the time. It set itself apart with a joyously cynical tone, a grimy and brutish art style, hilariously intense and exaggerated characters and a willingness to be as strange and dark as it wanted. Watching it as a kid made me feel as if I were sneaking an Adult Swim show, and after rewatching some episodes I am honestly amazed Nickelodeon allowed it to exist for as long as it did (even if only ran for two seasons). It still holds up very well, with a sense of humor that is equal parts clever, mean,

and completely random—which continues to pry laughter from my throat. It’s no wonder that, 13 years after its cancellation, “Invader Zim” has continued to maintain a strong fan base, one large enough to earn it a movie.

All is business as usual in “Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus.”

Zim, a soldier of the tyrannical Irken Empire who is as incompetant as he is narcissistic, once again hatches a scheme to destroy the Earth, teleporting the planet into the path of the Irken armada in order to get his bosses to notice him. As usual, Zim’s plan goes horribly wrong, and he creates a Florpus Hole, a vortex in which realities collide and explode, threatening to suck in the Earth entirely. Of course, Zim is fervently oblivious to this, and as always, it is up to Dib and his apathetic sister Gaz to foil Zim’s plans. Standard fare for the Invader Zim Series—less standard is the presence of an emotional throughline in this movie. Dib

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seeks to expose Zim and by doing so prove the existence of aliens to his distracted father, Professor Membrane, in order to make him proud. While it isn’t a particularly deep or emotional plot and feels strange coming from such an unsentimental show as “Invader Zim,” it works and makes for a strangely impactful and satisfying climax to a movie that threads the needle of being both fresh and nostalgic.

I usually find that movies that continue the story of a TV show come off as overly long episodes, too alike the core series to stand out. However, “Invader Zim” never had a serialized plot, so “Enter the Florpus” differentiates itself through the adherence to a cinematic plot structure. As such, this movie feels both special and like a return to form, which given how starved many have been for more “Invader Zim” is special unto itself.

As always, Invader Zim’s austere and playfully dark sense of humor is on display. The jokes run the gambit from clever to gross to just plain weird. While the intensity and exaggerated nature of the comedy is toned down a bit and some gags run on a titch too long, the movie on the whole is hilarious and captures the feel of classic “Zim.” Speaking of Zim, he is as hilariously incompetent and brimming with unearned confidence as always. He is such a fun character and villain that I honestly wish he had a larger presence in this film. In the show, he and his nemesis Dib were given

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relatively equal focus. Here, Zim is securely relegated to the role of antagonist and is therefore given much less screen time and focus than the hero, Dib. This doesn’t detract from the character so much as it leaves us wanting more of Zim and his innocently insane robot servant, Gir. My main gripe with this movie is the color of the sky. No, seriously. “Invader Zim” is a show that takes place in a grimy dystopian future, where the people are insipid and complacent sheep, the society is a corrupted and bloated joke, and the world seems to be painted in a rainbow of dirt.

The harshness that made “Invader Zim” stand out so much is somewhat missing from this film. It can still be pretty dark, but with the grotesque and totalitarian nature of the world lessened, the sky is too bright, the animation a little too smooth.

The crux of this film centers around “World Peace Day,” and

while the insane intensity of the celebration befits this world, I have trouble imagining this taking place in the same universe of the show. In the show, the elementary school was run by a shadowy organization, staffed by a demonic old crone and had a disgusting louse monster living in the basement. But still, I suppose things must change with time, and if I’ve stooped to critiquing the art style then I must truly be out of things to complain about.

“Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus” is great, and perfectly resurrects the tone and humor of its predecessor. Watch it if you’re a fan of the series, and watch it if you aren’t because you can still enjoy it.

Just make sure you watch it multiple times so Netflix has incentive to completely revive the cartoon and give it a couple more glorious seasons. “Invader Zim,” all these years later, still deserves it.

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Koslofsky’s Corner: Jonah’s back from NYFF, and he’s seen some of this year’s best

By Jonah Koslofsky editor

Transcendence. The feeling that’s triggered when a piece of art goes beyond mere expression, what’s felt when a blend of ideas are executed to perfection.

At least, that’s how a guy talking to me outside Lincoln Center explained it last Friday. But transcendence is an inherently subjective experience, and every time a critic proclaims that they’ve had something like it, the word loses value.

Still, two movies I saw at the New York Film Festival qualify for this high praise. They are the best of the best, movies that had

me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. But more importantly, they’re movies I won’t do justice to—in an ideal world, I would’ve immediately written about both, doing my best to bottle my reactions into an honest, full expressions of how I felt as soon as possible.

That’s not what happened. I had other commitments, other priorities that took precedence as I shuffled between coffee dates and commutes, interviews and assignments. So I’m going to do these movies dirty. I’m going to try to sum up their brilliance, and I’m going to fail. That’s ok. I’ll try again later, and I’ve produced no shortage of good writing during this festival—it’s about time I de-

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liver some sub-par stuff (I’m also right up against my deadline on Hoot-night, a big no-no).

Anyway, how are you supposed to put yourself back together after watching something like “Portrait of a Lady on Fire?” Directed by French auteur Celine Sciamma, we follow just four characters, our attention squarely focused on Marianne (Noemie Merlant), a painter, and Heloise (Adele Haenel) her unwilling subject. Set in late eighteenth-century France, Heloise refuses to pose, as a portrait would eventually mean marriage, with her image being sent to potential suitors.

Marianne and Heloise come up with an alternative. It’s an excruciating exploration of desire—one I’d rather not mansplain (aside from a handful of moments, men are almost completely absent from this narrative). In the early moments, you can feel “Portrait of a Lady” aching to become something like the lackadaisical “Call Me by Your Name”—only its subjects are facing a society that’s both homophobic and suffocatingly patriarchal. Still, a romance does eventually bloom between our pair, after a genuinely breathtaking meet-cute.

Stumbling out of the theater, I couldn’t help but think of last

year’s “The Favourite,” another queer story that dared to look at history through a feminine gaze. But “The Favourite” was, at its core, a comedy–“Portrait of a Lady” is an unabashedly sincere and sentimental piece of filmmaking, a crushing blow to the soul. When the lights in the theater re-ignited, I sat dumbfounded, wishing the film could’ve lasted just a little longer. But even if Marianne and Heloise’s story has to end, I know I’ll remember it for years to come. Opening in select theaters Dec. 6, I implore you— take a glance at this “Portrait.”

My other favorite from the festival was Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite.” This is another tough one to sum up because of just how many twists the South Korean feature packs into its two-hoursand-ten-minute runtime. Things start simple enough: We meet the Kim family living in deep poverty, crammed into a tiny semi-basement apartment. But things start to turn around when their college-age son Kim Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik) gets a job as an English tutor for the wealthy Park family.

That the Park family emerges a grotesque mirror of the Kim family is no coincidence—nor is this the first parallel to Jordan Peele’s “Us.” I really like the latter film, so

know I mean business when I say that “Parasite” is a slicker, tighter and all-together superior version of a lot of the same class conscious ideas.

I also like a lot of Bong’s prior movies—“Snowpiercer” became an unlikely hit in the United States for good reason, and “The Host” is a rollicking critique of the Iraq-war politics and lies of its time. But I’ve always felt something holding me back from truly getting into this filmmaker’s work, some nagging sense that there was room for improvement.

Not so with “Parasite.” Reader, I have not stopped thinking about this film since my screening. I’ll be engaged in some other activity and find the film worming around in my brain. I’ll be thinking about something else and suddenly come to a realization about a certain camera angle or line of dialogue. I can’t spoil anything here nor can I say much more.

But like the creatures it’s named after, “Parasite” has attached itself to my brain in a way few movies ever have. Thankfully, you won’t have to take my word for it much longer: the film opens in Boston on Oct. 18. Expect more coherent thoughts then—for now, I’ll be here (back at Brandeis) mulling this movie over.

Sh*tfaced Shakespeare presents ‘Macbeth, but Drunk’

By Josh Lannon staff

On Saturday, Sept. 21, Brandeis’ Shakespeare society, Hold Thy Peace, sponsored a unique and unforgettable event. The group went to see Shitfaced Shakespeare’s production of Macbeth at The Rockwell in Boston. In this performance, the Bard’s infamous Scottish tragedy becomes one of his most outrageous comedies to ever grace the stage. This shift from tragedy to comedy is due in large part to one of the actors being completely inebriated. There are, however, other aspects of the show that enhance the comedic effect, including improved lines, hilarious props, and audience participation.

Of course, the main draw of the show is that, four hours before curtain, one cast member gradually gets more drunk throughout the performance. There are some rules in place for both the safety of the audience and the actors, however. For example, no one performer can be drunk on consecutive nights, and no one is ever required to be the designated drunk more than three times over the course of a month. Also part of the performance is the stage manager, whose job is to explain the rules of the performance, and more importantly, make sure the performers don’t hurt themselves.

The stage manager can be seen cleaning up spilled beer during a dance scene and keeping sharp objects away from the drunk actor.

Hold Thy Peace was lucky enough to come on a night where the title character was the designated drinker. The entire audience laughed uproariously when they realized that he was the drunk performer. In response, Noah Simes, who portrayed Macbeth, simply said “F** off.” From his fourth-wall-breaking remarks

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and his incessant need to point at things, almost everything Macbeth did garnered laughter from the audience. Despite the drinks, Macbeth actually managed to perform several of his monologues almost flawlessly, even managing the performance with a gummy worm in his mouth, which he spat out on the floor halfway through.

While a good amount of hilarity ensued from Macbeth’s flubbed lines or improvised observations (like noting one audience member looked like an owl), an essential part of the show revolves around how the sober actors interact with their very drunk lead.

Whether Banquo is desperately trying to keep Macbeth focused on the scene or Macduff enduring Macbeth’s drunken attempts at a Scottish accent, it is amazing and hilarious to watch these characters react and even join in on Macbeth’s drunken escapades.

One example of this is when Macbeth refers to the Weird Witches as “E.T. lookin’ mother****’s” which became a recurring joke throughout the rest of the performance. Sometimes actors will even embrace a completely ludicrous joke. At one point, Macbeth noted Macduff ’s armor resembled

that of a green ronin, to which Macduff replied that his family comes from the Japanese part of Scotland.

Even though the lead was intoxicated, the rest of the cast actually delivered great performances.

Specifically, Raisa Hoffman as Lady Macbeth portrayed the infamous character on a level of any trained Shakespearean actor. Of course, this genuine acting talent only made the performance funnier when, after a very dramatic monologue from Lady Macbeth, her husband would stumble on stage, miss a queue or mess up a line.

Another entertaining aspect of the show was its use of props.

While no one in the audience was expecting Broadway-style effects, the relatively low-budget props used in the show actually made the performance even funnier. The famous floating dagger of Macbeth was, in this performance, a dagger tied to a fishing rod. Another example: all the children in the show–who just so happened to get murdered—were portrayed by small remote controlled robots with some clothes and a fake head on top. While these props are simple in the for-

mer case and absurd in the latter, both were extremely funny when shown in a legendary tragedy like Macbeth.

One unexpected part of the performance was the great amount of audience participation. At the beginning of the show the stage manager picked three audience members to hold three items. Two items, the gong and the trumpet, can be held by anyone, and when sounded the stage manager serves Macbeth another drink. This became especially abused when both instruments were sounded and Macbeth had to perform with full drinks in both hands and somehow consume them during a choreographed dance scene. The last item is a bucket, the purpose of which is both obvious and not worth mentioning in this article. Thankfully it was not needed during this performance. Lastly, when Macbeth ordered the deaths of Banquo and her children the assassin picked an accomplice from the audience. A man feared by all who kills without remorse, a monster in the guise of man, the assassin known simply as . . . Steve! While other Shakespeare performances may interact with

the audience on some level, this version of Macbeth gave the audience a purpose in the story, whether directly—like Steve—or indirectly like the instruments used to make Macbeth even more drunk and ridiculous.

Shitfaced Macbeth was one of the most entertaining Shakespeare experiences I have ever had. It managed to take a legendary tragedy and turn it into a comedy with a few drinks and some funny props. This show is not only entertaining for Shakespeare fans, but also appeals to anyone who enjoys watching an intoxicated person make a fool of themselves on stage. That being said, the cast of this inebriated interpretation has a clear love of Shakespeare and veritable acting talent that can appeal to even the most avid Shakespeare aficionado.

With a different drunkard each week, every performance should be unique. Shitfaced Shakespeare is truly a show worth seeing, and here’s hoping Hold thy Peace sponsors another trip to see their performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but Drunk.”

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The Brandeis Hoot

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Glee-watching: Season 1

By Lucy Pugh-Sellers staff

Re-watching Ryan Murphy’s 2009 creation, “Glee,” was an accident at first, then a happy choice.

Some might say this follows the same trajectory as the show itself.

At the time the show was airing, I don’t think I made it further than season two. I got tired of the contrived plot lines and song covers.

For those who don’t know, “Glee” follows a club of misfits who love to sing, led by the cutesy and irritating teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison). Here are some assorted thoughts I have after revisiting the series on its 10th anniversary (happy birthday, “Glee!”).

(For heightened reading pleasure, please read every time I write “Glee Club” in Sue Sylvester’s voice.)

First, there are some episodes that stuck out as too important not to mention on their own. The peak of the show’s self-awareness, the pilot, is what made me sit up and wonder, “Huh, did ‘Glee’ have hidden depths? Can I laugh with it as opposed to just at it?”

Then there was “Vitamin D” (episode six), where Will’s insane, fake-pregnant wife (perhaps in itself a misogynistic plot point to allow him and Emma to end up together?) drugs the Glee Club.

Mash-ups ensue, leading to a truly an unbeatable combination.

This was followed a couple episodes later with “Mash-Up” (episode eight), where musings on the core aspects of coolness meet… more mash-ups. Need I say more

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(mash-ups)?

Then there is the ever-momentous “Sectionals” (episode 13), the first face-off between the Glee Club and the real world. Inspiration and powerful vocals ensue.

There’s “The Power of Madonna” (episode 15), an episode for which the entire plot is contained in the title, combining Madonna and empowerment in one! The episode devoted to Lady Gaga covers, “Theatricality” (episode 20), shows another form of empowerment-through-artist, and the perfect mother-daughter pair of Lea Michele and Idina Menzel; one unnecessarily slow duet of “Poker Face” stands out. And, finally, “Journey to Regionals” (the season finale), which rounds off the whole shebang, features an absolutely unmissable mishmash of everything that makes “Glee” season one great with the crowning glory of a “Journey” medley.

The main question that I come away with upon re-watching season one of “Glee” is this: Do they know? Do they recognize that most of the content of their show

is ridiculous? Sometimes I think yes—when the camera zooms in on a “priority one: help the kids” sign as Will blackmails Finn into joining the club, or whenever Sue creates a meticulous and specific insult for Will’s hair. Sometimes, I think they must—when Finn sings “You’re Having My Baby” to Quinn at the table with her two parents who don’t know she’s pregnant, and the “hot tub pregnancy” in the first place.

Mostly, though, I’m not so sure—when the club members are forced to use wheelchairs for a week to understand how their friend with a disability feels, when we find out Tina has been faking her stutter. I could go on and on about Emma’s “OCD,” Mr. Schue’s aca-fellas group, Quinn giving birth to the tune of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Everything seems completely serious and simultaneously nothing does.

This serious-yet-not-so-serious attitude is the aspect of “Glee” that becomes most questionable when the show tries to deal with “real” issues; the issues it plac-

es front and center as it forms a club based on “misfit” identities, yet seems to want the audience to ignore when it isn’t convenient to the plot. The show almost seems to embrace what many scholars have identified as the most problematic aspects of portrayals of disability (used only as inspiration, portrayed by actors without disabilities, used as plot points without purpose, etc.), race (calling a black woman racist for saying that white people don’t understand funk music, embracing stereotypical portrayals of the “diva” oftentimes without depth, etc.), and more. Does this make “Glee” a product of its time, a selfaware mockery of the worst sides of identity politics, or a scathing mockery of so-called “PC culture?”

One thing that “Glee” portrays moderately well, though, is discourse around sexuality. Kurt’s dad (Mike O’Malley) shines as a parent coming to terms with his child’s sexuality as something new to him but intrinsic to a person he loves. There are some pretty re-

gressive attitudes showcased but dare I say… they deal with them?

Of course, I haven’t reached the point in the show where they bring in the abusively-homophobic-person-is-gay trope, but I also haven’t yet reached the point where they (from what I can recall) have a very poignant storyline about coming to terms with your own sexuality with regards to a close friend. So it’s definitely a theme I’ll be keeping an eye on.

But there is something you get from “Glee” that just doesn’t exist in a memory, a compilation video or a playlist. It’s that sense of disbelief that you’re actually watching it, yes. But there’s also the confusion over which of the songs and actions are deemed “good” within the world of the show and what makes them different from others. But it’s also that magical quality of “Glee,” that quality you can only get with the combination of plot, songs, dialogue and characters, the magic that ranges from incredibly tone-deaf to heartwarming to deeply ironic. Like Britney, the show’s best character, “Glee” is dumb, fun and pretty gay.

So, for anyone who finds themselves clicking on “Best ‘Glee’ Performances” or “Top Ten ‘Glee’ Mashups” videos on YouTube, for anyone who finds themselves nostalgic for a time when one Ryan Murphy show reigned confusingly supreme, I recommend clicking over to Netflix and starting “Glee” once again.

Join me, and we can “Glee”watch season two together! Final words: Mercedes needs more solos.

My audience is my enemy: what’s the matter with gaming journalism?

By Stewart Huang staff

“These obtuse shitslingers, these wailing hyper-consumers, these childish internet-arguers— they are not my audience. They don’t have to be yours.”

This is what former editor-at-large Leigh Alexander concluded in her article on Gamasutra: “Gamers don’t have to be your audience. ‘Gamers’ are over.”

This is why many games journalists—people who write reviews of games and cover stories in the gaming sphere—think gamers are nothing but a bunch of toxic, entitled crybabies. You may have a different definition, but I define gamers as people who like to play video games—and yes, mobile games count.

It is common to see contrasting views between the critics and the audience, whether it’s in film

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or television, but there has never been such extreme disdain towards the readership as much as in games journalism. There is so much disdain that the gamer journalist group actively vilifies, denounces and insults the readers.

Apart from being demonized and looked down upon by their parents and mainstream media, both of which like to frame gamers as either non-productive or as having a tendency to become violent, gamers are now being attacked by gaming journalists for supposedly being toxic bigots. I have never seen such a hobby so strongly discouraged by its own media.

Despite this, the audience for gaming is growing substantially both in volume and diversity. A UK study conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau found that out of 4,000 residents, 52 percent of those who identify as gamers are female. And they are not just, as some might believe,

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casual gamers. Forty-seven percent of female gamers polled had played a disc-based game in the last six months, and 68 percent had played an online game. Fifty-six percent of female gamers have played on a console.

Yet, the gaming media has ignored or exploited this fact. It is still clinging onto age-old stereotypes about gamers like the one Leigh Alexander references: young white men playing alone in their mom’s basement, sexist and racist and whatever other names you can call them.

Gamer journalists are painting this image of gaming being the hotbed of sexism and racism and fighting the wrong battle, because they seem to think that gamers are just these immature men who are against equality and diversity in gaming. In an enormous article published by video game website Polygon titled “Gaming’s toxic men, explained,” author Colin Campbell claims that “Gaming has attracted (or spawned) many angry young men who are comfortable with harassing and abusing women.” He includes a wealth of quotes from many people with their experiences being harassed online among other “observations.” But what the quotes really do is set up a series of dogmatic, cynical assumptions and unsubstantiated inferences about gamers. The big takeaway is essentially that being a gamer leads to being a white supremacist, misogynist and many other buzzword nametags.

Halfway through the article, Campbell takes a jab at gaming

YouTubers, accusing some of casting themselves as “political soothsayers, offering a diet of fear-mongering hyperbole that panders to prejudice and ignorance,” all the while doing the exact same thing.

And I’m not denying that harassments happen; they often do.

People were doxed—having their home address leaked—and even received death or rape threats. It’s disgusting, and this is obviously not okay.

I should make it clear that the people who engage in these behaviors don’t represent the gaming community as a whole.

“Gamers” are a scapegoat. To assume that gaming makes one toxic because of the behaviors of some members would be committing the fallacy of guilt by association. The part does not represent the whole, not even close.

It is almost the same discussion we had and are surprisingly still having about video games causing gun violence. I would not even dignify that puritanical nonsense with a response.

Harassment is not a gaming problem. It is a human problem. It has to do with anonymity on the Internet, more so when a competitive environment is introduced. You see it in politics and other sides of entertainment, where controversies and unpopular opinions are involved. You see it happening to all sides of the debate, whatever it is. You see it on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

It’s everywhere and likely won’t go away, hence the mute/block button. So why lay it on gamers specifically? Most of them are just

people like you and me who just couldn’t be happier to have more friends to play with.

Although I have painted them in such a negative light, there are, of course, journalists who do good work and should be commended.

Jason Shrier from Kotaku, for example, broke a number of excellent stories and exposes the harmful work environment and development cycles of many AAA games like “Destiny” and “Anthem.” Sites like IGN and PC gamer, as much as people love to make fun of them, do a decent job reporting on news and informing their audience, without insulting them. There are YouTubers like YongYea who do great gaming news in video form while staying as objective as possible and remaining pro-consumer. And I hope you would think of me as one of the good guys, even as I write this piece of criticism that some might find disagreeable.

However, I wouldn’t say the same about sites like Polygon and Kotaku.

Ultimately, I reject the extreme on both sides. It’s no secret that toxicity in gaming is a reality, and every sensible person would condemn those who partake in it (like YouTuber JonTron who has unironically said some really disturbing, racist stuff), but that’s a reality almost everywhere. Although certainly not as bad as the other side, gaming journalists who are trying to frame it as if gamers are the root of the problem are missing the point and being almost maliciously vindictive.

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October 4, 2019

‘Giselle:’ dancing into Boston’s heart

By Polina Potochevska and Jennifer Cook editors

For the first time in 10 years, the Boston Ballet has included the haunting and classical romantic ballet “Giselle” in its 56th season.

“Giselle” ran for two weekends at the Citizens Bank Opera House, starting the season off on a strong note. Jennifer and I (Polina) were lucky enough to catch a performance on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Polina is going to speak more about the plot itself, but I (Jennifer) felt that the ballet was beautiful, even without prior knowledge. Although I was not as aware of the nuances of the storyline as they were happening, I was still mesmerized by the sheer talent that the dancers possessed, the intricate set and the soothing music. Polina also gave me recaps on what had just happened after each act.

One of the most well-known

full-length ballets in the classical repertoire, “Giselle” tells the story of a young peasant girl with a passion for dancing. Originally choreographed by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa and adapted by Boston Ballet’s Ballet Master Larissa Ponomarenko, Giselle loves to dance, despite her weak heart, and attracts the attention of two men: Hilarion and Loys. In the first act, the audience sees Hilarion trying very hard to prove his love to Giselle, but it is Loys who wins her heart.

Loys is actually Count Albrecht in disguise, however, a member of the royal party who is already engaged but not truly in love with his betrothed, Bathilde.

Act one is a joyus collection of variations and group numbers as the village is celebrating an annual wine festival. Viktorina Kapitonova, a principal ballerina at the Boston Ballet, is the perfect image of young and innocent Giselle as she explores falling in love for the first time. From her

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Jennifer (left) and Polina (right) at Brandeis Ballet Company’s production of The Nutcracker in December 2018.

BALLET LOVERS

PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM.COM

effortless extensions to her sweet smile and weightless jumps, both her technique and her acting was on pointe (haha, get it?). Patrick Yocum as Count Albrecht, also a principal dancer at the company, drew in the audience with his acting skills and sky-high jetés. Paul Craig as Hilarion also impressed with his moves and jealous rage.

Some highlights of act one were Griffin the Irish Wolfhound and Ginny the Bluetick Coonhound’s guest appearance in the hunting scene; seeing actual dogs on the stage was Jennifer’s favorite part.

Dancers were sneakily feeding the two adorable pups small treats as they made their circle across the stage and stood regally. Also, the famous Peasant Pas de Deux with dancers Ji Young Chae and Tigran Mkrtchyan was expertly done, with joy and grace in every step.

The most enchanting scene of act one arrived when Hilarion exposes Albrecht’s fiancée to poor Giselle, whose heart cannot take the betrayal. Giselle’s final scene as she descends into insanity is heartbreaking and moving. Kapitonova played the role perfectly, mimicking past variations with a confused smile on her face and spinning a sword around herself before finally succumbing to the pain and collapsing in a heap at

her mother’s feet in a shocking twist that shakes the entire village.

After intermission, the entire set of “Giselle” changes from quaint village town to a deep forest and burial grounds. The music, composed by Adolphe Adam, switches from bright melodies to darker, bittersweet pas de deux and variations that mirror the tragedies in the plot. New characters are also introduced in act two, including the Wilis and their queen, Myrtha. The Wilis are a collection of young women who, like Giselle, have died tragically due to a lover’s betrayal; in the hours between midnight and 4 a.m., whoever crosses their path must dance to his or her death. At the beginning of act two, Giselle prepares to join their ranks.

The costumes in act two are simply breathtaking, with the Wilis wearing calf-length tulle skirts and white bodices with gray elements, while Giselle’s remains pure white, as she is not officially a member of their group. Myrtha, played by Dawn Atkins, wore a similar gown, but her tiara helped set her apart from the rest of the corps de ballet.

Atkins’ performance as the maliciously cool and justice-obsessed Myrtha is chilling as she orders the Wilis to force Hilarion,

who was visiting Giselle’s grave, to dance until he is completely exhausted. As if that wasn’t enough, she commands the Wilis to drown him in a nearby lake. Myrtha’s power is aided by the perfectly synchronous moves of the Wilis as they make various formations across the stage.

A major turning point is when Albrecht visits Giselle’s grave, is caught by Myrtha and forced to dance to his death. Heroically, Giselle steps in to stall and save her lover’s life. The pair are stuck in an exhausting and technically difficult pas de deux until the clock strikes 4 a.m., when the Wilis are banished, Giselle’s spirit is freed and Albrecht is overcome by her forgiveness and love.

The combination of live orchestral music, the tragic story of Giselle’s selfless love, in addition to the overall impeccable performance of the dancers culminated in a moving and heart-wrenching ballet that you will never forget. If you ever have the chance to see this show, you have to go!

And if you’re like Polina, who is ballet-obsessed and a sucker for a good love story, bring tissues!

Lil Nas X’s ‘Panini’ and Afrofuturism

By Brittney Nanton special to the hoot

“Ayy, Panini, don’t you be a meanie/Thought you wanted me to go up/Why you tryna keep me teeny?” sings Lil Nas X, surrounded by a gang of robot dancers.

The 20-year-old country singer and rapper recently released the music video for his newest single “Panini” off his debut album “7.”

The video features the “Old Town Road” singer’s face displayed everywhere with holographic billboards set in a cyberpunk-type

world filled with futuristic Ubers and high tech gadgets.

The music video for “Panini” is an Afrofuturistic dream-cometrue for someone like me. Afrofuturism was coined by Mark Dery in an essay entitled “Black to the Future” from the early ’90s. Afrofuturism is described as a cultural aesthetic and philosophy of history that involves the reimagining of a future that Black people actually have a place in––which, surprisingly enough, is difficult for some to understand.

Afrofuturism is the act of conceptualizing a future that is filled

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with a wide variety of arts, technology and science all through the lens of Black folk. It can be used to address some of the common themes or struggles within the African diaspora through a completely different lens, using science fiction and technoculture to bring Black people into a world from which they are often excluded. Afrofuturism constructs a world where Blackness is free of the constraints and violence that the Black community faces today.

There have been a handful of other Black artists besides Lil Nas X who have implemented concepts surrounding Afrofuturism in their music videos. I distinctly remember being a young girl and watching Janet Jackson’s video for “Doesn’t Really Matter,” which is arguably one of my favorite music videos ever, and feeling myself entranced and low-key jealous at her futuristic room filled with all sorts of techs and gadgets. Shoes that can automatically transform into heels? Sign me up please.

Janet Jackson has also been one of the main musical pioneers when it comes to Afrofuturism–– her music videos for “Scream” and “What’s It Gonna Be” both come to mind. Another major Black artist who has incorporated elements of Afrofuturism in her work for years is Missy El-

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liott––who has just been honored with a Video Vanguard Award at this year’s MTV Music Awards, an award that many (including myself) would say is a little too overdue. Elliot has been dropping fire music videos left and right ever since her debut album, “Supa Dupa Fly” (1997). Basically what I’m trying to point out here is the fact that Afrofuturism is something that we’ve seen throughout music over and over again, though you may not have understood just what it was and how important it is for the Black community.

One of the main factors that makes the music video “Panini” Afrofuturist is simply that the rapper himself is at the forefront of everything––given that Lil Nas X is not only a Black man in America, but he is also a queer

man in America. One of the many reasons why he has risen to such a high level of fame so quickly in his career is because of the fact that some people can see themselves in him.

Lil Nas X gives hope to any Black kid struggling with their identity that they too can be this visible in a world that deems them invisible. Though he may not have been actively thinking about it, Lil Nas X and his futuristic video for “Panini” implements all of the features that make Afrofuturism such an interesting concept for Black studies scholars. It allows for African Americans to see themselves in the future––giving those the chance to imagine vibrant Black futures in which anything is possible.