VOL 7, NO. 16
OCTOBER 15, 2010
B R A N D E I S U N I V E R S I T Y ' S C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R
WA LT H A M , M A
State police investigating credit card fraud at IBS BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
The credit card scanning machine at Dominic’s Café has been handed over to the state police for investigation following 25 reported cases of credit card fraud at the International Business School establishment, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said. This week, reports of credit card fraud increased from about 10 students on Monday to 25 cases on Wednesday. After the jump in cases this week, Callahan said that the credit card machine was removed so that “we could contact the appropriate authorities to initiate a forensic investigation.” The reports of fraud ranged in dollar amounts, which in some cases neared $200. Callahan said the nature of the charges suggested they were most likely cases of fraud being controlled from out of state.
A spokesman for the State Police, Sergeant Michael Popovics, said he could not comment on the ongoing investigation. Additionally, he would not comment on how credit card fraud is investigated. The university sent out a press release on Monday warning students about the credit card fraud. Managers at the café are cooperating with the investigation, Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins wrote in the press release. Callhan said that Public Safety had talked with the owner of Dominic’s. “I don’t think this is a normal process [to happen] for a machine,” he said. Some of the credit card companies denied the charges and some students even received text messages from their banks notifying them of the unusual activity on their accounts, according to Callahan. Callahan acknowledged that
PHOTO BY Author in Lowercase/The Hoot
FRAUD: There have been 25 reported cases of credit card fraud at Dominic’s Cafe in the International Busniess School.
“[credit card fraud] is a big business today” and “professional people” have the ability to transfer credit card numbers and change purchases. The role of the Office of Public Safety will be to continue to
interview Brandeis community members while allowing the state police to focus on the “forensic investigation” Callahan said. Investigations into credit card fraud can take up to a month, he said.
THIS WEEK:
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
imagined schools: Why we need teachers who make things up,” and a forum on United States health care reform, with be given before a meet-andgreet for families, faculty and staff at the university-wide reception. Hillel’s Shabbat dinner and Oneg will accompany Shabbat services as part of the festival for Jewish families. “A Walk on the Boardwalk,”
Sailing away
in Sherman Function Hall, will feature what the university is calling a Brandeis version of Atlantic City, with card playing and a comedy juggler. Faculty and staff will meet with students and families at “Croissants and Conversations,” a “relaxed atmosphere that is good for parents to see the more academic side of Brandeis,” said Fall Fest Core Committee member Jessica
Features, page 6
BY ARIEL WITTENBERG Editor
Preis ’13. During the course of the day, Fall Fest will offer a tour of the Freedom Trail in Boston, and presentations from a range of professors, followed by a display of Brandeis’ student talent at the Fall Fest Variety Show in the Levin Ballroom. Fall Fest 2010 is athletically focused, as well. Both the men and women’s soccer teams have home games this weekend as they go head-to-head with Carnegie Mellon. A range of games on Saturday will follow shortly thereafter, featuring women’s volleyball against Case Western University, and later against New York University. Finally, women’s volleyball team will play on Sunday as they compete against Emory and against Carnegie Mellon. Sunday will also feature Brandeis’ new Quidditch team as they play against Tufts in the university team’s first intercollegiate game. The festivities were planned by the the Fall Fest Core Committee, led by Director of Student Activities StephaSee FALLFEST, p. 3
See CALLAHAN, p. 3
BY DEBBY BRODSKY Staff
PHOTO COURTESY Internet source
Brandeis Professor James J. Callahan, 74, was killed Tuesday after he slipped and fell under an MBTA commuter rail train traveling inbound at the West Newton rail station, according to a report from a website based in Needham, Mass., NeedhamPatch. Brandeis Senior Vice President for communications Andrew Gully said he was aware of the accident, and confirmed Callahan’s identity, but said he did not know any of the details surrounding the incident. The accident is being investigated by the Newton fire department, according to NeedhamPatch’s report. Callahan was a professor emeritus at Brandeis’ Heller School for Social Policy and Management, specializing in the history of social welfare policy, services and programs for older persons and mental health. Callahan, who was not teaching any classes at Heller this semester, had been a Brandeis faculty member for 25 years and received his doctorate from the university. Callahan also worked in state government as Secretary of Elder Affairs and Commissioner of Mental Health. Callahan received his Bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross College before getting his Master’s of Social Work at Boston College. Boston College later awarded him the School of Social Work’s award for dedica-
Fall Fest 2010 kicks off, students welcome families to campus Fall Fest 2010 began Thursday as families and students came together away from home and were welcomed to the university. Continuing until Monday, Fall Fest will offer a variety of activities, such as classes, sports games and a variety show featuring a collection of a cappella performances and dance ensembles. The theme for 2010’s Fall Fest is “travel,” and Brandeis will highlight an international scene as it showcases itself to parents and alumni. Thursday night saw musical performances by Senegalese griotdrummer Lamine Touré and his band, Group Saloum, in the Shapiro Campus Center just before the early bird welcome and registration began. Classes to be visited include a selection of 140 open classes for parents to attend, and Ollie the Owl, the school mascot, will be available to commemorate the family visit all day Friday. Several presentations, including one on study abroad, one entitled “Real children,
Heller prof struck and killed by train
Networking the social network Arts, Etc. page 12
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2 The Brandeis Hoot
October 15, 2010
Brandeis in the running for top veganfriendly school, PETA2 polling students BY NATHAN KOSKELLA Editor
Brandeis is on the shortlist to be named the Most VeganFriendly College Campus by a competition run by a group known as PETA2, the student wing of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the nationally recognized animal rights group. “The competition looks at both the quantity and quality of vegan-friendly options offered on college campuses, and will name the overall best large and small school in the U.S. and Canada,” Ryan Huling, the group’s assistant manager for college campaigns, said. Brandeis is competing in the small school category as it has fewer than 10,000 undergraduates. First place will be awarded by a combination of student votes, available at PETA2’s website, and analysis of offerings made by the group on other factors including actual menu options.
“We’re going to look very closely at the votes, but ultimately we’re going to take a comprehensive look,” Huling said, adding that he knows “students feel very strongly that they have the most veganfriendly campus.” PETA2 was founded eight years ago and promotes the parent group’s definitions of animal rights at high schools and colleges. The group is active on Facebook, Twitter and maintains a popular blog, according to Huling. While PETA and PETA2 do not officially sanction affiliate chapters, student groups can log on to get sent materials supporting ethical behavior concerning animals, be they pamphlets, stickers or policy guides, and receive guidance on vegan food or bringing guest speakers to their campuses. The organizations campaign for animals to be accorded rights of liberty and especially safety from human use, according to the main website, “on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories and in the enter-
tainment industry,” and holds that killing, consumption and caging of animals is immoral. “Animals do have rights: they have the same ability to feel pain and suffer” as human beings, Huling said. “Animals are not ours to eat.” PETA applauds the furthering of these goals with or without the same moral belief in others, and Huling admitted how useful other objectives have been in ad-
vancing their cause among college students. “We are helped by the fact that sustainability and green living has been all the rage on college campuses,” he said, citing the potential for economic efficiency in some animal-rights initiatives and the fact that the United Nations has declared the production of animal food products to be a leading cause of human contributions to green-
house gases. Huling said that PETA2 would make the moral argument even without an economic or safetybased concern, but welcomes “anything that lessens the suffering of animals.” “There is a growing understanding on college campuses and among students: they are more concerned by the fact that animals do have these rights,” Huling said.
Roundtable discusses Islam in Debate team wins the U.S. and France, religious Harvard competition tolerance in the West BY LEAH FINKELMAN Editor
BY DEBBY BRODSKY Staff
Hannah Taieb, the resident director of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) in Paris, spoke to Brandeis students and faculty Monday on the importance of intercultural communication. As an American living in France for 20 years, Taieb offered a unique perspective regarding how religions function in society and how to push past religious prejudices. Taieb said that her workshop was designed “to compare things that are not always comparable” or to compare anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in France and in the United States. Taieb began by asking participants, “What comes to mind when you think of Jews and Muslims in France?” The question was immediately met with suggestions like conflict, tensions and the fact that Islam clashes with the French government. Following such challenging suggestions, Taieb spoke about how religious groups have learned to assimilate into French culture, which has a strict definition of secularism. She also pointed out that the reason Islam does not appear to have fully assimilated into French culture
compared to Judaism is because of the influx of young first and second-generation Muslim immigrants, whereas most French Jews have been culturally assimilated for centuries. Taieb explained a relevant 1905 French law that guarantees the right to worship. The law falls under three definitions. The first is freedom of religion, which says the state has to recognize religions. The second is state neutrality, which says the state has nothing to say about religious issues, and the third is that the state has the responsibility to force its citizens to be free thinkers. As a result, today’s French mentality of secularism is a product of this law. While Taieb said, “there is a plethora of interfaith activity in France,” students in state schools cannot outwardly express their religions. Taieb continued to point out an important distinction between France and the United States, saying, “the rigidity of French secularism relates to the tremendous presence of the Catholic Church. On the other hand, many immigrants come to the United States on the grounds of wanting to express their religious beliefs freely.” Not only did Taieb discuss the ways different religions assimilate or stand out in French and Ameri-
can culture, but she also discussed the presence of religion within the two countries’ respective penal systems. While conducting a dialogue between the Muslim chaplain from the United States Marines, the Muslim chaplain from Fort Dix, a Catholic chaplain from Oregon and the Catholic chaplain in charge of the United States prison system, she found that there are 69 recognized religions in the United States prison system. On the other hand, there are just four recognized faith systems (Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism and Islam) in the French prison system. Taieb then brought a group of French prisoners to a United States prison, and found them fascinated by the differences between the two. Taieb concluded by asserting her belief that all of the conflict Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, is raising regarding religious expression is actually a method of diverting France’s attention from its current economic crisis. She also stressed how important interfaith work is, because while older generations of French citizens “just don’t talk about” political conflicts with religion, we need “more and more young groups to bring light to religious discussions [so they can] learn to live in a multicultural world.”
Two Brandeis students won the Harvard Debating Championships this weekend. After their win, Andrew Husick ’11 and Brendan Fradkin ’12 were pushed to a third place standing in the American Parliamentary Debate Association. At Harvard, Husick and Fradkin, members of the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society, advanced through several rounds to the finals, where they debated “For minorities who are having fundamental rights abused, terrorism is justified.” The team was opposing, and a 9-4 decision led to their win. Six other Brandeis teams competed, each with two debaters, but none broke to outrounds, Fradkin said. “There was a massive amount of anticipation for the results,” Fradkin said. “They announced that on a 9-4 decision, the sec-
ond place team was Yale, and it took us a few seconds to realize that we had actually won. There were copious amounts of hugs, and at least ten members from the team stayed to watch the entire time.” He added that Brandeis has never placed first at the Harvard tournament before, and that is the biggest event at which they have placed first. His debating partner, Husick, was also named Best Varsity Speaker of the event for the first time. BADASS is part of the American Parliamentary Debate Association, a group of 50 schools primarily on the East Coast. APDA members host debates almost every weekend, and Brandeis sends debaters to most tournaments, said public relations director Kim Bouchard-Chaimowiz ’13 last year. Between five and 20 Brandeis debaters attend each tournament, depending on the location of the host school.
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October 15, 2010
Fall Fest begins FALLFEST (from p. 1)
nie Grimes and her associate, Nicole Chabot-Wieferich, is comprised of eight students. Yulia Mints ’11, Fina Amarilio ’12, Emily Kraus ’12, Kevin Monks ’13, Jessica Preis ’13, Adam Richman ’11, Emily Shihang Wang ’13 and Xi Zhang ’12, have been working since last March to develop and perfect the selection of events for Fall Fest 2010. Student Events has also been working alongside the Fall Fest Core Committee to prepare Brandeis’ campus for the arrival of several hundred families. Marketing Coordinator Jessica Preis said this year’s travel theme emerged when the Core Committee first met last year. “We tried to find things that would be appealing to parents from around the world, while still being professional. Travel is something everyone can relate to.”
Callahan, 74, dies in train accident CALLAHAN (from p. 1)
tion, integrity and commitment to the field of social work in 2003. The Newton fire department could not be reached by press time; however, Newton Fire Assistant Chief Bruce Proia told NedhamPatch that police received a 911-emergency phone call from the Newton platform at 7:48 a.m. on Tuesday, and that the accident caused a two-hour delay on the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line. Called Jim by his family and friends, Callahan is survived by his wife of 48 years Joan Callahan, sons James Callahan, John Callahan and fiancé Allyson Molnar, daughter Susan Bemis and her husband Phillip Bemis and his grandson Phillip Bemis, according to an obituary in The Boston Globe. He is also survived by brothers Richard Callahan and wife Sandra, and Neil Callahan and wife Sonja. A private funeral service will be held tomorrow.
The Brandeis Hoot
NEWS
Fall Fest Schedule
3
Gosman Athletic Center
game starts at 6:30 p.m. Gosman Athletic Center
Friday, Oct. 15 Welcome and Registration All day, Shapiro Campus Center Attend Brandeis classes 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ollie the Owl Postcards Soak in the spirit of Fall Fest and take photos with the Brandeis mascot, Ollie the Owl 1 to 3 p.m. Shapiro Campus Center Brandeis Study Abroad Information Session 1 to 1:50 p.m. Multipurpose room, Shapiro Campus Center Presentation on Health Care Reform with Stuart Altman 2 to 2:50 p.m. Multipurpose room, Shapiro Campus Center Soccer games against Carnegie Mellon Women’s game starts at 4 p.m. and men’s
Professor Coiner Discusses American Health Care Reform 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Experience The Atlantic City Boardwalk Mandel G3 Play cards with family and pretend you are down in Atlantic City! Fall Fest Variety Show Hassenfeld Conference Center, Sherman 8 p.m. Function Hall Levin Ball Room, Usdan Student Center Saturday, Oct. 16
Sunday, Oct 17
Welcome and Registration All day, Shapiro Campus Center Breakfast with faculty and staff 9 to 11 a.m. Levin Ball Room, Usdan Student Center Women’s volleyball game 10:30 a.m. Gosman Athletic Center Walter Cuenin, Catholic chaplain and Director of the Interfaith Chaplaincy, and Erica Shaps ’13 discuss religious life at Brandeis 3 to 4:30 p.m. Golding Auditorium Women’s volleyball game against NYU 12:30 p.m.
Brunch with Family 9 to 11 a.m. Sherman Function Hall, Hassenfeld Conference Center BBQ with STAND, anti-genocide coalition 1:30. to 3:00 p.m. Great Lawn, Shapiro Campus Center Men’s soccer game against Emory 1:30 p.m. Gosman Sports Center Women’s volleyball game against Carnegie Mellon 2:00 p.m. Gosman Sports Center
Student Union elections fill vacant posts BY NATHAN KOSKELLA Editor
The Student Union special election Tuesday filled the remaining vacant spots on the Senate and other bodies, resulting in wins for Adam Hughes, the new Junior Representative to the board of trustees, Lisa Melmed as Ridgewood senator and Tyrone Calliste as Mods senator who won via a write-in bid. “I am ecstatic with how elections went,” Union Secretary Herbie Rosen ’12 wrote in an e-mail to The Hoot. “We, the Eboard, really wanted all students to have a representative in the Union, and [an] advantage given with all three seats filled is that every student, no matter where they live, now has exactly that: a
representative on Senate.” Melmed is unique in that she was named Ridgewood senator in this election after the position went unfilled in an election less than three weeks ago. The decision by Rosen to hold a new election was made after consultation with the aforementioned goals of the E-board to have all positions filled regardless. “I do not see much harm in having the second round of elections so soon after the first,” she said in agreeing with the special election. “Maybe it served as a wake-up call to encourage students who otherwise would not have voted. Several students were willing to serve and run in
the election and that’s a great thing—it certainly would be unacceptable to have residential quadrangles that are not represented.” Melmed also threw off the possibility of having decided against the Constitution, which says that seats won by “abstain,” or no candidate are to remain unfilled. Melmed indicated that what the Constitution means to student leaders is more important than the textual analysis. “That might be capitulating to apathy,” she said. “It’s time for new views and different perspectives. Little gets done by adopting the status quo.”
[Abstentions] might be capitulating to apathy ... It’s time for new views and different perspectives. Little gets done by adopting the status quo. -Lisa Melmed ’12 ADVERTISEMENT
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4 NEWS
Falling for fall
The Brandeis Hoot
By Max Shay and Haley Fine
Autumn is most often characterized by the changing colors of the leaves. Once the pigmentation is withdrawn, however, other textural aspects of the season become apparent. Take a look:
October 15, 2010
October 15, 2010
FEATURES
The Brandeis Hoot 5
BREAKING BREAD, BY JOSH KELLY Staff
I must admit that I was a little nervous as I stood waiting in line to ask a question of the speaker, who minutes before had captivated an audience with a short, but well-crafted and well-spoken speech. She spoke in immaculate and steady tones with little-to-no hesitation, and had a stony, contented expression that would make any young student feel her presence. I did have good reason to be nervous. However, neither her speaking nor her overall presence was the most significant aspect of the event to observe, but rather her overall message. I was walking up to the microphone to ask a question of a woman who had been in war zones in Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and Israel. Somehow, she had come out still preaching compassion. On Wednesday night, Brandeis was visited in the Rapaport Treasure Hall by Anna Badkhen, a war journalist. She has immersed herself in some of the most significant conflict zones of the 21st century and has attempted to get in-depth stories that paint vibrantly colorful pictures of the people affected by war. SoJust, an on-campus organization devoted to promoting social justice, orchestrated this event in which Badkhen came to talk about not only her new book, “Peace Meal: Candy-Wrapped Kalashnikovs and Other War Stories,” but also about what she had learned throughout her years reporting in a diverse multitude of hostile climates. The writer made one of her main points clear early on and accentuated it throughout. Modern war journalism, she said is flawed because of its lack of compassion for those on whom it reports. Early in her speech, she told a story about discussing war with her son. She and her son were discussing the conflict in the Congo–one which she noted has cost the lives of nearly five and a half million people. She repeated the staggering figure to the audience slowly and dramatically, and explained how it is unfathomable to imagine such a thing. She suggested that in order to truly understand the impact of that figure, one would need to imagine all of the complexity and love, every little detail and every subtle nuance of him or herself, and then multiply that by five and a half million. That is what she wanted to get across and continues to want to demonstrate. It is not a nameless, lifeless and anonymous five and a half million who have been killed, but rather people with just as much life and
emotion as anyone else, and yet the media does not give them the complexity of understanding they deserve. In her speech she discussed her experiences and ideas while a slide show showed images of war. There were the traditional images such as a car exploding, mixed in with images of kids just standing their smiling, as well as images of food. She finds food, the subject of her book, to have a particular ability to unite people and to show resilience of lively culture even in war. She claimed that although war pervades the lives of many, they carry on their culinary traditions. Furthermore, the fact that everybody eats unites those in a society not exposed to war every day with those who live a different life. She read the epilogue of her book to the audience, in which she wrote “dining in war zones was an act of defiance against depravity. “It was a celebration of the verity that war can kill our friends and decimate our towns, but it cannot kill our inherent decency, stand the humanity that resists generosity and kindness: that even the most violent of conflicts. which makes us human.” She finds She commented on a story where something innately special about it was listed that “in other viopeople sharing a meal, persisting lence, two people were killed and even with the destruction around ten wounded” in Afghanistan. them, and finds that a meal can be She pointed out to the audience “a chance to link that person’s life how those people would remain and yours”. anonymous, and how they were In the introduction of her book, simply lost to the reader. She feels she describes a scene of a war- that this is disrespectful, and yet zone, which also feels that it despite the undermines our clearly per- Dining in war zones was ability to create vasive con- an act of defiance against wise policy with flict, is still depravity. It was a celebra- relation to war pervaded tion of the verity that war zones. with a sense At one point of humanity can kill our friends and during the evethat she be- decimate our towns, but ning she brought lieves is nevit cannot kill our inher- up the complex er lost, even situation in Afin times of ent decency, generosity, ghanistan, she war. She de- and kindness: that which observed, in scribes a boy makes us human. which people playing with would switch shrapnel, a sides more than - Anna Badkhen soldier, who and more than dances deagain dependspite also ing on the way carrying a the war was gorifle, and a girl who picks flowers ing, and did not have as explicit from “a crater hollowed out by an and determined a motivation air-to surface missile”. as we would expect. A shallow To Badkhen, all of these people understanding of war, espoused show that they are still moving by reporters who just list off the on with their lives despite the number dead without any names destruction all about them. Most or explanation completely fails to interesting to her however, is that explain this, and therefore gives “a woman’s family will generously us a faulty understanding of war. share their dinner with [her], an In the end, her message is one outsider, in the relative safety of of the power of knowledge. When their home”, even when “a fire- her son asked her about the war fight rages outside”. in the Congo, she explained to Badkhen bemoaned how the him, “you are already helping, media today simply goes to a by asking, by knowing.” Badkhen shallow level of reporting on war, believes that it is the mere fact of without digging deeply into the asking questions and becoming intimate stories of those affected informed about the true nature of by war, as well as trying to under- conflict that gives people the abil-
PHOTO BY Alan Tran/The Hoot
ity to change the world. Because their knowledge informs every decision they make for the rest of their lives. And now we come back to my question. I could hear it in the microphone that my voice was a little unsteady and likely my body language conveyed the same. I asked her how one could reconcile the need for compassion in news with the importance of having the cold hard facts. I wanted her to explain to me how a journalist would be able to blend these two major polar opposites: the intimate profile, which shows a deep understanding but just of one person, and the broad statistics and facts, which although all-encompassing do not have any emotional breadth. She explained quickly to me that it was indeed possible to blend the two, and suggested that journalists indeed do it all the time. A little abashed by the quip, I sat down. I waited and listened as many others asked very interesting questions. I learned about her favorite dishes she had eaten while in war zones, and about her very first experience in Afghanistan in 2001. I even heard of her being threatened by a boy with a knife on the streets of Iraq in 2003. I learned that although she has been doing this for nearly a decade, she never gets used to war. Finally, after a while, I decided to stand up and ask another question. Feeling a little less nervous, I walked back into the line of eager questioners. She had already explained what the problem was, but now I wanted her to further explain how the average person can help remedy the problems of conflict. So I went up to the microphone,
and asked her how me understanding and becoming informed on a conflict could truly help. The answer she gave me sums up a major subtle point in her argument. She explained that even though I feel that my own direct contribution is minuscule, I should not think in terms of how I can change the world in 2010, but rather in 3010. She suggested that if I gained knowledge and made positive decisions, and then instilled them in my children, then they would do the same thing, and thus my impact would be multiplied with each new generation. Thus, Badkhen argued that it is fine if the progress is slow, and it is fine if all you do is share a meal with someone, but that all that matters is that progress is made. All that truly matters is that we as a society go beyond a shallow understanding of the world, and try to truly feel our connection to people, regardless of where they live, and indeed especially if they are many miles away, embroiled in a conflict which we cannot possibly understand from the basic cold figures presented to us by today’s media. At the end of the event, in the carpeted, decorated Treasure Hall, filled with guests eating happily, or praising Badkhen’s work, I bought a copy of her book and had her sign it. She looked up at me and asked casually and yet thoughtfully, “what do you want me to write?” I replied in a jokingly cliché way, “something that will hopefully change my life”. I opened my book after she signed it. It said “Josh: Travel with your heart open. Stay vulnerable. Onward,–Anna.”
6 FEATURES
The Brandeis Hoot
BY LEAH FINKELMAN Editor
Meghan Breslin-Jewer ’11 was an athlete all through high school, but she didn’t want to participate in a varsity sport when she got to Brandeis. She was at the activities fair when she discovered the sailing team and decided to give it a try. It was only two weeks into practice that she realized sailing was actually a varsity sport. Now, sailing is a club sport, but the team still competes strongly and takes practice and competition very seriously. This weekend, members of the sailing team will travel to Montreal with coach Tom Robinson to participate in the McGill Cup. The competition, called a regatta, will make them one of only a few Brandeis teams, varsity or club, to compete internationally: it is possibly the
first international in-season competition, and almost certainly the first international in-conference competition, Club Sports Director Ben White said. McGill is the only Canadian sailing team in Brandeis’ conference, the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA). Each year, the team budgets for one overnight regatta, and last year they voted to attend McGill this year. “Being involved in this competition says a lot about how far our team has come,” said Treasurer Josh Basseches ’12. Sailing was a varsity sport for decades until 2009, when it was cut, along with golf, because of budget problems in the Athletics department. Both teams then became club sports, a change that BreslinJewer said hasn’t made much of a difference.
The team still receives enough funding, it just comes from different sources. According to Breslin-Jewer, the team, like other club sports, gets funding from both the Athletics department and through the Club Sports Council, as part of the student activities fee. “Club Sports has been very helpful in including us,” Basseches said. The team is incredibly excited to go to Montreal, especially because of what it means to them. “We’ve had ups and downs in terms of our c omp e t it ive n e ss , but this shows a lot about what See SAILING, p. 7
October 15, 2010
October 15, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
This Week in History 1948
2008
tion.”
Brandeis
October 18 Brandeis opens for its first day of classes. October 16 New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman ’75 tells students to be more engaged as activists in the “green revolu-
1912 Massachu-
setts
October 16 Boston Red Sox beat the New York Baseball Giants to win the World Series for 1969 a second time.
FEATURES
7
Brandeis team sails north Sailing team goes to McGill for international competition SAILING (from p. 6)
we’ve accomplished as a team,” Basseches said. Six of the team’s 14 members will drive to Montreal, said BreslinJewer, now the president of the sailing team. The team will sail Saturday and Sunday, with continuous races, with two people in the boat for each race. Those two people, the skipper and the crew, will be in charge of steering, strategy and distributing weight in the boat for maximum speed. Sailing uses low points scoring, Basseches said, meaning that for each race, the team will receive points representing their place—one for
first place, two for second, etc. At the end of the weekend, the team with the lowest points will be the winner. In order to prepare for the McGill Cup and the weekly regattas in which they compete, the team practices in the Charles River three times a week after classes with equipment rented from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It’s a pretty big commitment,” Basseches said, explaining that the fall season lasts from September until November and the spring season begins when “the ice melts on the river and we’re back in the water,” from March until
the end of the year. Basseches became involved with the sailing club immediately upon arriving at Brandeis two years ago.
B
eing involved in this competition says a lot about how far our team has come.” - Josh Basseches ’12 Although sailing was then a varsity sport, the team had a table at the activities fair to attract walk-ons to the team, due to a lack of popularity. He knew how to sail, but had never raced before, and joined the team to try something new.
Most NEISA regattas bring together between 12 and 20 different schools, including Harvard, Boston University and the University of New Hampshire, said Basseches. Because there are no divisions in sailing competitions, any school with a team may compete, Basseches said, and competitions are divided regionally. In general, the best and most well funded teams are varsity teams, he said, but he also noted that there are exceptions, including Boston University and University of New Hampshire, which have club teams that are among the top in the country.
October 16 100,000 people meet at Boston Common as part of nationwide antiwar protests.
1931
The United States
October 17 Al Capone, a no1962 torious gangster, goes to prison for tax evasion.
October 22 U.S. spy planes discover Soviet missile bases in Cuba, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
1798
The World
October 16 Marie Antoinette is beheaded during the 1973 French Revolution.
October 20 The Sydney Opera House is completed after 15 years of construction.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Megan Breslin-Jewer
8 The Brandeis Hoot
Established 2005 "To acquire wisdom, one must observe." Ariel Wittenberg Editor in Chief Nathan Koskella News Editor Jon Ostrowsky News Editor Leah Finkelman Features Editor Bret Matthew Impressions Editor Alex Self Deputy Impressions Editor Kara Karter Sports Editor Kayla Dos Santos Arts, Etc. Editor Jodi Elkin Layout Editor Leah Lefkowitz Layout Editor Max Shay Photography Editor Vanessa Kerr Business Editor Savannah Pearlman Copy Editor Yael Katzwer Deputy Copy Editor Josh Waizer Distribution Manager Associate Editors Alex Schneider, Destiny D. Aquino Sean Fabery
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Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman
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EDITORIALS
October 15, 2010
Open your eyes, close and lock your doors
D
uring the past month, the Brandeis community has been the subject of many events that some may consider uncharacteristic of the university. The flasher, castle dorm thefts and credit card frauds are all examples of incidents we would like to think occur in the outside world, not at Brandeis. We like to think that here in our Brandeis bubble, people remain clothed in public spaces, our possessions are safe without locked doors and credit card transactions are secure. Clearly, this is not the case, and some have expressed surprise that
our insular community has been invaded by the real world. It’s understandable that community members were taken aback by these events. After all, in the past three years, there have been no instances of robbery, and only 47 instances of burglary, according to the Department of Public Safety’s crime statistics. We disregard the warnings of public safety officials and community advisers telling us not to prop open doors or open them for strangers, we leave our dorm rooms unlocked, and consider ourselves safe. Frankly, this train of thought is naïve. The Brandeis bubble has not been popped, it never existed.
Brandeis is part of the real world, as are thefts, flashers and fraud. Maybe we are simply too buried in midterms and papers to remember to lock our doors, maybe some of us are too lazy to carry our keys around. Either way, these incidents should serve as a wake up call. Some have suggested that the university’s latest crime rash is due to a flaw in public safety, that if Ed Callahan and his officers did something different, these incidents would not have occurred. Brandeis isn’t suffering from a lack of campus security, we are suffering from a lack of common sense.
Letter to the editor In “Our politics continue to divide us” Shirel Guez misrepresents the sign put up in the Shapiro Campus Center by JewishVoice for Peace (JVP) in a way that aggrandizes Israeli and Jewish suffering and excludes the crimes perpetrated against Palestinians. The sign was JVP’s contribution to the Brandeis Zionist Alliance’s commemoration of Gilad Shalit. In her article Guez describes the tragic story of Gilad Shalit in great length and condemns the comparison between the Israeli soldier and the 189 Palestinian prisoners as “ridiculous and un-
heard of.” The media’s obsessive concern for Gilad Shalit–or rather, its lack of interest in the fate of the Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel –creates a serious imbalance in our perception of the conflict. These 190 prisoners (Shalit included) are the victims of systematic civil rights abuses. Never tried in a court of law, they are kept in a kafka-esque nightmare where they are not given the reasons for their imprisonment nor the conditions for their release. We do not mean to say that Shalit’s imprisonment is just, but
while Shalit’s name makes headlines, the Palestinian prisoners are disregarded because they do not fit into a predetermined narrative. JVP’s sign seeks to remind the Brandeis Community that Gilad Shalit is not the only captive involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Guez says herself that it is only by truly acknowledging the suffering of others that we can understand the conflict. If only she and Israel’s apologists would follow that advice. -Paraska Tolan ’11
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October 15, 2010
ARTS, etc.
The Brandeis Hoot 9
Looking beyond the walls: Tory Fair discusses sculpture BY KAYLA DOS SANTOS Editor
Recently featured in Sculpture Magazine, Professor Tory Fair (FA) crafts figures that explore the subject of the body, nature and the imagination. Since spring, Professor Fair’s series of figures titled “In the wall” has exhibited at the LaMontagne Gallery in South Boston. Using her own body as a model for the figures, Fair has used the power of perfomative action to explore the curious act of looking. Each figure’s face is pressed against the museum’s surfaces and each body has flower details. Professor Fair took the time to chat with The Hoot about her projects and the question of what’s beyond the walls. The Brandeis Hoot: How do you balance the responsibilities of a professor with your role as an artist? Tory Fair: Being a professor is a great way to have income and time for your artwork. BH: How would you describe your style as a sculptor? For instance, in Sculpture Magazine, you describe yourself as a “latebloomer,” what does that mean? TF: My pieces refer to my experience ... I love the adolescent period, that feeling of instability. BH: You have used yourself as a model for some of your sculptures, particularly the pieces now being featured in the LaMontagne gallery: What are the differences between using yourself as a model in comparison to an outside model? Is it more personal? Is it a different way of looking?
IN THE WALL: Professor Tory Fair has sculpted three figures that explore the body, nature and the imagination.
TF: I never used an outside model before ... For my first piece called “Driving,” it was the most direct way to show how I disappear in my own thoughts while driving ... It presents a direct link between experience and sculpture ... I’m not making naked representations, it’s less about me as an identity and more about my humanness. BH: As a subject, what do you think the human body reveals? How does it inspire your work? TF: I’ve done six figurative
sculptures in the last two years centered around a performative act: walking, driving, sleeping ... I view the human body as a direct relation to experience ... I use my body as a way to start the sculpture in a performative action. It’s the state of seeking, a state of investigation and in a way it’s about the act of sculpting. BH: How does nature inspire your work? TF: We are not separate from nature, we are a part of nature. The flowers [on the figures] have
become symbolic of the potential to grow, the potential of the imagination, in a way the imagination is nature. BH: How long did the “In the floor/In the wall” pieces take to sculpt? TF: I did three in about nine months. BH: All of the figures of “In the wall” have hidden faces; was that a specific choice? Why? TF: [The pieces] are about looking into the walls to see beyond the surface. I’m in an active pose of looking. BH: In Sculpture Magazine, you state that your new work goes “beyond the conventions of white walls?” What are the “white walls?” The museum space? A metaphor? TF: It’s about the idea of a boundary, a convention—the wall acts as a surface to look beyond. Haven’t you ever wondered what’s beyond the wall?
PHOTO COURTESY OF Tory Fair
BH: What was the most rewarding part of the artistic process?
PHOTO COURTESY OF Tory Fair
TF: These pieces have a real self-reflexive quality for me... it confirms why I keep making sculpture... BH: What was the most challenging? TF: Those pieces were very physically demanding and it’s the physical aspect that I love. As I get older, though, it gets harder for me to do a lot of repetitive motion without feeling the consequences ... I don’t know what the hardest part is, it’s labor at a certain point, the work you put into something you care about ... it’s the labor that’s hard. BH: How do you hope viewers will approach/interact with your pieces? TF: I hope that they can feel connected to them, that they can relate the metaphor that I’m presenting. They also complete it, they mimic the gestures. They’re repeating the act of looking and investigating. BH: What do you hope to accomplish through your new pieces? TF: I hope that they create a dialogue. A humanist one—[humankind] participates with nature and is nature, rather than separating us from nature. The idea is that it’s important for us to adapt more, if we see ourselves as part of nature we can potentially balance with it... [The figures] aren’t political, but more humanist.
10 ARTS ,ETC.
The Brandeis Hoot
October 15, 2010
View of Fall By Alan Tran, Staff
The trip leader, Cass, wanted to find a view of fall, with the trees in their splendid orange and red and yellow colors spread on the slopes of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Robbie wanted to find a waterfall. I think we all wanted a break from the college bubble, away from work and classes, clubs and e-mails, to just get outside for a bit and enjoy the world. Of the six people in the hiking group that Saturday, I was the only student from Brandeis: the other five were students from Tufts. The night before, we had all gathered in the Tufts Loj, a lodge that serves as a base camp for Tufts’ outdoor activities in Woodstock, New Hampshire. Six students from Brandeis came, as well as students from colleges across New England, including Skidmore, Brown and MIT. Trip leaders stood around with maps of their proposed routes trying to talk people into coming on their hikes. The event was called “Save PRRR: A Choose Your Own Adventure Weekend at the Loj.” Since 2006, Tufts had held an intercollegiate race through the White Mountains around this time of year, but this year they were not able to get permits for the race, so instead they advertised an event for the weekend of Oct. 9, where students from different colleges “who like doing badass things in the outdoors” could hang out for a weekend and do just that. That friday night, two Brandeis students slept outside the lodge with me in a tent we got from the Brandeis Mountain Club. The next day, I climbed Sandwich Mountain with my hiking group and we reached two peaks, Jennings Peak and Sandwich Dome. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and energy bars and took in the view, and started moving again when we got cold. Afterwards, we went to the cardboard canoe race and I’m proud to say the people from my group helped build the winning boat. Afterwards, we ate chili with rice and played games in the lodge. Later that night, I returned to Brandeis with the students I went there with, a few energy bars lighter but with some new friends and a ton of photos to put on Facebook, and with the knowledge that amidst the small mountains of e-mails and readings I had to respond to, I had also managed to climb a 4,000-foot mountain. (And yes, we found a waterfall and Cass found the view of fall that she had been looking for. And if you want to be technical, Sandwich Mountain is only 3,993 feet tall, but we can just keep that between us.)
October 15, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS, ETC.
11
The foodies’ corner GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot
Going beyond the bubble: Wilson’s Diner BY NATHAN KOSKELLA
But we were greeted almost instantly by our server and the proprietor too; he was the chef, cookWilson’s is hardly the place ing at the giant grill along the back Brandeis students dress up for, wall of the rectangle, shouting, in wait for a late-night BranVan heavily Greek-accented English, and head to with a huge group of welcomes and a recommendation. friends. I bet most W i l s o n’s haven’t even heard serves breakhome fries of the Waltham dinfast foods and should be a loer; I certainly hadn’t sandwiches, cal legend. The potatoes and we tried when I stopped there for a morning are chopped whole right in some of each. breakfast Saturday. front of customers. Good bacon The place is small, and eggs, yes, rectangular and rebut the home minds one of an old trolley din- fries should be a local legend. The ing car. My companion and I sat at potatoes are chopped whole right the cube nearest the door because in front of customers at the same the other nine were packed full at grill, and can be topped with just nearly 10 a.m. about anything in the place, which Editor
The
is as stocked as a Southern truck station. Ignoring the menu that discouraged substitutions, the chef waved my question off and smiled. Waltham is full of good sandwiches. But a huge old-fashioned club at Wilson’s is about $5, with fries. Try that at the Ninety Nine. (And good luck finding pastrami many other places.) If you wake up that early, ever, head to Wilson’s some time. It’s quaint and small, and not quite a typical Brandeis student outing. But go beyond the bubble, watch the cook make the food in front of you, and you may learn some Greek. You’ll learn a bit about the fun times typical of people beyond the social stratus as well.
Sushi Yasu makes for great dining BY KAYLA DOS SANTOS Editor
Sushi Yasu is a small, unpresumptious Japanese and Korean restaurant on Main Street, and makes for a delightful evening of scrumptious food and generous service. Whenever I enter a restaurant that I’ve never been to before, I pay attention to who’s sitting down and eating, so I was worried when I entered Sushi Yasu and there was only one man with a cup of tea and a trio of friends seated at the back of the restaurant. The place was dead, even considering that it was a Monday night. The decor wasn’t anything special either: the dining area was uninspiring and dimly lit, making me think that Sushi Yasu might be a place from which you order takeout but where you never actually eat. We had chosen the place because one of my friends had raved about it. Whenever she had a free afternoon, she would walk from Brandeis to Sushi Yasu and eat as much as possible. If you’re looking for really cheap sushi in large quantities, Sushi Yasu might not be for you. They have all you can eat sushi every Tuesday and Wednesday, but at the price of $24.95. I like sushi, but for a meal, that’s out of my price
range. According to their menu, its center, perfect for soaking up they have decent lunch deals (you any crab or tuna that escaped my can get 12 pieces of sushi for $9), chopsticks. Along with my meal, I but dinner seemed to be more ex- had jasmine green tea, which was pensive. However, if you want a strong, but not notable except for filling evening meal at a middling the fact that it was served in an price, then this restaurant should adorable cup with pictures of sushi definitely be on your list. For $14 decorating it. my boyfriend was able to get one For dessert, Sushi Yasu had a of their Japanese meals, 18 pieces short list of ice cream options. of sushi served with miso soup. While I was not daring enough The menu was huge. The variety to try their Tempura or Mochi ice of rolls were intimidating from cream, the Green tea flavor was the common California roll to fantastic. The ice cream tasted exthe Dragon roll and even some- actly like chilled green tea, a taste thing called that was both a Waltham unusual and delitasty sushi will cious. roll (basically make you feel like The service was a California roll covered you have stumbled upon also good and a with tuna). bit quirky. The one of Waltham’s dining waitress had a I opted for one of their secrets. sense of humor, six-piece sujoking, “Are you shi dishes at ready, yet? I’m not random, a ready” when she sushi pizza because it had crab in checked to see if we knew what we it, which I love. wanted to order. She kindly served While the dish did not in any me miso soup without an addiway resemble a pizza (which per- tional charge and refilled my tea haps is a good thing), the rolls cup without me having to ask. were extremely filling with a comFor lovers of sushi, Sushi Yasu is plex mixture of flavors. I’m not definitely worth a visit, and you’ll very skilled with chopsticks, so I be sure to enjoy your meal. Its unfound the small heaping squares of assuming decor in contrast to its sushi difficult to eat without losing tasty sushi will make you feel like some of the roll. The dish, though, you have stumbled upon one of had a mound of rice noodles at Waltham’s dining secrets.
Its
Cook of Matthew Butternut squash BY BRET MATTHEW Editor
Eating the same vegetables (or, more likely, no vegetables) every day can get boring. Luckily for you, it’s fall, and there are some delicious squashes in season. Don’t like squash? You will. Squash dishes are easy to make, tasty and good for you too. Here’s one of my new favorites … BUTTERNUT SQUASH (a.k.a. Winter Squash) Butternut squash is probably one of the more recognizable squashes, thanks to its unique shape. It looks something like a giant peanut, tan with a round bottom and an oblong top. As far as cooking goes, this squash is very low-maintenance. All you need are: ● A baking pan ● A cutting board ● A serving bowl ● A sharp kitchen knife ● A butternut squash ● Olive oil ● Sugar or honey (optional) ● 1 inch unsalted butter (optional) First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, making sure you have at least one rack located in the middle of the oven. While that heats up, wash your squash in cold water, making sure to clean off any dirt. Then, cut off the stem and cut the squash lengthwise. This is by far the hardest step—when raw, squashes are rather dense and their skin is tough—so you’ll need a sturdy, sharp knife with a grip that won’t slip out of your hand. Don’t try to be a lumberjack and hack the thing to pieces; you’ll just end up hurting yourself. Instead, cut with a slow, sawing motion, while trying to keep the two halves even. The inside of your slices will be mostly yellowish-orange in color. At their bases, you’ll notice small clumps of seeds. These are actually rather tasty when roasted on their own, but that’s another column altogether. For now, scoop them out and put them off to the side. Next, take a little olive oil— not too much—and lightly cover the cutsides of both halves. Then, place them cutside down on your baking pan and put it in the oven. Fun fact about ovens: They lose their heat—and their effectiveness—if you keep opening the door to check on your food. Cook time varies by squash size, but most only need approximately 45 minutes to an hour. PHOTO FROM Internet Source When time is up, you can check your squash by sticking a fork in each half. If it slides in easily, you’re good to go. Once you get your squash out of the oven, flip each half over and scoop the soft insides into a medium-sized bowl. At this point, you could start eating your squash and have a pretty satisfying (and steaming hot) side dish. But if you want to make it even better, add an inch of butter and sprinkle some sugar (or better yet, honey) into the bowl. As long as the squash is still hot, everything will dissolve nicely.
12 ARTS, ETC.
The Brandeis Hoot
October 15, 2010
What is the social network? BY NATHAN HAKIMI Special to The Hoot
The Social Network, if you haven’t already heard (or seen for yourself), is a real ripper of a film. It is absolutely filthy in the best possible way. Between superb performances, a Rice Krispy script (it snap-crackle-pops!), and the kind of visceral stylized punch only David Fincher can deliver, the whole thing is truly electric. It could make your mom feel 20 again and probably look it too. This article is not a review, but an analysis, and because I don’t want to ruin it for you, I won’t tell you much more about the film itself beyond what you basically need to know: it’s about Facebook. More importantly than being a teriffic movie, “The Social Network” is also—dare I say— “important”. This film is potentially so relevant it prompted Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers to write—tweet, actually—that “it’s the movie of the year that also brilliantly defines the decade.” This might seem surprising. Decade-defining, in a decade that has seen 9/11, radical globalization and Nobel Laureate Barack Obama?! I’ll put my own friend and peer Shea Riester to represent in this corner, who reviewed “The Social Network” for the Justice, telling us how he thought at first, “How can a movie about Facebook possibly be any good?” He goes on, “I assumed the film would be as emotionally vacuous as Facebook itself because, after all, that’s what it’s about, right? Wrong. The film isn’t really about Facebook at all; it’s about people.” With every bit of respect to Shea, I am here to disagree. The Social Network is to some extent – for better or for worse – a decade-defining movie. An eradefining movie. The movie’s plot may be “about people,” and the saga of Facebook’s rocky beginnings, but at its deepest core it is not about the people or their drama. I think Mark Zuckerberg would appreciate my saying that it is also not really about him, or his portrayal onscreen, though that is what many will focus on. Facebook isn’t just a dumb website. It is massive. It is all this movie is really about, along with its Silicon Valley ilk. It is about a changing society, the growth of a new age. It is the first film to tackle these ideas and it conveys them with such gusto and with so many interwoven threads, the only shame is that this core will probably go unnoticed amidst the other hullaballo. Let’s think about it. What’s the deal with Facebook? You make a profile, upload pertinent information about yourself and your
GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot
life, share things and communicate with other people, and in the meantime, use some random games and applications. These are the features. What is the use? And why was Facebook so much more successful than other applications which came before it? The film answers these questions, but the point is likely missed by both tech-heads who are stuck on what they perceive as Hollywood over-fictionalization and the average viewer who does not have the context to appreciate the whole story. There are primarily two characters who are portrayed in “The Social Network” as visionaries, who understand the impact Facebook is about to have on the world. They are both anti-heroes to an extent
(both are emotionally weird), but they have an essential passion that is their salvation and it is their energy that fuels the whole film. First and foremost is Mark Zuckerberg, real-life creator and 26-year-oldbillionaire owner of Facebook.
Second is the real-life inventor of the now-infamous Napster and real-life pseudo-mentor to Mark Zuckerberg, Sean Parker. Parker and Zuckerberg are the ones who really “get it.” Their passion is palpable, their interchanges some of the best moments in the film: the lunch meeting scene, the nightclub scene, the Silicon Valley house. Everyone around them is either completely antagonistic or else sympathetic but small-minded. The lawyers and litigants are fools, jealous bloodsuckers. Eduardo Saverine, Zuckerberg’s early partner, wastes his time looking for ad revenue. When Saverine asks Parker for help, Parker describes advertisements on the social network as
The profound thing about technology is that successful inventions fundamentally do not change things. It is more accurate to say they actualize what was already true. Think about why this is the case. Due to the reality of business, an invention really succeeds only if it attains widespread adoption. Due to the reality of human nature, an invention only gains widespread adoption if it makes sense. No one except technerds and pundits go out to buy “the next big thing” just because they say it is so. Even if they do, such products are fads and die. The lasting ones last because they are intuitive, just like the iPod and every iProduct since. From a perspective, it is not only Facebook, but digital cameras, video gaming, online banking, Wikipedia, the blogosphere, dashboard GPS, selfcheckout text messaging, and—my personal favorite— The Cloud (Google it). These are not just technologies or inventions but transformations. They have ushered themselves in with terrifying rapidity, with relatively little shock and awe, precisely because they integrate with existing social fabric. The most prevGRAPHIC BY Leah Lefkowitz/The Hoot alent technologies being “like you’re throwing the are not intrinsically new realities; greatest party on campus and they are extensions of ourselves. someone’s saying it’s gotta be over You psychology majors, young by 11.” entrepreneurs and “Mad Men” “You don’t even know what the fans know what it is that makes thing is yet,” he continues, “How ventures successful. You do not big it can get, how far it can go.” sell products—you sell solutions.
Why do we log onto Facebook? It isn’t a digital addiction, but a social one. We are, it increasingly seems, brain-wired to seek information about others in the flock. We are definitely hard-wired to seek info about potential mates. What is the one feature that finally makes Zuckerberg decide Facebook is ready for launch? Relationship status. Why was Facebook successful? People give many various reasons, that Zuckerberg was in the right place at the right time, he had good deployment strategy, he was ruthless, whatever. We could obsess about Zuckerberg’s psychology all day. We can make the Bill Gates comparison so we have great inventions that do not reach out and become the new reality. Fundamentally, great technology is that which seamlessly integrates itself into our reality, so well we do not notice it, so well we can use its tools as naturally as those we’ve had for centuries, so well we may not even realize just how useful it is until it gets taken away. Why is this not considered as newsworthy or “significant” as “real” events like war and economy? We like to focus on our problems, not our solutions. This has always been the case. Guantanamo Bay and government corruption punch up a headline harder than robotic prosthetics, though in fact the latter is from a certain perspective much more newsworthy. To say that the Internet has changed the world would be an obvious understatement. So how could you deny the importance of social networking, one of its most essential features? What Mark Zuckerberg did was not invent “The Social Network,” but combine ideas already out there to into the magic winner. It was “cool.” He had the vision and the skills. Does it matter that Friendster and Myspace already came first? Well, does it matter that Usenet came before AOL? That Unix came before Mac OS? They won because they were usable and attractive. This is not trivial. Consumer technologies earn the “cool” label by being elegant and intuitive. Zuckerberg had the winning formula. Technology is taking over the world, but it is not inventing it. We are the ones deciding our digital fate. We buy the stuff and use it and leave a couple people billionaires and the rest still battling it out. The second major point is about technology as a whole. What Zuckerberg did to bring together old ideas into a sole new one. His idea, social networking, is about the sharing of ideas. The same is the truth behind e-mail, texting, Twitter and television: we as a society are a great big brain, each of us nodes. It is an entire constellation, you are a single star. It’s all a web, a mesh, a network. It is “out there” but it is also right here. It’s on my desk. It’s in my house. It’s probably in your pocket.
See NETWORKING, p. 13
October 15, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
‘Lantern’ sheds light on ‘Blackest Night’ BY GORDY STILLMAN Staff
Did you know that there will be a Green Lantern movie coming out this summer? Ryan Reynolds, who has already made a name for himself in such comic movies as Wade Wilson in 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” is set to don a “power ring’as Hal Jordan, the titular Green Lantern. If you are interested in delving into some of the comic stories in anticipation of the movie, you should look no further than “Blackest Night” DC Comic’s most recently completed limited series and crossover. “In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, Beware my power ... Green Lantern’s light!” The well-known Green Lantern oath, recited by intergalactic police as they recharge their rings, takes on a new meaning as the prophesied “Blackest Night” takes the D.C. universe by storm. Chaos runs rampant as war rages between the many corps (corps as in Marine corps) of the emotional spectrum. There are the Red Lantern Corps (Rage), Agent Orange (Avarice, ergo there is only one), The Sinestro Corps (Fear), Green Lantern Corps (Willpower), The Blue Lanterns (Hope), The Star Sapphires (Love) and the mysterious Indigo Tribe (Compassion). Notice the rainbow colors? Yeah, me too. While it might be hard at first to keep track of the many players, it becomes much easier when a new common threat rises with the Black Lanterns (Death). Rather than delve into the very long backstory let me just say that there is a prophesy that says there will be a time when the corps will war with each other and a black death will sweep the universe and return it to an empty void. It seems like that time has come as black rings hurtle through space seeking out the corpses of the dead—corpses of the once powerful, such as Aquaman, as well as average joes, and setting events into motion.
Unlike the other ring-based corps, in which members wear rings based on their emotional affinity, the black rings “wear” the bodies. The Black Lanterns’ mission is to eliminate all emotion from the universe by extinguishing life. D.C. may have been a bit behind the wagon in terms of zombie stories but unlike Marvel Comics (which did a zombie universe story in 2006), DC’s story takes place in their main universe rather than an alternate universe.) Additionally, while the story is told from many different perspec-
tives, the main story is focused on the perspective of Hal Jordan, the current main character of “Green Lantern” and the most recently revived DC Hero. The central theme of the story is emotion. While this may seem cliché (especially with the overuse of emotion in the Green Lantern mythology explained above) it is actually very enjoyable. As heroes fall left and right, Green Arrow becomes a particularly chilling Black Lantern. Others, such as The Flash are “drafted” into the other corps to swell their numbers and counter the threat of the risPHOTO FROM Internet Source ing dead. Some of these are quite fitting, such as Diana Troy (Wonder Woman) becoming a Star Sapphire. While I was not a huge fan of the Atom joining the Indigo Tribe, I could not imagine anyone other than Lex Luthor as an Orange Lantern. My only real complaint with the series is a lack of exposition on D.C.’s part for readers just picking up the series. Instruction is needed because there are seven volumes composing the entire “Blackest Night” saga. Some of these cover individual comics’ involvement in the series and some are
Flexing the robot hand NETWORKING (from p. 12)
It is real. Yes, it is also fake. The whole thing is kind of complicated as we extend the real world, but question why we should bother with an extension if it just duplicates what we already have? “Why play that Guitar Hero game,” my mother asks, “when you could be practicing your guitar?” Well, Guitar Hero, like Facebook, is fun and addicting. It is also useful in its own special way, as long as you take care to use it responsibly. Has anyone else noticed, there is a kind of growth process you have to go through with Facebook? It is an evolution similar to any other addictive, exciting, almost overly awesome thing. First, you get really into it. Then, you realize that you are too into it, so you back off. Finally—hopefully—you reintegrate it and its true value responsibly, as a tool to complement your life, not take it over. You must master the Facebook, then it will serve you, and us, properly. Naturally, advocates and enthusiasts love to preach and glow about the information age, the singularity, the interconnected world. Critics find it easy to burst their bubbles. Malcolm Gladwell, insightful observer extraordinaire (see “Blink,” “Outliers,” “The Tipping Point” …) recently wrote an essay in The New Yorker discrediting the power of digital tools—specifically in regard to social activism, referring to the role Twit-
ter supposedly played in Iran’s Green Revolution, a popular revolt against allegedly fraudulent elections Gladwell compares this to the classic example: diner-counter sit-ins and the civil rights movement of the 60s. That kind of organizing takes real people truly connecting to each other, making real sacrifices. Digital networking is too shallow and breadth-oriented to ever engender real change. The co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone, responded to Gladwell’s piece saying his argument is good but “kind of laughable,” because it dismisses a claim that hasn’t been made: no one said social networks can replace grassroots organizations. Rather, technology advocates them by supplying to enhance and complement existing human strategies. Perhaps some of us would argue that Facebook does not really change the way we relate to each other, just complements the social interaction we already had. Critics might still respond that digital worlds encourage fake-ness and dilute the real thing. Trent Reznor, who wrote the music for “The Social Network,” calls it a problem of “abundance and cheapness.” It is all too easy to make a “friend” on Facebook, and all too easy to show them an “avatar” of yourself as you’d like to be portrayed. It is harder to forge real relationships. It is harder to find an authentic self. Second Life, dating sites, online forums, webinars; where do you draw the line be-
tween innovation and inanity? These are the challenges we face in the new world. One website I stumbled across raised the possibility of “social networking education.” The etiquette of the playground is no longer enough. We need hard lessons learned on the digital turf. The next generation must know how to wield these tools responsibly and appropriately in noble quests. In “The Social Network,” we have two characters who really comprehend the enormity of this thing they have on their hands. Thanks to their performances and Fincher’s close-and-tight direction we can’t help but get caught up in the giddy heights of their vision. We do root for them, in spite of the kind of dreadful feeling that something is amiss, not just in terms of the intellectual property dispute. We see them celebrate when they reach a million users. Well, they should know: A million isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? A billion. Five years later and Facebook is already halfway there. Its users could make up the third largest country in the world, yeilding 70 percent of users from countries other than the United States. As Zuckerberg and Parker begin to grasp whatever this “thing” is, it is “cool” and it is very big. And even if we do not fully understand it, we have to let it grow and see what it becomes. The tools are a robotic arm; we still flex the hand.
ARTS, ETC.
13
compilations of many series one-volume crossovers. Reading them can be a little confusing, as you cannot possibly read the entire series in chronological order. While this sucked as far as needing to regularly start over or read a short story that takes place in the middle of a story I’ve already read, it was useful for really getting the whole plot. I was able to read the “Blackest Night” limited series, and then build on it by reading “Green Lantern” and the other comics. It was repetitive at times, but it added a level of depth that redeemed the would-be fatal flaw. “Blackest Night” also provided a good chance for D.C’.s artists and writers to show their skills. Better designed than the standard costumes, every member of a lantern corp, when drawn in detail, has a uniform with slightly unique characteristics. This means that whenever a character, such as Superman, became a Black Lantern the artists at D.C. managed to build a unique costume. The dialogue was also a positive aspect of the series. With the dialogue, there was a good balance of serious discussion, sometimes used to build tension, and occasional comic relief. While the text wasn’t always perfect, D.C. did manage to at least have the right amount; neither too much nor too little. Ever hear the phrase “the night is darkest just before the dawn”? Well the sequel series, “Brightest Day,” looks to be a promising story as well. “Green Lantern” will likely be one of the big movies this summer along with “Transformers 3” and “The Hangover 2.” Why not take a little time before summer to delve into “Blackest Night?” I’ve never been a big fan of comics, I like the occasional anime but have always tended to avoid reading comics, yet this story even I found enjoyable. If you plan to give the upcoming movie a chance, you might as well give this story a chance.
IMPRESSIONS Student by day, bagel-making machine by night
14 The Brandeis Hoot
BY ALANA BLUM Staff
As a student-worker, I often feel I’m living a double life. Throughout the day, as I walk around the campus in my jeans and t-shirt, I’m greeted with friendly “hellos” and I blend in well with the other students. Come night, however, as I put on my uniform, marking myself as a dining services employee, I suddenly change from “Alana, that girl in my class,” to “Alana, that bagel girl.” With that simple wardrobe change, I turn into someone who students don’t often deem worthy of respect. I’ve been working at coffee shops since I was 16-years-old, so when I came to Brandeis I was quick to apply for a job at Einsteins Bros. Bagels. At my previous jobs I grew accustomed to occasional rudeness expressed by customers and I was looking forward to the ability to serve coffee to more appreciative students. I expected that students at a college would be much more respectful. I was quick to discover just how wrong I was. One night the register broke. This problem was not our fault and could happen anywhere, anytime. The first student in line started to grow more and
more impatient as my co-workers and I struggled to fix the machine until she finally said in a very brash manner, “Forget it. I’ll just put my food back,” and stomped out of line. Bewildered, my co-worker turned to me and said, “That girl was just in my class.” My co-worker’s statement said it all: How is it that someone who treats us as peers during class time can turn around and become so impertinent when we become their server? Another time, I overheard a student say to another co-worker “just put the bagel into the bag. It’s not that hard to understand,” after she had politely asked him if he wanted the bagel toasted or not. What gives someone the right to believe they can talk to us that way? Students often give us a hard time for things we have no con-
trol over. Suddenly, it seems that what does and does not count as a meal becomes my fault. I cannot describe how many times I’ve been yelled at by students for explaining to them that the item they are trying to buy does not fall under the meal plan. The worst is when people
try to rush us. When there is a rush of customers, and I suddenly have 20 orders of bagels to make, it seems that students expect me to become some sort of bagel-making machine. I’ve heard students say, “If I had known it would take this long, I would never have ordered a bagel,” and they constantly ask
October 15, 2010
GRAPHIC BY Leah Lefkowitz/The Hoot
me if I’ve made this-or-that bagel yet. In an effort to appease the students anxiously checking their watches as I attempt to grab a bagel out of the toaster or put a lid on a cup of hot tea, I’ve burnt myself quite See STUDENT BY DAY, p. 15
Big Brother watches college student, college student catches Big Brother. GORDY STILLMAN Staff
Not too long ago, a college student in California found what appeared to be a tracking device in the undercarriage of his car. His suspicions proved right when the FBI showed up in force to demand their device back. The student complied with the request and did not make any trouble. The FBI asked some questions and left telling him, “You don’t need to call your lawyer. Don’t worry, you’re boring.” It seems that this device was put on the student’s car without a warrant. Unfortunately for civil rights, the United States ninth circuit court of appeals has recently ruled that this is perfectly legal; law enforcement can even trespass onto a private driveway without a warrant to do this. What happened to civil lib-
erties? I read “1984” (and if you haven’t, you should) and I never really bought into the whole “Big Brother is watching you” craziness. But this is a very big
step towards the very terrifying world of the book. Another odd thing is the way in which the FBI went about getting the device back. The student was surrounded
difficult for you if you don’t cooperate.” Last I checked, it’s finders keepers. I’m not saying simply that finding something with no discernible signs of ownership means that something automatically becomes GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot yours, but by law enforcement as he at- to use a show of force to get tempted to leave his apartment something back, something complex. An agent who iden- that should never have been tified himself as “Vincent” al- found, is just overkill. The legedly told the student, “We’re See BIG BROTHER, p. 15 going to make this much more
October 15, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
IMPRESSIONS
15
Is Facebook taking the face out of activism?
BY MORGAN GROSS Special to the Hoot
Being residents of the digital age, it seems like the world is at our fingertips. It is possible to check on a laundr y cycle, order pizza and watch any movie ever made all from the comfort of our beds. We can communicate with friends and family via text message, email, video chat, or any of a whole host of instant messenger clients. I will be the first to admit that calling the digital age home is pretty sweet; but as a typical Brandeis student, I can’t help but wonder how activism and social justice will be affected by our society’s over whelming and undeniable switch to digital. Not understanding my concern? Let me explain. As most of us know, due to the flyers and advertisements strewn about campus, this past Monday was “National Coming Out Day.” In honor of the holiday, the Human Rights Campaign led an initiative on Facebook where it encouraged people to “donate” their statuses “to show your support and spread a message of equality.” This type of status campaigning is becoming more and more prevalent as a method for organizations to publicize their causes for all of Facebook to see. The Human Rights Campaign says in one of their recent status updates that a similar Facebook advertising campaign last year brought them 2.64 million Facebook newsfeed stories, meaning that up to 2.64 million Facebook users were exposed to their message. Though this kind of free
PHOTO FROM Internet Source
publicity for such a great cause is nothing short of incredible, I can’t help but wonder if there is some inherent devaluing of the message being projected by doing said projection on Facebook. When such important information is being published alongside Texts From Last Night, Weezer quotes, details about our friends’ love lives and quiz results reporting on what Disney Princess we are most like, it seems impossible for these important messages to retain their integrity. I fear that in the same way that we are desensitized to most of the information thrown at us ever y time we log onto Facebook and look at our newsfeed, we will become desensitized to these charitable status updates. Another major concern of
mine about the use of Facebook activism is the investment of Facebook activists in the causes that they are supporting. Perusing Facebook—purely for the sake of this research, obviously—I discovered countless groups devoted to different social justice causes from samesex marriage to preser ving democracy in America to providing solidarity to those affected by the genocide in Darfur. Their group memberships varied from hundreds to thousands to hundreds of thousands—and in some case millions. When looking at these groups, I wonder how many of their members are actually active within the cause which they support, and conversely, how many of these people see joining a
Big Brother watches, college student watches BIG BROTHER (from p. 14)
person who placed the device on the student’s car should certainly have gotten fired, or burned as intelligence lingo goes. To be hostile to someone who innocently finds something just doesn’t make sense. If I were to find something attached to my car, I certainly wouldn’t surrender it without some type of repayment. I’m no car expert. For all I know, if something odd is attached to my car it was something left by the previous owner, and would be mine to do with as I pleased. I highly doubt the FBI intended to get caught; I assume
If I were to find something attached to my car, I certainly wouldn’t surrender it without some type of repayment. they rarely do. Even so, it does not seem right that American citizens should bear the burden of fixing the FBI’s mistakes. Sure the tracker was expensive, but if anything, they should be giving the person who attached it hell rather than the guy who found it. I know that the FBI investigates within the country. I
know it’s important to the general security that attempts to keep us safe (unless it’s all a load of nonsense which I sincerely hope isn’t the case.) The thing is if I caught Big Brother watching me through a small eye-hole, I’d be sorely tempted to use some pepper spray rather than just go about my day.
group or donating their status as being at an equal level to writing a letter to their congressmen or attending a rally to show support for their cause of choice or maybe even voting. All Facebook users need to do to show their solidarity is copy and paste a pre-determined message and set it as their status for a given amount of time, or add an application that will do the hard work of typing/ copy and pasting/clicking for them. While it is undeniably effective at getting people who might be otherwise disinterested in social justice involved—at least momentarily. I wonder for how many people involvement ends after a liked status or joined group. Gone are the days where standing up for what you
believe in required risking your credibility and sometimes your life in the interest of speaking your mind. Now, all that is required is a keyboard and an internet connection. Facebook activism can be incredibly effective at getting a message out to millions of viewers and the success of the Human Rights Campaign at spreading their message to 2.64 million Facebook users is impossible to ignore. However, we must consider the question of whether simply clicking “like” is enough to get people involved and invested in activism, advocacy, social action and social justice. Next time you click “like” to a page or agree to donate your status to a cause, think about it.
Bagel-making machine
STUDENT (from p. 14)
badly. I cannot begin to describe how painful it is to accidentally pour a cup of scalding hot water all over my hand. My experiences as a studentworker have deepened my appreciation for dining services employees. I admit that employees can sometimes be snappy along with the customers, but it truly is an eye-opening experience when one steps into the shoes of a diningservices employee for the first time. I know it might be easy to forget that we’re real people as you stress over tomorrow’s
midterm. But remember, we too have papers due and exams to study for. Dining services employees are real human beings. And so, before you judge a dining services employee, try working an hour in front of that toaster. My request is simple; show some respect. It truly makes my night when that rare customer tells me that he or she appreciates my hard work. Even a simple “Thank you, have a great evening,” can be music to one’s ears.
16 IMPRESSIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
October 15, 2010
The Self Shelf
In defense of (liking) sports
GRAPHIC BY Leah Lefkowitz/The Hoot
BY ALEX SELF Editor
It’s the bottom of the ninth in game seven of the World Series. The home team is down by one run. There are two outs. The count is three and two. The pitcher stares down the batter at home plate. Bar rooms, homes, gyms and every other venue you can think of across America fall silent, outweighed by the roar of the crowd. The pitcher completes his windup, lets the pitch fly and … who cares? It’s just a stupid game of overpaid people playing a children’s game that no intelligent person could possibly care about. When I first came to Brandeis, I was surprised to hear this view actually articulated. I was even more surprised to hear it widely articulated. Throughout my life, I have met people who do not like sports– I have no problem with this whatsoever. Yet to disparage those who do seems a little bit harsh, especially when you consider the arguments
for and against sports as games which transcend the fields they’re played on. So without further ado, here is a defense of sports and the people who enjoy watching them. First of all, the first and foremost value of sports is the social and communitarian skills which they imbibe in their players. When you are young, playing on a team can build valuable social skills. You may wonder how this could translate to professional sports. The answer is that fanhood (and yes, I just coined that word) builds many of the same social skills. The idea that a community can rally around a local sports team is incredibly important in a society where people are losing the traditional social institutions which have facilitated community in the past. An example would be the idea of friends getting together to watch “the game.” It’s something to do and if you happen to meet a stranger, it’s common
ground and an easy conversation starter. Secondly, sports create community pride. Back in the good old days, if a community thought it was superior to another, it would gather the warriors and try to beat the community into submission or otherwise make it into a tributary. Yet the progress of civilization seems to have labeled that immoral. So what’s the next best thing? Sports! From the World Cup to your town’s Little League Team, sports are all about communities competing in a harmless competition that promotes athletic skills. Additionally, if countries all across the world can come together for a venue such as the Olympics, it is generally good for world unity. Furthermore, it is not necessarily irrational to identify one’s self with one’s local team. The argument for this view is usually something along the lines of “Well, you’re not doing anything …” Fine, I must admit, I am not personally batting in
the bottom of the ninth. But when I go to games or even watch games, I am personally contributing to the team. For what is a team in any sport without revenue? Alright, you could say the Marlins but nevertheless, the teams with more revenue tend to do better. Furthermore, in sports with a salary cap, you can still help build better facilities for your team. Additionally, we identify with teams that we don’t have anything to do with all the time. For example, when you root for the main character in the latest blockbuster or even your alma mater (in matters other than sports), you are advocating for actors who don’t affect you. Furthermore, if you enjoy sports (which, like any competition, involves taste rather than intelligence), there is no reason that the fact that you don’t play them should prevent you from it. If I enjoy watching “CSI,” the fact that I’m not a crime scene investigator
doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it and still maintain my dignity. My final reason for defending sports is rather simple. The general idea of rewarding those who are good at what they do. The very concept of watching the American Dream in action for people provides an uplifting story for society to reflect upon. Now I realize that baseball players don’t deserve all that money that they get. I would argue that it’s fair for them to receive it because there is a sufficient demand in society to support such a salary but that’s beside the point. In general, it is good for society to see the American Dream come true. And there is nothing wrong with rooting for a guy like Dustin Pedroia, who defied the odds (he’s 5’7”) to become one of the best in baseball. Actually, sports is one of the last truly meritocratic institutions in a country that is becoming increasingly less mobile in terms of financial class. All in all, I believe that one cannot deny that sports have a generally good effect upon society. They bring communities together, provide good entertainment and allow a glimpse of the American Dream in action. If I enjoy watching it, it makes me no less dignified than one who watches a movie and identifies with the protagonist. And in general, they’re a hell of a lot of fun to watch when you actually feel like you have a stake in the game. Having your team win the Super Bowl, after having followed them through an entire season, is extremely gratifying. Your community has won, your team was the best and no one can really take that away from you. So to all of you sports haters out there: pipe down, I’m watching the game!
October 15, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
IMPRESSIONS
Sexcapades
Book of Matthew
Heading south BY SOPHIE RIESE Columnist
ASK AND TELL: Former Army helicopter pilot Lissa Young speaks in the International Lounge
PHOTO BY Alan Tran/The Hoot
Victims of policy failures BY BRET MATTHEW Editor
For a long time, Lissa Young never gave any thought to her sexuality. Being a lesbian was not an option in her South Florida home, not as far as her mother was concerned. And it certainly was not an option when she entered West Point military academy in 1982, two years after graduating high school. West Point’s rigorous curriculum, training and hazing requires its cadets to develop close bonds with their fellows, making romance almost impossible. Young did not date. In fact, up into her mid-twenties, the closest she came to falling in love was when she entered flight school in 1986 and became obsessed with aviation, and when she fantasized about female leads in movies. But on her first assignment, everything changed when she met a girl. “I was gone,” Young said. She decided to go home and tell her parents. “I’ve known that since you were five,” her father told her. Her mother didn’t say anything. Coming out is never easy, but for Young the stakes were much higher than normal. In the years before Bill Clinton’s presidency and the passage of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 1993, gays were banned from the military, period. There were no restrictions on whether officers could ask about sexual orientation and it did not matter if a service member was open about it. “If a man made a pass at a woman who was straight, and she resisted because she wanted to be a good soldier and not a love interest, all he had to do was say, ‘She’s a dyke,’ and she’d be gone, no questions asked,” Young recalled. Despite the risk, Young decided that her orientation would not affect her work—if anything, she felt more relaxed, having finally accepted herself. Carefully, but not “too carefully,” she stayed in the military and stayed in the closet while still trying to maintain close bonds with her fellow service members. After flying several missions
17
“When it gets bad out there, all you’ve got is your integrity.” - Lissa Young around the world, Young was assigned to a two-year command in Alaska, where she flew search and rescue missions near Mount McKinley. In 2002—her 16th year of service—she was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. She then learned that she had been selected to be a permanent academy professor at West Point. On her 40th birthday, Young dreamed of becoming the first female graduate dean at West Point. Then she was investigated for being a lesbian. As it turned out, one of Young’s fellow service members, whom she knew well, had turned her in. Handcuffed and brought before her superior officers, she was asked, once, if it was true. Young knew that she could lie and that she would probably be allowed to continue serving. But, she wondered if she do that and then return to West Point and teach young cadets about integrity. “When it gets bad out there, all you’ve got is your integrity,” she said. “It’s what you own and it’s who you are, and it matters.” So she told the truth and was discharged. Young shared this story when she spoke about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to a crowded Usdan International Lounge this past Monday. Every year, several hundred gay service members face the same ordeal that Lissa faced: One slip and then it’s all over. Every single one of them is a victim of a ludicrous policy that should never have been put into place. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” for all its pretensions of being a compromise between those who wanted a full ban of gays in the military and those who wanted that ban removed, is a sham. Once upon a time, President Obama pledged to repeal DADT, and just recently he was handed a unique opportunity to do so. On
Tuesday, Federal Judge Virginia Philips ordered the Department of Defense to stop discharging soldiers under DADT after she ruled in a case last month that the policy is unconstitutional. So far, it seems that the military will comply with the order, but the Department of Justice has chosen to appeal Philips’ original ruling. President Obama can stop this. He does not have to allow this appeal. But it seems that he is so consumed with the idea of letting Congress repeal the policy that any other method is permanently off the table. Never mind that Congress has little ability to pass even the smallest pieces of legislation anymore. During her talk, Young said that if she were allowed, she would consider rejoining the military. But she also admitted that she has never wanted to kill anyone. “There is no excuse for dedicating your life to war fighting,” Young told the crowd. Instead, she wants to teach—to “bring a little humanity” to the cadets under her wing, in the hope that they will return that humanity to others if they are ever deployed to a war zone. Unless major policy changes occur, she will never again have the chance to do this while in uniform. But Young is luckier than most gay former service members who are trying to turn their lives around. She has spent the last three years working on a Ph.D. in social psychology and leadership, specifically studying stereotyping and prejudice. In three more years, she will apply for a civilian teaching position at West Point, which was offered to her when she was first discharged. This is possible because the U.S. government does not discriminate based on sexual orientation— when employing civilians.
Let’s talk about sex—oral sex, to be specific. It seems men and women are taught very different things about oral sex and what to expect. Men, without fail, seem to feel that they have a right to be the receiver, whereas women understand themselves to be givers and can be uncomfortable when the roles are reversed. It certainly doesn’t help that some men balk at the suggestion that they should be providing oral pleasure to their partners. When we hear that men are disgusted by the prospect of heading down south, it does nothing for our self-esteem or our willingness to assert ourselves. Personally, I’ve been incredibly lucky. From my earliest sexual exploits, I’ve almost exclusively encountered men who felt it was not just their duty, but their pleasure, to make sure I was at least as satisfied as they were at the end of our trysts. But I was not always as sure. I gave head before I let someone finger me, and I had sex before I let someone go down on me. I knew, in a sort of philosophical sense, that I was supposed to be enjoying these forays into adult activity as much as my counterparts, but I was uncomfortable with the idea. What if it looked weird, or smelled? At 15 or 16 I didn’t know what, if anything, was expected from me as a receiver. Even once oral reciprocation became a normal part of my sexual experience, I rarely enjoyed it as much as my friends seemed to. I was too uncomfortable and self-conscious to
really let myself go. To make matters worse, guys seemed to give up, or move on, when they couldn’t please me as quickly as they had hoped. I was (and still am) proud of my skills as a giver, but I couldn’t completely reconcile myself to being a receiver. While through the years my personal experience has changed, women feeling uncomfortable as receivers is an all too common phenomenon. When a person heads down south, the receiver should feel excitement and exhilaration, not trepidation. We need to change the way women understand cunnilingus and the way men treat it. Men should be just as excited as women at the prospect. Apart from the obvious—it should be a turn on to get your partner off—the benefits of preforming oral sex on a girl extend much farther. First, sex is more likely to occur, since getting a woman going just makes her want more. Also, if she knows you’re not just willing, but happy, to reciprocate, she’ll probably go down on you more too. Oral sex is incredibly powerful. It can change the way a person perceives sex and themselves. It can cause pleasure for both parties that sex alone cannot. Unfortunately, we live in a world where women are not always sure that they can expect a man to take an oral detour, and even worse, they are not always able to enjoy it when it happens. Good sex is about making sure both partners are happy, which means that everyone has to be willing to get down on their knees.
Have an opinion? Who doesn’t? Write a column for Hoot Impressions! E-mail impressions@thehoot.net Today!!
SPORTS
18 The Brandeis Hoot
October 15, 2010
Soccer sports shorts
Men’s soccer wins against Rochester
Women’s soccer suffers first defeat
BY GORDIE STILLMAN Staff
BY GORDY STILLMAN Staff
Last Saturday the Brandeis Women’s soccer team ended their seven games winning streak with their first loss since their season opener against MIT. Losing 0-1, with the game’s winning point scored in the 63rd minute aophomore Francine Kofinas missed only one attempt and had six successful saves; not to suggest that she was responsible as the offense was unable to best Rochester’s goaltender. On Tuesday the Judges showed their strength as they secured a 2-1 victory at Clark. Bringing the current record to 9-2-1 overall. The Judges will face CarnegieMelon this afternoon at 4 p.m.; kicking off the athletics homecoming weekend. Despite the loss, the Judges are still ranked second in the UAA behind University of Chicago.
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
PHOTO BY Anthony Losquadro/The Hoot
ARCHIVE IMAGE: Judges dribble past defenders
The mens soccer team secured their first conference win of the year while toppling Rochester’s loss-free season. Junior Luke Teece scored the game-winning goal early in the 30th minute giving the Judges defense a lead to defend. Goalkeeper Taylor Bracken ’11 did not disappoint and managed nine saves including two in the last minute against the relentless attack by Rochester. Bracken is currently ranked fourth in the UAA with 33 saves this season. This feat also earned Bracken a UAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week title. Despite the desperate struggle by the Yellowjackets, the Judges prevented every attempted goal for not only a victory but also a shutout. This was the Judges’ sixth shutout of the season. Be sure to check out the Judges tonight after the women’s game also against Carnegie-Mellon. The game is set to start at 6:30 p.m.
Red Sox-Yankees: A difference in taste
BY HANNAH VICKERS Editor Emeritus
The summer following fifth grade brought two of the most important events in my life; the birth of an obsession and the death of an inspiration. The birth came when I attended my first baseball game. It was a Yankee game: my initial glimpse into one of grandfather (PopPop)’s favorite things. I had watched my first full game the previous fall and was immediately hooked. My favorite player instantly made an impact on me: Chuck Knoblauch hit an astounding three-run homerun that won the game … and he was only 5’8”! He was shorter than all the other players, just like I was (and still am) far from the tallest of my friends. I couldn’t get enough of this amazing team, or of my favorite player. On Aug. 15, 1999, I walked into Yankee Stadium for the first time. I was overwhelmed: the view of the field; 50,000 people cheering; the unbelievable taste of my jumbo pretzel and Coke. Even to this day, anytime I smell that sensational combination of beer, hot dogs and cotton candy, I can’t help but feel absolutely, infinitely ecstatic. They lost the game, but I insisted on staying until Knoblauch grounded into a double play to end the ninth inning. Despite the loss, I still loved him, and left the game with a smile on my face, as well as a Derek Jeter shirt on my back. As odd as it may sound to be happy about a loss, my PopPop completely understood. He taught me that being a true fan means loving your team, win or lose. When we talked on
the phone about the game, I heard the excitement in his voice. He was thrilled that I was beginning to appreciate something that meant so much to him, and I was overjoyed he grasped my newfound passion. Nine days later when, on the morning of August 24, I found
During the past decade, my love for the Yankees has grown into pure dedication. Inevitably, many question my mania.
out that my PopPop had passed away the previous evening. I couldn’t understand: I had just talked to him; how could he be gone? I didn’t want to accept it, and in some ways, I don’t think I ever have. As the only granddaughter of his four grandchildren, I always had a special bond with him. Even at that young age he supported me in anything and everything I wanted to do, inspiring me with his endless love for life.
BY GORDY STILLMAN Staff
GRAPHICS BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot
For the remainder of that 1999 season, I watched every single Yankee game. When they won the World Series, I couldn’t help thinking that my PopPop was in some way responsible for the success of his favorite team. During the past decade, my love for the Yankees has grown into pure dedication. Inevitably, many question my mania. Most assume I like the Yankees when they win. However, once they see my disdain for fair-weather fans and my seemingly endless knowledge on all things pinstriped, their minds are eased: I am one of them. As the Yankees reclaimed their title as Champions of Baseball this October and enjoyed their first ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes in nine years, I found myself thinking about how thrilled PopPop would be. I hope that somehow he knows how his love for this team has grown in me, and that he is the inspiration of my glorious obsession.
I come from a state known for people being nice; ever hear the phrase “Minnesota nice?” Well I’m done being nice about this. New York sports fans (mainly Yankees) seem to be among the poorest sportsmen, when they lose but especially when they win. The Yankees are the richest team in baseball; of course they are supposed to win. Doug Stanhope in one of his shows lists many good points on this topic. Firstly, they bought their team. Additionally, it doesn’t make sense to cheer for the Yankees when they are supposed to win. “Have some character and pick an underdog.” You’re New York, you have the Mets too and THEY are an underdog. Cheering for the Yankees, unless you bet on them in which case you have a financial incentive for them to win, is like “cheering for the house at a casino.” Seriously, you also have the Mets, a team that tends to not be as dominant as the Yankees. If my state had multiple teams in the same sport, I’d be a fan of both, provided one wasn’t the “team to beat.” Now maybe I just don’t understand what it’s like to have more than one team at the same time, and maybe I don’t understand the neighborhood rivalries that consume my friends from Chicago. Despite this, sports teams should have a uniting effect on a community rather than a divisive effect. I have a newfound respect for Mets and Cubs fans in their committed support to their teams. They may be the truest sports fans out there; however I still don’t understand
why not support both in the case of Cubs fans. Another issue I have is (speaking to New York Fans in general) your attitude about winning. Granted you have a strong strong may even be an insufficient word– rivalry with Boston in sports. Granted, Boston fans can be “Massholes”. In my experience, validated by an apparent hatred on Bostonians’ part of Brett Farve and the Randy Moss trade, Boston fans are only really bad when it involves New York teams. You’re their big rival and of course they are going to trashtalk you; but they never seem to aggressively trash my teams. New Yorkers, why not be the bigger side and be good sports when you win or (heaven forbid, cue the sarcasm) lose. I’m not saying that I’m always a good sport when my teams do well or lose. I didn’t want to associate with New Yorkers after the Twins lost like Superman faced with Kryptonite; especially after the Jets also won two days later. I also tend to trash-talk Packers fans on the basis that they are cheese-heads. But here’s the deal, the only reason I have problems with New York teams is because in my years out here most of my encounters with New York fans (mainly Yankees) have left me wondering why the term is Massholes and not some derivative with New York instead. Here’s a deal that I propose. You celebrate when you win, I’ll celebrate when my teams win. Neither side will rub it in the others face when one team beats the other, we will respect that the other fan is in mourning for the defeat of their beloved team. OK?
October 15, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
SPORTS
19
Men’s tennis wraps up fall play with Wallach Invitational BY KARA KARTER Editor
After defeating the Coast Guard in its only dual match of the fall season, the men’s tennis team sought to close out the year with an impressive showing at the James Wallach Invitational this past weekend. The tournament featured competitors from seven northeastern schools, including host Bates College, Judges Head Coach Ben Lamanna’s alma mater. Three of Brandeis’ eight men who took part in singles’ play advanced to the quarterfinals in their respective flights. Steven Milo ’13 won the opening match in his “B” bracket, besting Colby College junior Joe Albano in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. Despite falling in the next round, it was a respectable showing for Milo, who last year claimed the tournament’s “C” singles crown. The past champion was dethroned by a new one in Skidmore College’s Oliver Loutsenko ’14. After defeating Milo 6-2, 6-0, Loutsenko proved unbeatable, failing to drop a single game in semifinal and final round matches against opponents from Trinity College and Skidmore. Rookie Brandon Frank ’14 won his first match 6-1, 6-3, before retiring to Skidmore’s Danny Knight ’14, the last man standing in the “D” flight, in the first set of the second round. Knight’s teammate
Jimmy Sherpa ’14, who defeated Brandeis sophomore Josh Jordan in semifinal play, gave Skidmore wins in three of the tournament’s four brackets. Jordan, Brandeis’ most successful singles player of the tournament, found himself in the final four after victories against Vassar College’s Josh Kessler ’13 (6-1, 6-3) and Trinity College’s McConnell (6-4, 6-3). He fell to Sherpa in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. Behind a first round bye and victories against teams from Colby and Skidmore, the veteran team of Simon Miller ’11 and Nick White ’11 advanced to the finals of its “A” doubles bracket. The second seeded pairing in its flight, Miller and White won their first two matches 8-4 and 9-7. The victories earned them a title match meeting with top seed Sherpa and partner Spencer Cheng ’11. Sherpa and Cheng claimed another victory for Skidmore, playing their way to an 8-4 victory in the final. Led by Loutsenko, Skidmore also was victorious in “B” doubles. The doubles pairs of Milo/Ezra Bernstein ’11 and Frank/Jordan also competed for Brandeis. Though the matches were competitive, neither team was able to advance beyond the first round of competition. The Judges return to action in late February, as they travel to California for a dual match against Pomona-Pitzer.
Cross-country teams finish in top 25 at New England Championships BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
Grayce Selig ’11, who posted a seventh place finish among Division I, II and III schools last Saturday at the New England Varsity Championships won the contest among just Division III schools. Selig, who competed against 321 other runners, posted the best finish at the race since 1990 in Brandeis women’s cross-country history, according to the Brandeis Athletics website. With a time of 17:47, she cut a full minute off her time at the race last year and helped push the Judges to a 22nd place finish. Selig’s strong performance earned her UAA Athlete of the week honors for the week of Oct. 12. Also earning UAA Athlete of the week honors were Paige Blasco ’11 for volleyball and Taylor Bracken ‘11 for soccer. Kate Warwick ’12, Erin Bisceglia ‘12, Amelia Lundkvist ’14 and Ali Kirsch ’14 finished in second through fifth place, all of them posting times under 21 minutes. Brown University finished ahead of Brandeis with 590 points while the Judges
posted 650 points. The girls squad will travel to the University of Albany on Saturday for an invitational meet. The men’s cross-country team shared the success this weekend, coming in 20th at the New England Varsity Championships last Saturday. With a total of 504 points, all seven runners finished under 27 minutes. Chris Brown ’12, Kerwin Vega ’11 and Taylor Dundas ’14 highlighted the field for Brandeis, finishing in first, second and third place respectively. Both Brown and Vega finished under 26 minutes with Brown coming in at 25:49 and Vega finishing at 25:54. Dan Anastos ’11, Alex Kramer ’13, Devon Holgate ’11 and Ed Colvin ’14 wrapped up the contest for the Judges, finishing in fourth through seventh place. The men still have several events remaining in the fall season. In addition to last week’s tournament at Franklin Park the team will head to the University of Albany on Saturday for an invitational that kicks off at 9:30 a.m. They will then face off against league rivals at the UAA tournament at NYU before Regionals and Nationals in the post season.
PHOTO BY Ingrid Schulte/The Hoot
ARCHIVE IMAGE: Brandeis tennis star Nick White ’11 focuses on his forwardhand.
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20 The Brandeis Hoot
HOOT SCOOPS
October 15, 2010
The incredible, edible cage-free egg By Nathan Koskella, Editor
The Brandeis Real Food Coalition is pushing for the university to buy and serve only cagefree eggs due to the sometimes-cruel conditions to which factory farms and other producers subject their hens. “Our main objective is to have the university and Dining Services” look at this issue, “and we started with a petition,” the group’s head Seth Grande ’12 said. More than 1,200 Brandeis students have now signed the petition in support of the potential change in policy, which would result in Brandeis not only offering the option to ask for the eggs in dining halls but rather serving only cage-free eggs. The petition began little more than a week ago, and has since been aided in promoting awareness by the Student Union’s decision to poll students and find out where the majority stands on the issue to present to university administration. “I thought it was important to get students’ feedback on this issue,” Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 said, adding that the Union would decide whether to endorse the drive or not depending on the poll’s results. The survey was aimed only at raising awareness of all the consequences. “There could be an increase in the student meal
plan,” Acheampong said as an example, and “I want students to be aware of that.” Other schools that have made the decision to purchase only cage-free eggs have raised their meal plan “on average, by only about five dollars,” Grande said. He also mentioned other possible offsetting changes schools have used, like changing meal trays. The move to cage-free eggs was attempted several years ago, and resulted in Dining Services’ offering them to students upon request if they are in stock. The Real Food Coalition wanted to take up the issue again to make the cage-free eggs the goto eggs on campus. The group is not recognized by any Brandeis list, including the Student Union, but includes members of other clubs and any other students who care about the group’s goals, and indeed spans several types of campus organizations. “Our campaign has received amazing support from many groups on campus, but the Student Union, Change Agency and Students for Environmental Action have all done particularly out-
standing work to help us bring the issue of cage-free eggs to the forefront of campus discussion,” Grande said. “The Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity has also been very supportive and have provided the campaign with some crucial help to get the word out. I think all the groups involved have been so willing to work with this campaign because it is an issue that resonates with the students of the university and aligns with the values that this university was founded on.” Personally, Grande wanted to resume the cagefree agenda by organizing these groups himself. “I’ve always wanted to get into animal activism, but it’s a hard sell,” Grande said. “This [cage-free eggs] is the low-hanging fruit— you don’t have to change anything except the way we source our food.” The behaviors of manu-
facturers, he said, are reason enough. “This campaign is important because the majority of eggs currently served by dining services come from hens confined in battery cages,” Grande said. “These hens are confined to a cage the size of a filing cabinet with fove or six other birds to spend the duration of their lives. Each individual hen ends up with an average of 67 square inches to live her entire life in smaller than a sheet of notebook paper. These cages deny hens the ability to engage in behaviors such as walking, nesting, or even spreading their wings.” Acheampong said that he hopes to make the case of the survey’s findings to university Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins and Dining Services.