The Brandeis Hoot 09/07/2018

Volume 15 Issue 13

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

September 7, 2018

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.

Update released on investigation into athletics

By Celia Young editor

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

BERNSTEIN-MARCUS The

office of President Liebowitz, who released a summary report on the independent investigation.

Read more in NEWS, page 2

An independent investigation into the Brandeis athletics department found that there was insufficient supervision of Basketball Coach Brian Meehan and a failure of the interdisciplinary process to address his discrimination and abuse of the basketball team players, according to a 25-page summary report President Liebowitz released Wednesday, Sept. 4. The independent investigation and subsequent report began after a drawn-out Human Resources investigation of Meehan, who was fired over the allegations April 5 of last year.

Vice President for Student Affairs Sheryl Sousa resigned the same day the report was released.

Lynne Dempsey—the Brandeis athletic director who was placed

on administrative leave—and Vice President of Human Resources Robin Nelson-Bailey have both been demoted, placed on six month probation, removed from a supervisor role—meaning they have no authority over individuals, staff or students—and had their salaries reduced.

Jeffrey H. Ward, who was formerly athletic director at Bowdoin College, has replaced Dempsey as an interim athletic director. Larry Lewellen, who was recently hired as an advisor in HR, will become interim vice president for human resource. Ward and Lewellen will review Dempsey and Nelson-Bailey’s work after their probation to determine whether or not they will continue to be employed by the university.

Karen Muncaster, the vice president of the Rabb School of See INVESTIGATION, page 2

Brandeis and Hampton Univ. receive grant

By Sabrina Chow editor

Hampton University, a private historically black university in Virginia, has received a near $4 million grant over six years from the National Science Foundation

(NSF) to perform collaborative research with Brandeis as part of the Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) program. Their program is named: The Hampton University-Brandeis University Partnership for Research and Education in Materials.

Since the program is mainly for the benefit of the historically black college or university (HBCU) Hampton, they will receive all the funds to further their program in materials research.

Dr. Demetris Geddis, the assistant dean and department chair of Electrical and Computer En-

gineering at Hampton University, is the principal investigator of the project. Brandeis professor Seth Fraden (PHYS) is the co-principal investigator.

The NSF, since its conception, receives around $350 million in funding each year, with $60 million set aside for 20 different na-

tional Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC). Brandeis has one of these centers. Going into its 10th year of funding, faculty at the Brandeis center mainly focus on biology, because the main strength of the See GRANT, page 3

Head swim coach position filled by Nicole Carter

By Elianna Spitzer editor

Nicole Carter will start as the new head coach of Brandeis women’s and men’s swimming and diving (BUSDT) on Sept. 10.

Carter is a Wheaton College alum who has been an assistant coach for the Wheaton swim team for eight seasons. This will be the first time she’s taken on the role of head coach of a college team.

Carter applied for the Brandeis coaching position after the head coach of Wheaton, Barrett Roberts, pointed out the opening and encouraged Carter to apply.

Barrett told the Brandeis Judges that Carter has been an important part of their coaching staff and “she deserves a lot of credit for not only our recent success at the conference and national level, but more importantly for our program’s culture change which enabled that success.”

Jim Zotz, former Acting Athletic Director, echoed the sentiment, telling the Brandeis Judges, “Nicole brings a reputation of high energy, excellent organizational skills and a strong commitment to her athletes.”

The position opened after Mike

Inside This Issue:

See SWIM page 3

News: Bystander training required once again Ops: Give me air conditioning or give me death Features: Student-run coffee shop returns Sports: Women’s soccer pushes past Lasell 4-0 EDITORIAL: The Hoot’s hopes for the year

PHOTO BY CANDACE NG/THE HOOT

LINSEY POOL

A Brandeis Judges swim meet against Clark University on Feb. 3, 2018.

Art Installation

Page 2 Page 5 Page 8 Activist-artists speak about art’s power.

Page 11 Page 10 ARTS: PAGE 15

Volleyball Team takes defending national champions to five sets.

SPORTS: PAGE 11

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

September 7, 2018

President Liebowitz releases summary report of independent investigation INVESTIGATION, from page 1

Continuing Studies, will become interim vice president for student affairs, according to Liebowitz’s email announcement. A national search will begin for all three interim positions, including the newly created position, vice provost for student affairs, which will replace the vice president position. The search will begin in early January of next year, and there will be a focus on increasing the diversity of the athletic department, according to an interview with Liebowitz.

A second report from the independent investigators will offer recommendations to improve the university’s policies and procedures on discrimination and harassment complaints and will assess the culture of Brandeis. It is expected to be given to the president in early November, according to Liebowitz.

The report, which was concluded at the end of August, detailed the process of the investigation and the series of missteps that lead to a lengthy HR investigation of basketball coach Meehan and his eventual firing. It described the special perks afforded to Meehan and holes in the “administrative safety net” including the close relationship between Meehan, his direct superior Athletic Director Lynne Dempsey and Sousa, a lack of diversity in the senior athletics department and outdated policies that contributed to the flaws in the athletic department.

According to the report, Sousa, Dempsey and Meehan’s personal relationships as well as faulty administrative policies contributed to the drawn out HR investigation. Dempsey introduced Meehan to his wife and officiated their wedding, which Sousa attended.

Sousa, however, described her relationship with Meehan as more of a working relationship as she began to transition out of the athletic department, according to the report.

The report also described several special privileges Meehan had, including team trips to foreign countries, specially made coaching offices, and a retention package, which made the coach seem “untouchable.” It describes his behavior as “unacceptable conduct towards his players and others associated with the team...

He would yell, swear and make denigrating remarks.”

The report continues to describe how, as the team’s fortunes worsened, so did Meehan’s behavior. The independent investigators discovered evidence that assistant coaches and trainers were aware of Meehan’s behavior, even though the senior leadership was not.

The original HR investigation of Meehan began in 2017, but complaints had been made against him before then. As early as 2014, the mother of one African American player complained to then Brandeis President Lawrence about Meehan’s behavior, and Sousa verbally warned Meehan against using profanity. According to the report, Meehan’s inappropriate behavior continued.

Another player met with Dempsey in 2015 after he was cut from the team, and Dean of Students Jamele Adams intervened on behalf of the student to try to arrange a meeting with Meehan and Dempsey. In 2017, the basketball team’s star player left the team after his junior year season, and the report describes him as “unwilling to engage directly with Meehan at this time.”

The report describes the 20132014 and 2017-2018 survey results of the basketball team as “quite negative” and “highly negative” respectively. Dempsey did not discuss these results with Meehan, and the surveys themselves were viewed by Dempsey as an opportunity for players to vent, according to the report.

HR received complaints against Meehan in May of 2017 from a group of students. HR investi-

gated through the summer, according to emails obtained by the magazine Deadspin. Michael Rosbash (NBIO) advised Meehan during these HR hearings. Sousa made a final determination in October of 2017, according to the emails.

The players who complained were not told what action the school took, according to a team member quoted in a Deadspin article and a Hoot article.

At the end of the HR investigation, Sousa, who was appointed as decision maker, determined that there was merit to the allegations of profane, inappropriate and unprofessional language. She then gave Meehan a final written warning. But despite this warning, according to the report, “there appears to have been no closer oversight by Dempsey or Sousa in the 2017-2018 season. Just as had occurred after Sousa’s 2014 verbal warning to Meehan, his inappropriate behavior continued.”

The principle HR investigator, Linda Shinomoto, found that the evidence supported Meehan’s “discrimination and emotionally abusive conduct” but did not find favoritism to his two sons, who played on the basketball team at the time. At Sousa’s request, Shinomoto provided a written report of their findings but redacted it to protect the identity of the students and witnesses and any information that would identify them.

The HR investigator planned to disclose these findings to the students but was delayed by then Vice President of Student Affairs Andrew Flagel, which the report describes as a deviation from normal procedure possibly motivated by a desire to “save Meehan’s or the University’s reputation” that did “raise concerns about potential manipulation.” Sousa ultimately disagreed with the findings of the HR investigator and drafted a written decision with Flagel that gave Meehan a final written warning.

His behavior, however, continued. “There appears to have been no closer oversight by Dempsey or Sousa in the 2017-2018 season,” said the report. “Just as had occurred after Sousa’s 2014 verbal warning to Meehan, his inappropriate behavior continued.”

Sousa ultimately fired Meehan after Deadspin published an article detailing Meehan’s behavior and new allegations against Meehan came to light.

According to the report, Sousa said that the HR investigator had redacted important information from the HR report that justified Meehan’s firing for “demeaning comments and his treatment of injured players,” not discrimination.

The report describes Nelson-Bailey as providing little support to the HR investigator and undercutting their findings to Sousa. Nelson-Bailey initially asked for a written report and was involved in editing multiple drafts of said report.

Nelson-Bailey has been re-assigned to special projects in HR, such as reviewing policies and procedures as a result of the independent investigation and moving some HR work over to the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. However, her role has not been finalized.

The independent investigators report also found that a lack of diversity in the Athletics Department may have contributed to the department’s difficulties in recognizing and addressing discrimination.

The investigators offer a series of recommendations at the end of the report, including disciplining the HR and athletics department leadership involved and repairing administrative procedures, such as an undiverse athletics department, perceived favoritism, outmoded or unclear policies, conflict of interests and problems in the claim resolution procedure.

Brandeis has also already instituted several reforms, includ-

ing creating a reporting website where students can find out how to report discrimination or violence.

There is also a new “Support at Brandeis site” which offers support resources to all members, faculty, staff and students, of the Brandeis community.

Brandeis will also establish an Office of Equal Opportunity to make it simpler for complaints to be filed, and Brandeis is currently searching for a director of this office.

This office will receive “any complaint of harassment, discrimination or bias related to anything covered in Brandeis’ non-discrimination policy, and it will oversee complaints from students, faculty and staff,” according to Director of Media Relations Julie Jette.

Liebowitz also plans to expand diversity equity and inclusion training that the president himself and his senior team are undergoing.

The investigators periodically checked in with the Board of Trustees during the independent investigation. Students from the basketball team as well as the swim team came forward to the president and the investigators.

Liebowitz received it after the Board of Trustees, on Aug. 22, and spoke with the investigators to clarify the report. He also met with the Athletics Department Wednesday, Sept. 5 along with Provost Lisa Lynch.

“It was an opportunity to talk about the state of the department,” said Liebowitz. “We asked them what could we do to support them.”

The report is a summary of a full report of 129 pages of text, but with its supporting documents, it is fully 300 pages. This report was not shared, as it discloses the identity of students who came forward.

The investigators reviewed over 30,000 documents throughout this process.

Brandeis welcomes the largest first-year class in univ. history

By Sabrina Chow editor

On Aug. 26, the Brandeis campus welcomed 907 new students and 35 transfer students, the larg-

est first-year class in the school’s history. Almost 100 Orientation Leaders (OLs), 77 Community Advisors (CAs) and various administrative staff assisted in the move-in process for all the incoming students.

The top five represented states

of the incoming class are Massachusetts, New York, California, New Jersey and Connecticut, respectively. Almost 25 percent of the incoming first-years are students from Massachusetts. Overall, the class of 2022 is represented by 38 states, including Washington D.C., and 30 different countries, according to a BrandeisNow article.

On the high school careers of the incoming freshman, 14 were valedictorians of their high schools and 17 were class presidents. The average GPA of the students is 3.83 out of a 4.0 scale and 18 percent are first generation college students. Ninety-nine new varsity athletes have also set foot on campus to compete for Brandeis.

Orientation Week, or Deis Week, included 29 different events with the goal of preparing the first-year class for the new school year and the transition away from home.

PHOTOS BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

September 7, 2018

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

New BUSDT coach hired SWIM, from page 1

Kotch, the former head coach, left Brandeis. Kotch was put on administrative leave on May 2 pending the outcome of a formal investigation, after members of the swim team sent an anonymous letter to investigators as a complaint against the coach.

When asked whether Kotch was fired or resigned, President Liebowitz declined to comment on the basis of privacy. The Brandeis Hoot reached out to Kotch by email and he did not respond by press time.

Carter is not the only new hire within the athletics department.

Lynne Dempsey was placed on administrative leave after the former basketball coach, Brian Meehan, was fired for allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Jim Zotz replaced Dempsey as acting Athletics Director until this week when Brandeis hired Jeffrey Ward, an outside hire, to

act as the interim Athletics Director and help re-instill trust in the program.

When asked about Carter, Ward told The Hoot he was “impressed by her experience” and that Carter will be a “welcome member of our staff.”

Carter hasn’t met all of the

swimmers yet, but she’s seen BUSDT swimmers at competitions in the past. Wheaton is a NCAA Division III school, like Brandeis, and their swimmers have competed at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championships.

Speaking about her new role with

BUSDT, Carter told The Hoot, “It was a perfect fit so I am beyond happy that everything worked out and I’ll be taking over.”

Carter’s approach to coaching will focus on what the team needs and what type of encouragement the swimmers collectively respond well to.

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISNOW.COM

Carter said that her first move as coach will be learning everything she can about the swimmers—what they’re like both in the pool and around campus.

She’s excited to get to know more about them than just their recorded lap times.

The second step is “figuring out how to get the most out of them,” according to Carter.

After spending eight seasons as part of the coaching staff at Wheaton, she feels confident that if the swim team does well, it’ll make it easier for her to recruit swimmers for the next season.

Carter said that the swimmers she has met conveyed their excitement at getting a fresh start.

“There’s something about coming into a team that’s ready to be remolded and rebranded that I think is very exciting. Yes, I’m sure there’s going to be some bumps along the road. I mean there always are [...] There’s a lot of potential and possibility so that’s what we’re focused on.”

New dean of arts and sciences Dorothy L. Hodgson joins Brandeis University

By Sabrina Chow editor

Brandeis welcomed new Dean of Arts and Sciences Dorothy L. Hodgson, who replaced previous Dean Susan Birren (BIOL) and began her term on Aug. 20. Hodgson is a professor of anthropology and was previously the senior associate dean for academic affairs for the School of Graduate Studies at Rutgers University before coming to Brandeis. At Rutgers, she oversaw over 5,000 students as well as a majority of the faculty.

Hodgson received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia before getting her master’s and PhD in anthropology at the University of Michigan.

According to a Brandeis press release, Hodgson will now oversee around 4,500 students and more than 400 faculty members.

She will also lead undergraduate admissions, curriculum for both the undergraduate and graduate

schools and academic departments, with a large focus on the new general education requirements set for the incoming class of 2023.

One of the largest tasks that will be undertaken by Hodgson will be finalizing and implementing the new general education curriculum, which will affect the incoming students next fall. There are a few aspects of the new curriculum that Hodgson is particularly excited about.

“A new requirement will be critical conversational classes for first-years, which models engaged debate about ideas while being able to listen and learn from other perspectives,” said Hodgson.

There will also be an increased focus on health and wellness, with more emphasis on the wellness part. Hodgson explained in an interview that these topics will include how to deal with high levels of anxiety and teaching students how to balance multiple priorities and stressors.

The new requirements will

also allow students to take more classes within their field of interest while still completing their general education requirements.

“We will also be including key skills, digital literacy and writing intensive courses that will be specifically addressed by courses in the major. The skills they learn will now be more meaningful, letting them learn in the context of a field they’re already interested in,” Hodgson said.

Hodgson is the first dean of the College of Arts and Science to not be a Brandeis professor, and she finds that to be very beneficial.

Coming from another institution, Hodgson has an outside perspective and fresh outlook on everything that Brandeis does.

Even though Hodgson does not have prior experience on the Brandeis campus, she is working towards the commitment of social justice that she found appealing in Brandeis and making it transparent in her practices and processes.

When Hodgson was still being interviewed for the position, cer-

tain aspects of Brandeis students and culture appealed to her, including Brandeis’ commitment to social justice, the size of the school, and the unique curriculum at Brandeis. The first was the explicit commitment to social justice.

“I did scholarly work in rural East Africa with the people who self-identify as Maasai, who had long histories of dispossession from their land, attacks on their identity and language. Much of my work is documenting and analyzing their experience of dispossession and efforts to challenge such marginalization,” Hodgson said.

Three weeks into her term, Hodgson is still trying to learn the ropes of a new school and environment.

“I am spending a lot of time thinking and learning about how things are done at Brandeis,” said Hodgson. “I’m trying to think about the ways to make our decisions, processes and practices more consistent, more transpar-

ent and open to both students and faculty.”

Even though Hodgson is not teaching, she is working to find ways to engage with the student body because she recognizes the importance of open lines of communication, so students and faculty can step forward and not feel isolated for their opinions.

“Words are just words. It’s all about modeling and what we do.

And I feel like I’ve been seen as someone who is frank and honest, warm but trying to bring people along towards a future, to build on the progress we’ve made and continue to strengthen Brandeis,” said Hodgson.

Hodgson also had a message for all the faculty and students.

“Thanks for welcoming me into your home. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming,” she said.

She continued, “I love ‘This is Our House’ and ‘Welcome Home,’ they are such meaningful sayings,” she said. “Please reach out, I’m here in service of the students, faculty and staff.”

Brandeis and Hampton Univ. receive $4 million grant to promote minorities in science GRANT, from page 1

university is the life sciences, according to Fraden in an interview. “[The] whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” explained Fraden. “No individual research has the expertise to make progress in some nationally significant area on their own. So they make group grants that promote collaboration between professors of varying disciplines.”

Since Brandeis is the smallest national center because there is no engineering school, Fraden emphasized the need for the Brandeis faculty to make a greater effort to even compete with other schools. So the physics department, who started Brandeis as an MRSEC, decided to specialize in

the field of biomaterials.

PREM has been a part of the NSF since 2004, helping to diversify science research faculty at various universities and colleges across the U.S., and significantly increasing the number of students pursuing postdoctoral work in materials research. They specifically focus on outreach to underrepresented minority groups.

The program is meant to pair a top-tier research university with a HBCU to increase the diversity of faculty in the sciences. According to Fraden, there is only a 1 percent diversity amongst Brandeis faculty and 5 percent in the workforce.

This collaboration is one of the eight different collaborations between minority-driven colleges and universities that were se-

lected for the program this year.

Other collaborations include: The Wisconsin-Puerto Rico Partnership for Research and Education in Materials and The California State University, Northridge and Princeton University Center for Complex Materials, which were listed on the NSF’s website.

“The partnership will focus on developing optical materials for applications in integrated photonics and biomedical devices,” according to the NSF website.

Integrated photonics is the use of light instead of electricity to process information in science.

The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of minority students in materials research and engineering, increasing all aspects (recruitment, retention

and graduation rates). This will be done through the PREM program, as well as a Path-to-Professorship postdoctoral fellowship and outreach program for younger students in the Hampton Roads region in Virginia.

“The Hampton-Brandeis PREM program will provide students from the School of Engineering and Technology and the School of Science [at Hampton] with undergraduate research experiences related to integrated photonics and optofluidics, scholarship opportunities, and summer research experiences at Brandeis University,” Geddis said in an email to The Hoot. Hampton will also be creating a minor in Materials Science and Engineering as a result of the program.

A few students from Brandeis will also have the opportunity to conduct research with other minority groups that we typically do not see at Brandeis, according to Fraden.

“The goal of this program is to have the workforce in STEM represent the population. Everyone is equally intelligent and capable, so if you have equal representation in the workforce in STEM, you will have better outcomes for society. So we work to change the current patterns of employment and professionalism,” said Fraden. “Underrepresented-minority (URM) institutions have a huge fraction of minorities, so if you can improve the research capacity of those institutions, you can do so much.”

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

September 7, 2018

Brandeis to compensate faculty and staff for fiscal year ten suspended retirement benefits

By Celia Young editor

Brandeis has allocated $1 million to compensate faculty and staff whose retirement contributions were not matched by the university between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. Employees who were on the payroll between those dates, fiscal year 10, and who remain on the Brandeis payroll as of June 30, 2018, will receive $1,000 and some former employees may also receive payment.

Only university employees who were enrolled in Brandeis’ 403(b) Basic Retirement Savings Plan on June 30, 2009 or those who “would have become eligible to participle during FY10 [fiscal year 10]” will be eligible for compensation, according to an announcement from the Office of the Presi-

dent on June 18.

Employees who left Brandeis in fiscal year ten or later may also be compensated. According to the announcement, “An employee who left in FY10 (the year the matching benefit was suspended) will receive $100. An employee who left in FY11 will receive $200. An employee who left in FY12 will receive $300. The $100 increments continue up to FY18: An employee who left the university during this period will receive $900.” For example, if an employee left Brandeis in August of 2015, they would receive $600.

Former employees of Brandeis who can receive compensation have been mailed letters to fill out so the university can verify their identity and eligibility for payment. Once the employees respond, they will be paid by the end of September.

This would not affect employees

who left Brandeis under a written agreement. For example, if an employee left Brandeis under an agreement that gave them more compensation than the standard severance policy, they would not be eligible for this payment, according to Director of Benefits and Wellness Kevin Pierson.

Brandeis suspended matching contributions to retirement accounts beginning July 1, 2009 and ending June 30, 2010, or for Brandeis’ 10th fiscal year, rather than enacting broad layoffs or pay cuts during the financial crisis, according to a New York Times article. Normally, Brandeis employees would allocate a certain percentage of their salary to their retirement fund, and Brandeis would match that amount, dollar for dollar, up to eight percent (or 10 percent for employees over 50). For employees not exempt from the Fair Labor Standards

Act, which requires overtime if an employee works over 40 hours per work week, Brandeis matches up to 6 percent (or up to 8 percent for employees over 50).

Employees then have the option to invest their money in Fidelity Investments or TIAA, two companies that invest retirement savings so those savings then earn interest over time. Employees can specify how they want their money invested.

The amount allocated is not intended to replace the amount lost between 2009 and 2010, according to Pierson. “The issuance of awards of up to $1,000 is not intended to replace missed matching contributions, but rather, to act as a gesture to acknowledge the pain this difficult choice caused affected employees.”

If Brandeis were to compensate employees for the exact amount lost in fiscal year ten due to the

freeze, it would be considerably more expensive. According to a current professor at Brandeis who was an assistant professor at the time, their salary was about $65,000 and they were putting away 5 percent into their retirement fund. Brandeis would have matched that 5 percent, or $3,250, dollar for dollar. That money would also accrue interest over time, making it considerably more than the planned $1,000 awards.

This freeze would have affected younger professors more than older professors, as they tended to invest their retirement savings into higher risk, higher reward accounts, and they have a longer period of time for their retirement accounts to gain more interest, according to the aforementioned professor. This concern was raised after the freeze was announced in 2009.

Board of Trustees chair attends screening of climate change documentary

By Ryan Spencer editor

At the invitation of student and faculty sustainability groups, Board of Trustees Chair Meyer Kaplow attended a Tuesday night screening of a documentary discussing the decline of conventional fossil fuels and the rise of extreme oil and gas extraction.

The visit comes as the Board of Trustees considers a continued call from students, faculty and staff to divest from fossil fuels.

The board is to vote on the matter in November after they postponed a vote scheduled for the end of June, saying they required more time and would have to up-

date investment guidelines which were last updated in 1973.

Prior to the start of the documentary, Professor Sabine von Mering (ENVS/GRALL/WMGS), a member of Faculty Against the Climate Threat (FACT)—the faculty group which sponsored the event—told the audience of about 50 Brandeis community members that Kaplow “kept his promise and came to join us tonight.”

In her introduction, von Mering explained the role of the Board of Trustees.

“One of [the Trustees] main responsibilities is to make sure the university stands on healthy financial footing,” she said. “That also means they supervise the investments the university makes.”

Von Mering explained that the

tuition which students pay to attend university covers only about 60 percent of the university’s expenses and that the “Trustees have to invest your money and the money of generous donors profitably” in order to help cover the total costs.

The divestment movement led by groups such as FACT and Brandeis Climate Justice (BCJ) has focused on convincing the Board of Trustees to remove university endowment funds from investors that support fossil fuels.

“We know that nobody among the trustees is eager to divest from fossil fuels,” von Mering told The Brandeis Hoot in an interview, “our job is to make clear why we think it is imperative.”

Kaplow was invited to the doc-

umentary screening following the Board of Trustees’ June announcement that a vote on the issue of divestment would take place in November rather than within the original 60 day deadline set by the board in April.

“When [Kaplow] said in June that [the Board] wanted more time we said we are going to use that time wisely,” von Mering told The Hoot, speaking to why she chose to invite Kaplow to the screening.

Von Mering told The Hoot that she plans to invite the Trustees to further events as they arise throughout the academic year.

Entitled “To the Ends of the Earth,” the hour and 24 minute documentary presented the case that conventional fossil fuels—a

finite resource—are becoming increasingly scarce, forcing the fossil fuel industry to turn to new methods of searching for and obtaining oil and gas.

“To the Ends of the Earth” questioned the environmental safety of practices such as Arctic drilling and fracking as well as the effects of these practices on human activity and the economy.

“The film really shows we need much more dramatic changes,” von Mering told The Hoot.

Kaplow remained for the entirety of the documentary and engaged in a discussion with attendees at the end of the film.

“I appreciate that he kept that promise [to attend the screening],” von Mering told The Hoot.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion releases update

By Celia Young editor

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has released a report detailing initiatives to increase professional development, faculty awareness and learning about diversity, and diversity within Brandeis faculty and student populations. The report describes multiple ongoing and completed projects for the academic year of 2018 under a variety of offices, including the president’s office and admissions.

The Brandeis Hoot spoke with Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas, who highlighted the progress on the Ford Hall 2015 agreements, training and development efforts by Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. Allyson Livingstone, work on equity compliance—or the protection of students, faculty and staff from discrimination through complaint processes—and the hiring of more Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) embedded counselors.

Brimhall-Vargas emphasized the structural changes in the complaint processes for equity compli-

ance, which refers to the processes that protect people from bias harassment and discrimination.

The newly-created Office of Equal Opportunity, when the structural changes are complete, will handle intake and investigations and will report to Brimhall-Vargas.

The office is expected to be up and running by January or February of 2019, according to Brimhall-Vargas. However, he is also working to expedite the timeline.

A search has begun for the director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and space for the office itself.

Once this office is up and running, students can use the office as a “one stop shop” to file complaints, according to Brimhall-Vargas.

Until the office is complete, students can report incidents ranging from sexual harassment to academic integrity from a link on the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s website, which redirects the user to a reporting page on Brandeis University’s website.

As part of an effort to educate faculty on issues of diversity, Brimhall-Vargas worked with the Brandeis Center for Teaching and Learning, which engages faculty

to the development of learning, to create a monthly faculty engagement and learning series, where faculty read and discussed scholarly articles on topics including privilege, rankism, microaggressions and colorism.

Faculty have also received training from Livingstone on hiring best practices and search and selection.

“I think faculty really appreciated the fact that our approach to these scholarly works was a critical one,” said Brimhall-Vargas.

“Understanding its strengths and weaknesses, exploring them with other faculty members to really think about the depth of the issue that is being discussed. I thought that the conversations were really strong and smart.”

Another initiative involves the Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC). Some of the new hires at the BCC will be embedded counselors; one has already been stationed in the Intercultural Center and another, who is in the hiring process as of publication, will be stationed in the gender and sexuality center.

“There is recognition that the counseling center needs more resources, but we also have to be

thinking of ways to more effectively deploy those resources to reach more people,” said Brimhall-Vargas.

Brimhall-Vargas spoke about the Ford Hall agreements, hoping that regularly publishing the update would provide more transparency to the students.

“I certainly want to make sure that where possible we are being transparent about the progress that the administration and students reached in 2015 They should know where we are with respect to those agreements.”

Ford hall 2015 was an 11-day occupation of the administrative center to protest a lack of diversity at Brandeis. Student protestors made 13 demands, such as the creation of curriculum to increase racial awareness, yearly diversity workshops for all faculty, additional staff of color for the counseling center, an Ombuds office to investigate complaints against faculty and staff and an increase in black faculty by 10 percent. The protest and was followed by support from faculty at Brandeis.

The report details progress from the office on the Ford Hall demands and many other initiatives.

The university has hired on-call and half-time ombuds, to create a “confidential place for students to discuss academic issues and concerns,” according to the report.

The Ombuds Office does not provide formal grievance procedures or legal advice.

There are also efforts to recruit and retain more faculty of color, and plans to double the full-time faculty of color by 2021.

The Office of Admissions is currently reviewing a plan to increase outreach to undergraduate students of color, and increase their enrollment.

More funding has been allocated to the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program (MKTYP) and the POSSE Program, two scholarship programs that emphasize supporting students and provide support for students entering Brandeis.

Finally, Brandeis has also established a minimum wage of $15.05 per hour for full time Brandeis employees and $11.00 per hour for part time employees, provided both types of employees are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

This wage increase was announced in 2015.

OPINIONS

September 7, 2018

The Brandeis Hoot 5

Give me air conditioning or give me death

By Noah Harper editor

It has been so hot these past few weeks. I’m miserable. You’re miserable. The unfortunate souls sitting next to me in class that see me arrive drenched in sweat are miserable. It’s hot, and, unfortunately, the heat isn’t going away anytime soon.

I live in the Foster Mods, which, like most housing on campus, don’t get any air conditioning.

It’s brutal. But I think that the swampiness of my Mod can tell us something about how Brandeis views its students.

The lack of air conditioning (and general maintenance) in the school’s aging residence halls is indicative of something far more systemic. On-campus housing is expensive and the lottery system is based purely on luck. If you’re not lucky enough to get a room in our flashy new distraction of a building, you’re going to end up paying a lot to live in a notso-nice place. My old slum of an off-campus apartment (with three other roommates) cost significantly less, and was in much better repair than the Mod I’m currently living in. It’s not a stretch to say that on-campus housing is too expensive—so, we have to ask, why?

On its surface, the question, “Who is Brandeis for?” should be easy to answer. It should be auto-

matic: the students. But I’m not so sure anymore.

We pay a lot to live on campus, and we’re rewarded by shoddy buildings that radiate heat. Oh, and I forgot to mention, we have to pay for a meal plan too, even if our housing comes with a kitchen.

As a senior, I’ve learned to temper my expectations when it comes to food. People here make fun of Sodexo’s “cooking” so much that it’s become normalized—the food being bad is expected, and so it becomes not so bad. But between the lackluster offerings, the fake points economy that reduces the value of our real dollars and the egregious contract mandating meal plans for all that live on campus, it’s obvious that the student body is not getting the value we pay for.

Sodexo—which operates 122 prisons across eight countries—is not here to serve us great food.

Like most other companies, their main objective is to turn a profit, leveraging as much value out of the student body as possible. But they’re embedded into Brandeis, locked in by a long-term contract, with little hope of improvement on the horizon.

The total price of our tuition here, including housing and food, is deplorable. There is no reason the sticker price of our school should be over $70,000. We’re in Waltham, not Greenwich Village.

This problem, too, is pretty ob-

vious. The cost of attendance is systematically creeping upward, and what’s there to show for it? In the last four years I’ve been here, I struggle to think of meaningful, positive ways life on campus has improved. The only thing that’s changed is that I’m paying more now than I did as a freshman.

I’m locked in now. I’ve sold my soul to Brandeis—I’ll be paying for my time here for many years to come. But what about the others, the new first-years coming here year after year? Should someone warn them that maybe they’re not going to get their money’s worth?

I believe that exploitative housing and food practices, tuition hikes and an engorged administration are just symptoms of a larger problem; a slow shift in which Brandeis has moved away from being for the students.

I think a lot about the old revolutionary spirit that Brandeis had when it was founded.

In the late 60s, Brandeis served as the National Student Strike Information Center. The loss of that collective, revolutionary zeal, the dearth of desire and energy to fight back against a system that isn’t working for us—would the students back then recognize the students now?

One solution is to work alongside our Student Union—to think about it in the organized labor sense. The students make Brandeis function. Without us— and, more importantly, our dol-

PHOTO FROM THE HOOT ARCHIVES

THE FOSTER MODS

lars—nothing would function on campus. But we’ve forgotten that.

The collective doesn’t know its strength.

Perhaps a platform of basic student rights is in order: housing with heat and air conditioning, quality food from a company that doesn’t profit off the incarcerated and financial accountability—the ability for students to veto tuition increases.

To get there, it’s going to require action, organization and haranguing. Difficult conversations, protests, sit-ins, student strikes.

But the overall goal is worth it:

We want to build a school that works first and foremost for the students—not Sodexo or the administration.

Nearly 50 years ago, student movements across the country were able to occupy their universities and demand accountability and action for their platforms.

Brandeis’ role and memory of that time has faded, but now, more than ever, we need to rally together to take back our institution, to fight collectively for economic justice.

It’s time to wake up and enjoy the air conditioning.

Reserve mental health terminology for professionals and patients

By Caleigh Bartash staff

Even though most people recognize mental health as a serious issue, some do not always acknowledge that in their everyday language.

Part of treating mentally ill people with respect is using psychology terms judiciously and reasonably. If these terms—like bipolar or schizophrenic—are used out of context, an individual might come off as uninformed or inconsiderate.

I frequently hear people improperly using diagnostic vocabulary and it really bothers me.

Family members have described political polls as “schizophrenic,” while friends called the weather “so bipolar.” I have even overheard a dog being called “so bipolar.”

After asking what a “schizophrenic political polls” was, I

heard this: polls that fluctuate wildly and unexpectedly. According to that family member, schizophrenic is a common descriptor for trends; however schizophrenic also describes people with a severe psychological condition.

People with schizophrenia experience debilitating symptoms including delusions and hallucinations. Schizophrenia is incurable.

While the illness can be managed, patients cannot always afford the expenses and many schizophrenic people end up homeless.

With bipolar disorder, some people casually use the word to describe things that change quickly. The weather that my friend called bipolar moved from sunny to rainy in a matter of minutes. As for the bipolar dog, I assume that this dog had somewhat conflicting personality traits. No matter how you interpret it, weather and dogs do not fit the true definition of bipolar

disorder because have not been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Individuals who live with bipolar disorder primarily live in stages of depression or mania. Many people simplify these two stages down to sadness or happiness—however bipolar disorder is more complex.

Depression often includes loss of interest in activities, loss of energy and suicidal ideation.

In contrast, manic symptoms include racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, impulsivity, irritability and grandiose beliefs. Both stages are dangerous in their own right and cause severe issues for both people with the condition and their loved ones.

Using the word bipolar to describe anything other than a person with a bipolar disorder diagnosis is insensitive to those struggling with a serious condition.

Another way people wrongly use mental health words is with

fictional characters. Unless a character or its creator says the character has a certain mental health condition, viewers often self-diagnosis these characters with disorders for their own entertainment or analysis attempt.

My AP Literature class in high school was full of people who supposedly wanted to be psychiatrists, yet did not understand the illnesses they were ascribing to pessimistic, old short stories. Nobody asked questions involving mental health, but these students responded by almost freely giving out diagnoses.

The Goldwater rule, a name for a section of the American Psychiatric Association’s “Principles of Medical Ethics” stating how it is unethical for psychiatrists to professionally address public figures, is a good model for figuring out when to use diagnostic vocabulary.

Words might seem like a small problem, but when there is an

offensive history behind them, it is essential to navigate mindfully. Many people accept that racial and ableist slurs are awful and should only be used in the context of reclaiming because they are insulting and wrongfully justify violent histories; however sometimes words that are not slurs must be avoided, too.

Mentally ill people have been mistreated for a long time.

Throughout history, these individuals were placed in destructive, unhelpful asylums and are often victims of police brutality.

Since psychological disorders are so dangerous, treating mentally ill people respectfully should be a common goal, and definitely one that is not hard to achieve.

Using mental health words properly does not take much effort.

By reserving these parts of our vocabulary for specific purposes, we avoid trivializing people’s problems and sounding ignorant.

6 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

September 7, 2018

What I wish I knew: college parties

By Renee Nakkab special to the hoot

Excitement, laughter and utter anticipation fluttered through the air as my friends and I walked out of Cable Hall around 11:45 p.m.

Saturday night.

Upon first glance, we might have looked like any other group of college students heading to a party, yet a closer look would clearly indicate that we were anything but. We were giddy firstyears heading to our first fraternity party as Brandeis University students.

“How far is the walk? Should I wear pants or shorts? We need to bring a cup?” Riddled with questions, we realized that the only way to find answers is to experience it for ourselves.

As the feelings of adulthood and adventurous independence washed over us, the chill of the crisp night air and the empty darkness of the streets lacked their original unease. While strolling towards Russell Street, a group of upperclassmen walking back from the frat party called to us: “Guys, it’s not worth it. It’s over crowded and you will not be able to get in. We are heading to another party.” After a quick delib-

eration, we decided to head over to the other party.

When the pavement began to tremble to the beat of the music, we knew we were almost there. As we arrived at the door, I took the lead and tried to open it. Met by complete resistance, I shifted into a football stance and pushed harder. The industrial door finally gave in and we finally saw a glimpse of college parties. The smoke crept out from the top of the door like dementors hungry for their next prey, darkness cloaked the room where visibility remained strained and the music echoed above all other sounds: This was my first college party experience.

Overwhelmed and unnerved, I hastily backed out of the doorway, coughing the smoke out of my lungs. Understandably, this may appear to be a dramatized exaggeration of the party, yet coming from a rather “boring” high school, I never experienced a party of this magnitude. It was in this moment when I realized just how unprepared I was for what lay ahead of me.

After spending the last week undergoing various different orientation activities, icebreakers, assemblies and information sessions, I cannot help but wonder why the party atmosphere was

not discussed more. Sure, we did have to take an online course on drug and alcohol awareness and bystander intervention before we arrived on campus. We also watched a pretty informative performance created and executed

by Speak About It, which taught the audience the proper way to go about a multitude of “classic” party scenarios.

I commend both these methods for acknowledging that students will experiment with alcohol, drugs and partying. However, I feel as though the scenarios they were describing were extremely unrealistic.

Aside from also being impersonal to the Brandeis community, these programs did not instruct us first-years, some of whom had never experienced a college party, how to ease our way into the party scene.

Throughout Orientation, after every event, our orientation groups would meet to discuss what we found interesting. Afterwards, we were asked if we had any questions. When I was asked if I had any questions about the Brandeisian party scene, I suppose I did. However, I did not know what to ask because I had yet to experience it.

The Orientation Committee did

an amazing job welcoming us and making my transition from home to Brandeis seamless. They were friendly, warm-hearted people who are beyond knowledgeable in every area of first year confusion. From putting in a week’s worth of training prior to our arrival to spending Orientation Week predominantly with us and in the same shirt during a heat wave, they made many sacrifices to ensure we had the best time as newcomers.

Although the Orientation curriculum is very well written, I do wish they prepared me more for the party scene in general, not just frat parties. Discussing ways to assess a party atmosphere would have been much more effective than a lifeless and unrelatable electronic course. It is a known fact that Brandeis University does not recognize Greek life on campus. Nevertheless, that does not mean that it does not exist. I wish I knew more about the different types of parties, their locations and who generally is in attendance.

Reasonably, it cannot be expected of each orientation leader to have first-hand party experience and at some level, they can never fully prepare us for the party world because every person is dif-

ferent. I think all first years, however, would benefit from a cohesive form of advice being added to the curriculum.

One piece of advice I was given by my older sister, a recent graduate of Union College and member of the sorority Tri-Delta, was to attend the first parties around campus with a Gatorade in hand.

Throughout the night, I would dance and have fun with my friends, however, I would sip on my Gatorade instead of an alcoholic drink. Sober, I would assess the party situation and judge for myself, with clear eyes, whether or not I trust the people and place for the next time.

It would be almost nonsensical to ignore the self restraint and lack of fun it would be for firstyears not to “let loose” at their first Brandeisian parties, yet for those who are willing to have that delayed satisfaction, I hear it is worth it.

Ultimately, Orientation was an excitingly jam packed week filled with new information, new people and new experiences. Although we can never be truly prepared for everything that will come our way, Brandeis’ class of 2022 is more than capable of figuring it out!

The future of free speech in social media

By James Feltner special to the hoot

About a month ago, far-right radio host, conspiracy theorist and internet sensation Alex Jones suddenly found his entire media empire purged from the internet. As a result of some private and collective deliberation, most major media outlets united in a decision to scrub their sites of all content directly related to Jones and his infamous radio show “InfoWars.” These webpages had individually accrued hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of followers prior to their deletion.

Such events like this are divisive in the context of ongoing social arguments, most specifically the ever adjusting question of

censorship and what Jones’ case means for freedom of speech.

The companies in question were completely right to take the action they did based solely on the matter of enforcing their terms of service. Jones has a well-documented and violent history of hate speech towards immigrants, minorities, the LGBT community, Muslims and others. Anyone that is sincerely concerned with positive social progress would agree that the exile of Alex Jones may be more of a blessing than a curse in the current political climate.

However, I am less content with the precedent this may set for the censorship of the exchange of ideas. The reality is, an increasingly large percentage of our serious discussions and political skirmishes are waged on the very

same social media platforms of which Jones is no longer a part.

Of course, he has the opportunity to take his controversial opinions elsewhere online without any legal restraint (and he has), but in practicality, Jones has lost his ability to speak freely online in the same circles as the rest of us.

It wouldn’t be altogether unfounded, despite being terribly misguided, to dismiss this as an act of direct censorship by the big bad left-leaning companies of the unexpecting and innocent right-leaning political activist. In fact, Twitter, the social media site most well-known for its often unexplained and seemingly politically-motivated bans, peculiarly abstained from taking any action against Jones or “InfoWars” at first, claiming

that he hadn’t violated any of their policies. Despite my suspicions with that claim, it certainly proves to me that at least some of these social media platforms took the deliberation seriously.

Have we given social media sites too much power over free speech? Should it be the right of a shared monopoly to decide who does and does not have a voice on the internet? I think these questions get to the heart of a controversy that begs, impossibly, to reconcile the concerns of victims of hate speech, first amendment rights and the rights of corporations to police their customers.

In my opinion, this particular instance has established itself to be a net positive. Although hate speech is not yet legally classified as unprotected speech, it

could never be a bad thing for less of it to exist. The companies involved acted upon their terms of service and provided evidence to support these actions. In fact, much of me wants to say they stepped up to address an issue where legislation has failed so far.

As social media interfaces further monopolize our time spent interacting with each other, we need to treat situations like this carefully and look to precedent. The suppression of voices should never be taken lightly, and the very real threat of hate speech cannot become an excuse for rash decisions.

At the very least, these sites need to be held accountable for who they do and don’t let speak if their mission is truly to facilitate conversation and change.

What does ‘journalistic integrity’ mean?

By Alex Kougasian staff

It is impossible to avoid the buzzwords—free speech, clickbait, partisanship, fake news— especially in journalism. They represent how far the media has fallen in the eyes of the public.

Despite journalism’s failing image, it is necessary to remember the important role that journalism plays in our society.

So what is that role?

Not only do I think that this is the wrong question to ask, I also believe that determining why this is the wrong question is the key to understanding what journalistic integrity

means and how we can restore it.

Let’s begin with the right question: What role does journalism play in our society? This is a subtle change, but an imperative one. The generalized notion of the function of journalism is to inform. That is certainly one function of journalism, but there are many more functions that journalism can serve. The reason I use the language “can serve” is that, because the term “journalism” applies to such a vast number of journalistic styles, organizations and programs, there is seemingly no limit to the number of roles journalism “can serve.”

There are countless real world examples of journalistic organizations serving roles other than informing. You happen

to be reading one right now!

Opinions sections of newspapers are not in the business of solely informing the public.

The role of an opinions section is to create discourse or perhaps give insight into a purely speculative issue. These roles directly contrast those that would be held by an organization when they conduct an interview on a prominent figure in society, such as the news section of a newspaper. This type of journalism gives others a platform to speak about their cause or bring public attention to a specific perspective.

As a result of different journalistic organizations and different roles within journalism, the definition of journalistic integrity is not one that can be considered

normatively. The concept of journalistic integrity shifts with the role that a specific piece of journalism is attempting to serve. In the context of what I have reasoned, shorthand for the overall definition for journalistic integrity could be: ensuring that the perceived role or roles a piece of journalism serves remain unhindered.

For example, the definition of journalistic integrity for me writing this opinion article could be interpreted as: providing room for and encouraging counterpoint or refraining from using fallacious or deceiving language to justify my opinion.

The way I have presented the idea of journalistic roles in society makes the entire concept of journalistic integrity

very abstract. However, it does provide a natural response to the assertion I made earlier.

Looking at journalism as having a sprawling and diverse set of roles in society can help restore the feeling of journalistic integrity among the public.

A journalist must merely go through the steps of determining what his/her roles are, determining which roles of those are her primary ones and making sure that that those roles remain uninhibited as she engages her audience. If the social roles of journalism are systematically carried out more effectively, then we will find that the public will become more trusting of those informants, debaters and muckrakers who truly want to be a force for social good.

FEATURES

September 7, 2018

The Brandeis Hoot 7

Economics and sustainability blend abroad

By Sabrina Chow editor

Many college students jump at the first opportunity to participate in a study abroad program.

Living in a city of your choice, and picking from almost anywhere in the world is an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture. Grace Berry ’21, a politics and economics double major, took advantage of the opportunity to

participate in a study abroad program in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Berry, along with other Brandeis students, was a part of the Brandeis in Copenhagen program, which is connected to a study abroad program in Scandinavia called DIS. DIS is a non-profit study abroad program located in Copenhagen and Stockholm, which provides study abroad opportunities in English for college students in North America.

During Berry’s five and a half

Grace Berry (left) explores the city with fellow Brandeisian Melissa Rothenberg ‘21.

BIKE AROUND COPENHAGEN

weeks in Copenhagen, she took two courses: Microeconomic Theory, and Behavioral Economics. Microeconomic Theory was taught by Brandeis professor Nader Habibi (ECON, IBS) and Behavioral Economics was taught by two professors from the University of Copenhagen.

Looking to get ahead in her economics major, Berry took the opportunity to travel across the ocean to take classes. “Behavior economics is really fascinating to me and it isn’t taught here at Brandeis,” explained Berry. “So I went to Copenhagen to take it.” Even though she was there for the classes, the overall experience of studying in a different country, even for a few months, was unforgettable.

When Berry was not in class, she loved to go explore the city with others in the program. “Most of us rented bikes for the time we were there, and it was really easy to bike everywhere,” wrote Berry to The Hoot. “It was their hottest summer on record, and my favorite way to cool off was to jump in

PHOTOS COURTESY GRACE BERRY

the canal in the city. It was clean enough to swim in, and there were ladders and docks everywhere.”

Berry also really enjoyed the mix of old and modern architecture.

While she was in Copenhagen, Berry found it to be an amazing opportunity to study economics in a place outside of the U.S. Unlike the United States, Denmark has universal health care, tuition-free colleges and many other benefits. She found it extremely interesting to have professors outside of Brandeis, most specifically at the University of Copenhagen, and to have the two different perspectives on economics in the U.S. compared to Denmark.

“I am also really interested in sustainability,” Berry said. “And Copenhagen was a really awesome place to study because of this, too. Sustainability is ingrained in their lifestyle and it seems like most Danes don’t really think about being sustainable. It’s just a part of their life now. It definitely inspired me to think more about the choices I make and how it affects the environment.”

Berry cannot recommend enough participating in abroad programs, even if they are during the summer. “The summer was even more meaningful than I thought it would be, and I can’t imagine not going,” she said.

A summer with the diplomats

By Zach Cihlar editor

Maria Kulchyckyj ’20 spent her summer looking out of an emblematic skyscraper in East Midtown, Manhattan, overlooking Roosevelt Island and the East River. Across the street resided the United Nations’ New York headquarters, where Maria worked for the United States Mission to the United Nations (USUN).

The internship offered Maria the unique opportunity to discover how the United Nations worked and America’s role in the international body. Spearheaded by the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, the USUN—housed as a unit under the State Department—assists in the conduction of United States foreign policy within the United Nations. It is divided into various sections, including economic and social, legal, military and more.

As a research analyst intern in the USUN’s Host Country Affairs division, Maria worked 40 hour weeks, recovering documents dating back to 1946 related to requested subjects found within the department’s archives. She also spent quite a bit of time with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, uncovering information

requested regarding the USUN and its over 70 year history.

The ten-week internship featured a variety of opportunities to engage closely with high level officials, learn more about international affairs and events and participate in unique speaker series with guests from various levels and careers within the State Department.

The internship didn’t come without its difficulties though.

At some points, Maria admitted, the experience felt larger than life and the status of the individuals she interacted with intimidated her. She worked with ambassadors from other countries and spoke with people from countries she has heard little to nothing about. “It was the first real internship I had ever had, and it honestly intimidated me,” she said.

However, the people there did recognize that she and her fellow interns were just that; interns. The officials and public servants understood that Maria may not know exactly what’s going on in some far reaching corner of the world since most of the other interns were also rising juniors and seniors.

There were about 30 other interns that worked over the course of Maria’s internship at the USUN. Most were undergraduate students, but a few graduate

students and law students trickled in. The group of interns became close as they began to recognize that all of their academic and career interests aligned despite being from so many different parts of the country.

In fact, one of Maria’s favorite parts of working at the USUN was the people she had the opportunity to meet. As part of her program, the USUN hosted a speaker series featuring various people within the State Department with unique career paths.

One in particular stood out to Maria. She was “an ambassador with a unique career path.” Prior to her appointment as an ambassador, the speaker had worked in various fields—NGO’s, nonprofits, in the private sector and others.

“She allowed me to recognize that my path doesn’t have to be linear, and I don’t have to make this huge decision about where I want my career to go at age 20,” Maria said.

The ambassador’s exemplary life offer solace to Maria, who always believed that in order to work international relations, she had to follow a set path without fail. “I learned about what I wanted to do, and what I didn’t want to do.”

For those ten weeks, Maria received the one of a kind experience of living the fast life in New York City. After living there, she

PHOTO COURTESY MARIA KULCHYCKYJ

truly understood its status as an international epicenter. Living in a Ukrainian neighborhood in East Village, she would hear Ukrainian towards the end of her commute home, but then hear Spanish and Chinese just a block or two away if she was going out to eat.

She loved New York. “It’s very fast-paced, and since I feel like I’m also fast-paced, it suited me,” she said. But like all

20 year olds in the big city, she admitted the sheer number of things to do overwhelmed her.

On top of the 40 hours a week she spent at the USUN, Maria also worked at a bar back in a restaurant and the evenings, and late into the night. Working a total around 60 hours a week, she valued her time, and learned what it takes to live in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Public health internship impacts local community

By Sabrina Chow editor

True to the spirit of Brandeis students, known for their ambitions both in the classroom and during their time off in the summer, many choose to spend their summers partaking in internships and accepting job positions all across the country and in the world.

Sarah Fielman ’19, who is majoring in HSSP and Anthropology, worked in a community health center at Health Leads in Quincy, M.A. during the summer.

“For more than 20 years, Health Leads has worked with leading healthcare organizations to cre-

ate sustainable, high-impact and cost effective social needs interventions that connect patients to the community-based resources they need to be healthy—from food to transportation to healthcare benefits,” according to the Health Leads website. Hospitals and universities around the countries utilize workshops hosted by Health Leads or have used Health Leads resources to further their own programs.

Fielman knew that she wanted to do something with public health in the future as a career path, and felt that the internship was a good place to test the waters and see if her interests aligned with the position.

“On a daily basis, I worked with a team of staff (ranging from administrative staff to clinical staff) to help implement a social determinants of health screening program. I worked with patients to make sure that they were able to overcome a variety of barriers keeping them from maintaining their health,” wrote Fielman to The Brandeis Hoot.

Having the ability to work directly with patients proved extremely impactful to Fielman.

“Working with patients and directly seeing the impact you make in their lives was a powerful experience,” Fielman explained.

“Even at the end of the day if you could not help them,

they were incredibly appreciative that you tried.”

The overall experience helped Fielman realize what she wants out of her career in the future, as well as what she will try to avoid. She gained new skills from the position outside of the realm of public health, as well.

“I also learned a lot about the environment and dynamics of working in a public health setting. I think generally I learned a lot about how to connect with people as well as communicate professionally,” wrote Fielman.

One of the best memories Fielman has from the summer is participating in the Fair Foods event, which offers a bag

of fresh fruits and vegetables for two dollars every Wednesday.

Staff members sorted through all the food, bagged it and sold it to patients at the clinic.

“By doing this, I got to see the demographic of the community, got to know the variety of staff at the clinic and just have a really fun time hanging out. The people at the clinic were all very interesting and great people to learn from and work with,” wrote Fielman.

Fielman is continuing this internship through the school year. She applied to the program through Handshake, an online internship posting site that helps to even the playing field for job opportunities among all students.

8 FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot

September 7, 2018

Spilling the beans on Cafe Undergrounds

By Polina Potochevska editor

Brandeis is a campus that runs on coffee. From Einstein’s, to Dunkin’ Donuts, to Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee, many students depend on the rush of caffeine to get them through their intense days filled with heavy course loads and extracurricular responsibilities. One student hopes to break through the pre-existing cafes at Brandeis with his own unique franchise: Cafe Undergrounds.

The creator of Cafe Under-

grounds is Ben LoCascio ’20, a junior majoring in European Cultural Studies and minoring in Italian Studies and Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation (CAST).

So, what is Cafe Undergrounds?

LoCascio calls it “Brandeis’ very own pop-up student run coffee cart,” found in Upper Usdan. “But not just any coffee … this coffee is miraculous.” Held every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and offering two products on the menu— lattes and nutella paninis—he is involved in almost every step of the process from bean to cup.

LoCascio says he provides “third-wave specialty coffee,” in which he grinds the beans, weighs out the dosage and uses grass-fed organic milk, along with placing “kindness and hope into every cup.” The pop-up cart consists of LoCascio with his espresso machine and panini press, making everything with care in front of his customers. His table is adorned with books and decorations, giving off a sense that it is a full cafe nestled into a table at Upper Usdan. “In the words of my faithful customer and friend Jonah Koslofsky ’20, ‘Heated Nutella really changes the game,’” said LoCascio.

The idea for Cafe Undergrounds began when LoCascio’s uncle gifted him an espresso machine.

Testing the wisdom from the popular film, “Field of Dreams,” LoCascio quoted, “If you build it, they will come.” And they did!

In 2016, he held the first pop-up event of Cafe Undergrounds, and students gathered to try his lattes.

Unfortunately, after hosting multiple weeks of Cafe Undergrounds in 2016, the espresso machine broke and the pop-up had to go on a hiatus. LoCascio, who said that faith is a major part of his life, felt the need to start Cafe Undergrounds back up again, and prayed for the return of the cafe with a new purpose. With the support and encouragement of a high school friend, LoCascio took the espresso machine in for repair.

What he originally thought was an old, run-down home espresso machine was actually a professional espresso-making machine worth around $3000! Thankfully, it was completely repaired, thus leading to this year’s re-opening of Cafe Undergrounds. “This

PHOTOS COURTESY BEN LOCASCIO

year is the grand re-opening!

Many friends and I worked on a new logo and promotional video, a social media Facebook page and an artsy Instagram,” wrote LoCascio to The Brandeis Hoot.

LoCascio wrote that his hope for Cafe Undergrounds this year is that it will “connect us all to God and prayer.” To do so, he has set up a new system for the price of his menu items. If a customer submits a prayer request to LoCascio through his prayer request box, they receive a one dollar discount for both menu items.

The discount brings both lattes and paninis to $3.95 per item.

“The [prayer] request can be anonymous or people can write their names. The prayer request can be as general or specific as they like, although I am encouraging people to write measurable and specific requests so that they can really prove the power of prayer,” wrote LoCascio, who was inspired by events he witnessed over the past summer to pray

more and spread that message.

In addition to lattes and Nutella paninis, LoCascio places a “You Are Beautiful” sticker on each cup of coffee before handing it to the customer. The small gray stickers are a popular worldwide phenomenon for their simple and positive message, and LoCascio hopes to spread those messages as well.

Cafe Undergrounds is more than just a side job for LoCascio, and he hopes that this year he can expand his work and be available on more days of the week. He also hopes for more students to be involved with the behind the scenes of the cafe. If you are interested in business, marketing or social media and would like to be a part of Cafe Undergrounds, you can message LoCascio through the Cafe Undergrounds Instagram @ cafe_undergrounds, or his Facebook page “Cafe Undergrounds.”

Editor’s Note: Jonah Koslofsky is a staff member of The Hoot.

Featured Events Calendar Volleyball vs. Bowdoin: We the Jury Featured Event!

First 100 students will receive free hats, and there are up to 50 We the Jury points to be earned. September 7, 7-9 p.m., Auerbach Arena.

Rosh Hashanah Family Services The services will last for a little over an hour. Ticket price for the High Holiday is $136 per Boston Area-Jewish Education program family and $180 per other families. September 10, 2:30-4:15 p.m., International Lounge in Usdan.

Trip to Walden Pond Picnicking, walking around the pond that inspired “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau, and going to the gift shop and bookstore.

There is also a replica of his cabin. Tickets are $5 and include transportation back and forth and a tour. September 11, 12:304:30 p.m., bus leaves from T-Lot. First-Year Resume Day Hiatt advisors and staff will be holding drop-in appointments to help attendees create resumes. September 13, 11-4 p.m., Hiatt Career Center Study Abroad Fair More than 30 program representatives will be in attendance.

September 13, 11-2:30 p.m., Levin Ballroom.

Campus Activities Board (CAB) Fall Flex Concert Headlined by Kiiara! Will be free for Brandeis students. For students who do not go to Brandeis, tickets will be $20 in advance, and $25 the day of the show. Tickets on sale now. Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. in Shapiro Gym. 24 Hour Musical Come see one of Brandeis’ most beloved traditions as students learn, rehearse and perform a full-length musical in 24 hours!

Tickets are free for Brandeis students, and will be distributed starting at 1 p.m. It will be in the the Shapiro Theater in the SCC. - Compiled by Jennifer Cook

September 7, 2018

HOSPITAL HELPERS

WEEK IN PHOTOS

Waltham Group’s newest group connects volunteers with the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program at the Stacy Kirpatrick House in Jamaica

The Brandeis Hoot 9

PHOTO COURTESY SOPHIE GORDON

Plain.

THE BEAUTY AFTER THE STORM

INVOLVEMENT FAIR

fair.

PHOTO BY POLINA POTOCHEVSKA/THE HOOT

Anna Krohn (left), Helen Wong ‘19 (middle) and Ian Roy (right) pose in front of Harvard’s Peabody Museum.

SENIOR RESEARCH

Members of Cru Brandeis represent their club at the bi-annual involvement

PHOTO BY CANDACE NG/THE HOOT

A weed taken from the Rooftop Farm on the roof of Gerstenzang.

FLOWERS

PHOTO COURTESY HELEN WONG

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

EDITORIALS

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

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

Volume 15 • Issue 13 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

STAFF

David Aizenberg, Juliana An, Robert Banks, Caleigh Bartash, Kevin Costa, Olivia Ellson, Daniel Freedman, Ariella Gentin, Noah Harper, Kevin Healey, Jonah Koslofsky, Alex Kougasian, Samantha Lauring, Ruoshi Liu, Rachel Wang, Chengcheng Xiang

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

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

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

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

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

ADVERTISE Advertising in The Brandeis Hoot helps spread your message to our readers across the Brandeis campus, in the Waltham community and beyond through our website.

All campus organizations receive a 25-percent discount off our regular prices. We also design basic ads for campus organizations free of charge.

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

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

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

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

September 7, 2018

The Hoot’s hopes for the year

T

he editorial board of The Brandeis Hoot is looking forward to the upcoming year and keeping our expectations high for continuous positive change on campus.

We are eager to see what the Student Union accomplishes this year. President Hannah Brown ’19 and Vice President Benedikt Reynolds ’19 ran with the platform of addressing Brandeis’ affordability, such as decreasing laundry and printing costs, and instituting stipends for Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo) or Student Sexuality Information Services (SSIS). We’re looking forward to seeing if, and how, they address these issues this year.

In Brown’s welcome back email, she encouraged students to get involved with the Student Union and to reach out to her with any questions or concerns, stressing Brandeis’ community and her willingness to get to know the student body. She did not mention any specific plans for the upcoming year, so we are expectant to see which issues she and the rest of the Student Union will tackle.

In a similar vein, we are hopeful

that the Senate’s menstrual product initiative will be reinstated this year. Providing menstrual products in bathrooms across campus was a successful and much-appreciated program among menstruators, and we are curious to see if it will continue. Will the Senate continue managing the initiative, or seek funding and help from administrators?

We also appreciate the positive changes that were made on campus over the summer. The change in mailroom partners from Xerox to Swiss Post Solutions was a step in the right direction for improved efficiency and package delivery.

Putting pods in first-year quads greatly reduced the usual mailroom rush at the beginning of the semester, and the new kiosk check-in system in the mailroom further reduces wait times.

The new Skyline residence hall opened for students, replacing three towers of the aging Castle and adding about 60 more beds.

While the Castle will be missed, Skyline is a modern, air-conditioned and more environmentally-friendly building. Students have also noticed the pleasant addition

of grape tomatoes to the lower Usdan salad bar.

Above all, we strive to keep the administration accountable. As Brandeis’ community newspaper, we want to foster an atmosphere of transparency, trust and accountability between the administration and student body.

So, we commend the transparency and thoroughness of the report on the independent investigation of the Department of Athletics related to the firing of men’s basketball coach Brian Meehan.

The release of the 25-page summary report and the availability of the president for an interview is a huge step in building trust between the administration and the student body.

These actions are rare among universities, and very much appreciated by the student journalists at The Hoot. Keeping the investigation transparent and the administration available to students is crucial, and so far, The Hoot commends the actions by the university in this matter. We, the editorial board, appreciate and look forward to the university’s continued transparency.

SPORTS

September 7, 2018

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Volleyball takes defending national champions to five sets

By Zach Cihlar editor

Women’s volleyball kickstarted their season travelling to Claremont, C.A., to play four games.

The women returned on Monday, Sept. 4 boasting success in the west, running a 3-1 record and nearly toppling the defending Division III NCAA national champions.

Despite travelling over 2000 miles to play in California, Brandeis hit the court against two east coast schools in the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps gym. The first game, the season opener, found Brandeis facing off against Union College, located in Schenectady, N.Y. Brandeis secured the win in four sets against New York team, dropping the second but recovering in the third and fourth with strong offensive consistency. In the final two sets of the match, the team hit at a successful .200 rate to trump the Union contest.

Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 and Emma Bartlett ’20 played particularly large roles in the four-set win, each clocking nine kills from their respective hitting positions.

Bartlett also had a notable four blocks, defending the offensive attacks from the opposing team.

The second game, also played on Friday, Aug. 31, found the Judges competing against the Mount Aloysius College Mount-

EMMA BARTLETT ‘20 DURING THE CMS TOURNAMENT

Barlett earned UAA Athlete of the Week for her performance in the tournament.

KAITLYN OH ‘22 GETTING READY FOR THE SERVE

ies, an institution located in Cresson, P.A. The women put up a stable and consistent effort throughout the entire game, defeating the Mounties in three straight sets 25-18, 2519, 25-19. It would be the Judges only straight set win of the trip.

The next day, Saturday, Sept. 1, the Judges returned to the court to tackle a more difficult schedule. The team played the defending national champions, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, for the first game of the day.

After dropping the first two sets to the top ranked California team in seemingly routine fashion, the Judges bounced back in the third

will be turning some heads with that win, according to Wyatt Emenaker ’19, the team’s volunteer assistant coach. It is just the beginning of the season, and Brandeis Women’s Volleyball is already making its mark in the division.

The women finished out the day with an efficient win against University of Redlands, beating the California team in four sets, with a handly won fourth set at 25-11.

The team’s success in California had much to do with middle hitter Bartlett. The junior hit 21 kills in the game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps alone and 42 over the entire California trip.

set with a strong offense coming off the hits of Bartlett. The women kept on the gas pedal during the fourth set, taking it to the Claremont school and dominating the home team 25-13.

The match came down to the wire in the fifth set. Playing to 15 for the fifth and final set, the Judges kept neck and neck with Claremont, earning an opportunity for a match point at 14-13.

Claremont came up clutch in the final moments, however, hitting four kills, with a kill from Decker-Jacoby in the middle, to finally secure the the 17-15 triumph over the Judges.

Despite the loss, the Judges

Cross country teams open seasons with high rank

By Shea Decker-Jacoby editor

For the third consecutive year, the women’s cross country team earned a national ranking from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. This season’s national ranking is the highest the Judges have been ranked in the previous three seasons. The Judges are returning six of their top runners from last year’s squad that finished eighth in New England.

Senior captains Emily and Julia Bryson ’19 are returning for their final season on the team. Emily finished ninth in the region and earned her third straight cross country All-American honor. Julia earned All-New England honors for the first time, finishing in 24th place. Sophomore Niamh Kenney ’21 was Brandeis’ third finisher in New England and senior Meaghan Barry ’19 ranked

EMILY BRYSON ‘19

fourth in New England and the third captain of the 2018 squad.

Brandeis’ women’s cross country team is one of six New England teams nationally ranked in the top 35 and fourth among five in the University Athletic Association (UAA).

The Brandeis Judges Cross Country women’s team opens the season with a top five finish in their opening weekend at Wellesley. The nationally ranked #28 Judges opened with a five-kilometer race and finished with 19 points, having five of the top seven finishers win the race. Senior and three-time cross country All American Emily Bryson earned her 27th victory with a final time of 18:11.7, with her twin sister Julia Bryson finishing second with a final time of 18:38.1. First-year Jac Guerra ’22, from Guilford, Connecticut, ran her first collegiate race, finishing third with a final time of 18:49.1, 20 seconds ahead of the next finisher. Rookie

Bryson starts her final season off strong with a first place finish.

PHOTO FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

Erin Magill ’22 finished in sixth place with a final time of 19:46.1 and sophomore Andrea Bolduc ’21 came close behind in seventh place with a time of 19:58.7. Seniors Doyin Ogundiran ’19 and Christine Minor ’21 finished in 11th and 19th place, respectively.

The men had a battle to the finish with rookie Matthew Dirben ’22 winning by 1.6 seconds with a final time of 16:35.0 and sophomore Josh Lombardo ’21 finishing close behind him at 16:36.6.

Another Brandeis rookie, Simon Powely ’22, took fifth in the race with a final time of 17:28.9. Sophomore Eric Rosenheim ’21 placed 13th final a time of 18:25.8 and junior Ben Watson ’20 finished 17th with a final time of 19:17.1.

The women return to the track with the UMass Dartmouth Invitational on Sept. 15 and will compete in the UAA Championships on Oct. 28 in Parkside, Wisconsin. They will round off their season with the New England Championships on Nov. 10 at Bowdoin College before NCAA competition. The men return to action on Sept. 15 at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational.

Under the guidance of Head Coach Sinead Evans, the track and field men and women’s teams were honored by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The men having an average 3.44 GPA and the women a 3.35, the Judges had six members of their team honored as individual All-Academic honors by earning top at a Top50 national ranking Division III school. Both Bryson sisters, Emily and Julia ’19, for the women and Regan Charie ’19, Scott Grote ’19, Churchill Perry ’19, and Ryan Stender ’18 for the men.

PHOTOS COURTESY SEAN DECKER-JACOBY

Oh opened her collegate career with 34

digs and six service aces.

She hit at greater than a .300 percentage, invoking both power and consistency throughout. Along with her offensive prowess, Bartlett also proved invaluable on defense, earning a total of nine blocks over the four games. Bartlett’s strong performance earned her the title of UAA Athlete of the Week.

The Judges have their home opener on Friday, Sept. 7, playing against University of Maine at Presque Isle at 5:00pm and Bowdoin College at 7 p.m. They hope to build on their 3-1 record and make a dent in the UAA conference and in Division III NCAA overall.

Women’s soccer pushes past Lasell

SIGNING DAY FOR ANNELIZABETH FROM TEAM IMPACT

PHOTO BY BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

This is Annelizabeth’s first season with the team.

By Gillian O’Malley special to the hoot

This past Sunday, the Brandeis women’s soccer team secured a combined shutout to defeat rival Lasell College 4-0 while extending their unbeaten record to 2-0, following their win against MIT on Saturday.

Brandeis took control of the game quickly, with senior forward Julia Matson ’19 opening the scoring in just the 14th minute. For her second goal of the season, Katie Hayes ’20 finished a flawless pass through the box from classmate Emma Spector ’20. Later, the Judges celebrated sophomore midfielder Daria Bakhtiari ’21, who scored off of her own rebound. To close out the score at 4-0, senior Julia Jaffe ’19 laid in a cross from rookie Juliette Carreiro ’22.

The Judges, ranked 25th, outshot the Lasers 40-2 with 21 shots on goal, contributing to their average of 3.50 goals per game. To

increase the advantage, Brandeis saw five corner kicks to Lasell’s one. Junior goalies Sierra Dana ’20 and Victoria Richardson ’20 saw little action in net, who each played a half.

Following the win, the Judges welcomed seven-year-old Annelizabeth Jean-Baptiste via Team IMPACT to their team.

Women’s soccer joins several other teams of Brandeis Athletics in the Team IMPACT family including men’s soccer, baseball and softball.

The Boston nonprofit, Team IMPACT, connects children with serious illnesses with collegiate-level athletic teams. These relationships have enhanced thousands of children’s lives and created positive, life-changing outcomes. When the child joins the team, they support each other through adversity both on and off the field.

Brandeis returns to their home field this Saturday afternoon to play against Johnson & Wales University at 1 p.m.

12 SPORTS

The Brandeis Hoot

September 7, 2018

Men’s soccer splits season openers

By Sophie Trachtenberg special to the hoot

The Brandeis men’s soccer team started off their season with a split on the road, playing both Endicott and Gordon Colleges in the annual North Shore Invitational.

The Judges were nationally ranked at #4 in the preseason polls, rightfully earning this honor as they returned to the field after two back-to-back Final Four and six straight Sweet Sixteen appearances in the Division III NCAA national tournament.

With the goal of keeping this successful streak alive, the team took the field this weekend, managing to kick off the 2018-19 season with a 1-1 record.

In the season opener, the Judges faced the Endicott Gulls in a match that was slow to start. After a scoreless first half, the latter end of the game heated up quickly for the Judges. In the 63rd minute, Andrew Allen ’19, a forward, headed in the 11th goal of his career off assists from teammates Jake Warren ’20 and Michael Burch ’22.

Not long after that, transfer

Bryant Nardizzi ’20, fitting in well after his move from Division I University of North Carolina at Wilmington, netted another goal, making the final score of the game 2-0 on Endicott. Following the match, the Judges improved to 1-0 on the season, while the Gulls dropped to 0-1.

After the sweeping win against Endicott, the top-ranked Brandeis men’s soccer team fell strikingly to an unranked Gordon College in a 2-3 loss. Gordon began with a hot start, quickly scoring the first goal of the game in the 8th minute, right off of a deflected pass from

the keeper.

However, the Judges answered back, as Allen scored the Judges’ first goal of the game, this time from a penalty kick in the 25th minute. This was Allen’s second goal of the season in just two games.

The tie was not held for long, with another goal coming from the Fighting Scots after a 30 yard strike. Barely a minute later, Gordon tallied their final goal of the game in a penalty kick fashion, making the score 3-1 by the 29th minute. To end the first half scoring streak, Brandeis responded

with a goal from Warren, as he headed one in to cut down the opponents’ lead to 3-2 going into halftime.

In an attempt to regain a lead, the Judges controlled the second half, shooting on goal 15 times, while limiting the Fighting Scots to only 3 attempts.

However, none of these shots managed to connect, as Gordon sealed their upset win with a scoreless second half from both teams.

Despite the loss, the Judges look ahead their next game against Babson on Saturday, Sept. 8.

JAKE WARREN ‘20

UNRANKED GORDON COLLEGE TRUMPS #4 RANKED JUDGES

The upset loss shocked the Judges, who made the Final Four in the

national tournament last season.

CHRIS RUSSO ‘21

PHOTOS FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

Athletes should not be entirely to blame for doping charges

By Sabrina Chow editor

Growing up, I loved Maria Sharapova, a Russian tennis player. But in 2016, she was just another famous face that joined a long list of doping athletes who were pulled from their sport.

Even though Sharapova’s ban was only for two years, and eventually shortened to 15 months, it was enough to drop her to the low 200s in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. This is almost 100 spots lower than her ranking after being off the tour for nine months due to injury. Sharapova is lucky to be back in the tennis world, but her success is far from what it was before her ban.

For all the famous athletes convicted of doping, including world-renowned cyclist Lance Armstrong and most recently, American swimmer Ryan Lochte, the fate of their doping sentences are career-ending. Armstrong was stripped of his record seven consecutive Tour de France title. Lochte was recently hit with a 14-month ban, preventing him from competing until 2019, for his use of IV fluids to replenish the vitamins in his body, according to Lochte’s Instagram post.

Even though Lochte’s use of IV fluids is not a banned substance, athletes are not allowed to receive IVs unless it is related to any sort of hospitalization or an exemption approved by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Lochte’s costly Instagram post halted his future in competi-

tive swimming with his 10-month ban in 2016, which came from a drunken mishap at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

In the case of Sharapova, she was charged for using Meldonium, a drug that assists those with circulatory and heart conditions, which had been banned right before Sharapova tested positive.

Even though she claimed to have been using the drug since she was younger to help with her heart issues, Sharapova takes full responsibility for her drug usage, claiming she did not open an email sent by the World Anti-Doping Agency, explicitly listing the banned substances.

Sharapova is not the only athlete that has been hit with a ban for their use of Meldonium. According to a New York Times article, many Eastern Europeans and citizens in ex-Soviet countries take Meldonium, or mildronate, to combat various heart conditions. Many Russian athletes have faced bans since Meldonium was banned on Jan. 1, 2016 by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

But for cases like Sharapova and Lochte, their bans still give them the opportunity to compete in the sport once their bans are lifted. However, athletes like Armstrong are not as lucky, having been stripped of all his titles and pushed into an early retirement.

For all the highly publicized doping cases, there seems to be a common trend in the athletes’ reactions to their sentences. Though most take full responsibility for their actions and accept their

bans, most, if not all, of the convicted do not blame themselves for their ban.

So then, who is to blame? Athletes claim it is the Anti-Doping Agencies that maintain the rules, but the distribution of information among all athletes seems cutthroat or else everyone would be caught.

While I agree that athletes should be held accountable for their actions, the agencies that deal with the banning sentences and prosecution of doping athletes are also at fault. Even though there are always new drugs coming out on the market that can enhance the performance of athletes, some of the bans on athletes are completely unjust.

MARIA SHARAPOVA AT HEARING

In the case of Sharapova, she had been taking Meldonium since 2006, a full 10 years before the ban was placed on the drug.

Coming from a family with a history of heart disease and diabetes, the medication helped Sharapova take care of her heart and blood issues, not for the purpose of increasing her performance. While some may argue that the use of the drugs did technically increase her performance, her use of the drug was first and foremost for her own health.

While the anti-doping agencies are very good about reducing sentences and giving the benefit of the doubt to athletes, they should rethink their methods of informing athletes about the

newly banned substances and create methods in which athletes are able to defend their drug use for medical reasons if they have been using the substances for years.

Because it is often difficult to find an alternative to a medication that does so much good for one’s body, causing an athlete to stop taking a drug that they have been taking for so many years has the possibility to cause significant health issues when the drug is suddenly stopped.

In no way are performance-enhancing drugs good for the public image of an athlete, but sometimes the medications are necessary for everyday life, and an athlete should not be punished for that on its own.

Sharapova announcing that she tested positive for a banned drug.

PHOTO FROM NYTIMES.COM

ARTS

September 7, 2017

The Brandeis Hoot 13

In a sinister, singular season, ‘Sharp Objects’ cuts deep

By Jonah Koslofsky staff

There will never be a second season of “Sharp Objects”—HBO president Casey Boyd confirmed as much a few weeks ago. But where other programs would see this as a judgment, this is a blessing for “Sharp Objects.”

Adapted from a Gillian Flynn novel of the same name, “Objects” is a stunning and self-contained meditation on truma, self-harm and southern hospitality. It’s not for the faint of heart, and it would be irresponsible to recommend this show without content warnings galore. That said, this mini-series is absolutely worth watching.

Over a woozy eight episodes we return to Wind Gap, Missouri, hometown of journalist Camille Preaker (Amy Adams), pushed to come back to Wind Gap to cover the murder and investigation of two little girls. The premise is vaguely reminiscent of “Twin Peaks,” another groundbreaking show about an investigation into a gruesome small town crime.

But where “Peaks” delighted in providing dreamlike, charming interactions between townsfolk, “Objects” is adamant that there’s nothing good beneath the surface of Wind Gap. And at the center of this rotting, broken place is Adora, Camille’s mother and town

power player, and Amma, Camille’s teenage step-sister.

This is a premise ripe with potential pitfalls—starting with Camille, who could easily fall into any number of “traumatized female protagonist” tropes. Thankfully, Amy Adams does not give bad performances; Camille never comes off as anything less than a totally realized human being.

Adams is yet another big-name actress to pivot into television to great effect, though the behindthe-scenes talent is equally impressive. The last big adaptation of a Flynn novel was 2014’s “Gone Girl”—also a critical and financial success—but that film was directed by David Fincher, a notoriously cold and meticulous auteur. On the other hand, all eight episodes of “Sharp Objects” are directed

by Jean-Marc Vallée, who helmed the Oscar-winning “Dallas Buyers Club” and broke into television last year with “Big Little Lies.” Vallée’s style is much more intimate than Fincher’s, using lots of dark, moody, handheld shots to create palpable atmosphere in every shot.

But the real power of “Sharp Objects” comes from the editing.

The entire show is filtered from Camille’s subjective perspective, and you get the sense that due to the things she’s experienced, the barriers between past events and the present are broken. It’s a device that’s really well suited

for a novel, where the narrative can flow seamlessly between time periods—something that Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” does very well. To compare anything to “Beloved” is extremely high praise, and not coincidentally “Beloved” and “Sharp Objects” are both stories about motherhood, pain and distinctly female suffering. But to successfully capture the fracturing of time in a visual medium is easier said than done (if you want an example of a failed attempt, look no further than the movie adaptation of “Beloved”), but in “Sharp Objects,” Vallée and his team of editors pull it off.

This is seriously impressive filmmaking. There’s a cohesion between the images Vallée conjures, Adams’ performance, and the cracked way these aspects fit together that’s pretty spectacular.

But this is not an easy watch.

It’s a dark show, both literally and figuratively (I tried to watch an episode one afternoon in a bright Skyline drm and could barely make out anything that was going on). As the season progressed, I found myself returning to “Sharp Objects” due to its quality as much as a desire to finish, so that I could look away from the hard truths the show spotlights. This got under my skin, and there were many moments when I simply couldn’t look at the screen. I’ve never seen a piece of media present self-harm in such a brutal,

PHOTO FROM TIME.COM

honest light.

Because in a lot of ways, that’s the point. Set in a town that embraces its southern “heritage,” Camille’s job is to uncover the truth, horrible as it may be—a job directly at odds with her mother’s unfeeling love of a beautiful surface. “Sharp Objects” is a slow show, clearly eight parts that build

to one whole. There’s a single “bad” episode here, as the tedious sixth installment lags, but by the time “Objects” reaches its finale, you’ll be glad you got there. Well, maybe “glad” isn’t the right word, but satisfied for sure.

A self-contained masterpiece, “Sharp Objects” is some of the best TV this year.

Latest installment of ‘Mission: Impossible’ is easily predictable, but never dull

By Caleigh Bartash staff

“Mission: Impossible—Fallout” released in the United States on July 27 to critical acclaim, but its biggest twist was also its least surprising.

“Mission: Impossible” follows

Ethan Hunt, the leader of a fictional intelligence agency called the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). A tireless, 56-year-old Tom Cruise leads in the role of Hunt, who this time is tasked with saving the world from nuclear weapon attacks.

Although the “Mission: Impossible” franchise falls in the action genre, the stunts were not “Fall-

PHOTO FROM THEATLANTIC.COM

out’s” main draw. In some ways it was a character study of Ethan Hunt. There were enough fight scenes and motorcycle chases to keep action buffs entertained, but the film moved past mindless explosions and gore. “Fallout” explored Hunt’s motivations and his character.

One of Hunt’s most interesting traits is how much he values human life. Hunt has an early opportunity to save the world, but refuses to make a single sacrifice in completing his mission. The movie revolves around this decision.

Without Hunt’s core beliefs to drive it, the storyline would not work. Hunt would have saved the day before the movie really started.

Hunt exemplifies the meaning of “action hero.” He chooses the long route in trying to save the world rather than taking shortcuts that would cost lives—literally, he runs so far. He is used to risking his own life to save others and recognizes that his inability to sacrifice leads to more conflicts. Still, he also remains flexible despite a limited timeline. At one point, one of Hunt’s partners questions his planning. Hunt replies, “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.”

“Fallout” featured a star-studded cast, meaning Wolf Blitzer was in it. As a CNN-enthusiast, I enjoyed Blitzer’s brief cameo more than any other part of the movie, though I admittedly ap-

preciated the entire ride.

For those who are not as interested in CNN, DC Comics’ movie Superman, Henry Cavill, stars opposite Cruise as Agent August Walker, a CIA assassin tasked with serving as a watchdog to Hunt during the mission. Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg return as franchise staples Luther Stickell and Benji Dunn, Hunt’s friends and fellow IMF agents. Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett, and Rebecca Ferguson round out the core cast.

As viewers learn in the opening minutes of the film, a mysterious villain named John Lark and a terrorist group called the “apostles” are seeking to trade three plutonium cores that can be used to create nuclear weapons. Supposedly, they plan on detonating the bombs in an anarchist plot to forge a new world.

Hunt encounters old friends and old enemies along his journey to save humanity, including recurring foe Solomon Lane, played

by Sean Harris. “Fallout” is a trip down memory lane for both Hunt and the franchise’s fans, bringing back characters from the earlier installments.

The fight scenes are impressive and, at times, hilarious. Aging Tom Cruise manages to pull off stunts with a level of ease that a less experienced actor would balk at, though he reportedly broke his ankle during filming.

Since I was unfamiliar with the rest of the franchise, I did not predict some of the film’s early sur-

prises; however, I soon became acquainted with the style and began to expect certain twists. At first, Hunt’s unorthodox methods and use of highly advanced, albeit fictional, technology were refreshing. Unfortunately, they soon became gimmicky.

Hunt and his partners, Luther and Benji, are all delightful characters who I sympathized with.

They were each hilarious, which made the movie enjoyable. They were also easily humanized so I always hoped they would turn out okay. I was happy to predict some plotlines because it meant they would survive another scene.

I did not mind how predictable the film was despite catching on to what was perhaps the biggest surprise less than halfway through.

The intended twist became obvious quickly, even to those not looking. The details and nuances of each scene held my attention when supposed surprises did not.

Hunt’s ability to succeed and survive was questioned, but I was optimistically convinced that Hunt would save the day throughout the viewing. Since I wanted certain events to happen, I was satisfied when they did.

“Fallout” may have been predictable, but I truly enjoyed the movie’s progression. “Fallout” is not revolutionary for an action film, but if you look past the obvious foreshadowing, you just might enjoy it. Despite the inability to conceal surprises, “Fallout” is worthy of your time.

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The Brandeis Hoot

September 7, 2018

Denzel Curry dives into the dark on ‘TA13OO’

By Chris DeMena special to the hoot

Man, this album is good.

Denzel Curry, former founding member of Miami’s Raider Klan and Soundcloud pioneer, is unfortunately most known for making the soundtrack to bottle-flip Vines. Yet, the 23 year old has shown more longevity than some of his peers, retaining a healthysized following in what is now the seventh year of his career. After

the bit of a wait that he held his fans over with the “13” EP, Denzel Curry released his latest album in late July. His previous album, “Imperial,” released in March 2016, was well-received and showcased his aggressive flows at the most refined they had been to date. And while this was evident in songs like “ULT” and “Knotty Head,” songs like “This Life” and “Pure Enough” also showcased Denzel’s desire to display a more melodic side of himself.

“TA13OO” builds on this right away with the eponymous open-

PHOTO FROM WBUR.ORG

ing track, where Denzel Curry does what sounds like an impression of Denzel Curry doing an Andre 3000 impression. It’s a nice, chill introduction to the first of three segments of the album, “Light”. These segments, the others being “Gray” and “Dark,” are 4-5 tracks long, consistent of different vibes and all released on different days. The next track on “Light,” “Black Balloons” (featuring Twelve’len and Goldlink), follows this melodic mold, showcasing more of Outkast’s influence on this project. And again Denzel’s singing takes center stage on what are probably the two brightest moments on the project, “Sirens” and “Clout Cobain.” In the former, Denzel’s Billie Eilish-assisted chorus is a perfect compliment to Denzel’s super gritty and focused bars about police brutality and white nationalism—oh, and the J.I.D feature on this song has verse of the year potential. The latter, accompanied by a great music video, features Denzel’s crooned verses about his frustration social media clout culture. The song is like a 2018 version of Lupe Fiasco’s “The Coolest” in its portrayal of what mass culture rewards and what people will do to achieve the cool/clout.

But “TA13OO” isn’t a total stylistic departure either. Denzel’s aggressive Ultimate-style delivery makes appearances on “Sumo,” “Percs” and the closing track “Black Metal Terrorist,” all of which are great songs. Something I appreciate on each of these

tracks is that Denzel occasionally pairs his over the top delivery with childish lyrics, like an allusion to Cartoon Network’s “Chowder,” someone being “a plain slut that loves it in the anus,” or an impersonation of South Park’s Timmy.

It’s a page out of the Slim Shady playbook and I think it’s a nice touch. Equally aggressive, though with a more unique flow, is “Vengeance” which features JPEGMAFIA (heart emoji) and Zillakami.

The three’s chemistry on this track is unbelievable; everyone brings their absolute best to deliver four minutes of nasty, abrasive, face-scrunching bars.

Other songs don’t fit the two categories I’ve constructed as neatly but are too great to go unmentioned. For instance, “Super Saiyan Superman” is another stinkface-inducing song, with a great lofi beat. Denzel’s flow is very crisp on that track; he’s really at home on this beat. Then there’s “Switch It Up,” which is a song about people’s shifting opinions of Denzel with an infectious chorus. The Hamlet-quoting opening of this made me spill milk out my nose the first time I heard it. And lastly, “The Blackest Balloon” is another song with a lofi beat over which Denzel is visited by his dead brother. Denzel dives in on drug abuse, claiming that “ain’t shit changed since Lil Peep died” on this track, which ushers in the last of the three album’s segments, “Dark.”

The decision to split the album into three segments and release

them each individually one day after the last made for an interesting rollout. The subject matter of “Light,” “Gray” and “Dark” doesn’t really differ at all. Instead, the difference lies in Denzel’s attitude towards them. The progression in mood between them isn’t necessarily linear either. Light sees Denzel optimistic that pain will pass, that leaning on someone else, the personification of Taboo, will help the both of them “get through to the next day.” Gray is the bleak segment. Even the songs where Denzel is gloating that people are mad he’s got it, it’s portrayed as a crabs in a bucket scenario. Dark is the grittiest of the three. After an eerie start with “The Blackest Balloon,” the album ends on the three most aggressive songs in the tracklisting, leaving you ready to run through a wall. It provides a nice high point to end on that the whole album seems to build towards.

On “TA13OO,” Denzel Curry comes through with an aggressive, dark, smart album. The album is a tight 43 minutes. No filler, no lulls. No careless performances from anyone on the project. This album should cast off any doubts that Denzel is just a Soundcloud rapper with an above-average shelf life. The man raps his heart out, he takes his artistry very seriously, he puts a ton of thought into his projects and the result is a great album.

Brandeis arts calendar On Campus Rose Art Museum Two new exhibitions open at the Rose on Friday, Sept. 7.

“Tuesday Smillie: To build another world,” and “Passage.” The former is a multimedia show of work by Smillie, a Ruth Ann and Nathan Perlmutter Artist-in-residence at Brandeis, focusing on themes of trans-feminism and political activism. “Passage” is an opportunity to explore highlights from the Rose’s collection, curated by Rose Director Luis A. Croquer. The Rose’s hours are Wed-Sun, 11-5, free and open to the public.

Protest Banner Making Workshop Rose artist-in-residence Tuesday Smillie will give a lecture accompanied by images “essential to her practice,” followed by a workshop on creating protest banners. Saturday, September 8th from 1-3 p.m. in the Lee Gallery of the Rose.

Black Panther Two screenings of the Marvel movie will be show in the SCC Theater on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Free for the Brandeis community.

Rachel Stern “Rachel Stern: More Weight”: a multimedia solo exhibition from the Philadelphia-based artist,

exploring history, representation and stories in connection to the Salem Witch Trials. On view at the Kniznick Gallery in the Women’s Studies Research Center until Oct. 26, with the artist visiting for a lecture and reception on the 25th.

Boston “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadaassss Song” “Rated X by an All White Jury,” proclaims the poster for this classic blaxploitation film, written by, starring, edited, produced, composed (among others),

by Melvin Van Peebles. The Coolidge calls it “an unforgettable study of perseverance in the face of racism.” Coolidge Corner Theater. Midnight showing on Friday, Sept. 7.

JP Music Fest “A celebration of the music and incredible musicians of Jamaica Plain,” the festival runs from 12 p.m.-7 p.m. across two stages.

Food trucks and all ages welcome. Pinebank Baseball Field.

Sept. 8. Free.

“Paris, Texas” Wim Wender’s road film about a family fractured across the Southwest, part of a series at the Brattle highlighting the life and work of cinematographer Robby Müller. Brattle Theater, Harvard Square. Showings at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8.

Boston Arts Festival Free event in downtown Boston highlighting local artists, with live music performances and visual art on display. Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park. Sept. 8 and 9.

MFA, Collecting Stories: Native American Art “Seeking new narratives about the museum’s history,” the exhibition focuses on understudied works from the Museum of Fine Arts’ collection, specifically Native American pieces tied to the history of the institution. On view through March 2019. Free with Brandeis ID.

‘BLACK CLOWN’

PHOTO FROM WBUR.COM

“The Black Clown” Based on the Langston Hughes poem of the same name, this music theater experience features a twelve-person chorus and led by bass/baritone Davóne Tines, with an additional chamber orchestra. American Repertory Theater, closes Sept. 23.

We Wanted a Revolution: ICA The show “examines the political, social, cultural and a esthetic priorities of women of color during the emergence of second-wave feminism.”

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. On view until Sept. 30.

Want to see your Brandeis event listed? Email suggestions to eic@thebrandeishoot.com.

JP MUSIC FEST

PHOTO FROM JPMUSICFES.COM

September 7, 2018

ARTS 15

The Brandeis Hoot

Activists speak about the power of art

By Ben Beriss editor

For some students, the beginning of a new academic year brought the opportunity to meet some well-known artists and social activists.

The Creativity, Arts and Social Transformation (CAST) minor worked with Brandeis’ Imagining Together Platform of Arts, Culture and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT) program to bring accomplished peacemakers and cultural artists to Brandeis to speak to students interested in doing the same.

The event, which took place on Tuesday, Sept. 4, was a cross between the end of a long weekend Design Lab hosted by IMPACT, and the beginning of the class Introduction to Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation. The Design Lab, which took place from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3, was a conference of various workers in the field of arts working to create

a clearer picture of the arts, culture and conflict transformation field by bringing together people from all roles (researchers, policy-makers, funders, etc.). It was a small part of IMPACT’s continuing efforts to create networks and resources among artists and cultural leaders to more effectively transform conflict.

Project Manager Armine Avetisyan (HS, COEX), who has worked to build relationships over the closed border between Turkey and her home country of Armenia for over a decade, says the program has helped realize the scale of the community to social activists in the world, despite often facing discouragement in her home country. As the first session of CAST’s introductory class, the event also served as a “welcome back” event for the CAST community, which brings together artistically and socially minded students and teachers at Brandeis for education, conversation and creation.

Nine artists stayed behind after

PHOTOS BY BEN BERISS/THE HOOT

the end of the conference Monday to speak at the event, which was scheduled to coincide with the first session of the CAST class but was open to the wider Brandeis community. These artists included Babu Ayindo of Kenya, Ellada Evangelou of Cyprus, Mary Ann Hunter of Australia, Catherine Muhoma of Kenya, Shahid Na-

deem of Pakistan, Carmen Olaechea of Argentina and Lee Perlman of Israel. All have combined art with efforts to work towards causes such as societal integration and peacebuilding, and all have accomplishments too vast to efficiently list.

The event started off with each artist introducing themselves and talking about how they see the future of arts as a means of social transformation.

They stressed the power of art as a means of community engagement, a means to empower and engage young people and those disenfranchised, as well as a means to bypass conscious biases.

Or, in the poetic words of playwright Shahid Nadeem, art is a means to “bypass that [conscious biased] process and reach the heart,” where people can truly engage with other people without the obstacle of instilled bi-

ases. The floor was then opened for questions, many of which concerned the specifics of how to make progress or keep hope in a bleak world.

The universal answer from the speakers was to keep faith in humanity and look at the progress being made every day, stressing the great technological and societal advances which allow for artists and activists from all over the world to come together and work much more effectively.

After this discussion, a reception was held where students, teachers and speakers came together over surprisingly excellent snacks and discussed the specifics of their futures and the issues at hand in a friendly environment, a testament to the excellent collaborations Brandeis enables.

Improv Showcase displays Brandeis’ sense of humor

By Ben Beriss editor

When the first Monday of the academic year ends up on a holiday, seize the opportunity to create an improvisational comedy show. At least, that was the conclusion of Brandeis’ many improv troupes, who performed their first showcase of the year the night of Labor Day. Intended largely as an introduction/advertisement, the showcase involves all four of Brandeis’ unscripted comedy groups performing a short series of sketches to interest people in coming to their auditions. Almost an unofficial orientation event, this annual tradition often almost feels like a great icebreaker game as much as a comedy performance.

TBA, the first group to perform, started the show off in this vein by inviting an audience member to the stage and interviewing him about everything from his favorite classes to his views on post-colonial foreign policy (undecided).

Then, two improvisers used this information to compete for the interviewee’s undying love, incorporating random words shouted from the audience. The match-up ended up as a lopsided decision between a pitch for safe sex and a reluctant pitch for a scat fetish (the result of an unprintable suggestion from a particularly nervous audience member).

The group then moved into a quick-switch game where four performers were given suggestions for each of their possible pairings then had to quickly switch between the wildly different resulting scenes. A highlight was a pair of aging mothers-inlaw discussing the intricacies of familial murder suddenly switching into a failing romance and back again with the barest of hesitation.

The performance ended with a ménage a trois, where three pairs of performers created scenes following each other and linked by the physical poses of the preceding pair. Two high schoolers plotting an attack on the football team became two candy factory workers arguing became a bemoaned couple trying to save their love in Antarctica, whose unfortunate leaning caused one of the high schoolers to develop a humpback. And so on, the scenes becoming increasingly unhinged as they had to suddenly leap between more and more fantastic positions.

TBA was followed by Crowd Control, a long-form improv troupe, which jumped into the “getting to know each other” theme with “sex with me is like…” While admitting their sex was as infrequent as their interest in curling (once every four years) or a daily ritual as annoying as making toast likely wasn’t comfortable, the sketch cut the air, leading into the next piece

of the performance, a series of longer sketches inspired by the troupe members’ past experiences, mainly summer memories.

The summers were entertaining by themselves, sharing a surprisingly common theme of being thrust into a customer support role, forced to endure constant complaints, but without the actual authority to solve any problems.

These were translated into sketches where a camp director threatened a disobedient camper with sharks, millennial-parody-types responded to a car accident with tweets of action and more off-kilter situations populated with angry customers, impotent customer service, and leaps of logic.

Bad Grammer, which focus-

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es on short form scenes, came next, starting with a unique game where two pairs of performers each locked arms facing away from each other, had the two facing front start a scene (which became a parody of “MasterChef ”), then periodically switched, thrusting the other partner into the character their partner had established. This created a hectic scene with two characters whose backstories and accents zigged and zagged into a series of jokes more about one-liners than the story being established.

After, they transitioned into a three-person scene constructed around the power dynamics of having a ‘boss,’ a ‘comma’ and a ‘baby.’ This was repeated two

PHOTO BY BEN BERISS/THE HOOT

times with each character taking on a different role, a theme which was repeated in the next game: types of advice. Four performers were positioned as giving good, bad, high school and robotic advice and took questions from the audience. The performers rotated roles each question, exaggerating the characters each time.

False Advertising, which does musical long-form theater, rounded out the show with two long-form sketches. One was themed around beach mishaps and involved a neglectful model mother, wars over sand castles, a semi-friendly great white shark, and the innocence of many children being ruined. The second, themed around the suggestion “Halftime Crime” became a musical about a wimpy football team scheming to unfairly win a championship game and managed to have both a mostly coherent plot and mostly coherent songs.

The lack of summer rehearsal showed occasionally throughout the night as many of the performers seemed slightly out of sync, but this never hurt the comedy.

Everyone on stage was totally comfortable and used the magic of improv to carry through, playing off small mistakes and bringing the audience into the show as the veil of effortless spontaneity was lifted. With a mostly firstyear audience, the performance became a wonderfully relaxed evening of laughs and camaraderie.

16 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

September 7, 2018

Tuesday and Passage appear at Rose’s blossoming

By Noah Harper editor

On Friday, Sept. 7, the Rose opened its new slate of fall exhibitions: “Tuesday Smillie: To Build Another World,” a collection of the trans-feminist activists’ work, and “Passage,” a retrospective of the Rose’s sizeable collection.

The result is a museum that looks back on its past and to the future, providing a space to make connections between pieces and contemplate what they mean. It’s the perfect time to take advantage of a high-quality museum that’s free and conveniently located on Brandeis’ campus.

Tuesday Smillie: To Build Another World The top floor hosts Smillie’s “To Build Another World.” The works are biting and melancholy, yet resolved.

They provoke and then direct a response.

They’re mostly banners, made of fabric and a few other materials (beads, flowers, notions) that accentuate the pieces. In the first, “Again,” (2017), several different ragged fabrics are draped over one another, looking like materials about to be sewn. Black text, superimposed, reads, “The razor blades we’ve swallowed will cut us again as we cough them up, to cut each other.”

Smillie’s show is full of text like this: pithy, dark statements that conjure violent images, provoke thought and stir political action.

The next, “GENDER>GENITALS,” is the most conventional-looking of the banners, ready to be carried at a march.

But below the eponymous text, the artist has attached a row of flowers: silver, red and white. They add impracticality, but warmth too.

One pitch-black banner reads, in just slightly legible letters, “WE FUCK UP SOMETIMES.” Another one near it reads, “TOGETHER / STRENGTH IN DIFFERENCE / SAFETY IN NUMBERS.” Honest rallying cries.

There’s a reconstruction of a Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (STAR) flag, with a little added on.

A picture is provided for reference, harkening back to the organization’s founding

PHOTO BY NOAH HARPER/THE HOOT

in the early 1970s as a political movement. Smillie obscured the words slightly, covering them with strips of fabric that look like black wounds or deep claw marks.

But we can still see the text remaining beneath, resilient.

I found the last banner, near the entrance, the most affecting. It’s a vertical banner, draped like a tapestry, almost touching the floor. The artist cut the words, “Your wound is a blessing” into a sort-of stencil, so the orange fabric beneath illuminates them.

It’s a short, powerful phrase.

Another section of Smillie’s work, “A Slow and Arduous Progression,” does something different. First, a little backstory.

The famous science fiction novelist Ursula K. Le Guin endeavored in her book “The Left Hand of Darkness” (1969) to invent a gender-fluid world. While pioneering in many aspects, the book was criticised for falling back on old tropes of heteronormative association. Smillie’s “Progression” takes a page from a later essay by Le Guin, “Is Gender Necessary? Redux,” with handwritten comments by the author overlayed.

Next to Le Guin writing that she “regrets this very much,” Smillie adds, “Le Guin breaks from heterosexuality, but we are still locked in a physiological endochronic binary.”

It’s an efficient, concise way

PHOTO COURTESY THE ROSE ART MUSEUM

of visually demonstrating the process and history of gender and sexuality studies over the past 50 years.

To the right are watercolor renditions by the artist of Le Guin’s novels. We see several renditions of “The Left Hand of Darkness,” such as the Korean and Spanish versions. It’s interesting viewing Smillie’s visual interpretations of these pulpy old sci-fi novels. They look realistic, almost plain, but about Le Guin and Smillie.

Beneath a glass case, we see three pieces of black paper, each with variations of a grey drawing and a bit of text. If you read the words in a series, it goes, “To build another world, we must be brave enough to imagine how that world could be. // We will make profound mistakes. The critical question is how we proceed, as our failures become clear. // A slow and arduous progression.”

With difficult questions, beautiful, provocative art, “To Build Another World” should not be missed.

Passage “We have a Picasso?” one of my roommates asked me, as I told him about the Rose.

Yes, we have a Picasso, and works by Rene Magritte and Wifredo Lam and Juan Gris that you can view right now.

“Passage,” curated by Director of the Rose Luis A. Croquer, aims to examine and showcase the museum’s

PHOTO COURTESY THE ROSE ART MUSEUM

collection of works from the 1900s to the 1970s. Across three rooms, paintings, photographs and sculptures demonstrate the breadth of the museum. Demonstrated, too, are the prejudices against women and people of color that have long plagued the American art world. There are works by Isamu Noguchi, Marisol Escobar and Robert Colescott, yet, by and large, this show is comprised of white men. That the museum acknowledged this up front, and detailed how, in recent years, acquisition practices have changed, is honest and helpful for the conversation.

The pieces are arranged to play off each other: There’s a painting by Hyman Bloom, “Corpse of Man,” that looks opposite Alfonso Ossorio’s “The Making of Eve.” “Corpse” is a visceral depiction of a dead man’s body in the throes of decomposition. Vivid colors— reds, greens, tinges of light blue—make death seem alive.

The juxtaposition, with “The Making of Eve’s” writh-

ing bands of energy, doesn’t seem forced. We get to see the processes of going into the void, and being ripped from it, right next to each other. Viewing the pieces in conversation with one another adds depth to the whole.

“Passage” also has excellent selections for fans of photography, especially two works by Andre Kertesz: “Chairs of the Champs Elysees,” and “Distortion #88.” The former finds everyday symmetry in a line of chairs and their shadow, and the latter creates a brushstroke like distortion effect between the heads of two women.

I also highly recommend checking out Manuel Alvarez Bravo’s “Retrato de lo Eterno (Woman Combing Her Hair)” in the Lois Foster Wing.

“To Build Another World” and “Passage” coexist nicely.

Where one focuses on social justice and political action in the now, the other looks back at a problematic history with honesty. If you visit the Rose, you’ll be able to make even more connections.