Volume 14 Issue 13
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe” www.brandeishoot.com
Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.
September 29, 2017
Task Force on Free Expression hosts forum
Univ. response to DOE guidelines maintains standards
By Elianna Spitzer editor
By Hannah Schuster editor
Brandeis will continue using the “preponderance of the evidence” standard in adjudicating sexual assault cases, despite new guidelines from the Department of Education (DOE) which rolled back Obama-era requirements for how universities must handle these cases. New guidelines allow schools to choose between two varying standards of proof. In a 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter, the Obama administration warned universities to get more serious about investigating sexual assault or face loss of federal funding. They mandated schools use the lowest standard of proof, “preponderance of the evidence,” in evaluating these cases. “Preponderance of the evidence” means it is “more likely than not” that an assault occurred. The new guidelines permit schools to continue using this rule or switch to the more stringent “clear and convincing,” standard of proof, which means it is “substantially likely” the event See DOE, page 2
sources, making the campus more environmentally friendly than ever despite the student body being larger than ever, said speakers. Brandeis is set to install new solar panels on top of several buildings, including the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) which, according
The Task Force on Free Expression held one of three open meetings on Sept. 27 to discuss a set of principles aimed at guiding free speech and expression on campus. The three-page document, available at the event and released through email, uses broad language to reaffirm Brandeis’ commitment to free expression. The statement is the first of its kind at Brandeis. The university has a mission statement and a diversity statement which were considered when developing the statement on free expression. The Sept. 27 meeting was a chance for students, faculty and staff to give President Ron Liebowitz, Provost Lisa Lynch and economics professor George Hall feedback concerning the five principles. That feedback may or may not be incorporated future drafts of the principles. The document does not outline policy changes or suggestions. The Task Force spent close to a year working on the document. According to those on stage on
See SUSTAINABILITY, page 4
See EXPRESSION, page 3
photo courtesy benedikt reynolds
sustainability Speakers
at the bi-annual State of Sustainability noted how Brandeis has made an effort to become more environmentally friendly.
Sustainability committee asks univ. to continue efforts
By Emily Sorkin-Smith editor
Speakers at the bi-annual State of Sustainability commended the university for meeting energy use goals and moving away from fossil fuels while challenging the administration to stop wasteful
consumption of water and energy, especially regarding light pollution. Students filled Usdan’s International Lounge on Sept. 25 to hear from Professor Laura Goldin (ENVS), Director of Sustainability Mary Fischer and several environmental clubs on these topics. New sustainability initiatives will save the school money and re-
Police remove posters targeting pro-Palestinian group By Ryan Spencer staff
Brandeis police removed two swastikas and posters targeting pro-Palestinian student groups early this week in seemingly unrelated incidents, according to a campus-wide email from Edward Callahan, Director of Public Safety. Both incidents are being investigated. A Community Advisor called campus public safety officers around 7:30 p.m. on Monday after finding a small swastika drawn on a white-board outside a stu-
Inside This Issue:
dent’s room. Public safety officers removed another swastika from a white-board in the same residence hall less than an hour later. Reports from staff Tuesday morning led to the removal of posters alleging a relationship between Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Hamas, a Palestinian militant Islamist group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. The posters were removed for violating Brandeis’ rules about posted notices, which state that “Postings that violate other policy sections, including but not limited to, See POSTERS, page 4
satirized politicians including Secretary Hillary Clinton and President Trump in a show titled Orange is the New Barack. See ARTS page 14.
Pan Asian
Page 3 Night Page 11 Page 5 Cultural clubs share food at BAASA-hosted event Page 10 EDITORIAL: Further improve sustainability efforts Page 7 ARTS: PAGE 16 News: Buyer Beware generates controversy Ops: Puerto Rico deserves better after Maria Features: Getting help on research projects Sports: Cross country places at Dartmouth meet
photo by yarissa diaz/the hoot
capitol steps Comedians
Women’s Volleyball Team wins three games before UAAs SPORTS: PAGE 9
NEWS
2 The Brandeis Hoot
September 29, 2017
MakerLab presents tech in New York City, Boston By Daniel Johnston special to the hoot
Over the past two weeks, the Brandeis University MakerLab showcased collections in New York and Boston. On Sept. 17, they traveled to the Boston Children’s Museum to present at the Boston Mini Maker Faire. Then, this past weekend, 12 Brandeis students and several MakerLab staff members were in New York City, participating in the World Maker Faire. Featuring 3D printing, drones, robots and other engineering marvels, a Maker Faire is a tech lover’s paradise. To showcase their creations, Brandeis students teamed up with colleagues from Wellesley College, University of Connecticut and Colgate University. Brandeis staff and students gave several talks, and MakerLab co-founder Tim Hebert captured third place in a drone piloting contest featuring some of the best pilots in the world.
This was the third time Brandeis attended the World Maker Faire, though the MakerLab has also been represented at many smaller faires. Ian Roy ’05, co-founder and head of the MakerLab, estimated that around 120,000 people may have attended the faire, which took place at the New York Hall of Science. In both New York and Boston, the MakerLab showed off its collection of 3D printed DNA models, which are widely admired in the scientific community. Many other 3D printed objects were also on display. Students exhibited drones and allowed visitors to try their hand at drone piloting using a simulator. An addition in New York City was live 3D printing. While MakerLab staff ran the booth in Boston, students in NYC were in charge and on their own for the first time. “It was nice to be like, ‘These are the students here, and not the staff and faculty, who plan everything,’” enthuses Gabe Seltzer ’18, Senior Advisor to Deis3D.
photo courtesy sheldon ross
DOE, from page 1
“Which is something that’s…very special for our MakerLab, which is that most or all of the ideas that happen here happened because some student said, ‘I want to do this.’” Children and their families were the main audience at both maker faires. Seltzer believes that the kid-friendly, accessible and noncommercial nature of MakerLab leads to popularity. “Kids are always enthralled with the stuff that we have. We call our booth the tech petting zoo…We’re not afraid to do weird things or go out on a limb…to show off something that’s not the greatest 3D print of all time but we know that people will like. Whereas folks who are trying to sell 3D printers can only show the best. We get a lot of people who come by and have a good time at our booth, seeing what’s possible, that they don’t necessarily get even from the professionals.” Tim Porter, Project Director of the Boston Mini Maker Faire for the Boston Children’s Museum, agreed, “I saw the great work you guys presented down at World Maker Faire [2016] and knew we had to have you here in Boston.” “Bringing all these creative makers around the city to meet each other…is I think really of benefit, but mostly for the families that come visit it’s great for kids and their adults to see all the ways of being innovative and creative that happen in the city,” Porter said of the faire. Instead of tabling alone in NYC, Brandeis decided to team up with Wellesley, UConn and Colgate. According to Roy, Brandeis started collaborating with Wellesley because of its close proximity, and UConn as a result of their attendance at one of our Hackathons. Wellesley and Brandeis students visit each other on a regular basis, and UConn students have worked at the MakerLab during the summer. “We have very different skillsets,” Seltzer explains. “Wellesley has really cool 3D scanning and VR, stuff that they were showing off.” The three schools teamed up in New York for a talk titled “Instill-
photo courtesy sheldon ross
ing a Maker Mindset on Campus: Case Studies.” Wellesley, UConn and Brandeis each contributed a student to a panel moderated by Roy and Jordan Tynes from Wellesley. It was a discussion of the students’ journeys through making and how it has impacted their academic careers. Claire Sun ’18 spoke about her personal journey through Hackathons and the cross-disciplinary nature of hack events. Sun was the first student without a background in engineering to be hired by SolidWorks, a 3D modeling company, due to her experience in the MakerLab. “The tools have gotten good enough that a subject matter expert can bootstrap themselves and they don’t have to be an engineer to produce a prototype,” Roy says. In Boston, MakerLab co-founder and Media Technology Administrator Tim Hebert and MakerLab Service Coordinator Hazal Uzunkaya ’14 gave a talk on the impact of Hackathons. Last year, Hebert won first place in the drone racing competition. “This
year, out of a more competitive pack of the top pilots in the world, he came in third place,” Roy, who also competed, relates. “We were very happy about this…He’s one of the best drone racers today… Really we’d like to have him train up a team locally, be the coach, and start doing intercollegiate competition.” Despite its accomplishments, Brandeis MakerLab has only existed for four years. “In a way it’s always been the culture here. There just wasn’t an avenue for that.” said Roy. He believes Brandeis is uniquely positioned to have an outsized role in the upcoming technological revolutions known as the ‘Singularity.’ “The place where robots first become conscious and autonomous…It’s gonna be a liberal arts research university where people are into the code and have that cultural connection humanizing the robot. I feel like the place where the robot gets its soul for the first time, if it’s not Brandeis it’s gonna be a place that looks an awful lot like Brandeis.”
DOE guidelines cite Title IX case involving Brandeis
occurred. The DOE, under Secretary Betsy DeVos, has been evaluating the Title IX system. This summer, administrators met with sexual assault activists and groups advocating for rights of accused students, who say polices have skewed too far in favor of the alleged victims. “The failed system has cleared pushed schools to overreach,” said DeVos in a speech. The DOE also provided a packet of information on how schools should address sexual assault cases, including discussion of “what constitute an equitable investigation?” “We have reviewed the interim guidance issued by the DOE and have determined that Brandeis’ current policies and practices are in compliance. At this time, we do not plan on making any changes,”
said Andrew Flagel, senior vice president for students and enrollment. Some schools around the country have stated they will not alter their standard of proof, including Tufts University and Yale. Connecticut is one of several states whose law mandates use of the preponderance of the evidence standard in sexual assault cases. Harvard said it is “reviewing” the new guidelines, but its Title IX office “know[s] of no current plan to change the standard of evidence,” according to a Harvard Crimson article. A footnote in the DOE packet and articles in many news outlets have referenced a Title IX case involving Brandeis. In 2014, a student (J.C.) filed sexual misconduct against his ex-boyfriend (John Doe), alleging that J.C. initiated non-consensual sexual acts throughout the relationship.
Doe was found guilty on four out of 12 counts and received a “Disciplinary Warning” on his academic record. He later filed suit against Brandeis, claiming it deprived him of his rights during the process. In March 2016, Judge Saylor criticized Brandeis’ policies at that time, saying it denied Doe “basic fairness” by not allowing him to know the full charge against him, to cross-examine his accuser or to have a copy of the final report before the sanctions phase or when filing an appeal. Saylor also expressed concern with the concept of a Special Examiner’s Process (SEP), whereby “the Special Examiner was simultaneously the investigator, the prosecutor, and the judge who determined guilt.” The 2012-13 edition of Rights and Responsibilities introduced the SEP, as an outside lawyer
who would interview witnesses, collect evidence and make a ruling. Brandeis has since updated its policies, and now the Special Examiner makes a recommendation in the case, but a separate “Outcomes Administrator” determines guilt or innocence. Accused students are now allowed to have an advisor and are given a copy of the examiner’s report before the Outcomes Administrator rules. An analysis of “Doe” from the law firm Goodwin Procter suggested the decision may impact schools’ implementation of the Dear Colleague Letter. “Brandeis did not expressly defend its procedures on the ground that they were required by Title IX; the court recognized, however, that the loosening of due process protections at Brandeis and elsewhere ‘has been substantially spurred’ by the Dear Colleague Letter,” it says. “But other than the
lower preponderance standard, which the court found ‘not problematic, standing alone,’...most of the procedural changes adopted by Brandeis, including the deprivation of a hearing and of an effective appeal, were not required by the Dear Colleague.” The analysis said Doe demonstrates how courts “may be growing wary of universities’ overbroad interpretation of the Dear Colleague Letter,” and that schools should “exercise caution” when reliance on the letter could diminish due process. Flagel’s initial email also notes the Brandeis Task Force on Sexual Violence reviews Brandeis’ efforts and policies related to sexual violence, including “compliance with state and national policies.” They will likely discuss the DOE guidance, Flagel told The Brandeis Hoot, though he emphasized that the task force “operates independently.”
September 29, 2017
NEWS 3
The Brandeis Hoot
‘Buyer Beware’ remains in spring productionlineup despite concerns about message By Juliana An special to the hoot
After weeks of controversy, members of the theater department and administrators determined on Sept. 26 that “Buyer Beware,” a play by Brandeis alum, Michael Weller ’65 will be rescheduled for the Spring. Concerned students and faculty decided that the play will be performed on campus, but that it will become part of a course offered during the spring semester. The course “will explore the provocative issues raised in the play and provide an educational context for the work. In order to accommodate this coursework and the planning needed, performance of the play is being rescheduled from November to the spring. We are working with Michael on a precise date for the performance that fits his schedule,” wrote Susan Dibble, Interim Theater Department Chair. After students began expressing concerns, the theater department and other campus representatives held a meeting where they decided not to perform the play. After more discussion though, they decided to create the course. Weller wrote Buyer Beware as a modern rendition of his famous first play, “Moonchildren.” “Moonchildren,” which appeared on Broadway in the 1970s, captures the mood of college students’ protests in the 1960s against the Vietnam War. “Buyer Beware” deals with the modern atmosphere of college protest
movements at Brandeis. In the play, a white college student wants to use the n-word in a comedy routine, which spurs on a national movement for Black Lives Matter. Andrew Childs ’18, a Theatre Arts Department UDR and member of the season “play selection committee,” sent a letter to President Liebowitz articulating his concerns about the nature of the play. He later posted the letter to Facebook to raise awareness. “In presenting Buyer Beware, a play which seeks to vilify the voices of black students expressing dissent, Brandeis makes a clear statement about its priorities,” he wrote. Childs explained that the play
includes uncomfortable messages about the nature of protests and fails to meet diversity requirements set by the season search committee. “The way that Black Lives Matter is presented and addressed as dramatic elements acts as the antagonizing force. It’s a negative way to present [Black Lives Matter], and the happy ending is that [the movement] is silenced...The issue we all have with it is that [Weller] is an older, straight-gendered, able-bodied, and white man. It isn’t his place to be stirring the pot”, said Childs,” said Childs in a phone interview. New to the theatre department is that a “season selection com-
mittee” is in charge of selecting the plays for this fall’s production lineup. The committee consists of representatives from the theatre faculty, representatives from the theatre staff, and one student. Buyer Beware, however, disrupted normal selection procedures as it was not selected by this committee. Michael Weller, was awarded the Brandeis Creative Arts Award in 2015. With a purpose to recognize the works of American artists, this award was established in 1956 for artists in the fields of music, theatre, and visual arts. In exchange for the award, artists devote their time to helping students of the arts on campus, which led
photo by elianna spitzer/the hoot
to Weller writing Buyer Beware. Tony Arnold, the 2015 recipient in music, helped students earn internships in the field of music and provided music lessons on campus. Weller, the 2017 recipient, was commissioned in 2015 to write Buyer Beware for Brandeis’s theatre department after receiving the award. Childs, a member of the season selection committee, wrote in a Facebook post, “I am not asking to censor or silence this production. I am simply stating with certainty that it does not have a home in Brandeis’ Theatre Arts Department right now.” Decisions regarding Buyer Beware have changed over the course of the last couple weeks. In response to student concerns, a group met to discuss situation on Sept. 20. Attendees included several faculty members, Susan Dibble (interim department chair), Adrianne Krstansky (past chair), Dr. Mark Brimhall-Vargas, Chief Diversity Officer, Gannit Ankori (FA), two members of the Student Union and theatre arts majors. “[The meeting] was really productive because we need to be more upfront and candid about what’s going on,” said Childs. “It’s a difficult situation because we want to honor Michael Weller, but everyone is unfortunately upset about the play he wrote.” After this meeting, the department decided not to perform the play, but one week later, there was a second meeting which resulted in the decision to perform the play in the spring.
Task Force principles distinguish between speakers and honorary degree recipients EXPRESSION, from page 1
Wednesday, the set of principles are a work in progress. Hall, the only person on stage who was a part of the task force, explained that the document was “aspirational” and “purposely broad” in order to create “personal and community responsibility.” The guidelines have no power to enforce anything written within them. Policy is the next step, according to Liebowitz. While the guidelines were being written and distributed to faculty members last fall, changes to Rights and Responsibilities were already in the works, Liebowitz confirmed when asked about a new R&R section added this year. Section 7.5 prohibits students from protesting in a manner that prevents an event from continuing as planned. Liebowitz reaffirmed this new section when asked how protestors would be able to exercise speech at an event. Protesting in the room where an event is taking place is acceptable, “so long as the speaker is not prevented from speaking.” Staff and students who gave feedback pointed out that the document does not contain a definition of hate speech. It also does address whether there is a difference between calling for violence and actually committing a violent act. When asked why these elements were not included, Hall responded that the task
force could not come to a decision concerning the definition of hate speech and encouraged community input. He also emphasized that the aim of the document was not to “draw lines.” Often, members of the Brandeis community asked questions that were less focused on the principles and more focused on how policy stemming from those principles would affect their lives on campus. Lynch, Liebowitz and Hall were unresponsive when asked direct policy questions, reiterating that the purpose of the forum was to discuss the principles on the page, not later policy decisions. “We’re here to get feedback on what these principles mean to you as they relate to policy,” said Liebowitz. One student asked how the campus would handle the cost of inviting a controversial speaker. Large scale protests against conservative speakers on college campuses have generated security costs that universities have had to shoulder. In some cases, universities have asked clubs inviting the controversial speaker to bear security costs. U.C. Berkeley, for example, spent $600,000 on security when conservative speaker Ben Shapiro spoke on Sept. 14. When they hosted Ann Coulter last April, they also spent $600,000, rather than turn away the conservative author. Lynch responded that the administration would consider the
speakers on a case by case basis. Monetary and emotional costs of having a particular speaker on campus would have to be taken into account. Hall and Liebowitz agreed. Conservative author, filmmaker and speaker, Dinesh D’Souza, spoke in Schwartz Auditorium last April at an event sponsored by Young America’s Foundation. Students attending the event were not disruptive. Attendees brought up the event at the task force open meeting as an example of upholding the values of free speech and expression put forth in the task force’s principles. The fifth principle of the new
guidelines, titled “Distinguishing between Invited Speakers and University Honorees,” received the most attention at the open forum. According to that section, allowing a club to invite a speaker to campus is not the same as the university endorsing that speaker. “[T]here are certain circumstances, especially the granting of honorary degrees, in which an invitation issued by the university does does constitute an endorsement of some major aspect of their life work.” Brandeis has had trouble with honorary degrees in the past. In 2014 it withdrew an honorary degree offer from Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
a women’s rights advocate and critic of Islam. Students and faculty spoke out against her opinions about Islam, including the idea that “violence is inherent in Islam.” The administration faced pressure from a petition created by the Muslim Students Association that received 6,800 signatures from students, faculty and people across the country. The task force’s principles underscore that such a petition would not be seen as an “attack on free speech.” Two members of the task force, Jamele Adams and Stephen Alkins, did not sign the list of principles.
photo by elianna spitzer/the hoot
4 NEWS
The Brandeis Hoot
September 29, 2017
Alumni fund fellowship for students engaged in local community projects By Celia Young special to the hoot
Brand new this year, the Rich/ Collins Community Leadership and Impact Fellowship (CLIF) is offering Brandeis students the chance to apply for mini-grants between 500 and 5,000 dollars to implement their own community project. The fellowship aims to build students’ leadership skills while expanding their engagement in the Waltham and Boston communities. Students will plan and apply for a grant in the fall semester and, if selected, will then implement their project in the spring. CLIF also provides a variety of resources for applicants, including “pre-application support,
leadership training and reflection sessions throughout the program as well [as] a final symposium. The program strives to be inclusive and accessible, providing a modest stipend of $500 to a limited number of successful applicants with documented financial need.” Mariah Rich Collins ’10 and James Collins ’09, an alumni couple, are funding the program and are both working for nonprofits. As students, Mariah worked as a coordinator for the Waltham Group and at the Waltham Kids Club, and James worked in sustainability and was the captain and pitcher for the Brandeis baseball team. Their inspiration for beginning the program comes from Mariah’s grandparents, Hilda and Hershel Rich, who started a similar pro-
gram at Rice University of Texas. Hilda Rich was also member of the Brandeis National Committee, and Mariah is continuing her family’s tradition of service and philanthropy to Brandeis with the fellowship. New to Brandeis, William Brummett, the coordinator for service initiatives at the department for community service, was excited to speak about the new program he was hired to oversee. Brummett said the Collins’ support will give students “an innovative opportunity to take their ideas for community impact and work to make them a reality in partnership with the local community.” “In its inaugural year, [the fellowship] provides students a unique opportunity make an incredible community impact and
receive enriching leadership development. We hope all students passionate about their community will come by our office, email us and apply for this great opportunity,” said Brummett. Prior to joining Brandeis, Brummett worked at Carson-Newman University as the student development coordinator. Having been in Waltham for only a month, Brummett was already struck by the student body’s desire to “really work alongside the community and not just for the community,” and their “genuine love of Waltham.” To be eligible to apply, students must be a sophomore or above at Brandeis, have at least a 2.8 GPA and be on campus during the spring semester to execute the project. Students must submit an appli-
cation that outlines their project idea along with a plan to evaluate the project’s impact. A letter of support from the community, a budget proposal and the student’s transcript should are also required. The deadline to apply is Nov. 9 at 11:59 p.m. The winners of the mini-grants are selected by a group of eight or nine people, including two student representatives, faculty, department of community service staff and university staff. The donors, Mariah Rich Collins and James Collins, will be able to review the applications but will not be a part of the selection committee. For further information on the program and how to apply, students should contact William Brummett at RCCliff@brandeis. edu.
Swastikas removed from residence hall
POSTERS, from page 1
ed to, Non-discrimination and harassment, section 2.0... will not be approved and may be removed,” according to the 201718 Rights and Responsibilities guide. Guy Mika ’17, a member of Brandeis SJP who recalled seeing a poster around 9 a.m. near OlinSang, described the poster as depicting three silhouetted figures of descending sizes, each larger figure puppeteering the smaller figure in front of them. The figures, from largest to smallest were labeled: Hamas, AMP (American Muslims for Palestine), SJP. The
poster had a full sticker backside according to Mika. Members of The David Horowitz Freedom Center hung the posters on campus, according to a press release from the group on Tuesday. “Posters placed on the Brandeis University campus by the Horowitz Freedom Center expose student organizations, student activists and faculty who support terrorist propaganda campaigns,” read the release. The David Horowitz Freedom Center is listed as hate group by The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for their anti-Muslim ideology. “I was angry but wasn’t sur-
prised,” Mika said about seeing the poster. “I had known [the Horowitz Freedom Center] were posting similar posters around campuses in North America. I’d seen them elsewhere, my friends from other SJP groups post pictures of them online,” Mika explained. At Brandeis, most members of SJP are Jewish, according to Mika, who reiterated that SJP is not an Islamist organization and called the posters “baseless propaganda.” The Freedom Center listed Brandeis University sixth on its list of “Top Ten Worst Schools that Support Terrorists,” which it released in conjunction with the
posting of signage on Brandeis campus. University of California-Berkeley, DePaul University, the University of California-Irvine, San Francisco State University and the University of Chicago joined Brandeis on the Freedom Center’s list. Similar posters were also hung at these schools. Anti-Muslim hate groups nearly tripled from 2015 to 2016, according to SPLC. The Freedom Center is one of the 67 new groups to be added to the SPLC’s list of anti-Muslim hate groups in 2016. “These incidents remind us that Brandeis is not immune to the expressions of hate we see around
the country and on other campuses,” Callahan said in his email to the Brandeis community. The Horowitz Center has placed similar posters on other colleges, including Tufts University, and the University of California, Berkeley, which is also on the same top ten list. This is not the first instance of anti-semitism at Brandeis, a school where nearly 50 percent of students on campus identify as Jewish. In 2015, someone drew a swastika in condensation on a window at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house, and in November 2016, a driver shouted anti-semitic slurs at students from South Street.
Campus Sustainability, stated its support for adding an environmental literacy requirement to the undergraduate curriculum. Their efforts, however, did not prove successful as the new curriculum submitted by the Board of Trustees did not include the proposed requirement. The Climate Action Plan also asked the university to “[educate] all members of the community about climate change and their role in addressing it here on campus and beyond.” Addressing climate change, they said, “requires that everyone understand that ‘business as usual’ is not an option.” The Sustainability Committee has also pushed Brandeis to turn off building lights at night, citing pictures of entire academic buildings lit at 2 or 3 a.m. on weekends, which would eliminate a big source of energy waste. This change would need to be made at an institutional level, said Fischer, because some of the lights are automated and just asking janitorial staff to turn of the lights each night is also not feasible solution. Brandeis is doing much more to improve its footprint now than ever before. Back when Laura Goldin, professor of environmental and American studies, began teaching there were no university sponsored sustainability plans.
She recalled how members of the Students for Environmental Action (SEA) club would drive a golf cart around campus to pick up trash and recyclables. There was a disconnect, Goldin said, between the smart and caring students she encountered and the wellbeing of their environment. Goldin remains concerned about the environment and the way students interact with it. “You cannot use as much as we are using now,” Goldin said. “Ev-
ery drop of water we use, every bit of emissions we send into the air affects somebody next door.” Sustainability is inherently aligned with Brandeis’ mission and is a “deeply moral responsibility,” Goldin explained, referencing the way environmental issues disproportionately affect people of color and low-income communities. “We should at least have our house in order at Brandeis.” “How can we talk social justice at Brandeis without having an effective, carefully thought out en-
vironmental justice program and sustainability program?” Goldin asked of the audience. The State of Sustainability began in 2014 and has typically been held at the end of each semester. Benedikt Reynolds ’19, Chair of Senate Sustainability Committee, explained hosting the event at the end of the semester sacrificed an important opportunity for club collaboration. Moving the event to the beginning of the semester allows clubs to meet and start brainstorming ideas early on.
Multiple clubs participate in bi-annual State of Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY, from page 1
Fischer, will decrease carbon emissions by 200 tons each year. The university will be also partnering with a local company to decrease normal natural gas consumption by 10 percent by using recycled fryer oil for heating. The residence hall being constructed on the site of the Castle will be the greenest building on campus, Fischer said, with 100 percent of heating and cooling coming from geothermal energy supplied by 40 500-foot wells drilled over the summer. Six hundred nineteen pieces of furniture taken out of the Castle before demolition were donated to communities in Honduras, providing needed supplies and saving energy. Though Brandeis is making efforts to fight climate change and be more eco-friendly, there are significant challenges ahead, speakers said. University venues still sell bottled water and other beverages, contributing to the huge number of plastic bottles that end up in landfills each year. In 2050, Fischer said, the oceans will have more plastic than fish pound-forpound. The university’s new “Climate Action Plan,” published in 2016 by the President’s Task Force on
photo by daniel kang/the hoot
FEATURES
September 29, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot 5
All about the library
The Writing Center: coaching cohesion and confidence By Zach Cihlar editor
Nestled in the back of the Goldfarb Mezzanine, the Writing Center is a hub of creativity and passion for the written word. Its primary goal is to mold confident writers with the ability to craft “cohesive and coherent” arguments in a way that is catered to the specific writer, said one of the Writing Center’s directors Brenden O’Donnell. The free service is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, and the Writing Center will provide help to writers in any stage of their writing process from brainstorming to final drafts. “Our focus pedagogically is to help produce better writers, not necessarily just better projects,” O’Donnell elaborated. In that way, the Writing Center approaches its consultations in a holistic manner, building and improving long-term skills in writing. “The idea behind the writing process is much more important to producing a better paper,” co-director David Pass said. Writing Center consultants approach a student’s project at the macro level, rather than focus-
ing time and energy on grammar and proofreading. The center offers grammar sessions separately, but general sessions with consultants focus on the writer’s approach to formulating the paper. In this way, students can experience their writing from different perspectives, according to the Writing Center directors. When a student brings a project into the Writing Center, they can expect consultants to focus on what the Writing Center calls “the entire rhetorical context of the project,” O’Donnell said. The “rhetorical context” O’Donnell mentions refers to a coherent structure, the strength of the argument, and adherence to the guidelines of the assignment, the director interpreted. O’Donnell and Pass also noted a misunderstanding that students frequently associate with the Writing Center. In many cases, a student’s use of the center might be seen as an indication of remedial writing abilities or a lack of skills in the process. However, the directors sought to dispel that misunderstanding, explaining that both experienced and inexperienced writers frequently seek the center’s services. To confront this misconcep-
tion, the directors and consultants often find themselves instructing students and faculty on their purposes and goals, so everyone can properly understand what to expect from a session. Students seeking a tutoring session in the Writing Center can book appointments through a Google Calendar on the center’s website, under the tab that reads “Make a Reservation.” The calendar lists the consultants available in timeslots throughout the week. In total, there are 24 consultants offering either 45-minute tutoring sessions or 30-minute grammar sessions. Filled to the brim with experience in the art of writing the essay, the office caters to students’ individual disciplines, offering a variety of consultants doing graduate study in different Brandeis departments. There are 11 departments represented in total with consultants studying a range of topics from Ancient Greek and Roman Studies to Non-Profit Management in the Business School. O’Donnell and Pass have both had experience as consultants prior to their directorships of the Writing Center. Even in their undergraduate study, they worked as peer consultants,
photo from brandeis.edu
brandeis library If
you make it to the top of the hill, you’ll find a wide array of services at the Brandeis library.
making use of English majors to advise other undergraduate students in university writing. For O’Donnell and Pass, their work with the Writing Center has developed alongside their Ph.D. studies in the English department. They described their work with the Writing Center in a way that it fueled their study of English and their own development as writers. Pass described the Writing
Center as an environment where undergraduates, graduates and instructors can build a positive relationship with their writing and leave with a sense of connection with the Writing Center and its community. “The environment is good at cultivating a sense of writerliness,” Pass said in summary, hinting at the center’s hope that its students find identity in and affinity with their writing.
Advantages of the research help desk By Polina Potochevska editor
Being a college student usually means a lot of homework, some of which will inevitably include writing a research paper or two (or more). For those who have never had to write one before, or even those seasoned pros who might need a bit of guidance, the research help desk in the Goldfarb section of the library is the perfect place to go. In the 2015-2016 academic year, the library had 5,373 reference interactions, which include answering any research questions at the help desk or more general questions about the library, and also in-depth consultations made by appointment Laura Hibbler, Manager of Library Instruction since August 2015, spoke with The Brandeis Hoot about the importance of research and the ways in which the library can help students with research related questions. In her role, Hibbler provides research and instructional support to students, from first year students who need help with their UWS papers to Ph.D. students, answers questions for faculty and staff, and along with other librarians (there are about 11
who help with the department of research and instructional services) may lead workshops. Some of these are for a specific class, and others are open to anyone. Each librarian working at Brandeis has different subjects of expertise, so students that need help with History, African and Afro-American Studies, American Studies, East Asian or South Asian Studies can come to Hibbler. She explained any of the librarians are happy to help students, but “if it gets to a certain level” of intense research, then they can recommend the student to the librarian with most experience in that subject. Hibbler said that some aspects of research are “easier now than they used to be 20 years ago” given the availability of online resources, but there are a lot of different challenges now such as “being overwhelmed with search results, or not knowing where to start.” The research help desk can provide students with “search strategies,” like understanding how to pick the best keywords and refine your results online using the different specific databases. They can also assist with finding unique sources that may only be found in a few libraries or brainstorm new ways to search for sources when a student’s in-
dividual research is not coming up with results. This can be difficult to do in the initial stages of research since there are many different kinds of databases, some are subject-specific while others are multidisciplinary, such as JSTOR. There are also databases that are made up of images, or data sets from various studies, as opposed to just journal articles. Brandeis has a budget specifically for the library to decide what databases the university can use. Aside from electronic sources, librarians can help locate print sources, such as books or items from the Brandeis archives and special collections (like senior theses and microfilm) Hibbler called these sources, “a really important arm of library research services.” While the older materials may seem intimidating, Hibbler said students do not need to be professionals to use them, and there are some valuable materials only available on microfilm. The research help desk can also assist with interlibrary loan system, which allows students to check out books or articles from other libraries if the Brandeis library or database does not have them. The loan website will show a catalogued list of where sources can be found, and there is a form to request material.
photo from brandeis.edu
The process is best to do ahead of time for an assignment, Hibbler advised, as articles can take around a day or two to deliver online, and a physical book can take one week to ten days. Since Brandeis is a member of the Boston Library Consortium, Hibbler said that students with a BLC member card can check out books from other schools and libraries in the consortium, and then return them to the Brandeis library, which simplifies the process for those students who find themselves around the Boston area frequently. The research help desk is open for walk-ins 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Always curious? Enjoy writing? Join the Features Section to engage with the Brandeis community and become part of a new one.
weekdays, and the online chat service found on the Brandeis Library Research Help website is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students can also sign up to make individual appointments with a research guide, which is advantageous because the librarian will know what the student needs help with and can give more specific help. Research can seem scary, but there are many different ways to get help with research papers or other projects, from the very beginnings of the brainstorming process to check the amount of primary and secondary sources in your paper.
6 FEATURES
The Brandeis Hoot
September 29, 2017
Student perspectives on working in the Goldfarb Library
Jacob Kleinberg and James Conlon By Charlotte Aaron editor
The Getz Media Lab is not just a paycheck for its student employees, but rather, is a place to learn, teach and create. Located on the third floor of the Goldfarb library, it houses high-end camera, video and lighting technology, as well as top-notch technical support from its passionate student workers. “Part of what we do is rent out equipment,” said Jacob Kleinberg ’18, but the work he and his co-worker James Conlon ’16 M.A. ’18 are most passionate about is teaching Brandeis community members how to use the equipment and software. “Mark [Dellelo, the lab manager] describes our goal in this lab as a ‘teaching lab,’ so we really want to give people the tools and the knowledge they need to start a project and then kind of be able to work on it on their own,” explained Kleinberg. Over the course of his time working at Getz, Kleinberg has found it most challenging saying no to students who prefer that Kleinberg do the work for them, rather than learn how to
getz Co-workers
do it themselves. “We are here to work with people, but we want to teach them so that they become independent and able to use this stuff on their own,” he said. It’s also important to Getz employees that they are continually learning and improving their own skills as well. “I love working here because it’s the only job I’ve had where it’s really about learning and improving. It’s not enough to know what you know,” said Kleinberg. When not renting out equipment or working with students, Kleinberg, Conlon and other Getz student employees keep busy by working on their own projects in the lab. “We want to identify things that we don’t know in order to learn them,” said Kleinberg, who explained the best way to do this is to use the equipment and programs on the computers. Kleinberg and Conlon both began working at Getz as a way to engage extracurricularly with their interests in video technology and development. “I’m really passionate about film,” said Conlon. “It’s something I did not pursue academically, but I still care a lot about. This job gave me that opportunity to work on my
own craft,” Conlon continued. Kleinberg applied for the position after taking a photojournalism course and learning about the opportunities that existed in the Lab. With a long-standing interest in filmmaking, he was excited to join the community of Getz student employees. “People that work here really like the job and are really excited about this. Everyone really has a different interest, so some people are into really into film, others photography,” said Kleinberg. One way in which the students explore their passions is by working together on what Conlon described as “creative projects.” For example, last year the group produced a music video filmed outside the Rose Art Museum to an original song by an indie band visiting campus. Kleinberg and Conlon both encourage students to come down to the Getz Lab and explore the resources available to them. “Sometimes people come down here and are surprised and say ‘oh, I never know you had all this,’” said Kleinberg. “We have really high end cameras and audio and lighting equipment, so people should come down and check us out!”
Hannah Moser
By Charlotte Aaron editor
Hannah Moser ’18 is a an Information and Borrowing Assistant at the library. On any typical work day, she finds herself checking in items, troubleshooting people’s problems and shelving in the off hours—“a weird hobby,” as she described it. “It’s very relaxing. You’re just organizing things and putting things where they belong,” she said. What job involves all of these activities? A job at the front desk of the library. “It’s fun being at the front desk because you see people you know, you get to help them...and I think I recognize more people around campus now, which is nice,” said Moser about her job working at the library’s Information and Borrowing Desk. While at the beginning of the semester, giving students directions to the bathroom and Starbucks made up the majority of her time, now she mainly checks out
Jacob Kleinberg (left) and James Conlon (right) at the front desk of the Getz Multimedia Lab.
books and chargers in between answering questions about the printer, the hardest part of her job. “Sometimes it’s our software and sometimes it’s user error,” she said. The challenge is figuring out the situation and then “trying to help everybody get their assignments printed when they need them,” Moser said Yet even in the face of the most challenging printer questions, Moser can count on a fun work environment. “All the adult librarians are very friendly and nice,” she said. “Sometimes [they] bring us yummy treats that they’ve made at home, and that’s probably my favorite part.” For example, Moser noted “the delicious apple challah” brought into work earlier in the week by one of the librarians. When not working in the library, Moser serves as a University Departmental Representative (UDR) for the computer science major and is president of both J Street U and Girls Who Code.
photos by charlotte aaron/the hoot
Brandeis National Committee fundraises and engages with the community By Sara McCrea special to the hoot
On your way into the Goldfarb library, take a moment to look at the glass panels inscribed with hundreds of names that line the walls immediately to your right. The panels surround a space known as the Brandeis National Committee Tribute Area, an area to honor donors without whose support the library would not exist at all. The Brandeis National Committee (BNC) is an organization of 25,000 members divided into 41 chapters across the country, making it the largest university donor organization in the world. The BNC has contributed over $131 million to Brandeis’ libraries, neuroscience research and student scholarships. The group states on their website that, “The BNC shares the vision of the university’s namesake, the late Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, who once said of a great university: ‘The aim must be high and the vision broad;
the goal seemingly attainable but beyond immediate reach.’” When members of the American Jewish community founded Brandeis in 1948, the libraries that are now buzzing with students were nothing more than horse stables. Eight women from Boston began a campaign called “Books for Brandeis,” and within months they had established a membership organization that raised $300,000 for the library. “There were some amazing women,” former Executive Director Janice Fineman said. “Many had not gone to college [but] had all of this terrific talent and drive and ideas, and they were able to mobilize their ideas to support the university.” The BNC (formally known as the Brandeis University National Women’s Committee) has continued the legacy of the university’s founders by fundraising through promoting community, social justice and life-long learning. Despite their strong support and influence on the university, the majority of BNC members are not alumni but join because
they are seeking to engage in the activities the organization offers. “Most of our members are newly retired and looking for a way to keep stimulated and to keep their minds active,” BNC Executive Director Beth Bernstein said. “It’s more like a club than just a fundraising organization.” In exchange for their donations, the members have opportunities to participate in lifelong learning programs. These programs are often based on Brandeis faculty-written study guides and include discussions on literature, current events and social issues. The BNC also offers groups that follow along with the New Student Book Forum, where they can read and discuss the book the firstyears read over the summer, as well as watch a video of the author’s book talk given at the university. “The idea for the chapters is that we try to connect them to the university. We want them to feel a part of the Brandeis family,” Bernstein said. The organization has recently recruited student ambassadors to connect the organization mem-
photo by charlotte aaron/the hoot
bers with the students they are supporting. Because so many of the chapters are spread across the country, the ambassadors are given the opportunity to go visit the chapters during breaks. The BNC also flies Brandeis facul-
ty out to the various chapters so the members can be as involved in the community as possible. “I’m hoping that future generations will benefit from all of the work that we did and continue to do,” Fineman said.
September 29, 2017
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.” Editors-in-Chief Hannah Schuster Emily Sorkin Smith Senior Managing Editor Allison Plotnik Senior Editors-at-Large Charlotte Aaron Zach Phil Schwartz Senior Copy Editor Sarah Terrazano News Editors Abigail Gardener Elianna Spitzer Arts Editor Katie Decker-Jacoby Opinions Editor Katarina Weessies Features Editor Polina Potochevska Senior Sports Editor Sarah Jousset Sports Editor Zach Cihlar Photo Editor Karen Caldwell Deputy Photo Editor Yarisa Diaz Layout Editor Candace Ng
Volume 14 • Issue 13 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma
STAFF
Faria Afreen, David Aizenberg, Jordan Brodie, José Castellanos, Elizabeth Cayouette-Gluckman, Anindita Chanda, Brianna Cummings, Shea Decker-Jacoby, Gabriel del Carmen, Sanin Dosa, Daniel Freedman, Ally Gelber, Noah Harper, Sophia He, Daniel Kang, Jonah Koslofsky, Matthew Kowalyk, Samantha Lauring, Santiago Montoya, Katharine Mound, Faiyaz Rahman, Ryan Spencer, Lily Wageman, Emily Botto
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.
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EDITORIALS
The Brandeis Hoot 7
Sustainability: making progress but still a ways to go
W
hile Brandeis is taking some steps to become greener, there is still a long way to go. At the most recent State of Sustainability, campus leaders made clear that even though Brandeis is doing more to reduce its environmental impact, it is still lagging behind in sustainability. Speakers argued that, at a university so strongly oriented around social justice, Brandeis students and administrators alike should be more conscious of their environmental footprints. We support this message and want to encourage Brandeis to take further steps to be a greener campus. For instance, new solar panels will soon be installed on the top of several buildings, including the SCC. This is a step in the right direction that will have positive impact on our energy usage. Solar energy, however, requires a large amount of space, but is only 15 percent efficient and could only account for one or two percent of Brandeis’ electricity needs, according to the 2016 Climate Action Plan. We are excited about the new solar panels, but we agree with the Sustainability Committee that Brandeis should explore additional projects. In the effort of improving sustainability, we can’t only focus on the visible aspects of an environmentally friendly campus, like solar panels, which may give the impression that the campus is greener than it really is. Instead, we should make institutional changes to reduce the amount of energy we use in the first place.
Members of the Sustainability Committee said they had called for Brandeis to start turning off lights that remain on in academic buildings all throughout the day and night. Walking through campus at night, it is not uncommon to see one empty building after another with brightly lit windows. Speakers also said use of plastic bottles on campus remains high, and the university could decrease plastic waste by more strongly advocating the use of reusable water bottles, banning the sale of bottled water or giving students, faculty and staff members a reusable bottle they can use. Modifying the sprinkler system, which often runs even when it is raining, would also reduce energy consumption. Putting solar panels on the roofs of buildings is a great step—but one that will not impact the daily lives of Brandeis students. Being sustainable isn’t always easy, so while the university likes to maintain its grounds by watering the grass nightly, and buying a plastic water bottle is easy when you need a quick drink, Brandeis shouldn’t be afraid to take steps that will challenge this community to contribute directly to sustainability efforts on campus. A commitment to social justice goes hand in hand with environmental justice especially as environmental issues like climate change disproportionately affect people of color and low-income communities. The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, is a prime example: In Flint, where over 62 percent of residents are people of color
and low-income families, they are already facing the health consequences of their contaminated water supply. America’s environmental impact is felt much more strongly in poorer nations who face the consequences of our unsustainable energy consumption and carbon footprint. While it is great that old furniture from the Castle was donated to Honduran communities, we should also be thinking about how our actions affect countries like Honduras. Higher global temperatures increase the risk of certain diseases and the threat of hurricanes, which devastate poorer nations much more than they would the US. Brandeis is working hard to address sustainability issues, and we appreciate the work of people like Mary Fischer and the Sustainability Committee who are eager to address the environmental impact on campus, and the university should prioritize their ideas. The university needs to take a much more critical approach to its sustainability efforts and policies. Changes need to be made on an institutional level, to address issues like water and energy use, but also be integrated further into student life, perhaps starting with programming during new student orientation. As the university continues to grow, it is only more important to address the rampant misuse of resources and focus on aligning the university’s social justice mission with a greater responsibility for its environmental impact.
8 The Brandeis Hoot
vistas
WEEK IN PHOTOS
photo by katie decker-jacoby/the hoot
The sun sets over Brandeis, producing a striking red-purple sky as the week comes to an end.
photo courtesy emma hanselman
sachiko akiyama
Artist Sachiko Akiyama presents her new work, Long-Hand Poem, showcasing hand-carved sculptures.
women’s soccer
Team makes their way to a 7-1-1 record.
photo by yarisa diaz/the hoot
September 29, 2017
photo courtesy helen wong
turkey!!
A harbinger of fall, this turkey takes a walk near the Heller building.
photo courtesy anna craven
Sisters from the sorority participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. alpha pi phi
SPORTS
September 9, 2017
By Sarah Jousset
The Brandeis Hoot 9
Volleyball team hits stride
editor
The women’s volleyball team has come out full force in the last two weeks with clean sweeps of their opponents in the last three matches, going 3-0. The start of their winning streak came against Southern Vermont College who had a tough time putting up a fight against the Judges with just enough players to field a team. However, the lower-intensity game gave the Judges a chance show off, as well as gave some younger players a chance to get some experience. The Judges set new Brandeis records in the game with 26 team service aces beating the previous record of 17 in 2015. Marissa Borgert ’21 had nine personal service aces, breaking the previous record of eight set in 2011. The Judges also allowed 10 total points in the match against Southern Vermont, which is the fewest since 2008. The Judges carried the momentum from their victory against Southern Vermont into their next two matches. On Tuesday, Sept. 19, the Judges faced off against neighbor Regis College. The Judges crushed their opponent in a
three-set match by scores of 2516, 25-19, 25-21. The strong effort against Regis was evenly displayed, as four players had six or more kills for the Judges. Kirsten Frauens ’19 led with eight kills, while Hoot writer Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 contributed seven and Emma Bartlett ’20 and Borgert ’21 produced six kills each. Leah Pearlman ’19 served as the primary setter with 15 assists, while Libero Yvette Cho ’18 contributed a career-high eight assists in the match.
Cho managed a season-high of four service aces in the match, and dominated on defense for the Judges as well, matching her own season-high record with 24 digs. Decker-Jacoby and Pearlman both contributed on defense for the Judges with 14 and 10 digs respectively. On Thursday, Sept. 21 the Judges played Emerson college in their last game until the first weekend of October. Brandeis continued their 3-0 wins streak with scores of 25-22, 25-18, 25-19 against
photo from brandeisjudges.com
the Lions at Emerson College in their first away game of the season. However, the Judges found themselves fighting in the first set, coming back from an 11-18 deficit with an 8-1 run to tie the score before handing Emerson three more points on attack errors. The Judges then found their composure and took the final six scores to secure their win. In the second set the Lions were quick to establish a lead. However, it was not long before the Judges came back, keeping the lead for
the remainder of the set. The third set looked like it would be close, with each team gaining the lead as some point. It wasn’t until the score tied at 17 that the Judges established a lead they would maintain for the rest of the set, ensuring their victory in the match. Decker-Jacoby once again shined for the Judges, with 10 kills, four service aces and six digs in the match against Emerson. Both Borgert and Zara Platt ’19 contributed seven assists in the match while both logging hitting percentages over .400. Pearlman and rookie Megan Osorio Moran ’21 split setting duties, Pearlman with 16 assists in the game and Osorio Moran ’21 with 10. Defensively, Cho produced 21 digs, while Jillian Haberli ’19 added 12 digs to the stats. The Brandeis women’s volleyball team are now 7-3 this season. They hope to continue their win streak into UAA Conference play in Cleveland, OH, next weekend. The Judges will face The University of Chicago and Emory University on Saturday, Sept. 30th at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 1, Brandeis will play the University of Rochester at 10 a.m. in their last game of the UAA conference round robin tournament.
Student-athlete spotlight: Yvette Cho ’19
By Zach Cihlar editor
“I don’t have a life outside of volleyball,” Yvette Cho ’19 joked, capturing the busy life of a student-athlete at Brandeis University. As a member and captain of the Brandeis women’s volleyball team, she must balance her double major in Economics and Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) with a busy fall season of practice and games. “I think it’s all about balance and management,” Cho explained, as well as a heightened focus on health and wellness, especially when games are at stake during the season. “It’s about being able to manage your school and your sport while staying healthy, mentally and physically—it’s a juggling act.” Despite the added pressure of these responsibilities, Cho believes that “if you do it right, you have a really good experience.” Just starting her third season with the team, Cho thinks she’s grown both on and off the court due to her dedication to the vol-
leyball team. Elected to the position of captain in just her sophomore year, she learned to guide a team and lead by example, describing the position as multidimensional, in that “leadership” is not just one skill but a set of many skills. “It was pretty difficult,” she said, explaining the overwhelming transition from teammate to captain in just one year. “Everyone was either older than me or my year, and I had to learn how to be a leader in many ways, besides being the most vocal.” It was all made easier, she said, by the support of her teammates, who Cho describes as one of the best parts about playing for Brandeis women’s volleyball. “They’re so fun, they’re so smart and they inspire me to work hard,” she said of her teammates. There are 14 total women on the team, eight of whom are in the same graduating class as Cho. “There’s never a dull moment,” Cho added. The team is overwhelmingly represented by students studying HSSP or other science disciplines. The environment the Brandeis women’s volleyball team hosts
seems to be one that Cho was looking for when she was being recruited to play volleyball in college. After looking at schools within the University Athletic Association—a strong conference for student-athletes looking for programs that were also solid academically—she landed schools like Emory University and Brandeis. When taking visits to Brandeis, she recalled that it felt more like home than any of the other schools she visited. “I also really just wanted to leave California,” she added. Playing volleyball since a young age, Cho’s work on and off the court have put her team in a position to improve upon past results in the upcoming season. Feeling a heightened sense of confidence, the team has had marked improvement from previous years, boasting a winning record of 7-3 going into the UAA tournament’s first round robin. Last year, the team finished their season with a 7-21 record, so the team is on track to do some damage in their upcoming schedule.
photo from brandeisjudges.com
Cho owes the team’s substantial improvement to the increased culture of competition and focus that has developed on their team since she started. Great collegiate volleyball programs, she said, have a culture of dedication, hard work and sacrifice that pushes them to success in competition. “This year we are definitely growing and it’s reflecting in everything else, not just the win-loss ratio, but also what practices are like every day and what games are like—it’s a completely different environment,” she said. The team will put this mindset
to the test during the UAA tournament’s first round robin on Saturday, Sept. 30 and Sunday, Sept. 31 in Cleveland, Ohio at Case Western Reserve University. They are also set to play a three-game home stand after they return to campus starting on Thursday, Oct. 5. With over a month of games left, the team looks to prove their endurance, both mentally and physically. They are hoping to have one of their best seasons since 2012, when the team held a winning record of 21-10.
Women’s soccer dominates with six-game streak
By David Aizenberg staff
The Brandeis women’s soccer team continued to dominate their opponents, securing a six-game win streak with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Babson Beavers this Tuesday, Sept. 19. Julia Matson ’19 took over the game, scoring two goals over an eight-minute span in the second half. In the 62nd minute, Matson went into overdrive and dodged two Babson players to score the first of her two goals. Soon af-
ter, in the 70th minute, Matson scored another highlight-worthy goal. After receiving a through ball from teammate Katie Hayes ’20, she duped an opposing defender and found the back right netting over the head of the Babson goalie to score her fourth career goal. In addition to Matson’s superb effort, rookie Mackenzie Smith ’21 aided the team and tallied the second goal of her young career as she set the Judges’ momentum in the first half. Smith, scoring in the 30th minute, put the Judges in the lead
with her second career goal. A game that was dominated by the Judges (who led in shots-ongoal 17-6), sophomore goalie Sierra Dana ’20 notched four saves along with the third game of her career. Dana did not allow a goal for the Babson Beavers. The team returned to their home field Saturday, Sept. 23 to play their cross-town rivals, the Tufts Jumbos. A collegiate matchup with a rich competitive history, Saturday’s game surely lived up to the hype. Despite the game ending in a
1-1 tie, there was no shortage of excitement. After falling behind 1-0 in the 21st minute, the Judges responded in the second half with a goal from Sasha Sunday ’19, her fifth of the season. Both teams had opportunities to grab the lead, but tough defense from both teams refused to relent, leaving the field with a 1-1 tie. Dana continued her solid performance, tallying a season-high six saves in the contest (three of which came in overtime). Dana’s strong play ensured a tie game, the second tie between the two
teams in the past two years. Sunday’s goal was her fifth out of the last six games she played— she has three game-winning goals, and two goals to equalize the score for the Judges. In another home game against Wellesley, the Judges dominated once again, winning 3-1 against the all-women’s school. They are set to play again on Sunday, Oct. 1 against conference opponents Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, a team they mastered handily last season, winning 4-0 in their regular season match-up.
10 SPORTS
The Brandeis Hoot
September 29, 2017
Cross country finishes on top at meet
By Shea Decker-Jacoby staff
The women’s and men’s cross country teams took the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Cross Country meet by storm, placing third and second respectively. The women’s cross country team is currently ranked #34 and the men’s team is currently ranked #33 in the Division III NCAA. The Judges put three runners among the top 15 runners and four in the top 25. The women’s team faced off against 40 other schools in the first meet of the year at the UMass Dartmouth Shriners Invitational. Emily Bryson ’19 finished second and earned the UAA Runner of the Week title for her performance. Her twin sister Julia Bryson ’19 also gave a strong performance, finishing eighth
overall. Emily has improved one place each year she has run in the UMass Dartmouth Cross Country meet. As a rookie, she placed fourth and third her second year with a final time of 18:02.18, trailing the winning time by only nine seconds. Julia Bryson has also improved one place since the 2016 season with a finishing time of 18:46.36. Danielle Bertaux ’20 improved her overall finish from 29th in the 2016 season to 13th and second for the team with a time of 18:58.26. Meaghan Barry ’19 improved from her 50th place finish in the 2016 season to 22nd this year with a final time of 19:13.85. Doyin Ogundiran ’19, who specializes in the 800-meter race, was the team’s fifth-place runner, finishing 55th overall. This was her first time running in the varsity race at UMass Dartmouth Cross Country. She improved her time by 30 seconds
from her previous best, finishing the course at 19:45.47. Next, the women will run at the Keene State College Invitational on Sept. 30 for their second meet of the season. The men’s team finished second competing against 40 other schools as well. Ryan Stender ’18 placed second overall in the 8K with a time of 25:24.27, putting him only two seconds away from the first place runner. He improved his place by two from his race at the UMass Dartmouth Cross Country meet in 2016. Mitchell Hutton ’19 took sixth with a time of 25:32.15, improving from his previous finish at 13th when he ran at the meet in 2015. The next three runners finished in the top 35 runners of the race. Max Whitmore ’18 came back strong from his junior year abroad with a 34th overall finish at a time of 26:22.03. Luke Ostrander ’21
finished 10th overall with a time of 25:43.90. Classmate Mark Murdy finished 35th in the meet with a time of 26:22.95. The men have their next meet at Keene State College for the Keene State College Invitational on the Sept. 30 Sinead Delahunty Evans, the head coach, said, “Overall, I am really pleased with the day. These early season races give a good benchmark as to where we are at in our training, so I am really pleased with the direction we are going,” in an interview for the Brandeis athletics website. The Judges will compete in one month in the UAA Championships at Garret Mountain Reservation in Woodland Park, NJ. They will round off their season in November for the NCAA New England Regional Championships and qualifying runners will finish at the NCAA Division III Championships in Elsa, Illinois.
photo from brandeisjudges.com
The recent, the potential and the underwhelming: heir to the Penguins’ throne
By Robert Banks special to the hoot
Physically and psychologically exhausted, long-serving Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby contentedly skated off the ice after game six of the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals, knowing his team had done what they set out to do at the beginning of the season. Riding on the back of the Canadian’s leadership and playoff-high 19 assists, according to NHL.com, the Pennsylvania-based hockey club had become the first team to lift Lord Stanley’s coveted cup in back-to-back seasons since Scotty Bowman’s 1996-97 and 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings squads. Discontented by the Penguins’ dominance, several NHL teams, including last season’s second-best Nashville Predators, are primed to dethrone the back-to-back reigning champions in the 201718 season. After the controversial trade of beloved captain Shea Weber for the P.K. Subban in June 2016, the Predators were somewhat of an unknown quantity heading into last season. Employing middling penalty kill and powerplay units, ranked 15th and 16th in the league, respectively, the Predators
were far from a regular season juggernaut this past year, according to NHL.com. Unconvincingly sliding into the playoffs after losing eight of their last 11 games and finishing the regular season with the most goals (224) against among Western Conference playoff teams, the pieces of the Preds’ puzzle suddenly fit together as soon as the playoffs rolled around. Managing a playoff win percentage 13.6 percent higher than that of the regular season, along with allowing .5 fewer goals per game played and killing 8.2 percent more power plays than in their first eighty-two games thanks to the improved performances of Subban and three-time Vezina Trophy (awarded to the league’s top goaltender) finalist Pekka Rinne, the Predators preyed on their opponents throughout the playoffs, sweeping the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks along the way, symbolizing a changing of the guard in the Western conference (NHL.com). However, the young but talented Edmonton Oilers are ready to continue their incredible ascension of the standings and the hockey world, hoping to assert their claim to the Western Conference and ultimately the entire NHL this coming season. Entering the league with lofty comparisons to the aforementioned Cros-
by and the Oilers great Wayne Gretzky, the reigning Hart Trophy (awarded to the league’s most valuable player) recipient Connor McDavid has met and arguably exceeded the expectations thrust upon him thus far. Becoming the youngest player in NHL history to don the ‘C’ on his chest and serve as team captain, the nineteen year old is a remarkably poised leader for his age, with playmaking and scoring abilities to match. Finishing last season in the top ten in the NHL in plus-minus (the number of goals a team scores when a given player is on the ice minus the number of goals conceded by the team when the same skater is on the ice), along with a league-high 100 points (goals scored plus assists made), the impact of McDavid should not be minimized; that said, the quality of the Oilers as a whole should not be undermined either (NHL. com). Supplemented by star-inthe-making Leon Draisaitl, who finished last season eighth place in the league in points scored, along with established veteran Milan Lucic, new acquisition Jussi Jokinen and flourishing goaltender Cam Talbot, who started all eighty-six of the Edmonton squad’s games in both the regular season and playoffs a season ago, the Oilers were top ten in the league in goal differential,
goals against and goals for, while finishing top in the league in faceoff win percentage on the heels of McDavid, Draisaitl and 2011 first overall draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL.com). The Washington Capitals won the President’s Trophy (presented to the team that accumulates the most points) for the second consecutive year, after finishing the regular season with the most points (118) and wins (55), along with a goal differential of +81, 40 goals higher than Stanley Cup champion winning Penguins and 23 more than the team with the second highest differential, the Minnesota Wild, according to NHL.com. Notorious for their recent playoff failures, however, the Capitals were eliminated from the postseason in the second round by the lower-seeded Penguins in both years. On the shoulders of eight-time All-Star left winger and current captain Alexander Ovechkin, the Capitals have all the tools needed to succeed in the postseason. Between the posts, they have sure-handed Braden Holtby to count on. Finishing the 2016-17 season with a league-high 42 wins and nine shutouts and top-five finishes in goals against average, save percentage, the Vezina Trophy runner-up is an elite netminder
that is a key cog in the Capitals’ Stanley Cup aspirations (NHL. com). The Washington attack is headlined by Ovechkin and the American T.J. Oshie, who both earned top twenty finishes in the Maurice Richard Trophy (awarded to the top goal scorer each season) race with 33 goals apiece, as made clear by trends on the National Hockey League website. These vital players are supplied with the puck by the reliable Niklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, the former of whom finished second in the NHL with 63 assists, trailing only McDavid’s 70, according to the league’s statistics database. With the 2017-18 National Hockey League underway, each of the 32 teams in the league will surely be optimistic that they can challenge for the Stanley Cup; however, few teams are truly ready to take on the Penguins’ reign of supremacy over the league. Hungrily anticipating the moment the puck drops and their respective seasons get under way, the Nashville Predators, Edmonton Oilers, and Washington Capitals will be eager to prove themselves, dreaming of the early summer night on which their Stanley Cup dreams come true. Now, only one question remains: Who will rise to the occasion?
Anthem protests gain traction in pro sports
By Kevin Costa staff
President Donald Trump has now turned to sports to stage his divisive rhetoric. In a tweet on Saturday morning, Trump rescinded his invitation to honor the Golden State Warriors at the White House. This came after Stephen Curry said he would not join the team in meeting with the president. Curry had previously expressed his decision to not attend the White House celebration in a Washington Post report, but he then spoke out against Trump: “And by acting and not going, hopefully that will inspire some change when it comes to what we tolerate in this country and what
is accepted and what we turn a blind eye to.” That afternoon, the Warriors voiced regret in the President’s decision. Since the team will travel to the capital in February to play the Washington Wizards, the organization plans to use that time “to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion” in place of a visit to the White House. This is not the first time an athlete has turned down an invitation to the White House. Larry Bird declined to join his Celtics teammates in 1984 to meet President Reagan, according to CNN. From other sports, NHL goalie Tim Thomas did not attend the Boston Bruins’ White House celebration in 2012, and NFL tight end Mark Chmura did not meet President Clinton the year his Green Bay
Packers won the Super Bowl. Several members of the Patriots did not attend the White House visit with Trump this past April. However, while other presidents have joked about these incidents or brushed them off for bigger political issues, this time Trump decided to cause a stir. This was the second incident within a 12-hour span in which Trump attacked athletes for demonstrating their political views. At a campaign rally in Huntsville, Alabama, Trump lashed out against NFL players who have been kneeling during pre-game national anthems as a protest against racial and criminal injustices. According to CNN, the president said, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners,
when somebody disrespects our flag, say ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired!’” This statement was mainly directed at former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who started kneeling last season to draw attention to police shootings of African Americans. Trump followed up his statement with a tweet the following morning, pleading NFL owners to “fire or suspend” players who refused to stand during the anthem. This was immediately followed by a backlash from the league, NPR reports. Commissioner Roger Goodell cited Trump’s comment as a failure to understand “the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities.” On game day, each team responded with some
act of demonstration against Trump during the national anthem, the New York Times details. Many players knelt or sat as a sign of protest, as seen by nearly the entire Oakland Raiders team before hosting the Washington Redskins. Other teams collectively stood and linked arms, such as the Baltimore Ravens. Even some of the owners, like Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, joined their teams on the field in an act of solidarity. A few teams, the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers waited out the anthem in their locker rooms. Trump may threaten freedom of speech and spew an “us and them” ideology, but as Patriots owner Robert Kraft pointed out, “there is no greater unifier in this country than sports.”
September 29, 2017
OPINIONS
The Brandeis Hoot 11
The crisis in Puerto Rico deserves our attention
By Zach Phil Schwartz editor
Devastation struck the island of Puerto Rico on Sep. 20. Hurricane Maria, at Category 4 intensity, rocked the densely populated American territory to a point of bona fide crisis. A beautiful Caribbean Island home to nearly 3,500,000 people (that’s almost as much as Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, South Dakota and North Dakota combined)--American citizens--is on the brink. The federal government, meanwhile, is running around like a headless chicken in its (mis)management while the President berates football players. There is something wrong here. Hurricane Maria disintegrated Puerto Rico’s infrastructure. Neighborhoods are flooded, streets are blocked and communications are virtually nil. The entire island is without power, as the storm knocked out 80 of the island’s power transmission lines. The island is also rapidly running out of clean water, food, and fuel, due to the widespread loss of electricity and damage to farms. One CNN headline dated Sep. 26 referred to the situation as “apocalyptic.” With long curfews in place, no power, widespread looting, emergency services in crisis and a timeframe for restoration that could take months-as Governor Ricardo Rossello warned--”apocalyptic” does not seem very far off. The situation is, indeed, grave: apocalyptic, even. So why is the President of the United States (including Puerto Rico) wasting time pushing a number of countless tweets about how NFL players protest? Why is it he did this while in the midst of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma he was actually paying attention to the storms (albeit on Twitter) and the storm response coordination? There is a double standard at play. On Sept. 8, the government waived the Jones Act for affected areas in Texas and Florida. The Jones Act prevents foreign ves-
sels from delivering goods to U.S. ports. As an island, Puerto Rico post-storm is far more inaccessible than was Texas and Florida. Naturally, one would assume that the administration would immediately waive the restrictions again to allow for more relief. Yesterday evening, after mounting public outcry, the president finally announced he was waiving the Act for Puerto Rico. However, throughout this past week, Trump showed reluctance to waive the act again. On Tuesday, Sept. 26, according to Reuters, the federal government had not found reason to waive the restrictions once more. When explaining the Trump administration’s reluctance, Trump stated “We’re thinking about that, but we have a lot of shippers and...a lot of people who work in the shipping industry that don’t want the Jones Act lifted. And we have a lot of ships out there right now”. Further, it was not until nearly a week after the storm hit on Sep. 20 that The Washington Post would finally be able to report some good news, that the emergency response on the part of the military is ratcheting up. It took until several days after former Democratic-nominee for president Hillary Clinton advocated sending a Naval hospital ship to the island for it to actually come to fruition. In the meantime, to say the hospitals on the ground have been unsafe would be a major understatement; in a Reuters video news report a doctor in a San Juan hospital urged those with the resources in need of medical attention to leave the island. This is but a small taste of what Hurricane Maria did to Puerto Rico. Politicians and pundits from across the aisle are throwing around the dreaded “Katrina” comparison in the direction of the Trump Administration, an unfortunate twist on the 2005 catastrophic storm that threatens to tarnish the political reputation of whomever it is thrust upon. No two storms are, in reality, strictly comparable, but at the same time
the aftermath of hurricane irma in puerto rico
we must not lose sight of how dire the situation is right now. An entire island full of American citizens is isolated, without power, in terrible heat and is at risk of more suffering if critical infrastructure continues to fail. Puerto Rico’s governor has requested urgent assistance from the Trump Administration, and only now after a week is some kind of substantive response in the works. The US government has, as of this Monday, sent a total of approximately 10,000 troops to Puerto Rico, mostly do deliver supplies such as food and water. In comparison, during the peak of Katrina’s devastation, there were 50,000 National Guard troops sent to the New Orleans area. Puerto Rico deserves more than this. We need real leadership, not some half-assed response
led by scrambling bureaucrats looking for direction from an absent-minded administration. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has held multiple conferences outlining and providing updates on the aid that his state has sent and will send to Puerto Rico. The President of the United States, however, was busy holding a rally in Alabama for very little reason. He was then busy disinviting Steph Curry from the White House. After that, he squabbled for days with football players over kneeling during the national anthem. He, in passing, remarked on Puerto Rico, but that subject was not unfortunately where it was supposed to be this past week; at the forefront of executive conversation and leadership. We need leadership from the
photo from nbcnews.com
federal government like that which Governor Cuomo has been showing. Otherwise, the now-scrambling federal response operation could very well up being too late. This response needs executive direction from the top. It cannot look like an undertaking from what seems to be a headless chicken--a seemingly apathetic and indifferent executive branch. For the sake of the people of Puerto Rico, the government must act with rigor. It must act aggressively. If the President cannot focus his attention and resources to a humanitarian crisis involving millions of American citizens, “apocalyptic” conditions could possibly become a real apocalypse that would render the island uninhabitable, destroying the homes, livelihoods, and lives of everyone there.
#TakeAKnee and the patriotism of protest By Katarina Weessies editor
This week, hundreds of NFL players knelt during the national anthem in protest of growing racist sentiment in America. The protests were inspired by former 49’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who stirred controversy by kneeling during the national anthem in August 2016, in protest of police brutality against people of color. Other players joined in his protest, including members of U.S. Women’s National Soccer team, and athletes playing at the high school and college levels. Kaepernick’s protest immediately provoked anger from right wing media, gradually building to a countrywide debate over whether kneeling during the anthem is an acceptable method of protest. The debate over these protests came to a head last week, when Trump called the kneeling players “sons of bitches” and called for them to be “suspended or fired”. The response from NFL players
was massive. Last Sunday, players from teams such as the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and Miami Dolphins took a knee during the anthem. Additionally, the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans stayed in their locker rooms during the anthem. Some Patriots players, including Tom Brady, took a less controversial approach, opting to lock arms rather than kneel. Right wing social media quickly exploded with condemnations of the protesting NFL players, calling it a manifestation of disrespect for the country’s flag and military. However, these critics have a flawed and problematic view of patriotism, race, and protest. The common criticism of these protests argue that they disrespect veterans who, these critics point out, risked their lives for the athlete’s right to stand. The criticism is completely incoherent. It states that the military’s purpose is to defend freedom, and that this freedom is manifest in the ability to Americans to stand for the na-
tional anthem. In fact, American political freedom is manifest in their ability to kneel during the anthem. Tyrannical nations, rather than free ones, force their citizens to show patriotism through symbolic acts like standing during the anthem. The United States and other nations that pride themselves on political and civil liberties allow citizens to abstain from these symbolic displays. By implying NFL players should be “suspended or fired” for their protest, Trump and his supporters bring the nation further from the ideal of freedom that our nation’s military defends. Critics of the NFL protesters also believe protesting the president’s actions is in itself unpatriotic. Protesting our country’s political leaders is not only an essential part of our political freedoms, it is a time-honored American tradition. One of the documents that spurred the American Revolution, “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine, encouraged readers to
revolt by openly mocking the British King. Later in American history, political cartoonists mocked President Andrew Jackson by calling him “King Andrew the First” and drawing him wearing a crown and holding a scepter. These criticisms allow Americans to express discontent with the people in power, which keeps our system of democracy healthy. The tradition of harshly criticizing leaders has persisted to this day through widespread protest of Trump. The kneeling NFL players are not being unpatriotic, but rather continuing a tradition essential to American democracy and freedom. Animosity towards the protestors is rooted in subtle but sinister racism. Football is a diverse sport. According to Huffington Post, in 2016, 70% of NFL players were African American It’s audience is, however, largely white. In 2013, a Nielsen survey found that 77% of NFL’s T.V. audience is white. The sports fans angry at the NFL protesters expect to be provided with apolitical entertainment.
They dehumanize the athletes, who may come from communities suffering from racial violence and injustice. The kneeling NFL athletes are rejecting the expectation of white viewers, who are used to watching African American athletes interact with the world in an apolitical and sanitized manner. Kneeling during the national anthem is a valid and patriotic method of protest. Critics of this method of protest have a problematic and dangerous conception of patriotism which ignores American political freedoms and the importance of dissent in democratic societies. Expecting athletes in a sport that is majority African American to ignore the dire issues that many African Americans face is unrealistic and dehumanizing. The NFL players who kneel during the national anthem deserve to be respected as patriots who are fighting against a tide of apathy and racism to bring issues that affect marginalized people into the forefront of American culture.
12 OPINIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
How to stay sane after graduation
By Carolyn Rogers columnist
When I leave Brandeis next spring, I don’t know where in the world I will end up. I will become a nomad, following a job or a person, an opportunity or a dream. I am sure that shortly after establishing myself in a new place, I will be forced to put down roots somewhere else. But it’s okay; I’ve done it before. When I was growing up, my family moved several times. I have called home the great states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Vir-
ginia, Colorado and most recently, Massachusetts. I do not yet know what will come next. The same can be said for many other graduating seniors. Whether we are following an opportunity to travel, a new job, an acceptance letter into graduate school or a loved one, many of us will no longer be in Waltham by this time next year. This can be intimidating and scary but also exciting and invigorating. Since I have plenty of experience moving around, I think that I have some comforting insights that will help my fellow Brandeis seniors in their transi-
tion out of college. The best way I have found to handle these types of transitions is to remember that leaving a place doesn’t mean you have to give anything up. Remember that that you will still have the same tangible things. I put up the same decorations in every bedroom I inhabit in order to make a particular house feel like home. My “Sherlock” poster feels like home. Artwork my friend made me feels like home. I like to see my books arranged on the shelf the same way that I organized them when I was nine years old and living in Virgin-
ia—and 10 in Colorado, and 18 in Shapiro Hall. My interior decorating preferences change as I grow, not as I move. I will never have to give up my childhood bedroom, my college dorm room or any other bedroom until I choose to. I will simply take them with me. It is empowering and comforting, I have found, to create a home. You do not have to give up the people or the activities you like. Do you miss having dinner with your friend every Wednesday? Find a time to catch up on the phone once a week. Do you miss doing yoga in Gosman after class?
Septermber 29, 2017
Enroll in a yoga class at the local rec. center. It does not matter where you are as long as you are with people you like and doing things you like. My message to my soon-to-be fellow nomads is, in short: As graduation approaches, remember that you do not have to leave behind anything that you want to keep. Continue to do the things you like to do. Maintain relationships with people you enjoy. Create a familiar and comforting physical environment for yourself. When you take your life with you wherever you go, even the nomad does not want for a home.
NBA superteams continue to form: why it’s bad for the league By Joseph Silber special to the hoot
The New York Knicks traded their top star, Carmelo Anthony, to the Oklahoma City Thunder Sep. 25. Anthony, who most expected to be traded before the beginning of the season, will join forces with the reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook and four-time All-Star Paul George. The Thunder are now just the latest in what’s become a long list of super-teams to form in the NBA. Over the past few years, the list of super-teams has continued to grow. From Kevin Durant joining Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors, to Chris Paul pairing up with James Harden in Houston, and now Carmelo Anthony headed to the Thunder, the NBA has grown accustomed to superstars joining
forces with one another. And it is ruining the league. In the summer of 2007, the Boston Celtics acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to pair up with Paul Pierce, forming the “Big 3.” That next season, the Celtics went on to win their first NBA Championship in 22 years. Another infamous super-team was established three years later, when LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to join Dwyane Wade in South Beach. In the four seasons they spent together with the Miami Heat, they made it to all four NBA Finals, winning two of them. For the third year in a row, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors played in the NBA Finals. This past season, the Cavs, who had a Big 3 of their own (LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love), steamrolled their way through the East-
ern Conference, culminating in a four-game sweep of the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals. The lack of competition in the Eastern Conference has been a problem ever since LeBron returned to Cleveland. And in the West, the Warriors’ signing of Kevin Durant solidified their spot in the NBA Finals for a third consecutive season. When pressed about the twoteam duopoly in the NBA, League Commissioner Adam Silver said: “I don’t think having two super-teams is good for the league.” Now that the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder have formed superteams of their own, it will only make NBA’s problems worse. Fans of the other 12 teams in the Western Conference will have even less interest in watching basketball this season, since their teams have no realistic shot of competing for a championship.
While LeBron James and the Cavs have a formidable opponent in the Boston Celtics, most NBA experts project a fourth consecutive Cavaliers-Warriors matchup in the NBA Finals. Things haven’t always been this way. In 2004, the Detroit Pistons won the NBA Championship. While they lacked superstars, the Pistons had a memorable starting five: Chauncey Billups, Richard “Rip” Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace. Each contributed in his own way, whether it be Billups’ leadership, Hamilton’s scoring ability, or Ben Wallace’s defense and rebounding. In 2007, the San Antonio Spurs’ depth proved to be the reason for their NBA Championship run. Yes, they had Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. But neither one of those three
was considered a top-10 player in the NBA at the time, and yet the Spurs managed to sweep LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. The list keeps going, whether it be the 2006 Miami Heat, 2010 Dallas Mavericks, or 2014 San Antonio Spurs. The Mavericks and Spurs, in particular, provided tremendous excitement to NBA fans, as they each knocked off LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. And neither of those two teams would constitute today’s definition of a superteam. In the upcoming season, NBA fans would love to see another team like the 2010 Mavericks or 2014 Spurs knock off the Warriors or Cavs. Unfortunately, the current makeup of NBA super-teams will likely prevent that from happening.
Party ideology hurts the American economy By Matthew Kowalyk columnist
A mindset based on economic development was the cornerstone of American prominence, but is now ignored in the face of ideology. An economic policy that promotes reasonable competition, promotes the growth of new markets, and encourages investment is not unique to the left or right. Not focusing on pragmatic economic policy, free from the constraints of ideology, undermines our ability to be competitive against foreign competition against those who may threaten the economic order we have long promoted. Since the end of World War II, the United States has taken its allies in a direction of free trade, a direction that until recently faced few challenges. This path of freer trade seemed inevitable for those on either side of the aisle. We still levy small sanctions and take safeguard measures against countries who we think trade unfairly, such as the measures we impose on steel imports from China and Vietnam. Before this era, we were less afraid to tax imports and use tariffs to make countries work with the US to maintain a US-led system or trade, such as Nixon’s import surcharge in the early 1970s. Even in the Bretton Woods system of lowered tariffs and fixed currency exchange rates that lasted until Nixon took us off of the gold standard, trade may have been freer than ever before,
but it was regulated by fixed exchange rates. Nowadays, we take a more hands-on approach. Only through interest rate manipulation (the moves of the Fed dictate the movements of practically every currency and interest rates globally, granted) and trade actions do we allow ourselves to make use of our country’s economic position, and we allow much less guidance for the economy on behalf of the government in ways that stimulate growth rather than promote it. We make ideological decisions that are never that pragmatic or actively development-oriented. Before the 1970’s, we took pragmatic steps to promote general prosperity and economic dynamism. This is not to say that all populations and parts of the country were prosperous at the same time, but history bears out our ability to industrialize, to innovate, and to grow. This hands-on economic philosophy dating back to the era of Alexander Hamilton is a tradition that we only recently abandoned in our history. We should still apply Hamilton’s pragmatic and development-promoting attitude today. A few notable books in recent years detail the system’s accomplishments, books including Concrete Economics (2016) and The Entrepreneurial State (2016), perhaps inspired by the success of the Hamilton musical. On the other hand, it could be discontent with the development form monetarism and radical deregulation. And that discon-
tent is not baseless. The economy has begun to lose the dynamism it once had through a mess of a more ineffective state and poor regulation. Neither party seems to discuss economic policy in terms of practicality or pragmatism, instead they wrap economics in pure ideology. When former Secretary Clinton was campaigning, she mentioned her big infrastructure plan, a staple of the Hamilton school of development of a kind endorsed by Democrats and Republicans in the past. President Trump’s own version of an infrastructure plan sounds in the abstract more like a more privately-implemented plan connected with tax cuts, while also ushering in somewhat protectionist ideas openly. Senator Bernie Sanders did not go so far as to propose taxes on imports, but his words concerning international trade deals also favored more regulated trade This attitude encouraged Republicans to include a Border Adjustment Tax in the party’s official “Better Way Forward” tax plan, a tax which would operate similarly to a VAT (value-added tax) but only on foreign-produced inputs and goods. In late July and early August, it was phased out. Developmental, concrete policies worked in postwar Europe with the Marshall Plan and Southeast Asia in the 50s through the 80s. There is an abundance of scholarship about central government ‘guiding’ the private sector, using pragmatic and concrete strategies to increase general prosperity, ideas pioneered
by Hamilton and by the United States which fell out of fashion starting in the 1970s. It is a shame to see that neither party looks back to this tradition to find solutions to our problems. Both parties have ideological goals that are not focused on American economic development. Democrats speak only of wages and healthcare, sometimes of regulating Wall Street with few political wins since Dodd-Frank and the Affordable Care Act. The progressive wing would prefer these efforts reach unaffordable and unrealistic extremes, revealing their lack of pragmatism. This is not to say regulation can’t be good or that healthcare should be changed, but the cost of progressive economic goals speaks to a lack of regard for American economic growth. Republicans want to cut taxes and decrease regulation, only recently returning to the protectionist rhetoric from before the 1930s. Like the Democrats, these Republicans are not necessarily wrong. What both parties refuse to do is speak in practical, bipartisan ways, acknowledging the economic facts of each other except for taxes. Why not encourage innovation to create new markets like in the days of Big Science in the 50s and 60s? Why not take advantage of a large defense budget or more funding to the NIH to promote innovations responsibly? Why not find ways to create markets, promote our domestically-produced products in ways other
states allow themselves to do through state-owned enterprises (this is not to say we should begin our own, as they are horribly inefficient)? A rational, flexible union between free enterprise and public capital investment is the best way for any economy to develop as rapidly as ours did in the past and how others have done so in more recent years. Our politics are too wrapped up in ideology to be rational. This irrational politics has resulted in the plummeting of corporation creation since the 1990s, mergers and acquisitions causing unhealthy market consolidation, the stifling of innovation due to too much market power among individual firms, our taxes and regulations not incentivizing industry, and the government doing little effective work with our tax dollars to encourage innovation as it could. America’s current ideological battle between democratic socialism and neoliberalism is not productive. Our economic policy ought to be bolder, and grounded in what works. We shouldn’t remember Hamilton only for his catchy musical, but as an architect of economic might and prosperity, divorced from baseless ideology. When economic policy is unlinked from strict party ideology, economies grow and succeed. Hamilton’s pragmatic, government-guided economic philosophy should be resurrected for the betterment of our economy, and by extension the health and wellbeing of the American people.
ARTS
September 29, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot 13
‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ a must-see that really makes you think
By Katie Decker-Jacoby editor
“The Phantom of the Opera” is a Broadway classic, and it’s a classic for a reason. Whether or not you like opera music, “Phantom” is an absolute must see. Personally, I am not a fan of the opera genre, yet somehow “The Phantom of the Opera” is my favorite musical. It has been since I was younger and it still is. This time around, the Boston Opera House was the perfect venue. Dating back to 1928, its red velvet panels, white and gray marble, crystal chandeliers, gold ceilings and European Baroque finishes were opulent, matching the vibe of the music being performed inside of it all throughout September. Based on the 1910 horror novel by Gaston Leroux, “The Phantom of the Opera” tells the story of a troubled composer who haunts the Paris Opera House. The respected Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe wrote the show’s music together, and “Phantom” is Webber’s most acclaimed work to date. The stunning Boston Opera House sets a lively mood for the rest of the evening, but the musical does start off slowly. The new opera house owners disobey all of the Phantom’s (Derrick Davis) orders, instead of supporting Carlotta (Trista Moldovan), the over-dramatic diva and lead of the opera house. Her shrill and boisterous voice definitely matches her obnoxious and haughty
personality. When Carlotta refuses to perform unless the owners get the Phantom to stop his scary antics, someone suggests Christine Daaé (Eva Tavares) temporarily replace Carlotta, as she apparently has an amazing teacher. Lo and behold, her teacher is the Phantom of the Opera, a mysterious man who lives in a labyrinth in the cellars of the Paris Opera House. He is an ominous and ever-present spirit who, according to Madame Giry (Kristie Dale Sanders), was physically and emotionally abused as a young boy (hence the iconic white halfface mask). The Phantom has lived in the depths of the underground channels of Paris ever since. Though he is a threat to the opera house, he is also the hidden force that keeps the opera house alive. He makes music and writes shows for the opera house, and he teaches Christine how to sing. “The Phantom of the Opera” tells a story of passion, isolation, loss and the power of music. The Phantom wants Christine to be an obedient student but also yearns for her touch and affection. But Christine is infatuated with her childhood companion, Raoul (Jordan Craig). Raoul cannot wrap his head around the Phantom and Christine’s bizarre relationship; nobody really can. Christine is trapped in the possession of a violent, frightening man. Although the Phantom has a tight grip on her emotions and actions, there is something sentimental about the Phantom that
she cannot relinquish. She believes the Phantom is her angel of music, the one who sparked her own passion for music and ability to perform it and perform it well. Christine, played by Tavares, never faltered. One moment she’d be belting powerful notes in her soprano voice and the next she’d be singing with the utmost fragile tone. One character who did fall short was Craig’s Raoul. His voice was shaky and just not an easy pill to swallow. His acting was solid, but the singing was a letdown. Regardless, “The Phantom of the Opera” stands out from most of the other Broadway classics because its plot is so unique. It’s a storyline so distinct, odd, complex and, in some ways, troubling. I’ve never had such a difficult time trying to sift through my feelings on a theater production. Why does this production have the longest shelf life on Broadway? Why does it captivate the attention of millions each year? I think this is partially due to the Phantom’s enigmatic character. The Phantom is violent; he hangs a man, almost hangs Raoul right before Christine’s eyes and manhandles Christine. Yet for some reason, audience members are supposed to and do indeed sympathize with the Phantom. We feel bad that he experienced such physical and mental trauma as a young boy and is unable to cope with this pain. We feel bad that he longs for love he won’t get with Christine, that he can never get what he wants. The Phantom ultimately vanishes into thin air during a manhunt
for him. He is unable to make more music. He is unable to feel accepted by society. And he is forever unable to be with Christine. It sounds like one huge pity party for the Phantom, but again, why do we at times feel compelled to root for a character who killed a man and mistreats those he loves? All the emotions involved with this musical are strongly felt, but it feels wrong to commiserate with the Phantom. For that reason, “The Phantom of the Opera” is one of the best, if not the best, mainstream theater production out there. Theater is changing. And “The Phantom of the Opera” has definitely changed since its inception on Broadway in 1988 (“Phantom” is the longest running Broadway show to date). Most notable is Davis, who plays the lead. Davis is the third African-American actor to take on the Phantom’s character. Of course, there are several other productions like “Hamilton,” “Kinky Boots” and “Dreamgirls” where the protagonists are played by incredible African-American actors, but this is a milestone in “The Phantom of the Opera’s” long history that is marked by traditionally Caucasian Phantoms. If anything, you should experience this musical because of the score, sound effects and set. The score is the show’s most noteworthy feature. Especially when “The Phantom of the Opera” started playing in Act I, it was impossible to not get goosebumps. The organ was so menacing and impactful. The orchestra also
threw in some electric guitar, making this number even more thrilling. The sound effects made it seem like the Phantom was right behind you, whispering in your ear. At multiple points during the show, the Phantom’s eerie voice would murmur messages to those on stage. While he was not physically on stage, his haunting voice felt like it was following you. Audience members kept looking around the room to see if the Phantom was hiding in the curtains, waiting to surprise us all. Set design additionally allowed audience members to immerse themselves into the story. Since this musical takes place in the Paris Opera House, the opera house set mimics the exact venue the audience sits in as they watch the show unfold. It’s an opera house within an opera house, which makes the show that much more engaging and relevant. The iconic and dazzling yet chilling and supernatural chandelier also hangs above audience members, even dropping down, shaking and malfunctioning when the wrath of the Phantom emerges. All in all, “The Phantom of the Opera” is a theater production everyone should experience. The plot, characters, music, sound effects and set design will leave you craving more. What’s more is that “The Phantom of the Opera” makes you feel in ways you never thought were possible and awakens all of your senses to strange, unfamiliar ideas.
photo from nwitimes.com
photo from broadway.org
photo from winnipegfreepress.com
photos from montrealtheatrehub.com
photo from goldstar.com
14 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
September 29, 2017
Capitol Steps performance falls short of a ‘comedy nerd’s’ expectations By Noah Harper staff
Political comedy group “The Capitol Steps” came to Brandeis to perform on Thursday, Sept. 29. The troupe, consisting of former Senate staffers turned comedians, sang a variety of parody songs aimed at making fun of various politicians and current events. Some of the jokes, however, fell a little flat. We live in an interesting political moment: Politics are already so ridiculous that standard exaggeration and mockery that would have been fine a few years ago no longer apply. Unfortunately, this was the Capitol Steps’ M.O. Add in generally weak performances, a weird, outdated vibe and some portrayals of political leaders verging on racial stereotypes, and you had something perplexing and uninspired. I really like comedy shows and attend around 10 shows a year, so I have pretty high standards for what’s funny. I’m particularly interested in how we respond to the outsized politics of our day through comedy. In a democracy, how can the jokes we make about our leaders affect our system of government? That said, I was disappointed by “Orange is the New Barack.” I had hoped for something insightful, relevant and inventive, but it was instead conventional and banal. There were a few bright spots: spot-on Obama and Trump impersonations, and an adeptly-de-
livered final monologue from Brandeis alum Brian Ash ’87. Ash gave a speech where he switched around the first letters of words so the audience was constantly on their toes. But overall, the Capitol Steps performance was a little uninspired: An actor would walk onto the stage, usually dressed up as a familiar politician (though not always immediately recognizable) and then crack a few bland jokes before singing a parody song. The show started, of course, with Donald Trump, and I first began to feel that something was wrong. Though the accent and demeanor of the comedian portraying Trump were on point, the jokes fell really flat—and felt kind of odd, too. There were a few jokes, such as comments about Trump grabbing women by the “crotch,” as the performers said, which some of the audience didn’t really respond to either—except for the gaggle of white guys behind me (full disclosure: I too am I a white guy, but was not part of this group). Many members of the audience did genuinely enjoy the show, though, because it can be fun to laugh at the crazy mess of a political world we live in. And the jokes they were making are not unlike those that have been circulating on political talk shows and social media. I realized that the Capitol Steps, like a lot of American comedians, are still operating in the old mode. Standard political comedy is ineffective against Donald Trump. It bounces off him harmlessly—
because he’s already a parody of himself. His larger than life persona, his ridiculous flip-flopping on issues, the statements on Twitter, etc.—at face value, they’re already ridiculous, which is why singing a song about how tiny his hands are is wholly unproductive. Old means of political comedy don’t really work on him. The troupe’s sense of humor was, in this way, toothless. The puns and wordplay made me feel like I was watching different era— which makes sense, the group was formed in the mid-eighties, and there’s an evident generational gap. Although the content of the jokes might have been up to the minute, they couldn’t have felt more out of date. The music as well was a parade of twists on songs that might have felt clever in 1985—plays on “Hotel California,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” that made fun of immigration policy, Vladimir Putin and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, respectively. Throughout all, the crowd seemed to respond uncertainly, clapping half-heartedly and laughing feebly. The comedians’ attempt to get us all to sing along to a parody of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” ended weakly. To me, “Orange is the New Barack” spoke to a problem on the American center-left as a whole: a lack of new ideas for how to fix the problems of the day. If you’re looking for incisive, innovative political comedy, try looking at some other groups as
well. I’d recommend the surreal yet hyper-relevant web videos of Vic Berger (available on Super Deluxe’s YouTube channel). Berger’s videos don’t exaggerate characteristics, they really just highlight what’s already there, such as his election coverage of the Republican debates—which immortalized Trump’s off the cuff remark, “Jeb is a mess”—or any of his videos with Trump (the Pat Robertson one is hilariously atrocious).
The Capitol Steps’ show “Orange is the New Barack” made it abundantly clear that we can’t respond to today’s politics in the same way we have for the last three decades. In terms of comedy as political activism, musical parodies may no longer be the answer (I doubt they ever were). Instead, we need to use the media of the day instead of songs from 30 years ago.
the capitol steps Comedians from the Capital Steps group impersonate politicians including President Trump.
photos by yarisa diaz/the hoot
September 29, 2017
ARTS 15
The Brandeis Hoot
HBO’s ‘The Deuce’ presents a sex-filled, corrupt NYC in the 1970s By Noah Harper staff
HBO’s new show “The Deuce” depicts a New York City on the verge of collapse. The show is all about exploitation. Systemic, sexual, economic—you name it. From “The Wire” creator David Simon and co-writer George Pelecanos comes a portrait of midtown New York in the seventies, a bygone time when urban and criminal were almost synonymous. The show offers a sobering (though, at times, fun) look at a world in which people are both victims and oppressors. With drugs and prostitution rampant, Times Square is a seedy mess—a far cry from the tourist mecca it is today. “The Wire,” too, portrayed a city on the brink of collapse. That show was set in Baltimore, Maryland, and we followed characters on every level of the city’s society, from the disenfranchised youth to the ascendant mayor. David Simon’s old masterpiece, which turned ten last year, gave us a grisly, pitch-black depiction of the sociopolitical state of the American city. But “The Deuce” isn’t “The Wire,” though they might share similar themes, such as urban decay and systemic corruption. The new show has an additional visual flare (from a definite increase in budget), some extra cinematographic panache. Where one was often gritty and gray, Si-
mon and Pelecanos’ new series is vibrant and colorful. All this isn’t to say that the same seediness and corruption aren’t there, just that there’s an additional flare to it all. It’s evident that special consideration was taken to ensure the pre-Giuliani Times Square looks authentic and visually-interesting—it feels nostalgic at first, though it soon becomes obvious that the show is not at all sentimental for this bygone era. Soon enough, you realize that you don’t really want to go back and live around 1970s 42nd street, “The Deuce,” as it was called colloquially. We get introduced to (one of) the characters played by James Franco, reliable workhorse Vincent Martino, who tends a bar in Brooklyn and Manhattan in order to support his family. Vincent is quickly accosted by mobsters, mistaking him for his twin brother, Frankie, who’s run up quite the gambling debt. Vincent is put on the hook to pay it off, and becomes financially motivated to seek out new ways of making an income. “The Deuce” is an ensemble piece. Though Vincent is the main character, the episodes don’t exactly center around him. Like “The Wire,” we follow other characters, though they all frequent the same vicinity. There are the pimps with names like CC and Reggie Love (the Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man also makes an appearance); the prostitutes like Candy, Ruby and Darlene, and the policemen, too. Soon enough,
the Mob enters into things, and our characters become entangled in various schemes, usually involving sex at one point or other. After the pilot (which spans an admittedly onerous hour and 25 minutes), our characters’ storylines soon begin to intersect. After the first episode, I was skeptical. The running theme about the transactional nature of sexual relationships was not established with subtlety, and if I didn’t trust Simon and Pelecanos because of their “Wire” bonafides, I wouldn’t still be watching. What makes “The Deuce” compelling is that it sets up these characters and what they supposedly represent, (i.e. cops: law and order), and then turns those ideas on their heads. There’s a great moment in the second episode, in which the officers at a precinct, after having rounded up and arrested a group of hookers fresh off the streets, buy them all Chinese food and they all eat outside in the courtyard. “Y’all better get inside, Lieu’s about five minutes out,” one of them suddenly calls. The group quickly files back into the station, the women careful to pick up and throw away the trash from their takeout. James Franco—I never thought I’d be saying this—is a standout as twin brothers Vincent and Frankie. They’re distinct, and he manages to create a rapport between the two that’s both hilarious and engaging. Thus far, the brothers, despite having their differences, have a good relationship and I’m
photo from imdb.com
looking forward to seeing it grow as the show progresses. Maggie Gyllenhaal shines as Candy, a prostitute who refuses to let a pimp control her. She works the streets in midtown Manhattan, returning occasionally to Queens to give money to her mother and see her son. Candy is notable for her independence and resoluteness to support herself. When asked, “Who’s your man?” Candy replies, “No man, just me... You gotta work a little harder, you gotta be a little more careful...but it works for me.” In a show obsessed with exploitation and the transactional nature of sex, it’s only fitting that pornography plays such a prominent part. In one scene in the second episode, the prostitute Darlene finds out that a pornographic film of her is being distributed
and sold without her knowledge. “I’m gonna look into it,” her pimp says, “Make sure we ain’t being took advantage of.” It’s obvious that he’s the one selling the films, but he’s not willing to admit it to her. This scene is indicative of what “The Deuce” is all about: the myriad ways that people can take advantage and are taken advantage of. It also asks questions about how money affects these kinds of exploitative relationships, and if it’s anything like “The Wire,” the answers will not be optimistic. However, the world is vividly established and the characters are compelling so that I look forward to coming back to this world on a weekly basis, to see what kind of tantalizing, deceptively wicked things “The Deuce” has in store.
‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ is a messy, gilded sequel that’s still pretty entertaining
By Jonah Koslofsky staff
It’s cliche at this point to dismiss a sequel as being “not as good as the first one.” However, in this case, it’s also the truth. The follow up to 2015’s massive sleeper hit “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” its follow-up, “The Golden Circle” is almost as big of a disappointment as its predecessor was a delight. The first “Kingsman” was a cohesive, fantastic homage to the over-the-top spy movies of yesterday, complete with an ass-kicking Colin Firth (clearly cast because he’s the last actor you’d expect to see in a movie like this) and a genuinely charismatic lead in newcomer Taron Egerton. The film moved at a brisk pace, the action was both absurd and well staged, and there was a constant confidence on display in the storytelling even as the humor constantly crossed the line between clever and obscene. But there was another, overthe-top action movie I loved from 2015: “Furious 7.” Today, the “Fast and Furious” franchise is the peak of dumb fun, and I have to admit I’ve become a fan. That’s not to say that I think the series is full of good quality films, but because watching these movies is just so damn entertaining. There’s a consistency: the story is stupid, the characters are stupid, and the action is stupid. Even the product placement is stupid, but at a certain point, the stupidity becomes
photo from website.com
a little charming. Sure, you’re laughing “at” the movie, but you’re still laughing. It’s this same principle that turned “The Room,” the “worst movie ever made,” into a cult classic. So if the first “Kingsman” had me laughing with it and “Furious 7” found me laughing at it, the problem with “The Golden Circle” is that it zigzags between the two, sometimes conjuring sincere enjoyment and other times showing something so dumb I just had to laugh. The plot is still a 21st century Bond affair, taking us all around the globe to stop Julianne Moore’s megalomaniacal drug lord. After the pains, the first
film went through to establish the Kingsman and it’s headquarters and cast, returning director Matthew Vaughn chooses to basically take us back to square one by killing a few characters and blowing up Kingsman HQ within the first half hour. This is actually Vaughn’s first sequel–and it shows. The director clearly has a knack for origin stories (take the first “Kingsman” or the excellent “X-Men: First Class”), but seems totally out of his element having to build on an already established story. In this case, it actually seems like the problem may have been that he built too much. Vaughn
revealed in a recent interview that the original cut of “The Golden Circle” was close to a whooping four hours. That’s crazy, and what it means is that the film had to be drastically edited and re-cut, which leads to a really jarring second act in which characters seemingly teleport from one side of the world to another, meet off camera for the first time, and a key romantic subplot is introduced far too early in the film and then basically forgotten. The pacing is still lightning fast, but this time it’s not because of a solid structure, it’s because a lot of filler was cut and a lot of the movie was re-ordered. There are a lot of parallels here with the most recent Bond movie, “Spectre”: a sequel that isn’t as good as it’s predecessor, has a long ski mountain sequence, and starts with an awesome opening action scene. Edgerton is still great as “Eggsy,” and unlike “Spectre,” “Kingsman” boasts a pretty fun, extended Elton John cameo, so you can eat your heart out and wash it down with a martini, James Bond. And while I’m on the positives of “Golden Circle,” I’ll say that the finale is also quite well done, but it’s only accomplished because the writers came up with an extremely stupid way to bring Colin Firth’s character back from the dead (oops, spoilers for Kingsman 1). Yet again, Firth is fantastic as a badass spy, but what isn’t fantastic is that his subplot involves amne-
sia, which feels like it could have been taken from the script of a soap opera. In the end, Firth’s arc had me laughing “at” it as much as “with” it. Finally, the politics, especially the gender politics of this film are really quite head-scratching, and by that I mean they’re just as weird as the original. Vaughn kills off the awesome, independent female agent Roxy in that opening act, and there’s a scene where Eggsy has to seduce a target, and it’s not quite ironic enough to stop it from being horribly sexist. Julianne Moore is very one note—yet another underwritten, well-acted performance—but it’s the way the film tries to tackle the War on Drugs that really comes up short. Basically, it seems to say that you should “just say no” but that “not all drug users are bad,” all while everyone consumes copious amounts of alcohol carefree. A compelling message and theme this is not. Don’t pay to see “Kingsman 2” in theaters. While I was laughing throughout, the movie couldn’t commit to being either so-badit’s-good or just plain good, and it’s the type of movie where the more I think about it after leaving the theater, the more it irks me. Maybe with one or two rewrites, the script could have been something great. But between the nonsensical editing, lack of cohesive structure and the weird politics, this movie’s just not as good as the first one.
16 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
September 29, 2017
BAASA’s Pan Asian Night brings together many cultures through food By Katie Decker-Jacoby editor
An array of cultural clubs, students and community members gathered on the patio of the Intercultural Center (ICC) to enjoy delicious delicacies at the Pan Asian Night on the evening of Monday, Sept. 18. Hosted by the Brandeis Asian American Students Association (BAASA), the event was advertised as an opportunity to chow down on free food, but it also introduced students to the numerous cultural clubs that Brandeis’ ICC has to offer, as well as new foods originating in different countries around the world. Students could interact with members from the Korean Student Association (KSA), South Asian Students Association (SASA), Southeast Asia Club (SEAC), Taiwanese Student Association (TSA), Japanese Student Association (JSA), Club Cantonese at Brandeis (C2B), Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection (BC3) and Brandeis African Student Organization (BASO). Each club had table space covered with delectable treats to share with all. KSA served crispy and mildly glazed fried chicken, SASA samosas, SEAC pork and chicken vermicelli noodles, TSA spring onion pancakes, JSA matcha ice cream, C2B beef noodle chow fun and stir-fried veggies, VSA grilled beef and vermicelli noodles, BC3 steamed buns (Bao Zi), BASO beef and vegetarian samosas, plantains and chapatis and last but not least, BAASA with Szechuan broccoli and crispy chicken. Students started lining up before 5:45 p.m., when the event was set to start at 6 p.m. One attendee even brought empty Tupperware containers to carry his Pan Asian Night finds. The event was supposed to end at 8 p.m., but some clubs ran out of food within the very first hour. During the event, JSA members walked down their line with a homemade frame that mimicked a Pinterest webpage for students to pose for a photo within the Pinterest frame. It included
JSA’s profile sharing an ice recipe and a button that said “Make It!” It was a sweet touch to accompany an even sweeter scoop of creamy, matcha ice cream. “We chose to serve green tea ice cream because it incorporates one of Japan’s famous tastes, green tea/ matcha, with a popular dessert— ice cream!” said JSA Secretary Tamami Horioka ’19. While I thoroughly enjoyed JSA’s ice cream, BAASA’s broccoli and TSA’s spring onion pancakes, I most enjoyed the event’s inclusive and lighthearted vibe. Pan Asian Night welcomed anyone and everyone, whether people came for the food, wanted to meet the clubs or simply wanted to hang out with friends and new faces. Lively music played through speakers and some danced along while waiting in line or serving food. “Since Asian American is such a broad term that spans a diverse range of people/cultures, we tried our best to serve food that has its roots in the various Asian cultures while still being a familiar dish to Americans,” explained BAASA President Wendy Yang ’19. For that reason, BAASA settled on serving Szechuan broccoli and crispy chicken, both of which trace back to Chinese culture. Yang was born in China, but immigrated to America when she was four years old. “I grew up in a household where we always ate dinner together, so I’ve always associated sharing food with others as a bonding activity. We wanted to create a fun and familial atmosphere, where people are encouraged to try new things they’ve never tried before,” said Yang. BASO served spicy beef and vegetarian samosas, plantains and chapatis, which are more commonly known as paratha in India, according to BASO President Carmela Belizaire ’20, who comes from Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. These foods are enjoyed by those in Swahili culture, especially in her home country. “The way to almost everyone’s heart is food. And this isn’t any different for African culture, whether within the continent or the diaspora. The act of coming together and eating
photos by katie decker-jacoby/the hoot
means that we are creating room for building and sustaining relationships with the people we eat with,” Belizaire said. “In a campus as diverse as Brandeis, there is a lot to learn, as far as cultures are concerned. And the Pan Asian Night gave us the chance to not only meet up with individuals, but also to get a sense of what ‘home’ is for them,” she added. For C2B, Pan Asian Night means presenting event goers with popular and comforting foods in Cantonese culture. The club served beef noodles and with stir-fried vegetables. “We try to provide as much
food as possible during our events for everyone, hoping to create a family-like atmosphere,” said C2B Vice President Amanda Huang ’19, who grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts and was influenced by the numerous Cantonese and Mandarin speakers. C2B is still a relatively new club, so it was excited to make its presence known on campus and spread Cantonese culture during Pan Asian Night. SEAC served pork and chicken vermicelli, referred to as “bun” in Vietnamese, due to its popularity in much of Southeast Asia. “Serving bun specifically demonstrated one country’s variation on a very
popular noodle and shows how the same noodles can take on unique styles,” said SEAC event co-coordinator Jennifer Taufan ’20. Taufan is from New York, but her parents immigrated from Indonesia. “Despite social and political differences in the world, almost everyone loves food,” she said. Taufan believes the Pan Asian night “provided the opportunity to show not only the cultural diversity throughout Asia by offering different types of food from every club, but also unity in coming together and enjoying a meal with old friends and new friends.”
HOOT SCOOPS:
Which arts event are you most looking forward to and why? “I’m most looking forward to the Department of Theater Arts’ ‘Fefu and Her Friends!’ It is a fantastic play and the production is going to be extremely accessible to all audiences!” -Emily Politi ’19
“I am looking forward to seeing Chak De. The dance group combines modern dance with Bollywood, which is so fun to watch and the people are so cool!” -Wyatt Emenaker ’19
“I am most looking forward to the Rose Fall Opening Celebration because I am a senior and I’ve never been.” -Michael Jiang ’18
“I’m looking forward to the Messiah Sing happening in December. I believe that this event brings together the community to share beautiful music and to enjoy and reflect on the positive atmosphere of the holiday season.” -Genevieve Brown ’20