The Brandeis Hoot 08/21/2015

Volume 12 Number 12

www.brandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

Union President Macklin ’16 prepared for new year

By Charlotte Aaron and Hannah Schuster editors

Nyah Macklin ’16 was sworn in as Student Union President on April 22 at the spring 2015 State of the Union address as Sneha Walia ’15 passed her the symbolic torch. With only several days until fall semester begins, Macklin spoke to The Brandeis Hoot about her plans for the upcoming year.

In an email interview with The Hoot, Macklin stated she is honored to have been elected president.

Macklin is proud of her ascension to

this role and eager to begin working in this new capacity with all facets of the Brandeis community. Macklin believes she must be “fearless” and “flexible” to be a strong president.

Macklin explained that, in order to accomplish her goals, a president “must be dedicated to advocating for the needs of her peers and able to work with student groups and administrators that might not share her same ideologies.”

“I want to bring our student body together across ethnic, religious and other lines that have divided our community in the past,” Macklin

said about her goals for the year.

These are issues that affect people on campus, around the country and around the world. Macklin believes that “the first step to understanding is communication. The first step to communication is recognition. The recognition, for example, that my life is equally as valuable as yours.”

As president, Macklin wants to encourage understanding and cooperation between communities on campus, communities “that have simply coexisted in the past.”

See UNION, page 2

photo by emily smith/the hoot

August 21, 2015

Brandeis welcomes new sustainability manager

By Mia Edelstein editor

With a priority of reducing Brandeis’ carbon footprint, Mary Fischer has become the new manager of sustainability programs.

Fischer, who started on July 6, sought out the position because the university’s “desire for building a strong sustainability program was very clear,” she said.

Brandeis’ first step in becoming more sustainable is decreasing its carbon footprint, according to Fischer.

There is much that the students and staff can do toward this end, one of which the university launched in July.

The summer’s Turn It Off days marked a turning point in the effort. Vice President for Campus Operations Jim Gray sent out campuswide emails on several “peak-demand days” that urged everyone on campus to curb their energy usage. Gray’s suggestions included closing shades and blinds to reduce building heat, unplugging all devices from wall outlets, and refraining from charging all portable devices. Interim President Lisa Lynch later reported the results from the inaugural Turn It Off day, July 20, by email, praising the campus’ 13 percent reduction in energy use, which was well beyond the administration’s expectations, though did not meet its goal of 20 percent.

While Turn It Off was not Fischer’s brainchild, she has been involved in the program and is especially knowledgeable about the technical reasons behind it. She explained that on highheat days, the energy that is generated is more carbon intensive. Because there is a higher demand for energy, especially as more people crank up their air conditioning, older and dirtier power plants, known as marginal units, must be fired up to meet the demand.

Despite making strides, Brandeis still faces challenges with sustainability. “Changing behavior is the hardest thing to do,” Fischer said. But she will not let that stop her. She plans to engage the campus in education and rely on students to be the force of change.

Fischer has long wanted to work with students. She had been an English tutor intermittently, but this will be her first opportunity to work with students long term. Already, she has met with students from Brandeis Climate Justice and is interested in working with them further. In the coming months, Fischer will be involved in establishing a formal sustainability committee, which will be composed of both students and faculty.

She also envisions collaborating with students more interested in the arts than the hard science of environ See FISCHER, page 2

union president nyah macklin Macklin at Student Union Inauguration in April.

Sexual assault training issued

By Andrew Elmers Editor

This past Tuesday, Aug. 18, the Office of Prevention Services sent out an invitation to the entire student body to complete an online sexual assault prevention training. In an email from Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon and Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness Sheryl Sousa, the sentiments of Louis Brandeis were invoked as the reason why the campus needs to be active in preventing sexual misconduct and make the campus safer for everyone.

Created by Get Inclusive, an organization that designs bystander intervention and sexual assault prevention trainings for colleges and organizations, the 20-30 minute module contains a series of short videos explaining aspects of consent, bystander prevention and sexual assault. Additionally, surveys, quizzes and short-answer questions are administered around different scenarios that might occur on a college campus. Although the survey portion was anonymous, students have to cre-

Inside this issue:

ate an account with Get Inclusive to complete the entire training, as well as accept the university’s statement regarding sexual violence, and receive a “Certificate of Completion,” which can be downloaded as a PDF. “The aim of the module is to provide baseline training on sexual misconduct to all new and returning students. Consistent with our goals and values, and to be in compliance with Clery Act regulations, this training provides our students with definitions of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking and consent,” McMahon said in an email statement to The Brandeis Hoot.

“We’re offering this online training as an introduction for everyone. After an extensive review of online trainings available, this training was selected because it allowed us to extensively customize our Brandeis-specific content; the company was very respectful of our concerns about avoiding the gender binary.”

The module includes many examples outside of the gender binary, as well as a discussion in the introduc See TRAINING page 4

News: Rooftop farm continues to grow Page 3 Arts, Etc.: Great classes sadly unpopulated Page 19 Opinions: Student Union needs structural reform Page 7 Sports: Athletes succeed in classroom Page 5 Editorial: Assault training is necessary step Page 12

photo from internet source

waltham group coordinators

Brandeis receives recognition for service

By Hannah Schuster editor

In its 2016 issue “The Best 380 Colleges,” The Princeton Review named Brandeis University the number one school for community service.

The Princeton Review surveyed students at hundreds of colleges to complete this ranking for the first time. Brandeis has long prid-

ed itself on its students’ commitment to community service, with its historic championing of social justice, an active Department of Community Service and about 20 community service organizations on to campus. One such club is The Waltham Group, with 20 specialized service groups under its umbrella. Brandeis also has a program by which students can log their service hours through their SAGE account. Students with a certain number

of hours receive the Commitment to Service Award medal to wear at graduation.

Many were proud to hear of The Review’s ranking. In an email to The Brandeis Hoot, Director of Community Service Lucas Malo stated, “I was honored that our students indicated that they were engaged in service during their time at Brandeis.” Ac-

Alumni shines

Roosevelt at ’Deis

Arts, Etc.: Page 20

Features: Page 14

Laoina Michelle (MFA ‘00) stars on Broadway production of ‘Amazing Grace’

See SERVICE, page 2

Reflection of Eleanor Roosevelt’s time and legacy at Brandeis

2 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

August 21, 2015

Student Union aims for more transparency From UNION, page 1

Other initiatives Macklin discussed in her email include a new website for the Student Union and improved student understanding of budgetary matters. Macklin explained that Grady Ward ’16, who was Student Representative to the Board of Trustees last year, spent the summer working in conjunction with Macklin and all members of the Student Union to craft a new and improved Union website set to launch by the first week of classes.

Macklin has also been working with Stephen Costa, Brandeis’ budget analyst, “to understand the Union and the university’s budgets and budgetary constraints.” She plans to be very involved in the budgeting process this year. One of Macklin’s goals is to work with the Allocations Board, a group that is part of the Union, to publish budget matters online so that students are aware of how university funds, including their tuition, is being spent.

“This is incredibly necessary to mend the relationships between the Union, the administration, students, alumni and donors,” said Macklin.

During her speech at the State of the Union address this past April, Macklin focussed on her desire to break down barriers between stu-

photo by emily smith/the hoot

student union sworn in

dents and the administration. She believes it is the Union’s responsibility to keep students informed of administrator’s activity. The Hoot then reported that Macklin believes much of student frustration with administrators comes from a deficit of understanding of the university’s plans and processes.

Also at the State of the Union, Macklin expressed her belief that, when they are able to, students ought to make their voices heard when it comes to major university decisions.

In her most recent email to The Hoot,

Macklin discussed the Presidential Search Committee, affirming that she will keep herself updated on the process. Walia and the student representatives to the Board of Trustees have been in contact with Macklin, and Macklin has attended meetings open to the Union or the entire student body.

On Thursday, Aug. 20, students received an email from Larry Kanarek, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, detailing the committee’s progress thus far. He announced that conversations with applicants began

this month and will continue during the fall.

Macklin hopes to become even more involved with the presidential search in the coming months.

Macklin advises students to “follow the Student Union website … for updates regarding the presidential search as well as the inner workings, accomplishments and setbacks of the Union.” Macklin is determined to make this a great year for Brandeis.

She is honest: “I am not perfect. I will not claim to be. But I am real. And I understand how important this work

is.” Macklin seeks to foster communication between all those who make up the Brandeis community.

Macklin, who formerly served as class of 2016 senator, is an African and Afro-American Studies major.

She is a member of the Ethics Center Advisory Committee and the Richman Fellow Selection Committee.

Macklin has participated in many theater productions at Brandeis including Brandeis Ensemble Theater (BET) and Brandeis Players’ “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf.”

New sustainability manager brings a wealth of experience From FISCHER, page 1

mentalism. As the founder of the Yale Environmental Film Festival, now in its seventh year, Fischer has experience in broadening the sustainability conversation to include communities who might otherwise see little connection between themselves and sustainability.

Part of the sustainability conversation on campus, divestment is not formally part of Fischer’s job description, despite being a central feature of the sustainability field. The senior administration and the Board of Trustees, not Fischer, are the ones who can divest the university from fossil fuel companies if they choose to do so.

However, she was clear that the rest of the Brandeis community can take action in protest. “The fastest way to send fossil fuel companies a message is to use less energy and show that we do not support the unbridled usage of their product,” Fischer explained.

Another possible solution to the university’s carbon output is solar panel installation. Panels on on Gosman Sports and Convocation Center and the Charles River Apartment roofs have begun to supply power to campus. But Fischer noted that rushing to put up panels across campus is not feasible. A solar installation’s typical lifespan is 20 years, so the administration must take it into consideration which buildings will re-

main standing and for the most part unchanged for the next two decades, according to Fischer. The university is in the process of investigating roofs whose future do not conflict with the campus’ master plan and will label those priority locations for potential solar panels. However, even if solar panels covered every roof, they could not produce enough energy to power all of Brandeis, said Fischer.

Fischer has a long history in sustainability. Before arriving at Brandeis, she worked for the yogurt companies Stonyfield and Dannon, managing their greenhouse gas accountability system. The system generated an individual carbon footprint for every product that the companies

create, so she tracked all of the impacts a product had on greenhouse gases. “I knew everything about the product, from what the cows ate on the farm, to where to the fruit is grown, to how the farm ingredients travel to the factory, to where the products end up,” Fischer said. She was a sort of internal consultant who kept track of the companies’ environmental impact and played an activist role by making recommendations so that product decreased their carbon footprint.

Brandeis has not had a permanent sustainability coordinator since 2012, but Fischer’s hiring is indicative of the university’s commitment to make sustainability a bigger priority.

photo from internet source

Community service, strong tradition at Brandeis From SERVICE, page 1

cording to Malo, students log around 60,000 hours of service each year, though he estimates the actual total is much higher, as not all students log their hours. The Department of Community service operates according to the motto, “Within Community Comes Unity.”

“Our [community service] programs are sustainable and most importantly student-led from start to finish,” Malo reflected. He explained that community service allows students to gain experience with real-world problems and solutions. He believes that students learn valuable lessons and develop strong values through service.

He continued to state that, “There is no quintessential service at Brandeis, as each program is unique, but at each core is a desire to learn, grow and genuine care for being actively engaged.”

Malo and leaders of community

service groups at Brandeis agree that student volunteers are passionate about their work and that community service is integral to the Brandeis experience.

“Just seeing the passion some people have has inspired me to do more and work harder both as a volunteer and as a leader,” said Kaiwen Chen ’16, co-president of the Waltham Group in an email to The Hoot.

The Waltham Group is the largest community service organization at Brandeis, with 20 service groups under its umbrella. These programs range from General Tutoring, which partners Brandeis tutors with Waltham-area students, to SPECTRUM, which connects Brandeis students with children with disabilities in one-on-one and group settings, to the Prospect Hill Kids Club, which helped organize the redevelopment of a Waltham community center and after school program. According to Chen, the Waltham Group has around 1,600 volunteers.

Chen has enjoyed his experience with the Waltham Group from his

first year onward. “I really felt like I was part of something great,” said Chen of his experience with other volunteers and the Department of Community Service. He feels the Waltham Group provides students with great opportunities to give back.

Chen believes Brandeis students feel connected to members of the campus community and to the broader communities of Waltham, Boston and beyond, and as such students value giving back. He wrote, “Community service is so important to the students here because they have a sense of understanding and empathy with people of all backgrounds, which only further integrates the campus together.”

Rebecca Siegel ’16 is the director of another major service group, the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo). She described her experience with the organization in an email to The Hoot. BEMCo is a student-run volunteer emergency medical service. All volunteers are certified emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and BEMCo offers necessary

EMT training. BEMCo has around 65 volunteers. These students are on 24hour shifts and will drop everything to respond quickly to calls.

“Being surrounded by people who are just as passionate about serving the community as you are is motivating and inspiring,” she said. “When we get called out of bed at 3 a.m., we work together in a way that shows our dedication to the Brandeis community.”

Siegel believes The Princeton Review’s ranking highlights the dedication and zeal of Brandeis students.

“Brandeis students today do a great job of reaching out to the community around them,” said Siegel of the Brandeis, Waltham and global communities.

Other major service groups include Students to End Alzheimer’s Disease (SEAD), which hosts events to promote awareness and fundraise for the Alzheimer’s Association. Brandeis Global Brigades organizes an annual trip to Honduras where students provide humanitarian and medical aid to several communities. Brandeis

Encourages Women in Science and Engineering (Be WiSE) aids women entering scientific fields through mentorship. The Ripple Effect promotes happiness through random acts of kindness they hope will inspire a ripple effect. Other groups include English Language Learning, Colleges Against Cancer, Mitzvah Corps and many more.

Many in the Brandeis community are celebrating this recent distinction. Chen affirmed that what matters most is “the passion and dedication that the students have, and the feeling of knowing that we’re impacting the world around us in a positive way.”

Both he and Siegel stated the news of The Princeton Review’s ranking would motivate their organizations to work even harder.

Other schools included in the top ten are Loyola University Maryland, Boston College, Creighton University, Tulane University, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Loyola Marymount University, Pitzer College, the College of William and Mary and Pepperdine University at number 10.

August 21, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot

NEWS

3

Farmers’ Club ready for new school year

By Hannah Schuster editor

In spring of 2015, the Brandeis Farmers’ Club established a farm on the roof of the Gerstenzang Science Library. The farm has flourished over the summer, and the club has several plans for the upcoming semester.

The farm began as a final project in Prof. Laura Goldin’s (AMST/ ENV/HSSP) class Greening the Ivory Tower, but students went further and applied for $30,000 through the Brandeis Sustainability Fund (BSF) to build the rooftop farm. Students founded the Farmers’ Club and organized construction of the farm in the final weeks of the spring 2015 semester and hosted one farmers’ market.

Ten vendors sold goods and student groups performed at the market, drawing over 500 students, according to a Brandeis Hoot article from April.

In an email to The Hoot, Goldin expressed that she is pleased to watch her students take the farm project beyond the classroom, writing, “I helped to guide them in working through the difficult early stages, and can now happily cheer them on and mentor if needed.”

As The Hoot reported in March, the Farmers’ Club constructed raised-beds out of milk crates. They employed a drip-irrigation system to sustain the flowers, fruits and vegetables planted on the rooftop. Over the summer, volunteers maintained the farm, which continued to grow.

Jay Feinstein ’17 and Allison Marill ’17, two co-founders of the farm, discussed the farm and the Farmers’ Club’s plans for the upcoming year with The Hoot.

“The farm transforms a vast, underutilized space and improves student access to healthy, local food,” Marill said. A formerly empty rooftop is now home to a farm, allowing students to grow fresh produce in the middle of their college campus, which resides in a relatively urban area. Furthermore, Marill hopes the farm will “offset the greenhouse gases and fertilizers used in the cultivation and transportation of our food.” Marill also wants the farm to spark valuable discussion among students and encourage them to continue eating locally in the future. She explained the farm is “community space” that allows students to learn about sustainable agriculture.

Through the hard work of the Farmers’ Club E-board and over 100 volunteers, the farm sprung up in April. Over the summer, the Farmers’ Club used a portion of their grant to contract Green City Growers, a local company that assists with urban agriculture projects. They led weekly farm hours during which volunteers helped plant, weed and harvest. Brandeis students on campus for the summer and highs school students participating in Brandeis summer programs volunteered with Green City Growers. This summer, the Farmers’ Club also began a community-supported agriculture (CSA) Program, where one can purchase a share and receive produce from the farm each week. Full shares are $400 for the year, and half shares are $200.

When the school year begins, the club will continue farm volunteer sessions on Fridays, allowing students to engage personally with the farm.

“I have found it incredible to see the vegetables grow, but it’s not just me.

brandeis rooftop garden

It’s been even more incredible to see the positive responses we have received from the Brandeis Community.” club president Feinstein said.

The Farmers’ Club also plans to operate two farmers’ markets in October and to host events such as a pumpkin carving and educational “Picnics with a Purpose.” The club will continue the CSA program as well as donate to organizations such as Grandma’s Pantry, Jewish Family & Children’s Ser-

photo from internet source

vice and local low-income residents.

They will also offer some produce to volunteers.

Feinstein hopes the farm will encourage everyone to,“think more carefully about the food they eat and the processes that go into growing it.

There is no reason to ship produce across the country when it can be grown in our backyards and rooftops.” Feinstein stresses that the farm encourages students, staff and faculty

to work together, toward the “common cause” of a thriving, sustainable farm.

Goldin believes the farm is beautiful space and a way to grow food for the campus community and those in need.

She notes that the farm “helps capture rainwater and prevent runoff, reduces CO2 and offers excellent opportunities for building community, teaching, physical activity and simply

Hackett appointed as vice provost for research

By Jess Linde Editor

Brandeis has named Edward J. Hackett—a professor at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University since 2005 and editor of the “Science, Technology & Human Values” journal—as the new vice provost for research. A career scholar of sociology and social change, Hackett earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Cornell. First announced for the position in June of 2015, Hackett has been working part time in the position since the beginning of August and will transfer to a full-time position on Jan. 1, 2016.

As the vice provost for research, Hackett works in close proximity with Brandeis’ academic deans and department heads, in order to enhance “significant” research done at the university. “The high-level responsibility is to promote inquiry,” Hackett said in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot.

“That, and promoting inquiry that is specific to Brandeis, which is inquiry that engages pressing issues and publics and involves learning at all levels.”

Some specific duties are still decided as the school year begins, Hackett said. “But because mine is a relatively new position, I can feel it out more and figure out what I am going to do in the long run,” he added.

“Advancing the scope and visibility of our research enterprise is a vital part of Brandeis’ mission as a research university,” Brandeis Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Irving R. Epstein told Brandeis Now in June.

Hackett was drawn to Brandeis because of his academic background and interests. “[Brandeis] lives at the intersection of what I am most in-

sun devil

photo from internet source

Hackett joins Brandeis from Arizona State University

terested in: learning, education and engagement with social publics,” he said. “And Brandeis, unlike any other university I can think of, marries high-end research and education across all levels and infuses it with a real commitment to social justice …

I think that is exactly what education ought to be.”

Before coming to Brandeis, Hack-

ett made his name in social circles through his work in sociology. Hackett is particularly interested in “synthesis,” a field of sociological study that focuses on how communities live and work in synthesis with one another, similar to a natural ecosystem. This intersectional study allows behavior to be studied and categorized at a higher scale, according to

Hackett.

Hackett is also interested in teaching at Brandeis, possibly at the Heller School. “There are two proposed courses I have been thinking about: one about technology and society and how the two have evolved in a parallel way,” Hackett said. “The other I’d like to teach, that’s sort of my signature course, is about equity and sustain-

ability, which I have taught for the past six or seven years at ASU.” This course examines the intersection and reconciliation of human development and new global equity movements, he said. Hackett expressed excitement for the possibilities brought from working at Brandeis and is looking forward to meeting and interacting with the Brandeis community.

NEWS

4 The Brandeis Hoot

From TRAINING, page 1

tory video of how it will be mostly avoided, but warns how it might be present at some points in the training. Additionally, a trigger warning is present at the beginning of the training module.

“They provide not only a report but also the raw data about our students’ experience with the training, which is critical to our ongoing discernment process regarding the most effica-

August 21, 2015

Office of Prevention Services issues sexual assault prevention training

cious way for us to provide training to our community in ways that reflect our values of social justice and inquiry,” McMahon shared in her email.

This connects to the original email sent to the entire campus community about why this training is necessary.

Also in the community-wide email was the mention of this training being mandatory, stating that it would have to be completed by Aug. 27, the first day of classes. McMahon, however, softened this requirement in her

email to The Hoot. She mentioned that students who do not complete this training from Get Interactive by Aug. 27 will be invited to participate in another form of campus training. These forms include “bystander education (led by peer Bystander Trainers); workshops on consent and healthy relationships (coordinated by the RCC student staffers and advocates) and combined sexual assault prevention / alcohol education with Noel Coakley [a counselor at the

PCC] and me.”

The Office of Prevention Services sent out a campus climate survey in April of last semester that featured a thorough inquiry into what students think of sexual misconduct and how to react to situations. This data is still being analyzed, according to McMahon, so it did not affect the nature of this training. The Office of Prevention Services though did refer to information from a Spring 2014 survey administered to students that showed

that Brandeis students were interested in receiving more sexual violence prevention training.

“It is not possible to predict how the training will impact the handling of sexual misconduct cases in the future, but I hope that the survey data from this online training will help us better understand students’ attitudes and experiences so that we can continue to develop our adjudication processes to meet the needs of our students,” McMahon concluded.

photo from internet source

Swimming and diving team gains new coach

By Lily Wageman Special to the Hoot

As Brandeis Athletics enters a new year and new season, the swim team welcomes Eric Thurston as the new assistant coach and aquatics director.

Thurston brings with him impressive prior experience as a collegiate swimmer and coach.

At Roger Williams University he was an All-New England performer, where he earned a B.A. in Classics.

During his collegiate years he was a two-time New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) champion in the 100 yard breaststroke. He also holds the Hawks’ records in the 50, 100, and 200 yard breaststroke and was part of the school-record 400 medley relay team.

In an email to The Brandeis Hoot, Thurston said that the proudest moment of his coaching career was on his last day at his first job, when one of his 10 and Under swimmers ran up to him after practice and told him not to go because he was “the best coach ever.” Thurston said that this moment “reaffirmed that I was working in a field that I love, and that is something I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Currently Thurston is completing his Master’s in Kinesiology and Sports Science from the University of South Dakota, where he served as

assistant coach last year, helping the Coyotes finish fourth at the Summit League Conference championship.

Thurston has spent this summer at the University of Texas Longhorns Swim Camp and has coached at the Club and Masters levels.

So what are Thurston’s expectations for the Judges this year? Thurston is aware of the university’s rigorous academics; one of the reasons he chose to apply for the position was for “the opportunity to work with students who are able to get work done in the classroom and in the pool.” He knows it’s a hard job balancing the life of a student-athlete and expects his athletes to get their studying done

photo from internet source

coach eric thurston

first in order to practice and compete at a high level. He advises that time management “is imperative to having a successful athletic career.”

“First, commit yourself to excellence both in and out of the pool,” said Thurston. “Second, go to a university or college that you can see yourself at if the swimming and diving team didn’t exist. Being able to find yourself outside of the pool is a crucial step in growing up.”

During practices and meets, Thurston likes a loud and competitive atmosphere and wants his athletes to get better each and every day. He believes that swimming is a process-oriented sport and wants the swimmers and divers to “have an itch to always be better than they were yesterday.”

Our swimmers and divers shouldn’t be too intimidated by his high expectations, though. Thurston also describes himself as the type who loves to laugh and smile and encourages all his swimmers to enjoy their time in the water. He acknowledges that swimming can be a monotonous sports and that “cracking a joke between sets can be just as vital as [an athlete’s] time spent swimming.”

Thurston’s enthusiasm and passion for swimming and coaching is unmistakable as he heads into his first season as assistant swim coach for the Brandeis swimming and diving team. The Judges have their first meet on Oct. 17 at Wheaton College.

linsey pool

photo from internet source

August 21, 2015

SPORTS Athletes show their academic valor

By Sarah Jousset editor

Four Brandeis student-athletes have been named to the 2015 University Athletic Association Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team. This marks the seventh annual UAA Presidents Council Scholar team, which is comprised of 92 student-athletes from all eight UAA member universities across 12 men’s and 10 women’s sports. In order to qualify for this honor a student-athlete must earn first team All-Association honors and carry a 3.50 or greater cumulative grade point average during the athlete’s season.

Three rising seniors and one recent graduate earned that honor for the Judges. The students-athletes to receive the honor are Noah Berman ’15 from Palo Alto, California; Jake Picard ’16 from Suffield, Connecticut; Mathilde Robinson ’18 of Miami, Florida; and Kelsey Whitaker ’16 of Kingston, Massachusetts.

Noah Berman is a foil fencer for the men’s fencing team. Berman was an NCAA championship qualifier as a junior and tied for the top finish at the NCAA Northeast Regional championships his senior year. In addition to excelling athletically he graduated from Brandeis with a 3.53 GPA and a degree in sociology and minors in business and French and

Francophone studies.

Jake Picard was another to receive this honor. As a midfielder for the men’s soccer team, Picard started in all of the 21 games he played in last season, as well as contributing three goals on the season, one of which was a game-winning goal. The men’s soccer team finished their 2014 season with a record of 19-3-1 and reached the quarterfinals in the NCAA Division III tournament, finishing their season in the top eight. Picard has a 3.73 GPA, with a double major in Health: Science, Society and Policy and Psychology.

Mathilde Robinson ’16, a midfielder for the women’s soccer team, started in the 20 games she played in during the season. Robinson, contributing mostly on the defensive end, was part of the 2014 women’s team which reached the second round of the NCAA tournament before elimination, and finished the season with a record of 13-5-2. The women’s soccer team reached the NCAAs for the second time in the 2014 season in three years. Robinson carries a 3.59 GPA as a double major in business and psychology.

As a sophomore, Kelsey Whitaker ’16 reached the NCAA tournament twice, and as a junior participated three times in the NCAA Division III championships. Her junior year, Whitaker ran the 6K at the NCAA championship in cross country, the mile at the NCAA championship for indoor track, and the 1,500-meter

WINNING: Track athlete Kelsey Whitaker is a winner on and off the track.

run in outdoor track and field. At the outdoor track and field NCAA tournament, Whitaker placed 10th in her heat and 20th overall in the 1,500 meter run. To add to her list of accomplishments, Whitaker was also runner up in the 1,500 meter run at

the 2015 ECACs with a personal best of 4:33.19, and the week of May 20 Whitaker was named women’s track athlete of the week. Off the track, Whitaker is a biology and Health: Science, Society and Policy double major with a 3.50 GPA.

The Brandeis Hoot 5

photo by firstname lastname/the hoot

These athletes have excelled on and off the field and have earned the honor of each being named one of 92 athletes in the UAA conference to be named to the 2015 University Athletic Association Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team.

Tennis competes at Intercollegiate Tennis Association

By Julie Landy Editor

The weekend of July 11, six members of the Brandeis women’s tennis team met at Wellesley College for an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) summer circuit tournament.

Incoming Brandeis first-year Olivia Leavitt ’19 entered the tournament with a draw of 64, seeded six, but feel to NCAA Division 1 University of Connecticut player Zaina Zaki with an impressive score of 6-3, 6-3.

Sarita Biswas ’16, team captain, and Maya Vasser ’16 had strong first-round match wins, but lost to tough competitors in the second round. Madison Stevens, third seed

and player for Cornell University, defeated Vassar with a score of 6-1, 6-4.

Vasser was tight with Stevens nearing the end of the second set, but was not able to pull out the win.

Stevens went on to defeat Charlotte Aaron ’18, deputy news editor of The Brandeis Hoot, with a score of 6-1, 6-2 in the round of 16. Brandeis first-year Michelle Lehat ’19 also made it to the round of 16 after two solid wins, but was defeated by Georgetown player Sophie Barnard 6-1, 6-1.

Emily Eska ’16 lost first round to Georgetown player Casey Marx with a strong score of 6-3, 6-4. While Eska was able to bring many of the games to deuce, the no-add scoring did not help her efforts to win as she ultimately lost many deuce points.

Brandeis had three teams entered in the doubles draw. Eska and Vasser fell to the one seed doubles team 8-1

in their first round Leavitt and Lehat, both incoming first-years, seeded fourth in the tournament and faced fellow Brandeis teammates and third doubles team Aaron and Biswas in the first round.

Aaron and Biswas came out on top with a score of 8-5.

The doubles team proceeded to win in the quarterfinals with a score of 8-6 and move on to face the two seed team, Cornell’s third doubles team, in the semifinals. In a close match, Aaron and Biswas fell 8-6 to the Cornell team.

Overall, the weekend proved to be successful for Brandeis tennis players, with two players making it into the round of 16 in the singles draw, and one doubles team making into the semifinals.

Leading into the 2015-2016 season, Brandeis women’s tennis is off

! t o o H a Give

photo from internet source

AND THEY’RE OFF: Tennis opened a promising season this summer

to a strong start. With the help of five dedicated and talented incoming

first-years, the team looks to be heading into a competitive year of tennis.

Join th e Hoot !

! s t r o p S Write for Email eic@brandeishoot.com

SPORTS

6 The Brandeis Hoot

August 21, 2015

Men’s soccer gears up for exciting season

By Sarah Jousset Editor

After finishing the 2014 season in the top eight, eliminated in the quarterfinals of the NCAA championships, the men’s soccer team took the field this Wednesday in anticipation of their 2015 season.

Last season the men’s soccer team went 19-3-1, which took them to the quarterfinals of the NCAA championships. This success earned them a preseason ranking of #7 in the NCAA Division III. The preseason ranking is decided by the National Soccer Coaches Athletic Association, and based on the previous season’s successes. Coach Coven commented, “It is always an honor to be ranked highly, but I don’t think the rankings put any extra pressure on the guys.

They are a team with high hopes and goals without any other rankings.”

Nine seniors graduated from the team last year, including captains Tyler Savonen and Michael Soboff.

Coach Coven commented on his unbelievably talented group of seniors, stating, “Last year’s senior class was special. Not just the guys who played big minutes, but the class as a whole was incredibly dedicated and focused

and it really rubbed off on everyone else.” Savonen was a forward for the Judges who earned 2014 UAAA Player of the Year and NSCAA 1st team All American. Soboff, a midfielder for the Judges, will play professional soccer in Israel this coming year. Goalkeeper Joe Graffy was named an All American by D3Soccer.com. However, after losing all that talent, Coach Coven is excited for the new season ahead, “Last year we had a really special season … We will approach this year with the idea that this is a different team that is hungry to write its own chapter in Brandeis soccer, just like last year’s did.”

The team started Wednesday, morning bright and early towards a new season with new players and new goals. Apart from the ultimate goal of winning the NCAA tournament this year, the team looks to “work hard to get better every day, both on and off the field.” The team will return eight starters and several other contributors from the 2014 season. However, the coach looks to “integrate new faces into the program and the team.”

Coach Coven isn’t concerned with the lost of talented seniors like Soboff and Savonen, because “every year for the past five or six seasons we have lost a

group of really talented players and it’s always interesting watching who will step up and fill those voids that the seniors will have left.”

To start the Judges off this season, returning players Jake Picard ’16, Conor Lanahan ’16 and Robbie Lynch ’16 have been named captains for the 2015 season. This group of young men have all the qualifications to lead this team; Picard has started every game he has played in since his first year, including 21 games last season, and was named to the 2015 UAA Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team; Lanahan was named NSCAA

I

All American last year and 2014 National DIII Soccer Defensive Player of the Year; and Lynch will be a returning captain with a year as a leader under his belt already, as well as putting up impressive numbers last season in his 23 games started. In addition to three well equipped captains, Coach Coven will look to returning players like Josh Ocel ’17 and Zach Vieira ’17, who contributed vital minutes last season, to help lead the team back to the NCAA tournament again this year.

Coven expressed immense confidence in his team, with regard to

everyone from his captains to the incoming first-years. “It is always interesting with who is ready to compete and contribute right away and who might need a little bit more time … but overall we are very excited about this class and their potential to really be great members of Brandeis and Brandeis Soccer,” commented Coven in regards to his incoming players.

Coach Coven and the Brandeis men’s soccer team gear up for an exciting season ahead of them. Their first game is at home on Sept. 1 against Bridgewater State University starting at 7 p.m.

t’s always interesting to see who will step up to fill those voids that the seniors have left.”

– Coach Mike Coven

MEET THE TEAM: Last year’s varsity soccer squad.

photo from internet source

Next Week in Brandeis Athletics Tuesday, September 1:

Saturday, September 5:

Volleyball v. Babson at Colby-Sawyer Volleyball at Colby-Sawyer Women’s Soccer at MIT Men’s Soccer v. Bridgewater State

Women’s Cross Country at Roger Williams Invitational

Friday, September 4: Women’s Soccer at Lassel Volleyball v. Johnson & Wales Volleyball v. Wellesley Men’s Socer v. Hardin-Simmons at San Antonio, TX

Men’s Cross Country at Roger Williams Invitational Volleyball v. Endicott Volleyball v. Southern Me. Men’s Soccer at Trinity (TX)

OPINIONS

August 21, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot 7

Make the most of orientation

By Zach Phil Schwartz editor

It is an emotional time when Brandeis students cross South Street for the first time to begin their college careers. The experience is nerve-wracking for parents as well as students, who are moved into their residence halls for the first time. For all first-years, move-in day marks the end of an era and the beginning of another, bridged by the oft-overlooked orientation.

As the chaos of move-in day subsides and parents say their final goodbyes, orientation commences, ushering in a period that in the past has earned mixed favorability from students. Intended as a transition period for first-years to get used to college life, receive valuable information and socialize, orientation accomplishes its goal—for those who do not get lost in the shuffle.

Some first-years undertake long and arduous journeys just to get to Brandeis, where they all embark on an even longer and more arduous journey. It is not fair to expect everyone to be totally awake and open to all that orientation has to offer. It is unreasonable to expect all new students to want to hit the ground running, fully comprehending the emotions involved in embarking on

photo from internet source

their journeys. Some students are understandably afraid while others are simply too tired to function properly after an exhausting day of getting to campus, waiting to move in, actually moving in and saying goodbyes. Others lose interest in what orientation has to offer, which is an issue that the

Core Committee is able to address.

Along with the orientation leaders, the Orientation Core Committee does amazing work in putting together this transition week year after year.

Despite all of this hard work, some first-years find themselves disinterested in what the week has to offer.

The reasons for these students’ lack of interest vary, but they all miss out on the important things the week has to offer. For whatever reasons, many students feel lost and overwhelmed by the process and decide to stop attending orientation events, like the spirit rally and book discussion.

These events aren’t just thrown in to waste time; they’re there to foster a sense of community and educational discussion among new students who do not know each other.

See ORIENTATION, page 9

Student Union club process needs reform

By Kevin Healy editor

The beginning of the academic year brings with it new enthusiasm and excitement among our students, and nothing is more representative of Brandeis student life than our club system. With over 250 organizations on campus, student organizations are the primary mechanism for students to get involved on campus and in the community. For many students, the current club offerings on campus are sufficient to help them find their passion, but every year multiple new clubs go through the club creation process. With all the rhetoric on campus about finding our passion and self-development, it would seem that creating a new club would be easy.

Unfortunately, however, that’s not the case.

Every step of the club chartering process is needlessly complicated and often controlled capriciously by Student Union senators. The official Student Union club creation guide lists 13 necessary steps to get a club recognized, many of which are very detailed. As a potential chartered club, you must have a yearlong plan, attend a series of meetings with various Student Union members (by my count, three is the minimum, but it regularly takes more than that), and signatures of 135 students. It often takes up to a semester to get a club chartered, and then once chartered, clubs often have to wait another semester before receiving funding.

The only reason I’ve ever heard for holding such a complicated process is saving money. People assume that if we allow more clubs to incorporate, then we’ll run out of money to sponsor all the clubs we currently have.

The adversarial nature of Allocations Board meetings, where it seems that clubs need to compete for scarce re-

photo from internet source

sources, is probably to blame for a large portion of that fear. The truth— which is one of the Student Union’s best held secrets—is that there is no shortage of cash. Most years the Student Union collects more money from tuition fees then they give out in club support, and as of last year they had built up a fund of tens of thousands of dollars of excess money.

A-Board could give away more money than it does; we have no shortage of cash. There is no resource crisis to justify the complicated process the Student Union has created.

Instead, what this process means is that the Student Union is open to all forms of nepotism, corruption and old-fashioned rudeness. Senators know that they alone control club funding, and also know there is

no real mechanism to remove them from power. Most initial meetings are done one-on-one, and Student Union senators are often asked to evaluate potential clubs on such nebulous formula as “similarities to other clubs” or “community fit.” In practice, this means that the Student Union acts with no oversight. The success of the club creation process instead often depends on which senator you happen to meet with or how many friends you have in the senate.

In addition, though, even in cases where the Student Union acts properly, the club support process can be problematic. By forcing potential club leaders to jump through so many hoops, we dissuade our students from even exploring the process. With endless bureaucracy, we artificially

limit our students’ potential.

A more efficient system would see the Student Union slashing back its club requirements to only the essential aspects of the system. Firstly, we need to include the forms required by law or university regulation, such as the anti-hazing or discrimination forms. Secondly, we need to ensure some basic amount of support for and interest in the club, such as requiring five to 10 interested members for the group. And finally, we need to make sure club leaders have the support they need by connecting them with the club leaders listserv and SUMS account. All the other steps are unnecessary. Most importantly, we shouldn’t allow the Student Union to vote on accepting new clubs that meet all their requirements. By allowing

them to vote, all we do is encourage political gridlock or corruption while not doing anything to improve the quality of our clubs. These reforms would make the system cleaner, easier and more functional for students.

The Student Union is already largely regarded as inefficient, and its impacts on student life in most ways are minor. In terms of club recognition and resource allocation, however, the Student Union has a complete monopoly. We can’t let the Student Union operate without oversight, especially when their byzantine regulations limit the ability of our students to truly pursue their passions. Justice Brandeis once said that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it’s time to focus that sunlight on the Student Union’s club support system.

8 The Brandeis Hoot

OPINIONS

August 21, 2015

Students can find inspiration from others

By Andrew Elmers editor

In the midst of packing for my return to school and relishing the last few days I had to spend at home with my family, the Civil Rights leader Julian Bond passed away. Learning about what happened through all the different media outlets, news of his death was also mentioned on the official Brandeis Twitter account. While at first I wondered why exactly this was relevant to Brandeis, diving further into some of the links led me to realize that he had visited our campus only a few months prior as a Richman Fellow.

I recall passing by a few posters announcing his visit and the subsequent talk he was going to give and really thought nothing of it at the time. I was busy with classwork and other extracurriculars, so I didn’t bother to take the time to listen to him speak or even look into who this guy was and what he was doing here. Merely noticing that he shared his last name with one of the best characters of cinematic history, I would stroll past the posters on my way to class or the library.

Only after his passing did I learn of Bond’s contribution to our country. Part of the collective struggle to gain civil rights for African Americans during the 1960s, Bond was one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while still a student in college. Beyond being ashamed that I didn’t give myself the opportunity to hear Bond speak when he was on campus, I grew amazed by the amount of work

photo from internet source

he put into advancing the cause of civil rights at such a young age.

Adding onto the work he did for SNCC and the Civil Rights Movement, Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives at the age of 25, achieving something that completely amazes me, only four years younger now than

he was then.

So many times in my travels across Wikipedia, I’ve come across people who have accomplished great things who are younger than me. Be it 16-year-olds who compete in the Olympics or 18-yearolds who have recorded their own critically-acclaimed albums, I

wind up feeling insignificant for being like any other 21-year-old who’s going to college. Yet there’s a certain sense of perspective that needs to be taken into account when exposed to these prodigies, which isn’t meant to put other people down.

Instead, as college students we

should look to these folk as inspiration to complete our dreams and goals. Someone like Julian Bond should be looked at as the reason we should still try to make the world a better place despite what our age might say or the ob See BOND, page 13

Orientation for all

By Jacob Edelman editor

Each person comes away from Orientation with something different. Brandeis Orientation often brings to mind spirit rallies, Dean Jamele Adams’ slam poetry, inspirational talks by administrators and authors, glorious sunsets as the campus undergoes the last days of summer and even not-so-glorious sex-ed talks. Orientation is designed to launch hundreds of new students into an unfamiliar campus life. For many students, Orientation serves as the first few days that they’ve spent living away from family. No matter who experiences it, Orientation undoubtedly leads to a world of firsts.

My Orientation story was quite positive and greatly fulfilling, and I often think of those days last August as some of the best of my life. They were filled with a whirlwind of fun, team-building and social justice-instilling activities, which led me to go into the new year with my eyes and arms wide open, ready and excited for whatever came next. It was during the first days of Orientation that I met some of my very best friends, and it was during the same span that I began to develop a real love for the college that I choose to attend.

Importantly, Orientation reinforced in many of us a driving spirit for social justice. I chose to attend Brandeis because I heartily

identified with its spirit of social progress, of change and of a fearless attitude about holding serious discussions and confronting local and global issues. Some claim that the spirit of social justice at our institution was lost years ago, but I have seen differently. It is

alive and thriving in so many of the students.

Orientation reawakened a spirit within me, and is designed largely to awaken a spirit in all first-years.

I believe, however, that Orientation does not have to serve solely as a first-year institution, but that

it can serve as a convention for all returning students. Following summer break, first-years return as sophomores, sophomores as juniors and juniors as seniors. I believe that a reorientation program has the potential to be a valuable experience for each of these class-

es.

What I suggest is not as long or

See COLLEGE, page 13

photo from internet source

August 21, 2015

Opinions 9

The Brandeis Hoot

Univ. can offer more for orientation week ORIENTATION, from page 7

Each new class arrives on campus a loose conglomeration of students.

The goal for these events is to mold out of this conglomeration a more close-knit social and academic class.

If students are uninterested in these events, it is harder for these goals to be met. However, the implications on the class as a whole are small given the large amount of students that stick with the orientation events.

The real consequences fall on the individual students that do not, for whatever reason, wish to participate in the events. It is through these decisions that these students do not get to participate in community building events or fascinating book discussions. Although students are not destined to be best friends with everyone they meet during these events, they still meet people that will be friends for years to come. Without orientation, the transition into college life and all it entails would be much more challenging, and this is the scenario some face.

To those students that are just so exhausted from the process of getting to school and saying goodbye to their parents, it is not fair to be expected to engage in the activities at full capacity. This is why orientation week should be longer and more spread out so that the whole thing does not have to be concentrated. That way, students

photo from internet source

do not have to feel extra pressure even before classes start.

The same modifications to orientation week should also apply to those disinterested in the events, perhaps even to a greater extent to make it more palatable. All of the parties in-

volved in orientation are amazing at what they do, but it would not hurt to strive a little harder to not lose students in the shuffle. A desire to sleep in before classes start is perfectly understandable, as is a desire to branch out on one’s own. Maybe with a lon-

ger orientation week, events would not have to be scheduled so early in the morning. It is the little things that sometimes make a big difference in students’ decisions, and it is important not to overlook them.

Class of 2019, please take advan-

tage of all that orientation has to offer you. It is an extremely helpful period to aid in your transition, even if you do not believe you need it. Remember to keep an open mind in regards to all of the events, as they are all extremely helpful. Welcome to Brandeis!

No, Mr. President, you can’t fire the house minority leader…

By Noah Seligman Special to the Hoot

“I do whine because I want to win and I’m not happy about not winning and I am a whiner and I keep whining and whining until I win.” This statement which is reminiscent of the modus operandi of a toddler, came out of the mouth of the potential next president of the United States. Other such statements such as, “Women?

You have to treat ’em like shit,” and “I will be phenomenal to the women. I mean, I want to help women,” have also come from the same mouth. I am of course talking about the mouth of Donald Trump.

Trump is a political enigma and has an incredibly complex relationship with the country and the GOP. He is a strange candidate for a number of reasons, some obvious, some less so. Most importantly, he isn’t a career politician, and interestingly enough his positions on issues just a few years in the past diametrically clash with the party he is running with. Yet he still handily holds the top spot among Republicans. His candor is both praised and reviled by those on the left and the right. He spits in the face of political correctness.

His statements are divisive and controversial and he retains a group of stalwart supporters who seem receptive to his unorthodox campaign and continue to push him up in the polls.

He has been all over every major news outlet, almost as if it is some sort of obsession. Other Republicans and Republican candidates can’t stop talking about him. He isn’t even trying.

Trump might not be a politician, but he is certainly a showman—and a good one at that. After the first Republican primary debate (which had the most viewers for a non-sporting event in the history of cable television primarily due to the attendance of Trump), he found himself taking flak for his unprofessional style, canned

photos from internet source

responses and most notably his misogynistic statements towards women and one of the moderators, Megyn Kelly. He wasn’t showing it, but he was going into damage control. Even for his campaign that performance was a P.R. disaster.

But what about substance? Prior to the debate (and quite frankly during it) we had heard virtually zero policy proposals from Trump except about building a wall between Mexico and the U.S. on Mexico’s dime. While that may be a good spark for a campaign, it can’t continue to stoke its fire forever.

Evidently either Trump or his advisors realized this and within the past few

weeks he has been blitzing the media (mostly Fox News) about policies and his positions on issues. He spoke about Iran, taxes and Planned Parenthood, among other things. Some of his positions and speeches aired in these interviews came as a surprise for much of his base. While he has opposed the Iran deal, he believes in a tax plan that would tax the wealthy more. While he doesn’t support abortions at Planned Parenthood, he believes it is still important for Planned Parenthood to be funded in order to help more impoverished women get the healthcare they need. This had some of his base scratching their heads. Regardless, he

still remains the front runner in the GOP. Meanwhile, mainstream Republicans are keen to dethrone him and disassociate him from the party. Not only for his statements and actions, but for his unwillingness to promise that he would not run as a third party candidate if he doesn’t win the Republican nomination. He would essentially be holding the party hostage, since Trump running as a third party candidate would likely be a death knell to the GOP’s run for the White House. It would harken back to the GOP’s political ambitions being destroyed in 1992 by Ross Perot’s third party run.

Say what you want about Trump, he isn’t stupid. Either that or the people advising him are really smart.

Who knows how long Trump-mania will last. Will his campaign be a bust? Will he win the nomination?

Take the White House? Too soon to say. Mr. Trump has blurred the lines between politics and entertainment.

He has angered many and has enamored just as many or more. Many people probably wouldn’t be able to give you a cogent reason as to why they support Trump. For now, him being a threat to everything that is status quo seems to be his main draw. But isn’t that what every politician promises?

10 The Brandeis Hoot

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

August 21, 2015

photo by jacob edelman/the hoot

photos by karen caldwell/the hoot

August 21, 2015

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

The Brandeis Hoot 11

photo courtesy hannah brooks

photo by jacob edelman/the hoot

photo by charlotte aaron/the hoot

photos courtesy carrie chung

EDITORIALS

12 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Andrew Elmers Theresa Gaffney Senior Managing Editor Jess Linde Senior Copy Editors Mia Edelstein Julie Landy Deputy News Editors Charlotte Aaron Hannah Schuster Deputy Arts Editor Sabrina Pond Opinions Editor Kevin Healey Features Editor Jacob Edelman Sports Editor Sarah Jousset Deputy Hoot Scoops Editor Emily Smith

Prevention training a continuation of positive progress

T

his week, The Brandeis Hoot reported on the recent sexual assault training module that was sent out to students on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Brandeis Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon spoke with The Hoot on why the Office of Prevention Services decided to reach out to the student body with the online training.

The Hoot commends McMahon and the rest of the Office of Prevention Services for providing students with the training. We believe that providing students with a way to think critically about their own experiences and assumptions in a private setting will be productive for students who may have a hard time discussing or thinking about these topics in a group setting.

It is also worth appreciating that Get Inclusive will provide the university with the raw data of students’ responses. We hope that the university will take the next step in working

Copy Editor Allison Plotnik

Website Editor Zach Phil Schwartz

Volume 12 • Issue 12 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

STAFF

Clayre Benzadon, Rachel Bossuk, Sharon Cai, Karen Caldwell, Jake Greenberg, Talia Franks, Emma Gutman, Emma Hanselman, Curtis Zunyu He, Emma Kahn, Shayna Korol, Nabi Menai, Monique J Menezes, Joon Park, Emily Scharf, Marian Siljeholm, Eliana Sinoff, Hannah Stewart, Michael Wang, Sophia Warren, Katarina Weessies

MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information.

Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events. Recognizing that better journalism leads to better policy, The Brandeis Hoot is dedicated to the principles of investigative reporting and news analysis. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.

SUBMISSION POLICIES The Brandeis Hoot welcomes letters to the editor on subjects that are of interest to the community. Preference is given to current or former community members and The Hoot reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The deadline for submitting letters is Wednesday at noon. Please submit letters to letters@thebrandeishoot.com along with your contact information. Letters should not exceed 500 words.

The opinions, columns, cartoons and advertisements printed in The Hoot do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial board.

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

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

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

To reserve your space in the paper, contact us by phone at (781) 330-0051 or by e-mail at ads@thebrandeishoot.com.

GIVE A HOOT, JOIN THE HOOT!

Writers, editors, photographers and graphic artists wanted to join The Brandeis Hoot, your weekly community newspaper.

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

UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONS

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

toward a safer campus in analyzing and using the data for further action.

Activists within the Brandeis student body have worked tirelessly for years to get the university’s attention regarding sexual assault, overcoming heavy opposition from the administration. And while it is key that students demonstrate their passion for such issues, it is ridiculous that they should ever have to do such work without the support of the administration. This online training shows that the university is actively working to understand where students come from and educate them about sexual assault on campus.

We hope that the university can soon reach a point where sexual assault and consent education will be solidly built in to students’ educations throughout their time at Brandeis.

While the email sent out to the community says that the training is mandatory and must be completed by Aug. 27, it is unclear how this

will be enforced.

When students do not pay their bill on time, their Sage account is put on hold in order to stop them from enrolling in classes. We hope that someday the university could take students’ sexual assault education as seriously as they take their tuition payments. However, we do understand that those sorts of decisions cannot be made by the Office of Prevention Services staff alone. For action like this, the entire administration would need to be as invested in sexual assault education as this office is.

Brandeis prides itself as an open and safe space dedicated to social justice in higher education. The university has definitely made strides in combatting the epidemic of sexual violence and assault, but as always, there is more to be done. Action is commendable, and we hope to have the opportunity to commend even more action as the year goes on.

How science are you?

Senior Layout Editor Sasha Ruiz Layout Editors Lisa Petrie Ludi Yang

August 21, 2015

By Naomi Klickstein special to the hoot

Across 1. Einstein’s favorite breakfast 6. How a student might act around finals period 9. Away from shore 13. Range in South America 18. Origin of the symbol of peace in Noah’s Ark story 19. Episode of Seinfeld, “___ ____________ Jerry” 20. Sights for sore eyes in a desert 21. A division of a play 23. Direction from Fellow’s Garden to Usen Castle 24. Novel lacking the letter ‘e’ 25. Title for a married woman 26. “_____, what is it good for?” Edward Starr song 28. Organization for those with pompoms 29. Future member of the Brandeis community coming Jan. 2016 33. Taylor Swift album 35. Like an omelet 38. An anti vote 39. A unit of corn 40. Albert Hofmann’s discovery 42. Anger 44. Type of battery 45. Something received from a puppy 47. Anagram for “miming” 48. A large clumsy person 49. May be great or lesser 51. 2001 Steven Spielberg film 52. Anagram for “firsts” 53. What a snitch did 55. Poem by Rev. John Whitehouse “_____ to _____” 56. Something on Justin Bieber’s record 57. Response to a mouse sighting 58. A famous Yankovic 59. “__ love ________ “ (second word is obscure English band) 62. Where the pie is after Pete ate it 64. Yiddish exclamation (var.)

65. Greek letter 66. Latin for “that is to say” 67. The Yellowhammer State (abr.)

68. ___ Lanka 69. John Carpenter remake with “The” 71. A complaint about Sodexo offerings 72. A famous Lowe 73. “30 Rock” star initials 74. Salmon offspring 76. French article 78. Author of “It takes two to tangle: Prp24 and spliceosome assembly” 81. Title for 29 and 78 across and 5, 13, 32, 34, 36, 41, 54 down 82. Currency of Japan 83. Peter Gabriel album 84. Element 26 86. Often 15-20% 89. How to improve an essay 92. Two one-letter words 93. Captain of the Nautilus

94. Dangers in war zones 95. Abundant 96. Golfer Ernie 97. Economic measure 98. Word from a cold zombie 99. What one wishes to do to some emails 100. Summer in France Down 1. Kevin James movie “Here Comes the _____” 2. Make sure it’s not set to p.m.

3. Critical angle in medical terminology 4. Wall-E’s love interest 5. Author of “Up all night on a redeye flight” 6. Shake an Etch-A-Sketch 7. Fall finals month 8. Jewish divorce document 9. @ 10. Beatles song, “____ came in through the bathroom window” 11. Poet’s evening 12. What Mary Todd called her hubby 13. Experimental biophysicist at Brandeis since 2006 14. Abbreviation for navigation 15. “Drones” in Italian 16. Kane of “All My Children” 17. Pop 22. Not needing a straight jacket 26. Like a switchboard 27. Lana Del Ray album 30. Part of ear containing the cochlea 31. Robin Hood split one 32. Specialist of human spatial orientation

34. She knows more about the modulation neural networks than you do 36. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2013 37. Casual yes 40. Dawdle 41. Developed and patented Smart Balance margarine 43. C7H14 46. Nickname for Gordon 49. Ingested 50. Relative of caribou 53. Dipping chip 54. He teaches Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience 60. Like a shamed lawyer 61. “______ California” 63. NaCl 70. Word with matter or area 71. The seed for Jack’s stalk 73. Calculating a sum 75. Milk’s favorite cookie 77. Kay Thompson’s children’s book character 79. Pan or Parker 80. This goes to the right of the plate 85. Protein found in olfactory receptor neurons (abr.)

86. Mostly nitrogen and oxygen 87. Mount ____ 88. Pressure unit 89. Sea bird 90. Prefix indicating reversal 91. Heidi Klum no longer, according to Trump 96. Initials for 96 across

August 21, 2015

OPINIONS13

The Brandeis Hoot

No need to worry about success of others BOND, from page 8

stacles that seem to be blocking the path there.

While some of the exact issues Bond was fighting for might have changed, there are still a vast number of injustices in our country and around the world that need to be addressed. Whatever cause needs to be supported, it will be respected and represented at Brandeis—a fact that makes me proud to attend this school. And it is not simply setting up a table asking for donations that is occurring here. The opening of the Rape Crisis Center last semester is a perfect example of a group of students actively changing this school and, in turn, our society for the better by helping to stop the spread of sexual misconduct on college campuses. These students who contributed to the founding of the RCC are more than heroes; they are inspirations to the rest of us to help improve our culture and society to the point where everyone can feel that they are valuable members.

Perhaps if I stopped into the talk Bond gave I would have heard

these sentiments, how anything can be accomplished as long as we keep focused on the end product or how the student activists here are extremely brave to be fighting for what they believe in. But I was preoccupied with my own issues at the time, which are admittedly chump change compared to what else is going on in the world. We should all take a moment to see what else is going on around us to learn something new or become more involved with an issue.

That’s the beauty of attending Brandeis; whether you like it or not, you will become more aware of injustices, and therefore become more likely to be involved in fighting at least one. While spending time with my friends from high school over the summer and hearing about the schools they attend, I’ve grown to realize that Brandeis is different from other institutions.

Maybe they just didn’t let on to what issues were being addressed on their campus. Still, I felt a little odd to be having conversations that didn’t address at least one societal flaw today. That isn’t the case here at Brandeis, and it feels good to be back in a climate where those discussions are encouraged.

photo from internet source

Upperclassmen can benefit from orientation COLLEGE, from page 8

in-depth a program as is employed for first-years. First-years need to learn the geography of their new campus, adjust to dorm-living and acclimate to a new home. First-years need a multi-day program to orient them in their new environments.

I propose that sophomores, juniors and seniors should be allowed to participate in a one-day reorientation program following move-in day. The program would be opt-in and could serve multiple purposes. Above all it would reenergize students for the new year and serve to remind participants of the ideals of social justice that are central to what we prize in our institution.

Imagine a day of camaraderie, another extraordinary performance of Dean Adams’ poetry, an evening to mix and talk and feel a spirit of possibility before setting off into another year of toil and effort for the things in which we find excitement. I feel that a com-

munity day of this type would do beneficial things for our collective self and for each person returning to the school that we call home.

Some may laugh off such a program—many in fact do. Hoping that such an event can make a major impact on a person is a tall order. That being said, there are reasons why companies and other organizations hold such functions for staff on a regular basis. It’s because not only do gatherings such as these instill values, but they also serve to foster a community spirit, a quality that can shape someone’s general outlook on life.

That’s not to say that this sort of affair is expected to radically change the world, but it could be a positive. Instituting some form of reorientation might remind us why we signed up to attend Brandeis; it might remind us what social justice means to each of us or it might remind us of some of the unique qualities of those in our community. That’s the thing about Orientation—each person comes away from it with something different.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD Write a letter to the editor to express your views on our writers opinions and see yourself featured in next weeks issue! Submit to letters@thebrandeishoot.com Have a piece you want published? Submit it to us at eic@thebrandeishoot.com Have an idea for a column? Contact join@thebrandeishoot.com

photo from internet source

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.

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

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

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

CONNECT phone • (781) 330-0051 online • thebrandeishoot.com twitter • twitter.com/thebrandeishoot facebook • facebook.com/thebrandeishoot

FEATURES Eleanor Roosevelt’s rich Brandeis legacy

14 The Brandeis Hoot

August 21, 2015

By Zach Phil Schwartz Editor

In 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States. A few years later, she became a founding trustee at Brandeis University, and her legacy here continues to this day.

As another academic year begins, it is important for the Brandeis community to remember what Roosevelt did to shape this university and its student body.

Roosevelt’s connections with the university run extraordinarily deep in a rich history, a history that began several years before Brandeis’ first graduating class received their diplomas. As a founding trustee, she was an important figure in the earliest decisions that molded the young university. Not afraid of controversy, she remained steadfast in her decision to end the university’s football program, for example. The board of trustees voted unanimously to end the program, which remains nonexistent since its end in the late 1950s.

In addition to her status as a central decision maker for the growing university, Roosevelt became increasingly active in the school’s smaller affairs as her tenure continued.

In 1952, as Roosevelt was nearing the end of her term as the first American delegate to the United Nations, she gave the commencement address to the first-ever graduates of the institution. Even on that momentous occasion, she was unafraid to speak her mind. According to a 1984 edition of The Brandeis Review, for after the

photo from internet source

first ever valedictorian, Gustav Ranis ’52 delivered his speech, she vocally expressed her disagreement with the talk’s main ideas. Despite their disagreement, the pair went on to be good friends.

In the mid 1950s, Roosevelt became even more active in student interactions when she started to give talks as a guest to the General Education S program, designed to teach

graduating seniors the tools they need to bridge their college lives with the quickly approaching professional world. In these talks, she joined an all-star roster of speakers including Alfred Knopf and Margaret Mead.

In 1959 Roosevelt finally became a faculty member as a visiting lecturer in international relations. Shortly after, she transitioned from being hosted as a guest to hosting guests on

her show, “Prospects of Mankind,” a program for public television, filmed almost entirely in the Slosberg Music Center. The show was constructed as a forum where she would host important figures such as Adlai Stevenson, Henry Kissinger and John F. Kennedy. Kennedy spoke a number of times, once merely hours after announcing his bid for the Presidency in 1960.

By the time Roosevelt died, the school she had helped to nurse and grow had undergone a huge transformation. Put simply, things may have been very different had the former First Lady not set foot on the grounds.

The Roosevelt Fellows are a tribute to Roosevelt and her work she did for the Brandeis community. Founded in 2000, Roosevelt Fellows serve as peer mentors for first-year students. They are some of the brightest individuals on campus, who make themselves available to any first-year in need of academic advisement.

Many believe that the tradition of social justice that began with Louis D. Brandeis continued to be a strong presence at the school because of Roosevelt’s dedication and guidance. In 2010, Heller School Professor Susan P. Curnan wrote a piece in Brandeis Magazine about encounters in her youth with the former First Lady at her residence in New York, where she praised Roosevelt’s teachings and her mission to advance social justice.

She cites an encounter with Roosevelt Fellows who also spoke highly of Roosevelt’s devotion to mentorship, interpersonal relationships and the advancement of social justice, the roots of their cause at the university.

Eleanor Roosevelt died in 1962, leaving behind both a legacy for social justice and a hole in the heart of the community. A few months after she died, University President and close friend Dr. Abram Sachar eulogized her in Ford Hall Forum, where she had spoken before. He expressed profound grief for the loss of such a beloved figure, and he praised her unparalleled spirit: a spirit that lives on in our Brandeisian tradition.

Meet the Class of 2019 Talya Ackerman is from Marlboro, New Jersey, and attended Marlboro High School. Describing her circadian rhythm, she labels herself a morning person, saying, “If I’m not up by eight, the rest of the day may as well be spent re-watching ‘Arrested Development’ on Netflix.”

Ackerman wishes to major in neuroscience, provided that she can figure out how to perform calculus without a calculator. “Whenever I read anything about brains, I get all nerdy and smile to myself and the people around me look at me kind of funny,” she said.

For leisure, Ackerman listens to Frankie Cosmos, King Krule, FIDLAR, Avi Buffalo, Mitski and the Front Bottoms (“I have to rep New Jersey”). Her favorite movie is “Amélie,” though she doesn’t speak French.

Ackerman also wishes to join the Brandeis Cheese Club, although she says that she hears it is quite elusive.

photo courtesy talya ackerman/the hoot

By Jacob Edelman Editor

photo courtesy josh goldberg/the hoot

Josh Goldberg lives in Florida and, during high school, transferred from a private Jewish school to a public school. While attending school, he was a member of the National Honor Society and Students Against Destructive Decisions, but also found himself wanting to become a member of more clubs.

Goldberg is interested in establishing a psychology practice containing branches of therapy and neurology, among other things. He hopes to take some psychology courses the first semester and is interested in joining clubs pertaining to his interest in counseling.

He proclaims a love for television and music, and describes a wide range in his taste. His favorite shows of the day include comic hero shows, such as Arrow and the Flash. Goldberg spoke about his musical taste, saying, “I am in love with classic rock songs from artists like Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen […] but I also can’t stop tapping my feet to some alternative rock songs played today.” Goldberg will be living in Shapiro in Massell Quad.

Zara Hoffman was born in China but has been a resident of New York City since she was a year and a half old. While attending the Dalton School, she found herself highly involved in a number of school clubs including Habitat for Humanity, “the feminism club” and many others. A motivated writer, Hoffman wrote for the school newspaper and even self-published a book when she was a junior. Writing and her other pursuits didn’t prevent her from being involved in other activities. Hoffman enjoys archery, tennis and swimming, as well as singing and playing

photo courtesy zara hoffman/the hoot

the piano.

While at Brandeis, Hoffman expects to start on a double major in psychology and English with a computer science minor. She’s also expressed an interest in participating in the ballroom dance and archery clubs, saying that they “definitely pique my interest.” Hoffman also self-selected a roommate, opting to pair with a girl from the MyDeis Class of 2019 Facebook group.

As for leisure, Hoffman listens to Sara Bareilles, Imagine Dragons, Ed Sheeran, OneRepublic and Of Monsters and Men. She also watches “Penny Dreadful,” “Once Upon a Time” and “Sherlock.” For movies, she greatly enjoyed “The Imitation

Game” and “The Theory of Everything.”

“I think it’s going to be very busy and exciting, but also a little scary (but not too much),” Hoffman said about leaving home for college.

Hoffman is particularly excited to learn more about the social justice community at Brandeis. “As my whole family is devoted to equal rights, and most of my relatives are lawyers involved in social justice, it’s always been a very important part of my life. I think we should always stand up against what we consider to be unjust and that debate is welcome as long as the good of the people and goal of equality are always kept in mind.”

August 21, 2015

FEATURES 15

The Brandeis Hoot

A behind-the-scenes look at Orientation

By Albert Reiss Staff

After a long summer break, Brandeis students have finally returned to school, where new faces have flooded the campus. In order to help mitigate the uncomfortable transition from a different educational setting, first-year and transfer students go through an orientation.

“Orientation means welcoming a new set of Brandeisians to the school!

It means you get to be yourself and find your voice at your new home while making new friends,” said Orientation Leader (OL) Valarie Timms ’16.

As with every first-year class, there will undoubtedly be some introverts in the mix who, in spite of being friendly people, sometimes require a boost or extra motivation to reach out to other students. OLs can be very helpful to this type of student. Zachary Diamond ’18, a new OL this year, this to say about how to make these particular students feel at home: “I’d talk to them and describe my experience, even say that I had some trouble making new friends after coming from a small private school … It takes getting used to a new environment. I would also show my support if they ever needed someone to talk to, as well as introduce them to different groups based on similar interests.”

Some OLs take a different approach.

“I make shy first-years feel at home by being myself, which of course means being a huge dork! I share with them all of my awkward and embarrassing stories from my time thus far at Brandeis and I’ve found that it really makes them feel more comfortable

photo by jacob edelman/the hoot

to open up and try new things,” said Timms. She also alludes to a particular OL, Erica Gwinn ’16, whom she describes as “so kind and welcoming and really has a way of making everyone feel great about themselves!

Her strength and leadership really inspires me!”

Hannah Brooks ’16, a third-year

OL, described how she views Orientation. “I learned how to laugh at myself, I learned how to adjust to changes in timings and be more flexible, I learned how to keep it real with my groups but keep it fun. Orientation is a roller coaster of high energy, lots of activities, little sleep and lots of laughs. The whole way through I’m

inspired by the other OLs and the first-years alike.”

Brooks recalled one particularly amusing moment at dinner during Orientation. “While we were eating, one of my girls found a cucumber slice in her salad that was attached to another cucumber slice—like a cucumber snowman. My group found this to

be one of the funniest occurrences for whatever reason. We then left Usdan, took the cucumber snowman with us and sat outside Mandel in a circle with the cucumber in the middle. We just started cracking jokes, making up puns and goofing around about this stupid little cucumber. As random as it was, we all bonded.”

However, there are also serious moments during Orientation. Given that many students come to trust and confide in the OLs, often times these students will share a very personal experience. Timms explained how the hardest part about being an OL is “when something gets really personal, like a topic that is covered in one of the info sessions hits close to home, or is something that you’ve personally experienced … It can be really difficult for you to lead discussions about those things but you also want to make sure the members of your group are given the space and time to talk about the subject. It’s important to find a balance between doing some self-care to process your own feelings and putting on a brave face to be there for your group.”

With all of these important, sometimes delicate topics to focus on, being an OL is certainly no piece of cake. Trevor Tuplin ’16, a member of last year’s Orientation Core Committee, doled out some advice he had for future OLs. “Reflect on your first, second or third year here and identify what you learned, how you grew as a person, what resources you used and what made you love Brandeis. Once you have these points, get ready to share your Brandeis memoir because being an OL is simply sharing your story about how you began to call Brandeis home.”

Ford Hall: the historic student center

By Katarina Weessies Staff

The buildings on Brandeis’ campus are known for being a melting pot of architectural styles. As buildings are constructed and updated over the years, they contribute to a unique landscape. The variation in styles between buildings creates an unusual visual atmosphere that is uncommon in most universities.

One of Brandeis’ most controversial buildings is the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC). It is often criticized for its murky green color and unusual shape. But the SCC lies on

the foundation of a building that has seen even more controversy: Ford Hall. Ford Hall was considered the center of campus administration and activities for 51 years after its dedication in 1952. It was named after Joseph Ford, the president of Ford Manufacturing Incorporated and one of the original members of Brandeis’ Board of Trustees. The building was the host of important offices and programs, including the Photography Department and the Heller School’s Sustainable International Development program. The building eventually was torn down to make room for the SCC. While the architectural style of

Brandeis is distinctive, the social and political history that has been made in these buildings in much more significant. In 1969, Ford Hall was the location of one of the most pivotal moments in Brandeis’ history.

Ford Hall was at the heart of a campus-wide controversy when black students occupied Ford and Sydeman halls, refusing to leave until a list of demands intended to improve minority representation on campus were met. Their occupation of Ford Hall was bold, since the building was the center of communication for the Brandeis campus, and overtaking it stalled school activities.

The occupation was met with

photo from internet source

widespread support from the student body, with several groups of white students participating in hunger strikes to display solidarity with the black activists. Many theorize that the widespread pressure from Brandeis’ students that was stirred by the Ford Hall occupation, rather than the occupation itself, caused the administration to give in to a number of the students’ demands after an 11d a y occupation. The concessions included the creation of an African Studies Department and an agreement to admit more students of color.

All of the activists were granted amnesty, except for a few women who, dissatisfied with the administration’s

actions, remained in the building after the agreement had been made.

The activism of Brandeis’ black students contributed to our school’s reputation as a hub of social justice, with Ford Hall at the center of the action. Ford Hall became more than just administrative center of the school, but also the center of political discourse.

Eventually, Ford Hall—and its vibrant history—faded into ob s c u rity. The building slowly lost its role as the center of campus, and was eventually replaced by the SCC. One can only wonder what interesting historical events students of the future will talk about having happened

photo from internet source

ARTS, ETC.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

August 21, 2015

Brandeis alum nominated for Emmy for ‘Last Week Tonight’

By Theresa Gaffney editor

“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” is the Sunday-night sensation that began airing in April of 2014. The show is surprising audiences around the country with its comedic investigative journalism, and one lucky Brandeisian is along for the ride. Josh Gondelman ’07 started working for the show last February and has now been nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Writing for a Variety Talk Series.

Majoring in English and Creative Writing with a minor in Spanish, Gondelman truly started to dive into writing during his time at Brandeis. One of the main reasons that Gondelman chose to attend Brandeis was because of the ability to write a creative writing senior thesis. As a Creative Writing major he took various writing workshops, but said his favorite professor was Dr. Caren Irr (ENG). Not one for analyzing Shakespeare, he enjoyed her insight on contemporary film and media.

In true Brandeis fashion, Gondelman was quite active outside the classroom as a member of the improv troupe To Be Announced (TBA) and a regular performer at “Friends Like These”—a sketch comedy performance in Chum’s each Saturday at midnight. Gondelman wrote on and off for a few publications on campus, including one Arts article for The Brandeis Hoot. He was an Orientation Leader, and even performed in Liquid Latex once

(though he prays no video evidence of this still exists). He believes that all of his experience at Brandeis really helped to prepare him for the outside world.

“Chum’s was such a great comedy womb to experiment in, and that was really important and formative,” said Gondelman. “I think I would have been behind the curve if I had waited until I graduated to start trying to write and perform comedy. It was exciting to have a little room in a castle to practice in.”

The nomination comes only months after Gondelman even started writing for the show.

When he first started, he was writing and developing content for the show’s social media and web presence. It was only this year that Gondelman moved over to writing for the show itself.

Gondelman was initially drawn to “Last Week Tonight” because of the talent of everyone that he saw getting involved. John Oliver was previously known as a correspondent and guest-host at “The Daily Show.” In the end, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be part of such a “new creative venture from the ground up.”

The hardest part of working at “Last Week Tonight” according to Gondelman? “The ‘having a job’ part,” he said. After he graduated from Brandeis, Gondelman worked doing stand-up comedy and writing freelance for television and magazines. The transition from writing at home in sweatpants to having to go into an office every day was harder than he expected.

“It was an adjustment to go: ‘I

photo from internet source

have to come in … all week? Next week too? Okay, if you’re going to be sticklers about it,’” said Gondelman. “I sound like such a baby saying it,” he joked.

Luckily Gondelman has come around to showing up at work every day, and is enjoying the time he spends there. He calls the work “fulfilling and stimulating,” but also loves any opportunity to write a joke where “John” mentions Rick Ross, “or any rapper, really.”

Viewers of the show may remember episodes on sex education (8/9/15) and standardized testing (5/3/15). Gondelman had a hand in both of these influential segments. “Sometimes I’ll be

assigned a story and have to go: ‘Well, I better learn what that is first,’” he noted. The standardized testing segment felt particularly good for Gondelman to write about, he said, as he used to be a teacher.

Despite his hard work, Gondelman was surprised that he’d been nominated for the Emmy. While it had occurred to him that the show as a whole would be nominated, he had no idea that he himself would be up for anything.

Gondelman still performs standup and has also co-written a book titled “You Blew It” that will be released on Oct. 6. The book, co-written with friend and Fast Company writer Joe Berkowitz,

reminds readers that life is always a nightmare, even when you think you’ve got it handled. “You Blew It” is published by Plume, a Penguin Books imprint.

“I’m just the same dweeb I always was,” said Gondelman. The same one who chose to go to Brandeis because students at other schools just “felt like the villain in an ’80s teen movie,” and the same one who still gets excited remembering when his first-year hallmates stole a three-gallon bucket of ice cream from Sherman and made everyone milkshakes. “But now I’m an Academy Award Nominated Dweeb,” he realized. “Which is pretty fun and a little goofy.”

Top movies of the summer box office

There is no doubt that there were a lot of exciting movies released this past break. Here’s a list naming the 10 top-grossing films of this year’s summer, starting from June 1 and ending on July 31.

“Jurassic World” ($635,673,840) Dinosaurs. Chris Pratt. What more could you want in a summer blockbuster? Unsurprisingly, “Jurassic World” topped this summer’s box office.

“Inside Out” ($335,390,545) Witty, heartfelt and outstandingly original, “Inside Out” won over movie-goers of all ages.

“Minions” ($302,803,140) We asked for minions. Universal Pictures gave us “Minions.”

“Ant-Man” ($147,521,99) Many fans went into the movie theater knowing that Ant-Man, like every other Marvel Cinematic Universe protagonist, would defeat his enemy. They also knew that he eventually joins the Avengers (it’s all part of the overarching story from the comics, kids.) No one was sure that “Ant-Man” would deliver. It did.

“Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation” ($107,765,579) The ever-so popular “Mission: Impossible” franchise released its latest film this summer and left audience members feeling exhilarated and satisfied.

“Trainwreck” ($90,948,980) Amy Schumer is comedy’s new star, and her movie does not venture far from her realm of social critique and sass.

“Terminator: Genisys” ($88,504,855) Oh look, another Terminator movie.

“Ted 2” ($80,923,685) Everyone’s favorite vulgar teddy bear came back this summer, and while it did not deliver the same amount of indelicate humor as the first film did, it still did well in the box-office.

“Magic Mike XXL” ($65,362,762) 115 minutes of stripping, impressive dancing and—surprisingly—gender politicking.

“Pixels” ($57,650,843) This could have been a good movie, but then Adam Sandler decided to ruin everything.

August 21, 2015

ARTS 17

The Brandeis Hoot

Top 10 must-see Boston art venues

By Jessica Chow Staff

Art is everywhere, especially in Boston. The city is home to many arts venues, from concert halls to theaters to museums. Below is a list of the main arts spots I think every student should check out before they graduate.

The Rose Art Museum The Rose Art Museum is located on the Brandeis campus. Out front, the newly-installed “Light of Reason” sculpture, by Chris Burden, illuminates the campus at night and has become a popular photography location. Inside, the exhibits feature a combination of owned and borrowed drawings and paintings that are rotated every few months. In fact, you can rent a piece from the museum to keep in your dorm. In addition to displaying artwork, the Rose Art Museum hosts several events throughout the year, made known through the Rose’s Facebook page.

The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub The Middle East Nightclub is located in Cambridge, just a T stop away from the Cambridge shuttle stop.

The venue boasts three performance rooms, two family-style restaurants and a more elegant restaurant. Many of the performers at the Middle East Nightclub are smaller-name artists and bands, as well as cover bands.

This is a great location for anyone who’s looking for some live music, but isn’t a fan of larger spaces.

Boston Common The Boston Common is one of the most beautiful places in Boston, in my opinion. It’s a large park located on Boylston Street. (If you keep walking along Boylston Street, for about 2 miles, you will reach the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue, where you can catch the Brandeis shuttle back to campus.). It’s famous for the historic Freedom Trail, but because of its openness, it has become a popular venue for arts events, such as festivals or concerts. Whether or not there’s an event going on at the Common, it is definitely worth it to visit and walk around.

Institute of Contemprary Art (ICA)

The ICA is Boston’s first new art museum in 100 years. It’s a beautiful building located right on the waterfront. Featuring a variety of contemporary exhibits, the ICA is definitely somewhere to visit if you love modern art. The ICA will be receiving several new exhibits soon that’ll be on display for the next year. University students can buy discounted tickets for $10.

House of Blues Boston All music fans know that the House of Blues is one of the most famous music venues. Luckily for all you Brandeis music fanatics, the House of Blues in Boston is just 13 miles away and tickets are generally reasonably priced, depending on the performer. Though I haven’t been to the House of Blues in Boston, I love that they book a wide variety of artist. I promise that you’ll find a concert that appeals to your taste at the House of Blues.

Citi Performing Arts Center The Citi Performing Arts Center is comprised of three separate theaters— Wang Theater, Shubert Theater and Emerson Colonial Theater—all about 20 minutes away from Brandeis. If you’re interested in live performances in theater, I recommend attending a play or musical at one of the Citi Center theaters.

Ticket prices vary depending on the show; discounts may be available for college students depending on the company presenting the show.

TD Garden

TD Garden features a large stadium-style concert venue located right next to North Station in Boston. Despite being 16 miles from campus, it is easily accessible from Brandeis; just take the commuter rail to North Station. Last year, TD Garden hosted several major concerts, including Maroon 5 and KISS Jingle Ball 2014.

Check the TD Garden website for upcoming concerts.

Boston Calling Music Festival As many music fans know, Boston Calling is a popular three-day music festival that will be held at the City Hall Plaza in Boston from Sept. 25-27.

This year’s line-up features some major up-and-coming artists and bands, such as Hozier, Walk the Moon, Of Monsters and Men and Ben Howard.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (ISGM) Located near South Boston, ISGM features myriad art pieces composed of different media. ISGM is home to over 2,500 pieces from a wide range of time periods. Brandeis sophomore and Boston native, Abraham Cheloff, describes it as “different type of museum … a good place to visit.” Brandeis students receive free admission to ISGM. Take a day to explore the unique art at ISGM and see if you agree with Cheloff.

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)

Located about 10 miles from campus, the MFA is a popular arts location for students to visit during the weekends.

This year, the MFA will be receiving several new exhibits, which feature a variety of new pieces, starting in mid August.

Brandeis undergraduate students have free admission when they present their university ID, as Brandeis is a part of the MFA’s University Membership Program. Hurry and catch these new exhibits while you can, as they are only on display until January.

photos from internet source

Surviving Sodexo

By Charlotte Aaron editor

Over the past week, students began to arrive back on campus after a long summer break of home-cooked meals and restaurant outings. While

the transition back to dining hall food can be a challenge, there is no better way to start dining hall feasts than with a delicious and simply breakfast recipe. This weeks recipe, a favorite of Emily Eska ‘16, is scrambled eggs on a bagel with crème cheese. It is easy

to make, full of protein, calcium, and carbohydrates, and although it looks weird, it tastes incredible.

Ingredients: 1 whole wheat bagel crème cheese scrambled eggs Recipe: In Usdan or Sherman, remove a whole wheat bagel from the bagel bag. Send through the toaster until

toasted to your liking. Cut your bagel into two parts and quickly add crème cheese to the both halves of the bagel.

While Eska suggests using as much cream cheese as possible, it is up to your discretion. Lastly, proceed to the hot food section and scoop the pre-cooked scrambled eggs onto each half of the bagel. You can take as much or as little egg as you wish, but Emily suggests the egg to cheese

ration remain at about 3 to 1. While it is possible to make a sandwich out of the two bagel halves, it is recommended to eat each half separately, as it allows for the consumption of more egg. Enjoy!

photo from internet source

18 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

August 21, 2015

‘The Lazarus Effect’ falls flat

By Emma Kahn staff

“The Lazarus Effect” (2015), a psychological horror film from the directors of “Insidious” and “Paranormal Activity” came out this February, and just reached DVD this summer.

The film documents four scientists and their videographer as they delve into the grey areas of neurological research. Their goal is to create a serum that will prolong the time before a person’s organ failure and allow more time for resuscitation, but they find through animal testing that they have created a serum that can revive the dead. Their lab dog, however, is not himself upon revival. While they’ve resuscitated a lifeless body, they have not brought back true life.

From the beginning, “The Lazarus Effect” appears to be well made. With such success from the directors’ previous films, I expected “The Lazarus Effect” to be a great horror film with very few plot holes. The movie boasts a solid cast, with lead actress Olivia Wilde, lead actor Mark Duplass, and even, to my surprise, comedian and rapper Donald Glover. The dialogue and the high quality cinematography ropes you into the plot and from the moment the team injects their serum into a deceased dog and resuscitates

photo from internet source

him on the laboratory table, “The Lazarus Effect” promises an inevitably grim and unstoppable fate. We learn much about the scientists’ neurological research and goals, as well as an appropriate sprinkling of personal life: enough to gain the viewer’s sympathy but not enough to drown the plot. The film asks the hard-cutting questions; how do we experience death, and where do we go when we die? The five scientists have dragged themselves into the role of God and now have to make all the tough de-

cisions. Before enough research on their serum’s effects are collected, a laboratory accident causes Wilde’s death, and the team has to make the premature decision to use their serum on a person.

Despite the good start, an avid horror movie enthusiast should not be misled. The plot quickly spirals into chaos. The instant the study becomes muddled with ethical and scientific concerns, the team of scientists loses their well-crafted dialogue and the controlled manner you come to ex-

pect from professional researchers.

Amidst the terror of an experiment gone wrong, the team somehow manages to lose their test dog, the focal point of their study and the evidence that will make their years of research worthwhile. Even if you can forgive this lapse in judgment and attribute the loss of their zombie dog to their insurmountable fear, you will be sorely disappointed to find that nearly all the ‘scare-factors’ are equally inexplicable. Who turned the lights out?

Where is the hospital’s security guard

who was supposedly doing rounds?

“The Lazarus Effect” uses all the cheap scares and tricks of a low-budget and low-quality horror movie to keep the viewer interested and distracted from the convoluted narrative.

For the viewer looking for a lights-flickering, flames-bursting, rich with jump-scares-film, this is your scary movie of the summer. However, the viewer hoping for a psychological thriller that brings as many answers as it does questions, “The Lazarus Effect” will be horribly disappointing.

First-years look forward to campus arts opportunities

By Michelle Kim Editor

We rarely get to know our new Brandeisians until the first few months of the new semester have flown by. I interviewed some of our newest students about their relationship with art.

Meet Zach Gordon ’19, who loves all kinds of art. “I think with art the walls we so often put up in the day-to-day come down,” he said in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot. Hailing from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Gordon was previously involved in marching band, wind ensemble, jazz band and even played in the pit for his school’s production of “Footloose.” He’s mostly looking forward to the art community at Brandeis and all the opportunities he will have here. Of course, Gordon is looking to get involved in music some way or another. “I’m not quite sure how specifically, but there’s absolutely no way I’ll stop playing,” he stated. One thing he will definitely do is to check out the singing groups and drama on campus as he has never gotten the chance to try out. “That’s one of the best things about coming to Brandeis I guess: trying new things,” said Gordon. The “Orphan Black” fan can’t wait to see what Brandeis has in store for him over the next four years.

Joining Gordon is Hannah Lee ’19, who comes from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which is about half an hour away from Brandeis. As far as TV shows go, Lee loves thriller cop shows such as “Criminal Minds” and “Law and Order: SVU,” but she also enjoys watching “Family Guy.” As with many people, she will listen to any music— her favorites range from Tchaikovsky to Taylor Swift. For Lee, art gives her the chance to escape reality and its problems. “The arts and performing make me feel a lot of things, but for the most part, they make me feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to

be, as corny as that sounds,” she admitted. As with Gordon, Lee was extremely involved in her high school’s music scene. She either performed in or helped with costumes for at least 10 consecutive plays and four musicals.

Additionally, she played bass for the school orchestra and jazz band as well as being involved in multiple school choirs. Unlike many students, Lee also wrote songs for her classwork instead of doing traditional papers. “I became somewhat notorious after my ballad about cellular respiration became viral in the science wing. I’ve since covered topics such as ‘The Great Gatsby,’ ‘Brave New World’ and how different types of body tissue repair,” she recalled. Lee is looking forward to too many things at Brandeis to count, but in terms of the arts, she is definitely the most excited for the 24 Hour Mu-

sical. “I guess my game plan is to be open to all sorts of opportunities, and to give my all to whatever it is I’m doing,” she said.

Another new face is Salena Deane ’19, who describes herself as having more of a shy personality. “Art has definitely allowed me to break out of that mold a little bit,” she said. Acting, specifically, has really changed Deane’s life, as she was involved in her school’s drama club all four years of high school. “The best way to explain what acting does for me, as a person, is to say that being someone you’re not, delving into a character and embracing their life, whether real or fiction, even for just an hour or so, can make embracing and being confident in my own life and self a lot easier,” she explained. She loves to make people laugh and drama enables her to do

this. When she acts and writes, she feels appreciated and respected, even if she is not center stage or a headliner.

Deane did get her time to shine this past year in her high school’s spring musical, as a supporting character in the production of “Anything Goes”; the musical eventually won Best High School Production in Massachusetts at the MET awards. “As I did in high school, I would like to continue involving myself in the performing arts community, whether it’s on or off stage. I’d also like to find myself as a writer, as cliche as it sounds, and hope I’ll have the time to write more and more during the year,” said Deane. When Deane starts her time at Brandeis, she wants to take ballroom dance classes as well as make new friends in the arts community Our final first year is Yair Koas ’19,

who was born in Israel, moved to Australia when he was 2 and moved to New York when he was 5. Koas was involved in theater as well as TV shows and film. His most recent role was Grantaire in a production of “Les Miserables” that was showcased at the Long Island Children’s Museum. He was also Athos in “The Three Musketeers.” Koas has also acted in many professional community theater productions. “At Brandeis, I’m looking forward to being involved with the community in all sorts of different clubs and activities, and discovering some new passions and interests,” Koas said. “I would like to be involved in theater productions. I’ve also heard about the 24 Hour Musical, and that sounds like an incredible and unforgettable experience.”

photos from internet source

August 21, 2015

ARTS 19

The Brandeis Hoot

Hidden gems among art classes

photo from internet source

By Clayre Benzadon staff

Ringing in the stress of the semester is the time when everyone is trying to figure out which classes to enroll into.

One of the most rewarding classes to ever take is a writing workshop, regardless of whether you are planning to major in creative writing or not.

This semester, Prof. Michelle Hoover (ENG) is teaching Creative Nonfiction, an interesting genre to work with in workshop. Because this class is only offered every other year, it’s definitely something to consider as soon as possible. Writing workshops

usually require students to send in a manuscript, but the earlier they go in and talk to the professor, the easier it will be to enter the class.

The best things about writing workshops is the fact students get a small classroom size (up to 12 people) so that everyone gets a chance to have their pieces workshopped.

The Creative Nonfiction class sounds particularly interesting in that it is different from the usual poetry and fiction classes that are offered every year. This genre is a great way to express yourself through self-discovery by being able to base pieces on your own experiences. Because the class is an experiential learning experience, students will learn many new writing techniques and styles through practice with memoirs, essays and other

ways of psychologically depicting you and the way you perceive the world around you and comparing your experiences with others.

The Black Transnational Romance”is another important class taught by Gina Pugliese (GRAD), especially because of the inception of the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years. This class delves into black diaspora fiction from the 20th and 21st centuries, including works

by Claude McKay, Jamaica Kincaid and Tsitsi Dangarembga. So much of the fiction that is read in academic settings is by white, male authors; this class provides students with a way to break out of that habit and introduce themselves to some skilled and historic black authors.

An interesting music class that will

be offered this fall is American Music: From Psalms to Hip-Hop, taught

by Prof. Paula Jo Musegades (AMST/ MUS). The styles of music that will be discussed in the class are diverse, ranging from New England Psalm singing to African-American traditions and continuing on through folk, jazz, art, pop, rock and hip hop music.

The class is open to music majors as well as non-majors, so if you are interested in music but are only a beginner, you can still take this class and learn about the origins of American music, especially hip-hop, one of the most popular contemporary music genres.

Another unique class offered this semester is Digital Media and Culture, taught by Prof. Conley Wouters (ENG). This course goes into exploring literature and entertainment

through digital media. Students will learn about culture through the future of technology. Other concepts in the class will include creative narratives, politics, aesthetics, identity, knowledge and humanism. The digital age creates an easier way for people to express ideas with the touch of a button, and through this class, students will have the opportunity to understand the innovative ways in which our society has entered into a technological era.

There are many classes this semester that seem very interesting and engaging. One of the best parts about attending a liberal arts university is the opportunity to take classes outside of one’s comfort zone. Visit the Brandeis course catalog online for more information on these unique classes.

Taylor Swift’s 1989 world tour thrills

By Talia Franks staff

This is the third Taylor Swift concert I have attended, all of them at Gillette Stadium in nearby Foxboro, and I can attest to the fact that they just keep getting bigger and better. The city of Foxboro is charmed enough by her that they changed city regulations so that the concert could go until 11:40 p.m. as opposed to the normal time of 11pm. Upon entering the concert, all attendees were given bracelets and told that they were “a gift from Taylor Swift.” The nature of these bracelets was not told outright, but became clear once we got inside and the opening acts were over, making way for Swift herself. During each song, the LED lights in the bracelet would light up, creating a field of color in the crowd. A bright red during “Bad Blood,” a pale pink during “How You Get the Girl” (to match Swift’s LED dress I presume) and, most often, an energizing shade of blue.

Gone are the days when artists use only strobe lights and spot lights. Swift uses the crowd itself as a visual effect in her concert. Sometimes, different sections were different colors, or even a section would have mixed colors.

However, to hear Swift tell it, visual effects aren’t the only motivation: At various points, Swift paused to speak to the audience and explained that in the past, she played to dark stadiums, but the bracelets remind her that every light is a person, and with them she could see all 60 thousand of us.

Her speeches were not limited to the bracelets and often introduced songs. Prior to “Clean,” she gave a very

photo from internet source

inspiring speech about how mistakes do not damage a person, but rather cleanse them, and how we should never apologize for who we are. Before playing “You Belong With Me,” she explained that she was doing so as a thank you for all of her VMA nominations for this album, a tribute to her first-ever VMA award.

She also spoke before what may have been my favorite part of the concert, a remix of “Love Story.” It is no secret that with “1989” Swift is go-

ing in a completely different direction from her previous musical style. Swift made no apologies for this. However, Swift did explain that she felt she owed it to fans of her old music to incorporate some of her older songs. Hence she played a beautiful pop piano version of “Love Story.” While playing, Swift was on an elevated and revolving part of the stage.

Another thing that sets Swift apart is transitions. With a production as big as a world tour, there are numerous

costume changes, and those take time.

Unlike other performers, who rely on ads or protracted instrumental from their band, Swift used her friends for the majority of her transitions.

During the song transitions, three massive screens showed members of her “squad” answering questions about the superstar. Faces such as fellow pop star and actress Selena Gomez, model and actress Cara Delevingne and high school best friend Abigail Anderson, to name a few, ap-

peared on these screens in the pauses between songs to talk about Swift.

They spoke of her dedication to the album, its new sound and also some of her personal habits, such as her love of cats. Even Swift herself appeared on the screen, holding her pets.

Attending the 1989 Tour was more than just a concert. It was an experience, and one that I greatly enjoyed.

I, for one, will definitely want to see Taylor Swift the next time she has a tour that rolls into town.

20 The Brandeis Hoot

By Sabrina Pond Editor

The song “Amazing Grace” is so deeply entrenched in American culture that the first few bars instantly call to mind associations like the American flag, fireworks and anything else distinctly AMERICAN. The very build-up of the song ignites a certain measure of pride and romanticism of America’s rather colorful history, though I think that few Americans actually know about the song’s origins. If they did, their entire

ARTS, ETC.

August 21, 2015

Laiona Michelle MFA ’00 wows on Broadway stage perception of the song would be altered forever.

Realizing the great amount of potential behind this largely unknown and untold story, creators Gabriel Barre directed the Broadway musical “Amazing Grace” with showings up until mid December. The musical chronicles the life of John Newton, the man known for having penned the inspirational tune, and his evolution from slave trader and owner to abolitionist and proponent for the black cause. His song, “Amazing Grace,” was the result of his enslavement in Sierra Leone, as he was finally able to empathize with the people he had formerly bought and sold. He

very explicitly describes his experience with the lyrics “I was lost but now am found.”

One of Brandeis’ own, Laiona Michelle (MFA ’00), whose resume boasts parts in Law & Order, All My Children and various plays and musicals, plays the part of Nanna in the Broadway hit “Amazing Grace.”

Nanna is a maidservant from Sierra Leone. Yet the character’s depth goes much farther than this. In multiple reviews of the Broadway performance, Laiona Michelle’s performance has wrought rave reviews for the complexity of her character and Michelle’s overall on point performance, vocally and otherwise. In an exclusive interview with Laiona Michelle, she described the inspiration behind the character: “Nanna is based off my grandmother … I was able to work on developing this world … what she would sound like, what she would look like. It’s a role that you can finesse in your own way and was based off of my two grandmothers. Both worked in service … the body language, the degree she is seen and not heard what it would be like to be in a land that is not her own.”

When asked about the psychological turmoil that comes with this kind of role, and the audience’s reception of the performance, Michelle had this to say: “It’s an emotional show … staying inside of this 18th century world. When you’re tracking it backstage … walking in that person’s shoes … it’s so much fun when I take that curtain call now … when we sing ‘Amazing Grace,’ the audience cries with us … people want to take pictures with me … my grandmother did all this work and now I can share it in this graceful way.”

Originally during her time at Brandeis, Michelle described having absolutely no desire to be cast in roles that were service-based and circumvented those types of roles successfully. Though she underwent a change more recently in her outlook and now feels proud to be able to take on this kind of role for those who for the longest time were not privileged to be part of theater.

Given the very charged nature of the performance, as a multitude of the characters are slaves in every version of the word, their clothing and decrepit state juxtaposed against the very elite and affluent white characters, it is undeniable that the show reminisces a brutal history that cannot be undone and that can be very hard at times to watch. Even so, Michelle’s overall opinion held onto the importance of this and other similar

performances for their impact: “The sad thing is that because of the climate of the world today they would shy away from, as they don’t want to talk about political opinions. I am the opposite … I feel that we come to the theater and they want you to tell them how to feel … Theater is supposed to be reachable. It frightens most people. Because we’re exposing and dare I say exploiting.”

Although her first love is undoubtedly live performances, namely plays and musicals, Michelle is currently making the transition to TV and film. Despite the numerous differences between the different media, and Michelle’s ravenous appetite for

the presence of a crowd, she also recounted her desire to always put herself out there to try different things.

When asked about any future jobs she would absolutely love taking, she responded that she would enjoy “Game of Thrones” and would even consider being fully nude, explaining that, “This is how I live my life. I don’t draw any lines unless I have to. When there are things that are scary for me … I am a very open actress. I don’t know what it is that I want to do … it is about how the art resonates on the page.” With that kind of inspiring attitude it is very possible that the “Game of Thrones” cast might diversify in the near future.

photos from internet source