The Brandeis Hoot 01/22/2016

Volume 13 Issue 2

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

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

January 22, 2016

Service day embodies spirit of MLK

By Hannah Stewart Staff

Brandeis University honored the famous civil rights activist and reverend this past Monday by hosting the sixth annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Interfaith Service.

The day began with brief introductions from Rabbi David Finkelstein of Temple Beth Israel and Padre Ángel Marrero of Santuario Luterano. Joel Burt Miller ’16 performed a spoken word piece.

Co-sponsored by Brandeis’ Multifaith Chaplaincy, the Waltham Group and Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM), the day was designed to focus on three things: service, interfaith and Dr. King.

CMM is Boston’s oldest interfaith action network. Created during the Civil Rights Movement, this year will be the 50th anniversary of the organization’s

founding. The word interfaith is meant to call to mind the relations between various religions, whether through dialogue, service, peacemaking or prayer.

The feature event of the day was the packaging of the meals. Coordinated by Outreach Inc., 300 participants, including about 50 Brandeis students, collaborated to package nutritious macaroni and cheese meals that will be distributed to food shelters in the Greater Boston area. According to Community Service Specialist Brian Quigley, “Many of the rest [of the participants] were high school students who were members of local youth groups.”

This is the fourth consecutive year that Brandeis has packaged meals. In the first year, about 6,000 meals were prepared; in the second, 11,000; last year produced 12,000 meals. This year, not only were there record-breaking See MLK, page 3

the divestment report

Faculty and students discuss divestment from fossil fuels

Panelists discuss complexity of divestment

By Ryan Spencer Staff

The issue of universities divesting from fossil fuels has become a major issue on college campuses around the country, with students urging their administrations to stop investing in fossil fuel companies that contribute to global warming. However, there is debate over whether divestment is feasible or a productive way to combat climate change.

A panel-led discussion explored the complexity involved with divestment and what it would mean for Brandeis University to divest from fossil fuels. As part of a series of discussions on sustainability at Brandeis, the panelists covered issues of climate change awareness, the recent Paris Agreement that resulted in 196 countries agreeing to limit the increase in global temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, the purpose of divestment and the challenges the Brandeis divestment campaign faces.

The discussion, which is part of an series on sustainability at Brandeis, was led by four panelists: Senior Lecturer at the Brandeis International Business

Inside this issue:

School John Ballantine, Jr., Senior Lecturer the Heller School for Social Policy and Management Eric Olson, Aneil Tripathy, a Brandeis graduate student studying Anthropology and Michael Abrams ’15, a staff legal researcher at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism.

The panelists provided context on the current state of climate change and climate change awareness.

“Climate change is real,” said panelist John Ballantine, Jr. He recognized that the Paris COP21 Agreement is a significant step towards addressing climate change on the part of the global community. However, the agreement was just that—an agreement—and does not bind countries to their word, Ballantine said. He also recognized that despite the Paris Agreement and scientific evidence, not everyone believes in human-caused climate change.

Seventy percent of Americans believe humans are responsible for climate change, according to a Yale University poll.

Panelist Eric Olson equates the low belief in climate change to a “deliberate effort to discombobulate Americans.” Olson cited a recent Forbes article that headlined “2015 Was Not Even Close

News: BPA accepts grant applications Opinion: Worklaod is too heavy Arts: MLK memorial stars student performers Features: Students take service trip to Belize Editorial: Union survey fosters inclusion

To Hottest Year On Record” as evidence of deliberate discombobulation. He contrasted this article with The New York Times headline that claimed the opposite, saying 2015 was “The Hottest Year on Record.“ The evidence in the Forbes article intentionally misled readers, said Olson, by using temperatures from a specific slice of the atmosphere rather than from the surface, where temperatures are usually recorded. Olson also cited an article by Brulle which found that nearly $1 billion were spent to “maintain public confusion” on the topic of climate change.

On the subject of divestment, Olson reminded the Brandeis community that “divestment is not aiming at harming companies directly,” by declining to purchase their stock. If you sell off holdings in a company, someone else will buy them, Olson explained.

Instead, divestment constitutes a political statement from a university “trying to hold onto some moral high ground,” he said.

Panelist Aneil Tripathy used a quote from Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis as evidence for why he believes Brandeis Uni See DIVESTMENT, page 4

Germaine Ingram Page 3 Ingram selected as ‘DEIS Page 12 Impact Keynote speaker.

Page 15 NEWS: Page 2 Page 5 Page 10

photo by daniel kang/the hoot

Pronouns and pronunciation survey increases awareness

By Elianna Spitzer Editor

A seven question survey concerning the use of gender pronouns and pronunciation guides in the classroom circulated on Jan. 14th. The survey questions included, “Do you support the addition of gender pronouns on class rosters and/or other documents (where possible)?” and “Do you support the addition of a pronunciation guide to your name on class rosters and/or other documents (where possible)?”.

Lucy Wen, Social Justice and Diversity Committee Chair, prefaced the survey in her email. “The promotion of the recognition and acceptance of transgender and genderqueer people has been in a long-existing topic. Although many changes have already been made, there is still a long way to go to create a truly inclusive and safe environment for this group of people.”

The survey focused on increasing policies of inclusion towards members of the genderqueer, transgender and gender-variant society. It also addressed name

Improvboston

Non-profit group brings job of comedy to campus.

News: Page 16

pronunciation issues for international students.

According to Wen, the survey had two main purposes: raising awareness and influencing change. It was the first step of many that the Social Justice and Diversity Committee hopes to take in order to positively impact elements of campus life.

The idea for the survey began when committee members met with Felix Tunador, Head of the Gender and Sexuality Center.

“We tried to reach out to campus organizations such as RCC and other LGBTQ groups and also the gender and sexuality center. Felix Tunador, the head of the gender and sexuality center… brought up this idea of updating the systems to have people’s preferred name and preferred pronouns.

We started working together. He designed the whole survey and we helped spread [the word] out,” said Wen. The percentage of the student body that responded to the survey is larger than expected. “It’s about 20% of the student body including the grad students. I mean, that’s great… normally the See PRONOUNS, page 2

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

January 22, 2016

Survey promotes acceptance in classrooms See PRONOUNS, page 1

percentage of participants is only 15%,” said Wen. For the Social Justice and Diversity Committee, the work is only beginning. Generating the survey and collecting its data is only the first step in the process.

They hope to use the data to make changes to Sage and Latte. The committee intends to alter the systems in order to allow students to select a pronoun and use a pronunciation guide. “When the pro-

fessor prints out a sheet of names it has class year, legal name, and preffered name. If we can add a pronoun and pronounciation guide…it won’t embarrass anyone,” said Wen. Wen indicated that problems regarding pronouns and pronunciations can be seen on a large scale. The committee hopes that small changes to everyday systems will influence the way members of the community interact with each other. Wen felt that the issue of using correct pronouns and pronunciations does not start

and end with professors. “It’s not the fault of the professors,” said Wen, “The school can certainly do better.”

John Unsworth, Vice Provost for Library and Technology Services stated that LTS supports efforts to increase acceptance and recognition of the LGBTQ community on campus. “At the encouragement of LTS librarians who are active in the LGBTQ community here, and in collaboration with the newly formed office of LGBTQ affairs, we proactively raised this issue in the social

justice forum that LTS co-sponsors with the chaplaincy, beginning last academic year,” wrote Unsworth in an email to the Hoot.

Unsworth wrote that he was not aware of the survey. However, he was interested in its response. “… we have involved students in the discussion from the outset, and I would be happy to learn about the results of the survey, and I hope it can help us move this issue forward,” wrote Unsworth.

The technical implementation of gender pronouns and pronunciation guides on Sage and Latte

would not be difficult for LTS and their affiliates. The difficulty lies in ensuring that it will make a larger impact. “The decision to implement these changes involves more administrative offices than LTS, and it is a policy question more than it is a technical challenge. It is also a training issue: just because our systems carry this information will not guarantee that those who call the roll in a classroom, or at practice, or elsewhere, will understand the importance of using that information,” wrote Unsworth.

“We have to really reflect on what kind of an institution we want Brandeis to be,” said Tripathy. “The university must ultimately be guided by its social justice mission,” as stated in the Final Report and Recommendations from Brandeis’ Exploratory Committee on Fossil Fuel Divestment, which recommended divestment last spring.

Determining whether an investment is “egregiously bad” is a complicated issue. Ballantine cited Exxon as an example: “People can say [Exxon] is egregiously bad because they funded the activities to create the confusion [about the facts of climate change] but

they also funded activities, a lot of activities, at MIT.” Ballantine adds though that “we aren’t even having that conversation.” When asked by an audience member, “What divestment means given Brandeis’ investment strategy,” Ballantine replied, “We don’t know … we don’t have the information, it’s not reported out.”

Ballantine says, “The question is, is there actually a dialogue going on at the investment committee level?”

Students from Brandeis Climate Justice are active in protesting for divestment, speaking at Town Halls and holding rallys, including one during the last Board of

Panel sustains discussion on climate change See DIVESTMENT, page 1

photo by daniel kang/the hoot

versity should pursue divestment from fossil fuels. Tripathy quoted Brandeis stating there is “no such thing, to my mind, as an innocent stockholder. [The stockholder] accepts the benefits of the system, it is his business and his obligation to see that those who represent him carry out a policy which is consistent with public welfare.”

Tripathy suggest that Justice Brandeis might have found “Brandeis [University] as responsible for holding shares in these companies.”

Brief: Keynote speaker for ‘DEIS Impact selected

By Max Gould

Special to the hoot

Germaine Ingram, a nationally recognized contemporary jazz tap dancer, has been selected as the 2016 ’DEIS Impact keynote speaker and performer. The ’DEIS Impact Festival of Social Justice is a week-long event in which professors, clubs and departments host events, talks, workshops and performances. The festival will begin Jan. 27 and conclude with Ingram’s performance on Feb. 2 and her keynote address on Feb. 3.

Ingram is a distinguished tap dance performer who has made

By Hannah Schuster Editor

Paul Sindberg, the new executive senator for the Student Union, wants to find new ways for the Union to engage with the student body. He was elected to the position in a secret ballot on Sunday, Jan. 17, following a series of transitions within the Union.

David Herbstritt ’17 vacated the position and took over the role of vice president after the former VP, Dennis Hermida-Gonzalez ’17, stepped down.

“After I heard that David Herbstritt would be vacating the position, I thought a lot about the kind of work that he’d being doing for the Union,” said Sindberg of his decision to run for executive senator, “[Herbstritt’s] excellent handling of the position encouraged me to see if I could do the same.”

Sindberg joined the Union last fall as Class of 2018 Senator and was soon selected to serve as chair of the Senate’s Service and Outreach Committee. In his new capacity as executive senator, Sindberg will help lead discussion at the weekly Senate meetings

her mark on the art world by incorporating historical narrative, oral history and filmmaking to convey messages of social justice.

She uses her tap dancing to start dialogue on many current issues throughout the country while also incorporating historical elements.

She began her career in the 1980s under the instruction of world famous tap dancer LaVaughn Robinson. With Robinson by her side, Ingram danced and taught workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean for over 25 years.

Her performances have been acknowledged time and time again and have received several

awards. She was named the 2010 Pew Fellow, presented with the Rocky Award, the Channavy Lenora Koung Award for Folk Arts & Culture Heritage Practice, the Leeway Transformation Award and the Leeway Art & Change Award. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Independence Foundation have both recognized her work. Her experience in tap dancing extends beyond the realm of performing into choreography as well. Both Manhattan Tap and Tappers With Attitude have featured her performances, and she has worked with acclaimed musicians like Odean Pope, Dave Burrell and Tyrone

Brown.

Ingram’s admirable career as an artist is only a single part of her larger success. Ingram also earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and did postgraduate studies at Harvard University. From there she has worked as a law professor, a civil rights lawyer and a litigation attorney. She has also held positions in governmental law departments and was Chief of Staff in the School District of Philadelphia.

Ingram is scheduled to perform her “Freedom Underfoot” at Brandeis, which focuses on the final year of the Civil War in Atlanta, GA. Under the backdrop of

music by Dr. Jacqueline Pickett and Diane Monroe, Ingram will present autobiographies from women at the time, slave narratives and diaries. The next day Ingram will deliver her keynote speech, titled “The Law and the Stage: Platforms for Pursuing Social Justice.” Her speech will focus on civil rights law as a platform for advancing equality.

The critically acclaimed tap dancer, choreographer and practicing lawyer promises to deliver an entertaining and enlightening conclusion to this year’s Festival of Social Justice. Ingram’s final Keynote Address will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the SCC on Feb 3.

and attend the Union’s Executive Board (e-board) meetings, which take place right before the Senate meetings on Sunday nights.

E-board members include the president, chief of staff, vice president, representatives to the Board of Trustees and others.

In his new capacity, Sindberg is responsible for representing the Senate to the e-board, but he also wants to ensure there is a “two-way street” between the Senate and the e-board. As a senator, Sindberg said, there is some confusion about what the e-board does. So, in “corresponding with Nyah Macklin’s transparency initiative,” he wants to inform his fellow senators about the workings of the e-board. One of the chief goals for Macklin and her administration has been transparency.

It was the drive behind creating a new Student Union website, for example.

The Services and Outreach Committee is typically responsible for two projects: organizing the Turkey Shuttles and the Midnight Buffet. The shuttles take students from campus to Boston Logan airport, South Station, New York City and New Jersey at the

beginning and end of Thanksgiving break.

Sindberg was “proud that those went well, no one got lost, everyone got to where they were going,” he said with a smile. “I was also really excited that we could maintain our tradition of offering those tickets to Brandeis students at the lowest possible ticket rates.”

Turkey Shuttle tickets to the airport and train station were $15 and shuttle tickets to New York and New Jersey were $35, according to the Facebook event page.

The Midnight Buffet happens each semester on the last day of classes, offering students food from local restaurants, free T-shirts and a chance to celebrate before final exams begin.

This year, Sindberg wanted to “make sure [the Midnight Buffet] was advancing the social justice goals of the university,” he said.

Students could purchase “shoutouts” to be read during the buffet, with proceeds going to the Charles River Watershed Association, a Weston, MA-based organization that works to clean up and protect the watershed.

For Sindberg, it was important that the event be “helping re-es-

tablish Brandeis in the community and helping grow our name both in the surrounding community and grow the cause of social justice in the surrounding community,” he explained.

The committee is planning a new program called “Brandeis Bands Together,” which Sindberg hopes will become an annual tradition. Students will be able to purchase colored wristbands to support a different organization each month between February and May. Each featured organization corresponds to a day or month of awareness. For example, February is American Heart month, and the Union will be selling wristbands for the American Heart Association. They will be selling wristbands to support the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation for Learn About Butterflies Day in March; to support the Charles River Watershed Association for Earth Day in April; and to support Amnesty International for Amnesty International Day in May. Moving forward, Sindberg wants “to emphasize the ‘outreach’ part of the services and outreach

committee” and find new ways for the Union to serve the community, he said.

“I don’t believe it’s enough that we have open office hours and open senate meetings. I want to accept responsibilities for starting conversations … and I want to push the Union to accept responsibility for starting conversations,” he said, citing getting involved with Orientation as a potential example.

Now Vice President Herbstritt is having those interested apply (or reapply) for committee chair positions. Sindberg intends to reapply for service and outreach.

One of his goals is to take his committee beyond its established two events per semester and introduce new initiatives which engage the student body.

Sindberg is involved elsewhere on campus as well, serving as the treasurer for the Brandeis Democrats, a Community Advisor in Massell Quad, working at the Media and Technology Services Department and performing with the sketch comedy troupe Boris’ Kitchen. He is planning to double major in Biology and Music Composition.

Paul Sindberg ’18 elected executive senator

January 22, 2016

By Sarah Terrazano Editor

The Brandeis Pluralism Alliance (BPA) will soon be closing its applications for spring grants, which will be given to students or faculty who need funding for projects that involve identity, pluralism and unity.

According to the BPA webpage, the organization’s goals include encouraging students to question identity and community, create alliances between campus groups that address pluralism, allow two or more clubs to collaborate on a project and providing “funds for creative new pluralism and unity programming involving students and faculty.” This goal refers to the BPA’s grants, which have been awarded at the beginning of each semester since Fall 2005.

According to Steering Committee member Grace Hong ’16, the BPA “encourages students to think of and approach their events with a more pluralistic mindset, in a way that is enriching both for students that plan the events and students that attend such events.”

Grants are typically up to $400 and can be used for a variety of programming, from seminars, workshops, performances, publications or service projects. The only condition is that the program must foster the ideas of pluralism and unity. This refers to projects that celebrate diverse or minority

The Brandeis Hoot

BPA grants foster pluralism and unity cultures, engage in community service or use art to incite social change. Such issues will hopefully inspire discussion between clubs and between students who engage in the events. There are 15 current grant recipients who were awarded for the Fall 2015 semester.

The winners span a wide range of organizations, cultures and goals. One recipient was HsiangLing Hsiao ’18 for the Brandeis TSA Night Market, in which the Taiwanese Student Association (TSA) recreated “the atmosphere of the famous night markets in Taiwan.” This well-attended event featured multiple stations in which clubs served a variety of food. Some participating clubs included the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection, Southeast Asia Club and Japanese Student Association to help bring “that adrenaline-pumping street feel to Brandeis’ campus.”

Another Fall 2015 recipient was LaShawn Simmons ’18, who created the Ebony Axis Zine Publication in partnership with both the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance and the Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation Program. Ebony Axis was created to showcase the poetry and narratives of black women on campus, from students and faculty to alumnae. A coffeehouse was also hosted in Chum’s as a safe space where participants could encourage dialogue and empowerment. Ebony Axis in-

tended to show “that the journeys and lives of black women on this campus are unique and should be vocalized beyond the single axis framework that keeps their narratives obscure.”

Other Fall 2015 recipients included James Conlon ’16 for the Brandeis Dance Marathon, which raised money for Boston Children’s Hospital through a day of dance performances, slam poetry and raffles. Uday Jain ’17 also received a grant for MELA, the annual South Asian cultural show that features traditional and modern dance, music and spoken word performances. The Brandeis Pluralism Alliance also funded a juried Art Exhibition during ’DEIS Impact last spring called “BPArt: Pluralism and the Arts.”

The event featured artwork related to pluralism, unity and social justice.

The BPA is currently accepting applications for its Spring 2016 grants.

Once applications have closed, the Steering Committee, which is comprised of seven faculty and staff members and six students, will meet to determine the recipients. Winners will consult with the BPA about planning, publicity and implementation of their projects.

The BPA Spring 2016 application is due on Jan. 24 and is available online.

brandeis dance marathon

funded by a BPA grant.

Students sing at a program

NEWS

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photo from internet source

Day of service commemorates MLK MLK, from page 1

numbers of volunteers, the participants assembled the most meals yet: 17,000. Protestant chaplain Reverend Matthew Carriker mentioned that they had more meals than shelters to which to donate.

Carriker felt that these event embodied Dr. King’s philosophy of spreading peace and love. He said, “[Martin Luther King, Jr.] talked about this unconditional love. There’s no limits, no boundaries, no conditions.”

The meal-packaging event was complemented by a “fair” featuring seminars and dialogues about several topics relevant to the day.

According to Quigley, “Participants engaged in discussions about housing discrimination, interfaith beliefs, diversity and culture, hunger and homelessness

and immigration.”

The fair closed with reflections by Rabbi Finkelstein, Padre Marrero and Imam Abdallah Ddumba, Bentley University’s Muslim chaplain, as well as the singing of the song, “Peace, salaam, shalom.” In the evening, the fair was followed up with performances by Jamele Adams, Kaos Kids and Nyah Mackin ’16. The keynote speaker of the evening, Clennon King, also offered a brief introduction to his hour-long film, “Passage at St. Augustine.”

Rev. Carriker’s goal for the day was to get the students to see how meaningful service can be. He said, “Actually, the most meaning is found as we give of ourselves and serve others.” Carriker also hoped that students would think more deeply about Dr. King and what his accomplishments truly mean.

He said, “I think his legacy lives on as we think about social justice and what are the pressing issues of our day. As they were saying in last night’s event, he wasn’t just focused on race. He talked about hunger and poverty. He had a very holistic vision. He spoke out against the war. He was a non-violent revolutionary.”

Quigley expressed his satisfaction with the events and felt that the high school students in attendance had been positively affected. He said, “Many mentioned that they enjoyed being able to give back to their community and hope to continue to do so more in the future. Others expressed that they learned the importance of having an open mind and promoting ideas of peace. It was great to hear that many young men and women were able to use the day as a learning experience.”

photo courtesy eli nyuwa

photo courtesy eli nyuwa

photo courtesy eli nyuwa

NEWS

4 The Brandeis Hoot

January 22, 2016

BRIEF: DCL introduces new policy

By Samantha Lauring Special to the Hoot

Students hosting registered parties must now have someone fill the new role of Alcohol Beverage Server (ABS), who must be a Brandeis student of legal drinking age responsible for all the alcohol served at the event, according to an email from the Department of Community Living.

The email discusses new and existing regulations for event registration, including the role of the ABS and “primary host.” The primary host, formerly known as the sober host, must live in the space where the event will be hosted.

The ABS and the primary host will work closely together in registering for events. The ABS and the host cannot be the same person and the two must be present

for the entirety of the registered event. Both positions must meet with a DCL member to discuss their event registration request. In addition to these two updated positions, alcohol service must end half an hour before the end of the event.

Although there are several updated policies, there are still a few policies that remain intact. The ABS and primary host still need to meet with a DCL member to receive a permit for event registration. Without a permit, an event is considered unregistered. Registration requests must be submitted two business days before the event and event registration will only take place when classes are in session. More information about event registration policies can be found on the DCL website or from Area Coordinators.

In The Senate: Jan.17

Website redesign will boost accessibility

By Abigail Gardener Editor

Brandeis’ Web Team is in the process of redesigning the university website. Although the university homepage was redesigned in 2011, the website templates for departments and offices are from 2007. “In web years, they are old!”

Director of Digital Communications Audrey Griffin-Goode said in an email to The Brandeis Hoot.

The website may not look outdated, but it is being redesigned in order to make it more accessible and meet the demands of the social media age.

Goode said, “The new templates will have a modern design, streamlined content and improved usability. Best of all, they will be mobile friendly—easily viewed on a smartphone or tablet—and accessible to visitors with disabilities.”

This project has been going on for a while; the process of redesigning the website first began in the fall of 2014 with planning and research. A web team was put together, consisting of both staff from the Office of Communications and Library and Technology Services (LTS). There are eight members on the team in total, two from LTS and six from the Office of Communications.

Goode said that the Web Team began by asking web editors on campus what features they would like to see in the new templates, and the project progressed from there. According to the redesign website, the team issued a request for proposals from potential re-

design partners. In January, the Web Team received proposals from these potential partners, and throughout the months of February and March, they were assessed based on on-campus presentations. The Web Team finally settled on Chicago-based web strategy firm mStoner in April 2015.

“Since 2001, mStoner has worked with more than 300 colleges, universities and professional schools in the United States and abroad,” a statement on the redesign website said. “The firm focuses on research, data and results.”

Goode said that in June, mStoner led a series of discovery sessions on campus with students, faculty and staff to get feedback on what they want to see in a new website. The Web Team also turned to other university websites for inspiration.

“The Web Team reviewed many websites (particularly other universities) in preparation for redesign. Additionally, mStoner audited the current web presence of 14 of Brandeis’ peer and aspirant institutions and considered multiple facets for each site. We have been inspired by the design and features of many of the sites,” Goode said.

The process continued on Jan. 15, when students received an email from the Brandeis Web Team requesting that students take a survey to give their feedback on the layout and design of the new university website. The survey included samples of of two design concepts for the new

website and asked students to pick three words to describe each design and highlight in green the parts of the design they liked while highlighting in red the parts they did not. In the email, students were told that their views and feedback would help determine the direction the website redesign goes in.

The Web Team has ambitious goals for the new website. Goode said that the new website will be mobile friendly, so that students can enjoy a seamless user experience no matter what device they are using. The redesign will also be much more accessible to users with disabilities. Additionally, to reflect how dynamic Brandeis is, “The new website will have a modern design, better social media and multimedia integration and an updated, content-focused approach that shows our core audiences the university’s best qualities,” Goode said.

The Web Team hopes to start launching the new sites in late summer. They first have to migrate content from the original site into the new templates, which will take place in multiple phases since there are 22,000 live pages in the current templates, Goode said.

Goode wants the redesigned website to be the best it can be in order to reflect on the university.

She said, “We need to make sure that our new website will reach the students, faculty and staff that we want to attract. Brandeis has so much to be proud of. We need to showcase that through our front door—our website.”

Executive Senator Elections • Class of 2018 Senator Paul Sindberg ’18, Senator-at-Large Lucy Wen ’18 and North Quad Senator Hannah Brown ’19 ran for Executive Senator. Sindberg was elected, according to an email from Vice President David Herbstritt ’17.

Mid-Year Student Union Elections • Elections will take place Friday, Jan 22 bringing the Senate to a full 24-member body Brandeis Bands Together • The Service and Outreach will be selling colored wristbands for a different cause each month this semester: • The American Heart Association in February, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation for Learn About Butterflies Day in March, the Charles River Watershed Association for Earth Day in April and Amnesty International for Amnesty International Day in May Club Organization • Class of 2019 Senator Nathan Greess ’19 will be encouraging similar clubs to work together and exploring the idea of creating more umbrella organizations, like the Waltham Group, he said • At the last Executive Board meeting, Herbstritt volunteered to look through clubs for “any really easy mash-ups” Bystander Training • Charles River/567 Senator Valerie Timms ’16 is working with the Office of Prevention Services to restructure the way bystander training works • Following the Union’s vote last semester to make the training mandatory for all club leaders, Timms said Union members, as student leaders, should help out OPS so they don’t become overloaded Fun Bucks • Mods Senator Kenyon Fraser ’16 is working to have the term “points” changed to the term “Fun Bucks.” So, when you buy a burrito at Currito’s, you could use your “Fun Bucks” to pay.

A-Board • A-board Rep and Class of 2019 Senator Kate Kesselman ’19 announced that Regular Marathon Sessions for the spring now available • A-board is working to create a calendar where clubs can post their events, to encourage clubs working together, according to Kesselman More Initiatives • A new club guide will be coming out soon, according to Senator-at-Large Lorenzo Finamore ’18 • Class of 2017 Senator Matt Smetana ’17 requested funding to create a meadow by the science center parking lot, but received double the money $5000 to expand the size of the meadow • Bethlehem Seifu Blaineh ’16, the Racial Minority Senator and Social Justice and Diversity Committee member discussed their three ‘DEIS Impact events: • Diversity on Display: A display of photo portraits and interviews that explore diversity on campus • Reclaiming Narrative through African Diaspora Cuisine: An event exploring African American soul food • Supporting Youth-led Social Justice Organizations: An event about the structure of activist organizations such as Black Lives Matter

January 22, 2016

FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot 5

Brandeis Students for Reproductive Justice enter their second semester

By Jacob Edelman Editor

Lexi Ouellette is a sophomore from Granby, MA. Anne Kat Alexander is also a sophomore, hailing from Austin, TX. Ouellette is a Politics major with minors in Health: Science, Society and Policy, Legal Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, while Alexander is an English and Classical Studies double major with minors in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, French and Creative Writing. Aside this impressive list of studies, Ouellette and Alexander are both on the e-board of Brandeis Students for Reproductive Justice, otherwise known as BSRJ. Ouellette is the president and events manager of BSRJ, while Alexander is the legislative action coordinator.

According to BSRJ’s mission statement, the overall organizational goal of the club is to “Elevate and mobilize the collective conscious of Brandeis Students towards the realities of reproductive healthcare, the importance of reproductive justice for all and the vital intersection of reproductive care with elements of class, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, identity of nation, geographic region and work.”

At each meeting, usually 10 to 15 members attend to support the club and stay active in issues surrounding reproductive justice.

This past fall semester, the club held two events that “embraced the intersections of art and reproductive justice,” according to Ouellette. Reproductive justice-inspired artwork was created by members of the club, and short stories, poetry and a film were also shared. Additionally, Alexander noted that a cupcake bake

brandeis students for reproductive justice’s introductory meeting

sale fundraiser was held to benefit the Prison Birth Project, which is an organization that “supports, encourages and trains currently and formerly incarcerated mothers and trans parents to become community leaders within a reproductive justice framework.”

Ouellette was asked whether she perceived BSRJ as more of an educational organization or an activist organization, but she stated that she doesn’t believe that there needs to be a difference.

“Part of our activism is to educate ourselves, our members and the general Brandeis and surrounding communities,” she said, con-

tinuing that, “Without continual education, we would not have the basis to engage students and community members. Our own activism would not be informed and evolving.”

When speaking about the challenges involved with BSRJ, Ouellette and Alexander noted that conveying urgency of action can be difficult. “People have so many opportunities to work in so many fields that creating a demand for your organization involves competition between other well-worthy groups, social life and academics. We want to create an environment that can be accessed

photo courtesy brandeis students for reproductive justice

by Brandeis community members with varying amounts of commitment, time, information and interest,” they said.

Alexander commented that there is a common linkage between the phrases “reproductive justice” and “abortion,” or between “abortion” and “contraception,” but she noted that reproductive justice goes beyond accessible family planning. She elaborated that it includes concerns such as “improving healthcare for trans people or agitating to keep tampons from being taxed as ‘luxury goods.’”

This semester, BSRJ has a num-

ber of events coming up that they had decided to delay from the fall semester due to Ford Hall 2015.

The club and its leadership felt that Ford Hall 2015 took precedence, so their activities were scheduled for the spring instead.

The events that the club looks forward to holding include a menstrual product drive and an event regarding the campus’ health care coverage. Next Friday, Jan. 29 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the SCC Multipurpose Room, BSRJ will also host a ’Deis Impact event titled “Coffee, Cupcakes & Condoms: Conversations About Reproductive Justice.”

Brandeis students dedicated to service, even abroad

By Albert Reiss Staff

Being a student at an elite institution has its benefits. However, we often forget the importance of giving back. This week, The Brandeis Hoot caught up with Takisha J. Edwards ’17 and Natalia Gonzalez ’19. Both Edwards and Johnson are going on a service trip to Belize during the February break. There, they will help to build houses in impoverished areas as well as get a chance to connect with Belizean culture.

The sponsor of the trip is Hand in Hand Ministries, a group that “has built more than 180 homes,” said Edwards.

While there are many countries to choose from, Edwards’ choice of location stemmed mostly from the opportunity of going to a foreign country and volunteering.

Edwards noted, “I always liked the idea of helping people wherever they need help and really admire the international trips like Global Brigades, for example.

I thought to myself, ‘I’m always talking about making a change, but change won’t happen with just words.’ So I just decided to jump

on the opportunity. I wanted to put my words into action.”

This altruistic mentality was similarly described by Gonzalez, who previously taught English in Atenas, Costa Rica. Gonzalez described her time in Costa Rica where she “worked on an organic coffee farm, picking and packaging coffee as well as selling the sacks in the local farmer’s market.”

Many Costa Ricans lack proper nutrition, and Gonzalez was able to gain valuable experience in the average life of a low-income individual. For Gonzalez, “the experience was very rewarding for both myself and the children [to whom she taught English classes].”

Before being able to attend the trip, Edwards had to fundraise for various expenses. These included supplies for the house-building as well as various travel expenses.

Through fundraising, Edwards was able to gain valuable insight into the history and culture of Belize. Edwards talked about how she “learned a lot about the country through fundraising for the trip and from hearing about it from people who are from there/ lived there and I cannot wait. I am especially excited to taste the food and see Mayan ruins. Hopefully I’ll come back to the States know-

ing some Creole or a new recipe.”

As exciting as all of the traveling and volunteering sound, safety questions are also important to ask. As of late, many foreign service organizations have faced scrutiny for a lack of adequate safety measures. This is most notable in the recent story of Columbia University students who were murdered during a service trip to Honduras. In terms of the level of safety provided, Edwards commented that, “I am not nervous about my safety. There is danger everywhere, but I don’t believe that something terrible will happen while the rest of the group and I are in Belize. We have learned and are still learning about the environment in Belize, but nothing really scares me into staying away.”

Given this great opportunity she has, we asked Gonzalez how she would strive to make this service trip meaningful. Gonzalez stated, “Building a home provides a very tangible and long-term solution for the family that will be living in it. This work will be more beneficial and thoughtful than just sending in a check. Hand in Hand Ministries does not aim to slow down positive growth nor perpetuate the ‘white savior’ complex.

photo from internet source

In fact, I believe it’s quite the contrary. Our group of students has been working very hard not only to fundraise but also in learning to be very culturally aware.”

For any people interested in donating to the trip, Edwards says,

“one can go to http://myhandinhand.org/brandeis-universitystudents-to-build-hope-in-belize/ and fill out the information required to donate. Give as much as you want; we’re grateful for every little bit we get!”

SPORTS

6 The Brandeis Hoot

January 22, 2016

Snowboarder Grutzner ’18 wins third place in slalom

By Sarah Jousset Editor

The Brandeis Ski team is one of Brandeis’ many club sports. The team’s season spans the first five weekends of the spring semester every year, translating into five races. However, with this year’s lack of snow, the ski team faces turning their already short season into an even smaller one. The ski team competes in the Eastern Conference of the USCSA called the McBrine Division. The team competed in their first competition of the season this past weekend in the West Mountain Slalom and Giant Slalom races in Queensbury, NY. Brandeis was represented in the men and women’s alpine skiing races and the men and women’s snowboarding. In the alpine’s men’s slalom ski races, captain Jordan Miller ’17 placed 16th with a total time of 2:27.40, while Zach Phil Schwartz ’18, editor at The Brandeis Hoot, placed 22nd with a total time of 2:54.20. In the men’s giant slalom ski races, only Schwartz qualified with a total time of 2:24.60 for 25th place.

The Brandeis snowboarders really shined for the Judges, with all those who qualified placing in the top 10. In the men’s snowboarding slalom, Ari Jaffe ’19 placed fifth with a total time of 3:40.00. Two men’s snowboarders for Brandeis qualified in the Giant Slalom.

Captain Allison Schwab ‘16 competed in this past weekend’s competion, qualifying in slalom and giant slalom. snowboarders dominate

Miller finished fourth with a total time of 3:08.30, while Riely Allen ’18 finished eighth with a time of 5:04.90.

The women’s snowboarders dominated on the hill, lead by Sophie Grutzner ’18. Women’s snowboarding slalom saw four of the Brandeis snowboarders qualify. Grutzner was first for the women’s snowboarding slalom and third overall with a time of 2:55.10. Captain Allison Schwab ’16 finished fourth with a time of 3:11.70, while Rachel Zhu ’18 finished fifth with a time of 3:24.60. Senior Tamar Lyssy ’16 finished seventh with a total time of 4:01.00. Grutzner triumphed in the snowboarding Giant Slalom as well, finishing second with a time of 3:06.60. Teammate Schwab finished third with a time of 3:34.70

photo courtesy ian roy

and Zhu finished fourth with a total time of 3:35.90. Lyssy finished seventh for the Judges in the Giant Slalom with a time of 4:46.50.

However, for the competitors, the main concern is enjoying themselves and enjoying a sport they love with their team. Miller commented, “Everyone there, regardless of your skill or team, supports each other at the race. It’s as competitive as you want it to be. I want everyone to keep doing what we are doing—doing our best, supporting each other on the hill and embracing the culture that is the McBrine division.”

The Brandeis ski and snowboarding team will compete in its second competition this weekend in Londonderry, VT, in the Magic Mountain Slalom and Giant Slalom races.

going for gold Grutzner ‘18 (above) poses with the McBrine Division Coordinator after taking third place overall in the snowboarding slalom.

photo courtesy ian roy

Men’s basketball splits weekend of UAA games

By Shea Decker-Jacoby special to the hoot

The Last Friday the Brandeis Judges men’s basketball team took on the Rochester Yellowjackets in their second UAA match at home.

Brandeis came into the match with a record of 6-6 overall and 0-1 in the UAA. The Yellowjackets came in with a 7-5 overall record, while being 0-1 in the UAA as well. Starters Tim Reale ’17, Colby Smith ’16, Carlin Haymon ’18, Jordan Cooper ’18 and Sam Dowden ’17 started off the match with four three-pointers in the first five minutes to keep the game close. Brandeis kept it tight with the Yellowjackets with the largest difference between the scores at four. The game was tied at 21-21 with 8:44 remaining when John Powell ’17 hit a layup to give the Judges a 23-21 lead. Rochester came back with a three-pointer and the Yellowjackets never trailed again. The Yellowjackets then went on a 12-2 run, which led to a 10-point difference, which Smith closed to a seven-point difference before the end of the half by scoring the last five points for the Judges ending the game with a score of 39-46 Yellowjackets.

Brandeis hit 54.8 percent of their shots in the first half of the game with Rochester at 58.6 percent.

The Judges came out strong in the second half starting with

Jordan Cooper ‘18 (left) and Robinson Vilmont ‘17 (right) were huge contributors in friday’s loss and sunday’s wing against UAA competitors at home. uaa split

the ball, but eventually could not overcome the 14-2 run by the Yellowjackets in the first five minutes; making the score 60-41.

Jack Fay ’17 worked his way down the court to score a three-pointer to stop the Yellowjackets’ run.

Brandeis slowed the Yellowjackets down keeping their shooting percentage at 43.5 percent at the beginning of the second half. Robinson Vilmont ’17 led the team in scoring with a total of nine points.

He was the only Brandeis athlete

photos from internet source

with more than two field goals, scoring three of nine three-pointers and hitting two free throws at the line. Powell ended the game with six points and team high of five rebounds. Haymon tied for game-high honors with three as-

sists. The Judges ended the game with a score of 53-77.

The men’s basketball team played again on Sunday against Emory University for their first win in the University Athletic Association (UAA) conference. The men’s team won 76-68 in overtime, outscoring Emory 15-7 in the extra time. The Judges hit 13 for 15 from the free-throw line.

The victory improved Brandeis’ overall record to 7-7.

The Judges were behind in the first half before coming back in the second half to tie the game.

The Judges brought that energy into overtime for the win against Emory. Cooper led the Judges with 24 points, a season high and his fourth overall best in collegiate play. Cooper went five of six from the line, eight of 13 from the field and three of five from outside the arc. Vilmont finished with 16 points, while classmate Powell contributed 13 points off the bench. Powell’s scoring was more than Emory’s reserves combined. Vilmont and Powell tied in rebounds for a team high, with seven rebound reach. Powell also contributed on the defensive end with three blocks.

The Judges will take the court again Friday Jan. 22 at 9 p.m. against the Washington University in St. Louis for their fourth UAA match up of the season and then take the University of Chicago in Chicago on Jan. 24.

January 22, 2016

The Brandeis Hoot

SPORTS

7

Tennis courts revamped

By Lily Wageman Staff

The Brandeis athletic facilities have installed a new upgrade that will benefit tennis players in their upcoming season. The indoor tennis courts in Gosman were painted with a true tennis surface called MontoTen, replacing the previous Mondo (rubber surface).

In appearance, it would be pretty easy to miss any differences, as the same color scheme was used, but the surface is distinctly different.

The improvement offers more realistic courts after years of wear, causing the older courts to lose grit on the surface and making the balls bounce too fast. Now, the courts are similar to the speed of outdoor tennis courts. The players also hope that this new upgrade will be an incentive for more fans to come watch matches. Accordingto women’s tennis team member and Brandeis Hoot editor Charlotte Aaron ’18, “We got new indoor tennis courts this year, so hopefully students will come support us on our home courts this season! We really are a pretty fun group considering tennis isn’t always the most rowdy sport!”

Head coach David Lamanna commented, “The [new] courts are incredible; it’s literally a dream come true for the coaches and players! With the correct speed of our courts, we can now practice with similar conditions to our matches, and I feel that we can maximize our player development potential through the winter months. Life is good!”

A graduate of Bates College in

photo from internet source

new floor , new season

The indoor tennis courts received a makeover just in time for the men’s and women’s spring tennis season.

2002, Lamanna enters his 11th season with the Judges. While in college, Lamanna was part of a Division III tennis program that made three NCAA tournaments, from his sophomore to senior year. “I was the guy that improved through being around great coaching and competitive team-

mates. I was also motivated to be a gamer and help get the team to new heights,” says Lamanna.

During his tenure at Brandeis, the men’s team has continually improved while facing many of the top Division III teams in the country along with Division I teams. In 2012, the women at-

photo from internet source

tained their highest-ever national ranking at No. 19.

Lamanna was inspired to go into coaching early on, starting when he was 16 and continuing ever since. He considers college coaching a great experience that allows him a stretch of activities including mentoring, coaching

tennis and recruiting. He describes his love as “working with student-athletes who are on a mission to get better, and I really enjoy building a positive team culture every year.” When asked about his inspirations, Lamanna replies that he looks for inspiration everywhere—his friends, co-workers, current student-athletes and other coaches. More specifically he says that he is inspired by “older guys who continue to be at the top of the game,” such as Roger Federer, Tom Brady and Andre Agassi, and he continues to be inspired by his old college coaches and professional coaches like Bill Belichick, “all legends of the game.” Lamanna describes his own coaching style as task-focused, process-oriented and coaching within a growth mindset. He lives and coaches by a binary system, “not taking things personally, constantly working hard to improve and being impeccable with my word.” He further adds, “I also love to laugh and make my players laugh; it keeps me young … well, young-ish.”

Lamanna’s goals this season for the tennis team are to have a positive and competitive attitude, as well as to see individual improvement with his players on and off the courts. Lamanna believes “that hopefully focusing on this process and supporting our players will lead Brandeis Tennis to new heights,” with the end goal being an improvement in national rankings to qualify for the NCAA’s. Finally, Lamanna offers this advice to any student or athlete: “To be honest with themselves, humble in their deeds and fearless in their pursuits.”

WEEK IN PHOTOS

8 The Brandeis Hoot

January 22, 2016

photo by elana hodson/the hoot

ain’t no group like a waltham group

Waltham Group’s semesterly recruitment night.

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

photo by adam lamper/the hoot

photo by jacob edelman/the hoot

we aren’t in fall semester anymore, toto

Cold snow covers campus.

photos by adam lamper/the hoot

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

January 22, 2016

The Brandeis Hoot

WEEK IN PHOTOS 9

photo by jacob edelman/the hoot

bingo at brandeis

Insert A skilled group of seniors take bingo at the SCC on Thursday night.

photos by zach phil schwartz/the hoot

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

photos by adam lamper/the hoot

EDITORIALS

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Theresa Gaffney Julie Landy

Senior Managing Editor Jess Linde Senior Editor Andrew Elmers Senior Copy Editor Allison Plotnik News Editors Hannah Schuster Emily Sorkin Smith Deputy News Editors Abigail Gardener Elianna Spitzer Arts Editor Sabrina Pond Opinions Editor Zach Phil Schwartz

E

Pronouns and pronunciation can bring inclusivity and respect

very year, our campus becomes more diverse in terms of race, class, sexual orientation and gender identity, and this should be supported. But it is also true that not every member of the Brandeis community has experience with non-binary genders, or ease with pronouncing someone’s name. Yet, it should not be up to these students to educate other members of the community on their identity. The Student Union’s Social Justice and Diversity Committee (SJDC) initiative to include preferred gender pronouns and name pronunciation guides on class rosters is a great step toward further inclusivity at Brandeis.

For students with names that aren’t “easy”

Features Editor Jacob Edelman

Photo Editor Karen Caldwell Deputy Video Editor Matt Kowalyk Editors-at-Large Charlotte Aaron Mia Edelstein Lisa Petrie

Volume 13 • Issue 2 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, Zach Cihlar, Talia Franks, Zachary Gordon, Emma Gutman, Curtis Zunyu He, Sophia He, Alana Hodson, Daniel Kang, Emma Kahn, Naomi Klickstein, Adam Lamper, Nabi Menai, Monique J Menezes, Santiago Montoya, Joon Park, Nicole Porter, Albert Reiss, Emily Scharf, Marian Siljeholm, Eliana Sinoff, Ryan Spencer, Hannah Stewart, Michael Wang, 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.

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to pronounce, it can be uncomfortable to have to teach professors how to pronounce their names every semester. It is equally exhausting for trans or non-binary students to have to explain their pronouns or be misgendered.

And though many professors have started to ask students about their pronouns rather than make assumptions, giving students the option to enter their pronouns and name pronunciation online removes some of the burden of educating others. It encourages conversations that students may feel uncomfortable starting themselves.

As Social Justice and Diversity Committee Chair Lucy Wen ’18 explained to The Brandeis

Hoot, the small changes within the classroom could create larger changes within the Brandeis culture. Making such information readily available sets a precedent that the university is sensitive to all kinds of life experiences, not just those within the gender binary, or those with “normal,” Americanized names.

Additionally, the large voter response for the survey shows how important the issue is for students: it garnered a 20 percent voter turnout of both graduate and undergraduate students, compared to a usual turnout out of around 15 percent, according to Lucy Wen. In the past, the majority of the student body has neglected to vote for various elections, surveys and more.

Hidden Gems

Sports Editor Sarah Jousset Copy Editor Sarah Terrazano

January 22, 2016

By Naomi Klickstein staff

Across 1. Singer Johnny 5. Let one loose 9. Pictograph 14. Hawaiian hub 15. Ride sharing service 16. e.g. juice cleanse 17. Tautomerization intermediate 18. Bygone boots 19. Licorice flavor 20. Indicate hunger 24. Office 29. Vend 32. ___-mo 34. Brooch 35. Sated 37. Cain’s land of exile 38. Ship to the Gaza Strip 42. Also 43. Up and across 44. To mime 45. Items a bouncer checks 46. Actress Hathaway 48. Current unit 52. Instruments for equines 62. Like Twilight Zone episodes 63. Rapper Sweatshirt 64. Third largest state (abr.)

65. Some dots 66. Peruvian capital 67. May be prehensile 68. Scornful look 69. Beseech 70. “One and ____”

Down 1. Angelic being 2. Indigenous Japanese 3. Messy person 4. Pious 5. Prickly dish 6. Bail

7. Freq. customers 8. Quick pace 9. Dutch cheese 10. Cross-continental region (abr.)

11. Ear related 12. Actor Hutchinson 13. 1980 French film 21. Some gametes 22. Vegetable or olive 23. Miner’s jackpot 25. Invert 26. Orange exteriors 27. Conclude 28. Saucer, occasionally 29. Unwilling servant 30. French magazine 31. Angeles starter 32. Kill from afar 33. Aloof one 36. Atop 38. AWOL hit 39. Steeped drink 40. Pitcher stat.

41. Dance type 47. Scrap 49. Word from Bart 50. Without difficulty 51. Marilyn before Marilyn 52. Pawn 53. Shield design element 54. Air Jordans company 55. One trip around the sun 56. Restaurant finding app 57. Animal den 58. Unpause 59. Prefix for mom or pus 60. Indian bread 61. Enemy in “Watership Down” 62. Short releases

OPINIONS

January 22, 2016

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Eliminate mandatory meal plans for kitchen-equipped residence halls

By Zach Phil Schwartz Editor

In February 2014, the university announced that meal plans would become mandatory in the fall of 2016 for all students living on campus, even if they live in a residence hall equipped with a kitchen. Current Brandeis seniors living on campus are the only students exempt from this policy for the 2015-16 school year, which will fully set in when they graduate. With tuition prices rising steadily beyond the rate of inflation, forcing all residential students to purchase a meal plan is irresponsible and counterproductive.

Although it lost $25 in point value, the price of a standard 12meal plan rose by $256 during the last year. The total cost of that plan, which is upwards of $6,000 per year, is just plain unfair. To make matters worse, everyone who lives on campus will be forced to pay for residence contracts (whose prices are also rising at alarming rates) and meal plans.

To those who struggle to pay for tuition in the first place, mandating meal plan purchases for them brews a financial nightmare.

University tuition, which has risen to a tune of about $1,600 per year over the last two years, will reach $48,000 a year very soon, and this is without including housing contracts. To ask stu-

dents living in kitchen-equipped residence halls to pay over $50,000 for services they may not want would not be right, and it may have the unexpected effect of driving students away.

Well aware of the insane hikes in costs of attendance, students fearful of being forced to pay thousands of dollars for something they will not want may transfer. Prospective students and transfer students may be scared away from the school. In the longrun, the decision to implement mandatory meal plans may end up costing the university in sheer student numbers. For the longrun well being of both students and the school, ending the policy of mandatory meal plans is in everyone’s best interest.

Students living in residence quads equipped with kitchens, including Ridgewood, Charles River and Foster, should be able to choose if they wish to live independently of university dining. Remember, those students in Foster and especially Charles River will need to trek to campus to use their mandatory meal plans. Living in such areas provides students with an important window of pseudo-independence during which they can learn to feed themselves what they want.

They can pay less for store bought food and cook it on their own while fully utilizing the amenities of their residencies. Mandating meal plans completely robs these students of their pseudo-inde-

photo by sharon cai/the hoot

pendence—either that, or they throw away thousands of dollars in dining hall food in addition to store-bought food.

If Brandeis wants to continue to raise prices in a fashion consistent with other schools, that would be reasonable. If it wants to force students without kitchens to have meal plans, so be it. It cannot, however, continue to make stu-

dents break the bank for services that they may not want or need.

The university needs to make meal plans voluntary for junior and senior residents of the Ridgewood, Charles River and Foster Residence Quads.

The consequences of keeping this policy may cost the university significantly in the long-run, whether it is through less students

matriculating, more students transferring or more money simply being thrown away. Forcing students to pay for meal plans has already spawned backlash, and it will not bear positive fruit in the future. Brandeis policymakers need to sit down and ask themselves if these risks are really outweighed by the perceived benefits of mandatory meal plans.

Provide services to ease city commute

By Andrew Elmers Editor

With the start of a new semester, new challenges arise. Besides the new classes I’m enrolled in, I also have to figure out a way to make it into Boston for an internship I have two days each week.

Luckily for me, I have a car and easy access to local MBTA stops so I can take the most convenient route. Instead of using the com-

muter rail stop next to campus and making a litany of transfers, I can drive to the Riverside terminal of the Green Line and take that all the way into the city. It’s extremely convenient, but with the “Check Engine” light popping up yesterday while looking for a parking spot, my worst nightmares might be realized.

I love my car, but it isn’t the most reliable machine out on the road. I’m constantly worried that it will break down, and the re-

pairs would be more costly than the actual value of the car. I would then be stuck and unable to get to my internship or get home over break. There would still be ways of solely using public transport to get around, though it would be nice if there was easier access to the Riverside terminal from Brandeis.

A few years ago, when I first came to Brandeis, the Student Union offered a shuttle service to the Riverside Terminal of the

photo from wikimedia commons

Green Line in Newton on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. However, that is no longer the case according to the Brandeis shuttles webpage. I don’t know exactly when the service was discontinued. The Riverside shuttle service was offered in the Spring 2015 semester, since Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan mentioned that the service was suspended due to weather in an email on Jan. 24, 2015.

I never heard that the shuttle service on Saturdays was canceled; perhaps I overlooked an email last semester. Either way, the proximity of the Riverside Terminal (it is only a 10 minute drive by car) creates an opportunity to provide a very useful shuttle service, at least for those commuting.

Most likely the original service was stopped because not enough students took advantage of it, I’m assuming. Running between 2 and 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays probably did not draw the largest crowds. A shuttle service offered to commuters—students, faculty and staff—on weekdays during rush hour could draw much more interest. If anything, it would provide an alternative to the commuter rail station next to the club fields. Last Spring semester after one of the blizzards, a professor of mine had to cancel class because he commuted on the Fitchburg Line, which was closed because of the conditions. While I don’t recall the accessibility of the Green Line that day, another option could only have helped the situation.

Currently, there are only two ways for community members to use public transportation to commute in and out of the city—the commuter rail and the 553 express bus stop next to the train tracks—none of which are offered by the university. There are numerous shuttles on the weekends, but none offered for commuters.

The weekend shuttles are useful, but in order to better assist the community, there must be some sort of commuter shuttle service to either Riverside Terminal or Harvard Square (or both). Students with unpaid internships, adjunct professors and staff members making their way to and from the city deserve more support from the university in their efforts to either come in for work, or further their education.

These shuttles don’t even need to be offered forever at set times.

If a survey were to go out to determine what times were best for people and where they need to be picked up each semester, that might work. Though if there was extreme interest, the schedule might become too complicated and the costs of the shuttle would likely be too high to be feasible.

Yet in our university’s ongoing efforts of improving our sustainability, more communal transportation will only help. Be it through an actual commuter shuttle to high-traffic public transit stops, or simply an easy method to create carpools and rideshares, much more can be provided to the community at large. But for now, I’ll continue to hope my car turns on each morning.

12 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

January 22, 2016

Univ. should reform system to help balancing act

By Jacob Edelman Editor

“Success in this 4 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class.”

That phrase can be found in almost any course syllabus at Brandeis, and for good reason.

Like other universities, Brandeis needs to be officially accredited, and it is by the above-listed standards that Brandeis can fulfill some of the teaching obligations required to give its students a sound education. That sort of phrase needs to be in the syllabus.

However, the fact of the matter is that the way a professor designs their syllabus and the way the course actually runs can be quite different, and students can wind up taking a very different

course from the one they thought they’d signed up for to begin with.

This is a dilemma that should be thought about and dealt with in teaching syllabuses and curricula for the benefit of all students.

Most Brandeis students take four courses, but some students choose to take five or even six.

That means that between 36 and 54 hours outside of class should be given to studying for the the classes we’re taking. Added to the 16 to 24 hours per week students spend in class already, that’s the equivalent of working a full-time job and a half. I wonder, for how many students do these hourly targets hold true?

This semester, when it came time to get books for my classes, I had to get 19. That’s right, 19 books. Book for classes are expensive, even more so from the bookstore. A number of these books

are going to go largely unread, save a chapter or two specifically requested for a close reading by the professor. It is certainly true that reading these books in their totality would no doubt aid in overall course comprehension, but that is another huge investment of time.

There is more to a university education than hours spent in the classroom with the professor and outside the classroom hitting the books. Both are incredibly important to practical learning; however, classes alone are not why most students attend university. It is for the grand experience. Brandeis has more than 200 clubs available for participation on campus, a manifold of opportunities for off-campus activities and thousands of people to connect with on an intellectual, professional and personal level. In

order to participate in a club or to volunteer with the Waltham Group or have a midnight conversation about any random academic topic, a student needs time.

Where does this time come from?

More often than not, it comes straight out of the 36 to 54 hours of out-of-class studying and out of healthy sleep schedules.

So that leads to the question: where should the time balance be struck? Out of 168 hours per week, a minimum of 49 hours (seven per day) should be spent asleep, leaving only 119 hours to eat, study, walk between buildings, attend class, write essays, go to clubs, clean, do laundry, practice self-care and talk to others—all without falling victim to work-induced stress. Balance can be a difficult virtue to achieve.

This time-balancing act is often unstable, and all contributors to

the various activities which students take part in need to be constantly evaluating which tasks are necessary to give out, and which are not. Is a book not realistically going to be read? Don’t ask a student to purchase it. Is a voluntary activity too strict in its requirements to allow students to take a guilt-free break? Lighten up. Are students generally not getting enough sleep? Consider reforming the schedule to make fewer of the harsh 8 a.m. classes.

College isn’t supposed to be a country club in which students live a life with minimal work; we are here to be tested and pushed to our limits for the sake of growth.

But in a student’s 24-hour world, I’d suggest that everyone, students and faculty alike, needs to simply remember to be mindful of the struggle between time and commitments.

Take action to reduce student stress levels

By Nicole Porter Columnist

In my first semester at Brandeis, I learned a few things. If you are going to eat at a normal mealtime, expect crowds. I learned that curves on tests are your best friend, but there are only so many Usdan quesadillas you should eat in one week. But out of all the new experiences I have had and all the things I have learned in the past four months, one lesson sticks out especially after finals week; sometimes we do not take care of our-

selves in the ways we should.

Many of us pull all-nighters, eating Sherman pizza or Currito burritos for every meal and pushing our bodies to the limit. During finals last semester, I saw many of my friends and classmates fall sick after nights of intense studying. In order to finish that final paper or get those last two hours of study time we are hurting ourselves. We are tiring our bodies and allowing ourselves to become ill.

And once we are sick, there is almost nothing we can do about it, especially if it happens while classes are in session.

Depending on the classes we take or the professors we have, missing class may mean missing important information. So we drag ourselves out of the bed we should really stay in and we force ourselves to go to class, risking infecting other students. With work to do and the weather being so cold, it can be hard to get to Health Services to even hope to get medicine. We just want to lie in bed and do nothing for a couple days, but we have too much work to ignore so we stress our bodies even more. It is a vicious cycle that leaves us exhausted and

unhappy.

The responsibility of our health falls on both the university and ourselves. The university should have hand sanitizers available in multiple places in the dining halls and in all buildings. They should also make sure to disinfect dining areas and public areas daily to slow the spread of germs. It should also have a policy for delaying work due dates by a least a day when a student is ill. This will help to lower student stress levels and allow them to recover and rest when they are sick instead of rushing to finish assignments.

We also have our own responsibilities when it comes to our health and wellbeing. We as students should take a step back from work and studying to make sure that we are taking care of ourselves. It is our obligation as adults to make sure we are eating healthily, sleeping for a decent amount of time each night and washing our hands before meals.

Even though we are at school to get an education and to do work, we have to make sure we are also taking care of ourselves. In the long run, a degree is not worth damaging our bodies for.

Univ. should get on top of maintenance obligations

By Zach Phil Schwartz Editor

Brandeis University boasts a beautiful campus, littered with edifices old and new, featuring their own contemporary technologies. As the snowy season commences and the days get colder, the university must make sure that all of the technology works properly as part of its obligation to community safety. However, there are examples all around campus that show the university’s lack of attention to its maintenance obligations.

The Village, home to the midyears and some sophomores, juniors and seniors features an elevator with an inspection certificate expiring in August 2015.

One semester later, that certificate

the village

is still there. I had serious doubts about the status of the unit, as it has a tendency to just not move on certain floors and it consistently groans when it reaches the fourth floor. However, I have recently learned that the elevator is in fact up to date on its inspection, and is just awaiting the arrival of the certificate.

The main problem in the Village elevator’s case is not that there’s anything significantly wrong with the unit (besides its continued groaning and stalling), but rather that the university waited so long to get it inspected. Other units that had expiring certificates, like in Ziv, Mandel and the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC), received replacements in short order. For nearly half a year, though, Village residents have been utilizing an elevator with an invalid inspec-

tion, and that is unacceptable.

The university needs to make sure that this kind of uncertainty is not present on campus. To have invalid inspection certificates displayed, even if the buildings are properly inspected, only causes fear. If something does go wrong, people will be even more afraid.

Take the Golding building in the Mandel Quad for example.

It sports an inspection certificate that expired in the early 2000s.

Last year’s severe winter took its toll on the quad, damaging the water pipelines in the building. As recently as last semester, the water fountain in that building that broke in part due to cold conditions still was out of commission.

Do faculty want to teach in a building with plumbing problems and an invalid inspection certificate? Do students want to learn in

such an environment?

A specific word comes to mind when thinking of the Golding example: negligence. It is negligent for the university to leave invalid inspection certificates mounted on building walls. It is negligent for it to leave amenities out of service, especially in buildings with invalid certificates. It fails to give reassurance to the community that their environment is safe.

This winter is not predicted to be as bad as it was last year, but we can still expect bitter cold temperatures that threaten older water pipelines. It would be reassuring to not see inspection certificates that went invalid upwards of 30 years ago, like in Shiffman.

Despite negligence to structures around campus, the snow and ice removal crews did an amazing job keeping the grounds clear

photo by sarah jousset/the hoot

and safe for the community to use last winter, putting salt down to keep the school’s doors open.

They allow us to feel safe when we venture out into what some of us would deem a frozen wasteland.

The feeling of safety can mean the difference between calm and panic, even if it is derived from a valid inspection certificate in a stalled elevator or in a flooding building.

What I ask of the university is not outlandish and should not require additional expenditures.

Building and technology maintenance must be conducted on a regular basis, and it cannot be proper unless there is basic reassuring paperwork saying that it is done. If the Village’s elevator really is inspected, where is the certificate? What is the point of keeping aging inspection certificates displayed?

In the wake of this newfound winter, Brandeis’ internal maintenance crews need to make sure that all inspections are up-to-date and that it is properly displayed for the well-being of us all. It won’t break the bank, it’ll only make us feel more confident in the university. Then as a community we can be sure that the university goes the extra mile to keep us safe from negligence.

January 22, 2016

ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot 13

Renowned professors share writing advice with prospective students

By Ryan Bunis

Special to the Hoot

In the midst of students having more trouble getting a job after college, choosing a major that is more practical such as economics or computer science seems to be the route these days. With students so focused on something that is applicable, one of the main attributes of a liberal arts education becomes lost: writing.

Though Brandeis University requires students to take writing intensive courses and makes sure they have a writing background, it is the last thing many students want to do. Fortunately, there are a number of scholars and writing enthusiasts at Brandeis that support students’ journey to becoming better writers.

On Wednesday afternoon in the Alumni Lounge, Prof. Aliyyah Abdur-Rahman (ENG) and Prof. Jasmine Johnson (AAAS) sat down for a discussion on the writing process. The event is part of the “Writers @ Work” series by “Writing @ Brandeis” and is

co-sponsored by the Department of African and Afro-American Studies. It was moderated by Gina Pugliese, a current Ph.D. student writing her dissertation and also teaching an African and Afro-American Studies course.

Every seat was filled before the start of the event. There were a few professors who came, but most of the seats were taken by students. It was delightful to see a group of students interested in the event.

In the beginning of the discussion, both professors were introduced. Jasmine Johnson is an assistant professor in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies and the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies department. She received her Ph.D. in African Diaspora Studies from UC Berkeley and served as the postdoctoral fellow in African American Studies at Northwestern University. Now, Johnson is working on her manuscript about the industry of West African dance in the United States and Guinea. Aliyyah Abdur-Rahman

is an associate professor of English, African and Afro-American Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She has published and lectured on a variety of topics from the relation of sexuality and social order in New World slavery to the impacts of Civil Rights retrenchment on black family formation and function in the current, putatively “post-racial,” moment. She has received many fellowships, including the Ford Foundation and the W.E.B Du Bois Institute at Harvard University. She is also currently working on her second book called “Millennial Style: The Politics of Experiment in Contemporary African Diasporic Culture.”

They both talked about their love for writing and how they try to fit it in their busy schedules.

Johnson doesn’t like to write in long, constraining blocks. She said, “I find it rare when I have lots of time to write, even when I do, most of those times I never write. I try to snatch moments where I can and honor an idea

when I have it, rather than necessarily sitting down trying to get it all out.” Abdur-Rahman says she tries to write whenever she can as well. She said, “I do like to be available for the moment, it’s important to devote time and space for the writing.

My dissertation was probably written around the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. It was my inaugural experience and in some ways still with me. Writing during those hours when people are sleeping, there’s a quiet time that feels productive.” When both were talking, their writing habits felt easily relatable to many students. We make time for the things we enjoy.

Their sources of inspiration derive from a variety of sources. It was interesting to hear that Johnson still likes to write letters, rather than using email to communicate.

She felt as though the words can be expressed more deeply and create a better connection with people. Writing letters may even help her develop more ideas.

They also both like to share their

ideas for books with other people, as writers usually have their own inner circles to share work with.

The main source of inspiration, however, is through reading. It is reading and always wanting to engage in text that originate their desire to write.

Johnson emphasizes looking for expression, which she does by reading a lot of fiction. Dancing is also a source of inspiration for Johnson since it displays expression through a different source: movement.

A source for Abdur-Rahman is simply the pursuit for an answer, and “wondering what are the kinds of questions that matter now.”

After they answered a few more questions from Pugliese, they both read excerpts from the books they are currently working on. It was pleasant to hear their firm grasp and command for the English language. It makes one realize how important it is to be able to write and communicate well, something that gets lost in students’ pursuit of a practical education.

‘The Hateful Eight’ a far cry from Tarantino’s other masterpieces

By Sabrina Pond Editor

Although it pains me to say it, Tarantino may have lost his movie-making magic—or so it seems based off his latest creation, titled “The Hateful Eight,” which also just happens to be his eighth movie. Filmed in 70mm format, the movie had many interesting elements, but even so, the various parts failed to function together in a productive way. For all of Tarantino’s past successes in films such as “Reservoir Dogs,” “Kill Bill” and “Pulp Fiction,” “The Hateful Eight” lacked a certain purpose that is deeply embedded in his other works. Tarantino seems to have lost his edge, though his downward descent appears to be a slow and arduous process.

The film showed such promise in the opening sequences, with full panoramic shots of the vast and absolutely stunning background, complete with winding hills and plumes of positively raining snow that intermittently blew across the horizon. Shot in Southwest Colorado, the terrific winter landscape automatically set up the film’s ambiance. Meant to take place only a few years after the Civil War, the wintry hell the characters find themselves in shows the brutality that is isolation, desperation and the bitter cold.

“The Hateful Eight” follows

the narrative of eight individuals in different professions—including a bounty hunter, hangman and innkeeper—and their encounters in Minnie’s Haberdashery as a blizzard inhibits their ability to leave the premises. At the center of it all, John Ruth (Kurt Russell) intends to bring Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to justice for her crimes against humanity and decides not to give her a quick death, and instead to give the hangman work to do. As can be predicted in any Tarantino film, things get a lot hazier as hidden alliances and treachery are disclosed, and the blood flows more easily than in the elevator scene in “The Shining.”

Despite its all-around interesting concept and the claustrophobia that the film generates—after all, there is no telling what a bunch of strangers’ intentions are

toward each other—the violence therein was all too senseless and gory.

It’s not that I’m of the persuasion that detests a little gore in film, but I can’t help but find it a nuisance when there is no reason behind its occurrence, as was most certainly the case for “The Hateful Eight.” The graphic content aside, the gruesome nature of the killings felt unnecessary and devoid of any, even plot-based, purpose. As opposed to the typical arc found in two of his previous films, the revenge narrative was not part of “The Hateful Eight,” which may explain the mindlessness that pervades the majority of the film.

Stylistically echoing some of Tarantino’s other work, this western utilized the “chapter” sequences, which broke up the three hour and seven minute feature

into distinct parts with names like “Chapter Four: Domergue’s Got a Secret” and “Last Chapter: Black Man, White Hell.” The screenplay was also noteworthy in various ways, given its unflinching dive into the time period. Adding to that, the dialogue was very well-written and effective in developing the characters, with all their various faults. The irony evident in the movie is unreal: The so-called agents of justice are just as violent as the crooks and criminals that run rampant.

“The Hateful Eight” also showcased a variety of riveting acting performances from its all-star cast, which included Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Samuel L. Jackson and Demián Bichir, among others. Some of the cast, who have played roles in other Tarantino films, had stellar performances and a real under-

photo from ihttp://collider.com

standing of the equally powerful screenplay. Notably, Jennifer Jason Leigh was capable of portraying a truly complex character and evoking a similarly complex reaction out of the audience.

Despite knowledge of the fact that she committed some sort of horrific crime, she is incredibly vulnerable and suffers routine beatings from various characters.

From Ruth’s lips, “Now, Daisy, I want us to workout a signal system of communication. When I elbow you real hard in the face, that means: shut up,” which is followed by the physical undertaking of that threat. Even so, Domergue is strong, tough, even a little on the vicious side herself and completely unconcerned with the social conventions of what a woman is supposed to act like.

Oftentimes mocking the serious threats that she receives, she is both comical yet frightening, powerless yet confident and vicious yet vulnerable.

“The Hateful Eight” has received generally good reviews, garnering scores of 8.0 on imdb. com and 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. But although Tarantino’s eighth film may not be the worst movie in the theaters now, his legacy indicates that he is capable of so much more. This may suggest his slow unraveling, but even so, he has enough work in his portfolio to keep audiences busy for a long time.

14 ARTS

January 22, 2016

The Brandeis Hoot

Brandeis springs into the new semester with spectacular arts classes

By Alana Hodson and Amy Zou Staff

As we get back into the flow of the school semester, students are still making use of their twoweek shopping period, seeking the most interesting classes, the most enthusiastic professors and those select courses needed to fulfill major, minor or university requirements. But for those with an intended major or minor in art, or even if you’re just looking for an intriguing class for exploration purposes, here is an overview of some of the most promising art classes of the 2016 Spring semester.

First up, we have the one-time offer classes, and with the brief nature of these opportunities to investigate a highly specific area of the fine arts, one would be wise to give them a closer look.

One especially promising course is “Digital Documentary Photography” with Prof. Pablo Delano.

Surely, you can spend four hours of your week learning the ins and outs of personal expression with documentation and visual storytelling projects. This class also features the formulation of images alongside digital prints for those with a more digitally-inclined art interest.

Up next is a course on the naturalistic side of Latin American culture, called “Second Nature: On the Nature of Landscape in Latin America.” This class with Prof. Jose Falconi will visit Latin American culture in order to ex-

photo from http://alumni.brandeis.edu

plore some of the region’s most important landscape art pieces.

For those with interest in Latin American political and social aspects, the course also provides a focus on how these artistic works influence these domains of life, and how they were received locally.

Another highly anticipated, one-time offering class is “Arts of South Asia,” which fulfills not only the Creative Arts requirement, but also the university’s Non-Western requirement. Prof.

Cecelia Levin’s class is swiftly filling up with students eager to learn all about art of the Indian subcontinent from ancient to contemporary times. Featured aspects of the course include the influence of artwork on religious ideals and rituals, royalty and social roles. Visual arts and other creative art forms of India will be touched upon, and the effects of their “synchronicity” will be explored. If any of these details fascinate you, be sure to enroll

and check it out. These select one-time courses are only the tip of the iceberg; the arts department has plenty more courses along with their classic art classes.

Even with the excitement of one-time-offer classes, we must not forget about old favorites that remain popular classes year after year. If you are a first-year looking for a class to explore majors or a science major with room to spare for a creative class, consider the course “Introduction to Drawing II” taught by Profs Sean Downey, Susan Lichtman and Alfredo Gisholt. The class has no prerequisites nor does it require any previous experience with drawing. Also, another perk to this course is that you can choose the topic or art theme you wish to learn about by joining a specific section. There are three sections, each focusing on either figure drawing, watercolor or printmaking. First year Maia Reyes ’19 is excited to be a part of the figure drawing section. “I really like it

photo from brandeis.edu

photo from ihttp://www.brandeis.edu

Surviving Sodexo:Let’s go bananas!

By Sabrina Pond Editor

Recipe 1 English muffin 1 Banana Peanut butter Instructions

photo from http://kellytoups.com

so far!” Reyes said. ”I didn’t get to take a lot of art classes in high school so as a first-year here, it’s really nice to get back in the artistic groove. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s worth it to see your finished pieces!” Their first assignment was a challenging but rewarding task. The students had to make three copies of a gridded printout of a sculpture using three different styles: a line drawing with pencil, a line drawing with pen and tonal drawing with pencil. When asked about what she is most excited for in the class, Reyes responded, “I’m really looking forward to drawing a model! I’ve never done it before, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Another favorite, which was a big hit last semester, is “Pop Art and Sculpture” taught by Prof.

Todd Pavlisko. You may have seen the class’ stunning exhibit in the Pollack Fine Arts building next to the Rose Art Museum, though part of the exhibit is now on display on the wall outside of

Academic Services. This course also has no prerequisites, and its primary focus is to investigate multiple materials, the history and the installation of pop art.

However, what makes this course a hidden gem among the vast selection of fine art classes is the professor. Pavlisko has been regarded as an incredibly enthusiastic and encouraging instructor, inspiring his students to really take charge of their ideas and perfect their vision of their piece of pop art.

Lastly, if you are already deep into the art major or minor, or perhaps already a skilled artist seeking to perfect your skills, the class “Advanced Drawing II” taught by Prof. Soyeun Lucia Kim may just be the place for you. “Advanced Drawing II” has the prerequisites FA13a and FA13b, or permission of the professor. For studio art major Cesar Pineda ’16, this course is highly individualized yet provides a structured environment to perfect one’s drawing technique. You are allowed a great deal of creativity both with your ideas and your media, being able to use anything from charcoal, pastel, paint or even just pencil. Their first assignment was to create a free drawing of their choice, and now they are in the process of creating a collage of their interest.

No matter your year or area of study, a course in the fine arts is sure to expand your way of thinking, improve your creativity and perhaps even provide a little stress relief or a creative outlet.

Cut the english muffin in half and put it through the toaster. Make sure both sides are toasted evenly.

While the muffin is still warm, use the Smucker’s peanut butter and slather both sides thoroughly.

If one serving size of peanut butter is not enough, don’t refrain from adding more! Once the peanut butter is applied, cut up a banana into thin slices and put it on top of the peanut butter, leaving no place uncovered.

Tower the rest of the banana slices on top of each other so that the peanut butter and banana breakfast resembles a pyramid.

Enjoy!

Comic by Tova Weinberger

January 22, 2016

ARTS 15

The Brandeis Hoot

Brandeis properly honors Martin Luther King Day with the arts

By Santiago Montoya Staff

The idea for the documentary first came to him during his time reporting in Jacksonville, where

he became curious about the little-known St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement.

It did not take long after Ford Hall 2015 for the student body to reunite again to talk about race, progress and representation. Brandeis University’s 11th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial took place on Monday, Jan. 18, in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC).

The event presented various Brandeis scholars, such as Nyah Macklin ’16, Makalani Na’im Mack ’16, Marcelo Brociner ’18, orators Amaris Brown ’16, Queen White ’16 and Bronte Velez ’16, hip hop dance group Kaos Kids and Platinum Step Team.

Some of the highlights were Kaos Kids and Platinum Step Team, who had special numbers prepared to commemorate the occasion.

Platinum even recited lines of poetry about freedom and being chained and restrained.

In addition, Boston Tap Company made an appearance that left everyone at edge of their seats. Their well-choreographed routines made people cheer and rejoice.

The event also welcomed Emmy Award-winning television news journalist Clennon L. King, who introduced the special film screening and answered follow-up questions.

He spent nearly a decade reporting in the Sunbelt before venturing into the world of documentary filmmaking. Last February, Clennon produced a documentary called “Passage at St. Augustine” about the Civil Rights Movement, which was shown at the event.

The documentary tells the story of the bloodiest campaign of the Civil Rights Movement, where

photo from http://www.biography.com

photo from www.realitybatslast.com/martin-

the Klan and the Movement fought about the Civil Rights Bill. Fifty years have passed, and the film visits the same place, transporting the audience back to those times of battle. The film lets viewers hear from the veterans on both sides of the front (Civil Rights advocates and Klansmen).

Along with the never-before-heard sides of the story, the voices of Lyndon B. Johnson, MLK, Andrew Young and the late Brandeis professor Rabbi Leon Jick also tell a poignant and compelling story.

The film “Passage at St. Augustine” has allowed the creation of a constructive conversation about race and race relations. It even went on to win the Henry Hampton Award of Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking at the 2015 Roxbury International Film Festival.

The event brought the same driving passion and belief that the students put into last November’s Ford Hall protest, which resulted in a positive response and support from both the student body and faculty.

It also made an impact in the Brandeis community, making every single individual more aware of a problem that is occurring on virtually every college campus across America: lack of representation.

Yes, there could be a lack of representation; however, during the event, which drew people from all kinds of backgrounds, there seemed to be an understanding for how important it is to remember our history and how important it is to remember that, as a society, we have a long way to go.

Lycus’ ‘Chasms’ is the perfect addition to doom metal

By Jess Linde Editor

“Chasms,” the sophomore album from Oakland, CA’s Lycus and their Relapse Records debut, opens with a chaos both jarring and appropriate at the same time.

“Solar Chamber,” one of only four songs on the album (though they are all 10-plus minutes long), starts with an explosive guitar chord, accompanied by pounding drums and layers of reverb.

Once mournful baritone vocals come in, the atmosphere is set. The vocals are there only to guide the listener further into an expansive darkness from which

they cannot escape until the album is over. For me, it was as if I had been shoved into an abyss. A chasm, if you will.

Though the album only features four tracks— “Solar Chamber,” the eponymous song, “Mirage” and “Obsidian Eyes”—“Chasms” is a massive record.

Like all funeral doom metal, everything is slow and low, the vocals a mix of the aforementioned baritone, death growls and high-pitched shrieks.

The lyrics are depressing (“This wretched body/ The prison of the soul/ Weighted by the chains of depression/ I could never bear to let you in”), and the cover art by Italian metal artist Paolo Girardi

is creepy and evokes melancholy.

But “Chasms” is also very much its own thing: The vocals are often recorded in harmonized parts, and the production by Jack Shirley is sunny, in a weird way.

Every second of the album’s 44 minutes is stuffed with music, not all of it traditional doom.

The second song and title track has a sludgy bridge, and there are a couple of moments later on where everything gets faster and wilder, almost like an Isis song.

Lycus are still a doom metal band, but unlike most traditionalist doom like St. Vitus (or more recently, Pallbearer), their music is kind of uplifting as it progresses. Everything sounds so huge,

photo from www. destructive-music.com

photo from ihttps://lycus.bandcamp.com/

something Shirley also achieved in his production work with Deafheaven, so that “Chasms” feels more like a journey through space than a funeral march.

Also, Lycus just works incredibly well together as a band.

“Chasms” is Lycus’ first album with two guitarists, and the soaring melodies and riffs work together to create an extra texture of sound.

Drummer/vocalist Trevor Deschryver’s washes of cymbals and creative use of blast beats provide a base layer of intensity, a layer well supported by bassist Bret Tardiff.

The third song, “Mirage,” is a great example of how tight the band is, starting off with slow guitar arpeggios, chugging bass and a warlike drum beat, accentuated with violin. Then around a minute into the song, the guitars become distorted and the guttural growls burst in for a while, before returning to the same slowness of

the intro.

By the time “Mirage” reaches its final, shrieking assault, it is eminently clear that Lycus knows how to play well together and how to surprise their audience.

“Obsidian Eyes,” the album’s epic 12-minute closing song, brings in the band’s black metal influences, mixing howling guitar feedback, screams and the mournful baritone. It is an uplifting culmination of the whole record, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t create an atmosphere. Still, the atmosphere is not inaccessible. Overall, “Chasms” is a fantastic and creative addition to recent doom metal and shares both the atmospheric tradition of its stylistic elders and the experimental brutality of modern pioneers like Thou.

It’s tough, it’s dark and it’s long, but “Chasms” is a worthwhile listen for any metal fan.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS, ETC.

January 22, 2016

ImprovBoston delivers comedy at its finest

By Adam Lamper Staff

A nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the joys of comedy to the people of Massachusetts, ImprovBoston has remained an active force in the comedy scene of the Greater Boston area for the past 30 years and recently graced the stage here at Brandeis this past weekend with an abundance of comical wit and considerable musical talent. Employing well over 100 different cast members, Saturday night’s performance most certainly featured some of the company’s brightest stars: Kelly “Kell Kell” MacFarland, Sara “Self-Actualized Computer” Burns, Corey “Love in the Air” O’Rourke, Rosena “Immune to Poison” Cornet and the gifted Steve “Bell-Ringer” Sarro on the keys. Not only were the performers exemplars of comedy at its finest, but specializing in shortform improv, the group was able to create well-formed dialogue and enthralling games completely on the spot. The copious amount of audience participation and excellent comedian-audience interaction made this performance one

for the record books.

The first scene of the night had Burns asking the audience what they were looking forward to doing this summer, to which a hasty audience member responded simply with “beach,” leaving Cornet and O’Rourke to do a hilarious interpretation of “doing the beach.”

This was certainly not the last time the performers played on such an unbefitting response, each time responding so impeccably that it was hard to believe that the entire event was unscripted. As part of a cast-only game, this scene involved actors having to change their line if the host, Burns, found it unfitting. This led to such absurd and sudden responses as, “The child is not mine,” “‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ is an excellent novel” and ultimately, “How far is the bamboo grove?” Though the onstage chemistry between O’Rourke and Cornet was convincible at the least, the scene— and in a broader sense the entire night’s performance—was stolen

by MacFarland, whose prowess in humor is nothing short of comedic genius. Though not overly impressive given the gut wrenching-laughs that developed later in

the night, this scene served as a crucial precursor for the laughs to come, allowing for the performers to get a feel of the audience, and for the audience to adjust to the spontaneous comedy of improvisational theater.

The second scene—and perhaps the most interactive—involved four audience members whose job, once called upon, was to finish the sentence of the performers. Possibly the most noteworthy moments came from audience member Blake Linzer ’19, whose cleverly poignant responses like, “It had a Kansas City Chiefs logo on it,” “[you] shared spinach with me” and “[acting so] alcoholically,” cracked up the audience and cast members alike. Though the interactions between student and comedian were fairly entertaining, it paled in comparison to the reaction of the entire auditorium when two students responded to O’Rourke’s question, “If I were to give any of you $100, and trust me I won’t, what would you buy with it?” with a unanimous, “Drugs.”

This highlight of the evening, like many other instances that got great reactions from the audience, became bits throughout the other

scenes of the performance as the night progressed.

Though the comedy was the main attraction of the night, and undoubtedly gained the vast majority of the audience’s attention, there was definitely a heavy, yet underlying theme of music, and at the center of it all was Sarro’s notable virtuosity on the piano. Able to seamlessly execute key changes to reflect the changing moods of the scene, and with his extensive reservoir of songs, it comes as no surprise that Sarro himself is a classically trained pianist and graduate of Berklee College of Music. Just behind the instrumental aspect of the night’s music, however, came the surprisingly diverse and hearty vocals of the cast, most notably of O’Rourke and Burns, which by no means negates the truly sonorous ability of either Cornet or MacFarland, who played pivotal roles in maintaining the simple yet hysterical songs of the evening. One song in particular, an ode to audience member Ellie McKnight ’18, was tentatively titled “Oh Ellie” and had cast members singing showtune-style in response to McKnight’s answers to a speed dating

game, in which they had learned some peculiar facts, such as her fondness for “romanticist novels” and “the eBay app.” Though all upbeat, the music explored a wide range of influences from jazz to the love ballad, reflecting the diversity found in the actors and scenes alike.

Though arriving to Brandeis with the SCC Theater only three-quarters full—at the most— the cast of ImprovBoston did not let the low turnout get the best of them. In fact, it even seemed to aid the desperately sought-after, comedian-audience relationship, which spawned an ample amount of Brandeis-themed jokes, as well as those about particularly memorable audience members. Those students who were not able to attend this performance, or those who were simply unaware of its occurrence, truly missed out on a night of laughter that no article could ever do justice. However, being a Boston-based company, it is always possible to catch the group’s weekly shows every Wednesday through Sunday at their location in Central Square if you’re in the mood for some “wicked” funny comedy.

photo by

Adam Lamper/the hoot

Q&A: Nina Berger, media relations consultant at the Rose

By Santiago Montoya Staff

One of the most important things in art is to bring out the private sphere of art into the public world.

Rosebud, a satellite gallery incorporating work from the Rose Art Museum into downtown Waltham, aims to do just this.

The Brandeis Hoot had a chance to interview Nina Berger, Media Relations Consultant of the Rose Art Museum, to get information concerning this relatively new public project.

Rosebud serves as a hub from which new ideas, economic growth and cultural diversity come into play in order to create an intersectionality between dif-

ferent forms of art, such as movement workshops and providing a space for art.

Why does Rosebud exist?

Nina: We created the pop-up gallery to strengthen ties with the local community and bring Waltham closer to the museum.

The Rose is literally blossoming in downtown. We thought, “How can a museum of the 21st century serve its public? There are pop-up stores and shops, why not a gallery?

It’s a great location—right next to Cafe on the Common—in the midst of Waltham’s burgeoning arts and culture district.

What are the future plans, projects and/or collections or exhibitions that the staff is working on

displaying at the Rose Art Museum?

Nina: William Kentridge’s Tide Table will remain on view at Rosebud through Feb. 11. We should be announcing the next featured video work very soon!

I’ll keep you posted.

How is the project supporting the city’s long-term goals for economic growth and cultural vibrancy? Is the project indeed attracting new visitors to the neighborhood and helping to establish partnerships with “local businesses and arts-related organizations” as it is stated on the Brandeis’s website info section about “Rosebud”?

Nina: We have established partnerships with the Waltham Mills

Artist Association and have been talking with Waltham Public Schools, as well as numerous local organizations such as the local non-profit “More Than Words” to find opportunities for collaboration.

Our hope is that people can come to the gallery to look at art, create art, play music, recite poetry, and we are open to any ideas from people within the community. Waltham Mills Artists have already hosted several very successful drawing nights on Friday evenings.

I would like to know the origin of its name. Does it have any connection with “Citizen Kane?”

Nina: The name has no connection to Citizen Kane, it’s a happy coincidence. The name was

brainstormed in a meeting about the gallery, and is more significant of being an offshoot of the Rose that is growing in downtown Waltham.

Why is it important to exhibit collections of video art? Do you believe the art form is sometimes an underdog?

Nina: Video art is dynamic and accessible, and a burgeoning art form. Many museums and galleries are now showing work created in the medium. And, specifically, our first installation—Tide Table—is a work that is conducive to sparking conversations about art, politics and a host of other topics. One of the aims of the gallery is to be a space of conversation and creation, and video work can be a perfect catalyst.