Volume 14 Issue 1
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe” www.brandeishoot.com
Brandeis students turn out for Boston Women’s March
By Abigail Gardener and Elianna Spitzer editors
no silence
January 27, 2017
Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.
Thousands of participants held up signs in support of various issues.
photos courtesy leah sherin
At least 50 Brandeis students attended a march of over 200,000 people that began in Boston Common last Saturday, according to the Boston Women’s March for America. The march, taking place one day after President Trump’s inauguration, called for a collective effort to resist infringement on women’s rights. The Women’s March for America that took place in Boston was one of many, with women and men conducting similar marches in almost 700 cities worldwide, according to The Washington Post. Some of the largest marches took place in New York City, Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C., the city in which the original idea for the march was conceived. Public transportation was recommended due to expected traf-
fic and lack of street parking. Public Safety at Brandeis provided one extra Boston shuttle at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the day of the march, for a total of three shuttles at each of those times. The Common was flooded with crowds of marchers, many of whom were holding signs with quotes including, “Standing on the side of love,” and “This is very bad.” Many marchers also wore pink knit hats with cat ears. The pre-march Rally began at 11 a.m. Speakers included Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Attorney General Maura Healey and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. Some attendees climbed the trees in the Common to try and get a better view of the stage with the speakers far in the distance. The March officially began at 12 p.m. It was a mile long and ran from Boston Common to Commonwealth Avenue. Attendees at the back of Common waited an See WOMEN’S MARCH, page 2
Politics profs speak on Trump presidency By Samantha Lauring Around 60 people attended the “What to Expect from the Trump Presidency” panel discussion sponsored by the politics department last Wednesday. The panel included politics professors Robert Art, Shai Feldman, Lucy Goodhart, Jill Greenlee and Jeffrey Lenowitz.
“The new administration’s political philosophy and policy agenda for the most part remain unknown because Trump has a thin policy record and even more so because his administration includes politicians with contradictory views,” said Nathan Greess ’19, Senator-at-Large and Executive Board member of Brandeis Pro-Choice. “Hearing predictions and analysis from foreign policy, econom-
what to expect from the trump presidency
Speakers predict policy changes under President Trump.
staff
boston common
Two young marchers hold up homemade signs.
ic and political science scholars helped clarify what pressing issues and questions deserve our focus as we begin to see the administration take shape,” he said. Each panelist had the opportunity to speak for about five to 10 minutes at the start of the panel to share thoughts on what to expect over the next four years from the Trump administration. Prof. Goodhart, who studies compar-
Evangelical prof. analyzes election By Ryan Spencer staff
Though many evangelical Christians consider a Trump presidency a success for American evangelicals, Prof. John Jefferson Davis, an evangelical himself, called his election a disaster in a lecture on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
Inside This Issue:
See PANEL, page 3
“My view is that as an evangelical it is not my job to impose my religion or my morality on anybody else,” the professor of systematic theology and Christian ethics from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary told a small but crowded room of more than 20 Brandeis students and See EVANGELICAL, page 3
‘Fool for Thought’
Page 3 Page 6 Page 13 Pat Oleszko makes a fool of Page 4 herself at WSRC exhibit. EDITORIAL: Advocate for women most at risk Page 7 ARTS: PAGE 16 News: Union encourages students elections Sports: Team boasts four undefeated fencers Arts: Pottery Club endures sudden relocation Features: Seniors comment on finding jobs
Oscar Nominations Award nominations increase in diversity this year. OPINIONS: PAGE 10
photo by sophia he/the hoot
NEWS
2 The Brandeis Hoot
January 27, 2017
Brandeis saves money by signing solar agreement with Kenyon Energy By Abigail Gardener editor
Brandeis signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to reduce the amount of money paid for electricity bills through virtual net metering, a process in which solar energy is installed at an off-site location and then shared among those who are part of the agreement. Virtual net metering utilizes a bill crediting system for solar energy. Multiple subscribers share the use of a solar array that is located off-site. Depending on
how much energy one subscriber’s share of the array produces, they will receive credits for that amount of energy on their utility bill. Then, instead of being billed for the entire group of subscribers’ energy usage, the subscriber is only billed for how much energy they used for that month, reducing the overall cost. Although the agreement between Brandeis and Kenyon Energy was signed in 2015, the university did not come out with a press release about the deal until mid-January, according to Mary Fischer, manager of Sustainability Programs. The solar array
photo from energysage.com
that Brandeis uses is located on a building in an industrial area of Somerville. Other parties who are part of the agreement are Kenyon Energy, Borrego Solar Systems and Competitive Energy Services (CES). CES assists Brandeis in reducing the university’s energy load and increasing sustainability. They are the party who originally directed Brandeis to the virtual net metering opportunity. Borrego Solar Systems builds, develops and installs the solar panels, and Kenyon Energy is the financer of the solar company that Brandeis pays and who will oversee the management of the solar array throughout the duration of the agreement. This agreement is expected to save Brandeis money and makes much more fiscal sense than paying for a normal electricity bill. The amount Brandeis will save always depends on what the price of electricity is each year, but Brandeis is expected to save an estimated $70,000 over the course of the first year the agreement is in effect, and up to $2 million over the next 20 years, which is the entire duration of the agreement, according to the press release. There is about a 25 percent discount rate from what the university would normally pay,
photo from brandeisnow.com
Fischer said. The only potential drawback to the deal is that Brandeis cannot “own” the carbon footprint reduction. Because so many other parties are involved in the agreement and the university is only paying for a share of the solar array, Brandeis cannot technically say it is reducing the carbon footprint on its own, according to Fischer. However, this is a small price to pay in exchange for the money Brandeis is saving and the contribution it is making to solar energy. “It doesn’t matter in the end
who ‘owns’ it in the overall issue of climate change,” Fischer said. “At the end of the day, we’re adding more solar to the grid and that benefits the entire planet.” In addition, the university is actively looking to increase the amount of solar energy on campus, Fischer said. The university has submitted proposals to have more solar energy on campus, but state incentives are the only thing delaying the process; without the state incentive, solar energy is not as cost effective as regular electricity.
Almost 200,000 march for women’s rights on Boston Common
WOMEN’S MARCH, from page 1
hour or more to get to Beacon Street, where the march started. Participants took turns starting chants such as, “Love, not hate, makes America great,” and “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.” Many marchers walked arm in arm. The crowd was predominately comprised of white women, men and children, according to Brandis Whitfield ’19. “For me, as a black woman in that space it wasn’t [empowering],” she said. Whitfield and two friends arrived at the protest around 11 a.m. and saw that people were “just standing around.” Whitfield started chants to create energy in the crowd like, “Show me what a feminist looks like, this is what a feminist looks like.” When she and friends tried to start chants about transgender rights and the Black Lives Matter movement, attendees around them failed to chant in support. “If you want to fight for women you should be fighting for all women,” said Whitfield. Another Brandeis participant in the march, Viola Dean ’17, felt that the ideas presented in the march fell in line with “mainstream feminism.” She saw signs depicting and referencing vaginas which “is very exclusionary of the fact that a lot of people who identify as female don’t necessarily have vaginas,” she said. The Boston march was organized by volunteers with assistance from the Mass Women’s Political Caucus Education Fund. “We march in solidarity with all communities most affected by the hate, intolerance and acts of vio-
photos courtesy leah sherin
lence being perpetrated throughout the nation. We stand for religious freedom, human rights, climate justice, racial justice, economic justice and reproductive justice,” according to the website for the march. The website and organizers did not define specific policy or legal goals for the march. People also attended the march to express anger at the election of President Trump. During his campaign the president said that he would attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade, a Supreme Court decision ensuring a woman’s right to an abortion within the first two trimesters of a pregnancy. He was also accused of sexual assault by multiple women. President
Trump has also tweeted that he believes climate change is a hoax created by the Chinese. Though some participants marched out of frustration, the atmosphere of the event was uplifting, according to Brandeis students. “It wasn’t an anxious … angry type situation, it was more of … everyone who was there wanted to share their positive energy and their positive vibes,” said Daniela Michanie ’19. “Even with 120,000 people there, it was a community of people who were literally so passionate about what they were marching about and passionate about getting to know one another and sort of building this coalition of people against
Trump, essentially.” A student volunteer stated that the inauguration was a primary cause for his work on the march. “It was certainly cathartic in its own right, as a way to show all who were dispirited by the most recent wave of elections on Nov. 8 that there is still reason to have faith, there is still a city full of people who share your values and will fight for them. The March also (hopefully) served and will continue to serve as a springboard for activism,” said Zachary Steigerwald Schnall, an incoming first year at Harvard University in the Fall and the co-chair for the Campus and Student Outreach Committee for the Boston march.
The march was the first largescale protest to take place in Boston following President Trump’s inauguration. The march is launching a “10 Actions for the First 100 Days” campaign to continue the momentum of the march and encourage people to continue to get involved. The first action asks marchers to write postcards to their respective senators to let them know about important issues and that they will continue to fight for these issues. “I wish that people wouldn’t just pat themselves on the back like we did a good job. There’s so much more to do than just stand with your signs,” Whitfield said.
January 27, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot
IN THE SENATE: Jan. 22, 2017 •
Class of 2019 Senator Hannah Brown ran for executive senator and was re-elected “As executive senator this semester, I think my goal is really to be more present” • Reappointment of the chairs, but Paul Sindberg was not present, so Union could not nominate any new committee chairs Elijah Sinclair, Sustainability Committee Kate Kesselman, Dining Committee Ryan Tracy, Club Support Committee Ari Matz, Health and Safety Committee Hannah Brown, Services and Outreach Committee Nathan Greess, Bylaws Committee COW-G Social Justice and Diversity Committee on Student Social Life • Committees are to begin meeting this week • Emma Russell was appointed to Executive Board as A-Board Chair • Executive Report: President of Student Union David Herbstritt: initiative with office of student enrollment (Sheryl Sousa ’90). Interested in improving social life, quiet hours, nightlife. • Senator Reports: There were extra shuttles on Saturday to help students get to Cambridge/Boston for the Women’s March for America Class of 2020 Senator Tal Richtman: There were 30 students who could not get on on the 9:30 a.m. bus • CEEF CEEF mainly funds student-led initiatives that will benefit Brandeis on the long run but also serves as emergency fund for student life on campus. Due date of application got moved to Feb. 17 • Brandeis Experimental Event Grant—grant for clubs that need extra funding • Quad updates Cleaning supplies for the Village Dorm shower head should be fixed Renovate the first year lounges - Faria Afreen
How Trump’s campaign appealed to evangelicals
EVANGELICAL, from page 1
professors. Davis’ opinion on Trump is contrary to most evangelicals’ views. Exit polls show white evangelical voters voted overwhelmingly for Trump, with 80 percent casting their vote for him, according to the Washington Post. “Nostalgia for a lost Christian America,” and for an America where “a person with a moderate education could make a pretty good living in a factory” explains the high percentage of white evangelicals voting for Trump, according to Davis. Approximately 25 percent of Americans are evangelicals, according to a survey of more than 35,000 Americans from all 50 states by the Pew Research Center. Many evangelicals believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, according to Davis. He does not share such a sentiment. Davis described evangelicals as a diverse group sharing some, but not all, beliefs. He did not provide details which he saw as distinctive to the group. Evangelicals should move toward a new form of Evangelicalism which leaves behind traditional white male leadership and concepts of anti-evolution creationism in favor of a full inclusion of women and people of color at all levels as well as an acceptance of the scientific facts of evolution and climate change, according to Davis. He also advocated for ending what he called “theocratic politics,” the attempt to use politics to impose beliefs (such as the opposition to gay marriage shared by some evan-
Students attend panel on presidency expectations
PANEL, from page 1
ative and international political economy, began the discussion by stating that Trump is unpredictable because he is an outsider to the political sphere. He is not an establishment politician, which could make it difficult for him to create a legislative agenda that requires many resources, noted Goodhart. Trump will most likely continue using Twitter to speak directly about policy to his supporters. Trump ran on a platform of criticizing President Obama, stated Prof. Greenlee. Trump has issued several executive orders and memoranda over his first few days in office. Greenlee noted that President Obama issued fewer executive orders than many of his predecessors have issued. She discussed several of Trump’s executive orders, including ones that affect women’s reproductive rights. Reproductive rights will be dialed back, especially because the federal government will support states’ rights and their decisions on reproductive rights, said Greenlee. Both Prof. Art and Prof. Feldman discussed foreign policy under Trump. “Trump likes chaos,” claimed Feldman. Republicans are scared of Trump because he didn’t just defeat the Democrats; he defeated the establishment Republicans as well. Republicans are scared Trump will go over their
heads, stated Feldman. Prof. Lenowitz focused on what people should do if they oppose the Trump presidency. He discussed the concept of civil disobedience and that protests do not always create change. He talked about what factors create change and stated that protests must be civilly disruptive to create electoral change. Lenowitz
NEWS 3
encouraged participants to get involved in local and state politics, as well as getting involved with grassroots movements that actually meet together. “I thought it was a really interesting and informative talk, or as informative as it could be with the unpredictability of this administration,” noted Robert Singer ’19.
photo by sophia he/the hoot
photo from flickr.com
photo from sltrib.com
gelicals) on society. “To use coercive means to enforce moral norms where there is not overwhelming consensus in the political sphere, I think is foolish,” said Davis, summarizing his argument for ending “theocratic politics.” The importance of the Gospel, missions and evangelism, biblical orthodoxy and high academic standards should be maintained in Evangelicalism, according to Davis. “My wife and I are deeply sympathetic to the Palestinian cause,” but “I am glad that the modern state of Israel exists, and it has its right to defend itself,” said Davis, who expressed support for a two-
state solution, though, he admitted, such a solution seems unlikely at the present time. Davis spent two sabbaticals studying at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem. “Interfaith understanding and the ability to take somebody else’s religious and moral perspective is more important than ever,” said Davis, suggesting that comparative religion is a possible solution to the political divide in the United States. Davis was raised under Christian Science but converted to Evangelicalism while at Duke University studying physics.
Student Union looks to fill vacancies By Elianna Spitzer editor
Students filled every seat available in the Student Union office for an information session about union candidacy on Wednesday, Jan 25. Approximately 15 students are running for the available positions. Midyear, Ridgewood, senator-at-large, Ziv, Charles River/567 and the Mods seats need to be filled. Senators represent their constituency in votes, propose amendments, hold office hours and serve on union committees. One three-semester and two two-semester seats on the Allocations Board are empty. The Allocations Board two-semester seats currently have the most candidates. A two-semester racial minority seat will also be up for election. The campaign began at midnight on Wednesday and will end at midnight, Feb. 1. The student body will have 24 hours to vote for the candidate of their choice. Candidates running for a quad senator position may only receive votes from residents of the quad. The campaigns are paperless. Candidates are not permitted to post fliers or hand out advertising materials such as business cards. They are not allowed to use mon-
ey to campaign. Libel or slander will result in a loss of candidacy. Voting is done using Qualtrics in association with the Brandeis UnetIDs. This means that the voting links emailed out are coded to the student that receives the email. If a student were to vote using the link that was sent to a friend, the vote would would be processed as the friend’s vote, not their own. The friend would not be able to cast their own vote. Most of the candidates have never run for a position on the Student Union. Alanna Levy ’19 is running for the two-semester seat on A-Board. She hopes that working on A-Board will help her “get involved with a lot of communities on campus.” Brandon Stanaway ’19 is running for Ziv Quad senator. This is his first semester in Ziv because he spent his fall semester living in the Castle. Ziv did not have a senator during the fall semester, and Stanaway runs unopposed. He hopes to improve the health and sustainability of the quad. Stanaway has worked with the Senate Sustainability Committee and Students for Environmental Action (SEA). “Being able to represent the people of that area and improve their lives in any way and the life of the campus in any way really means a lot to me,” he said.
4 The Brandeis Hoot
FEATURES
Brandeis seniors set to enter workforce post graduation
Arguello ready to lead By Polina Potochevska staff
For most students, getting a job after graduating that is not only relevant to one’s career goals but also exciting, is merely wishful thinking. Graduating college can come with fears of unemployment and also the fear of lacking passion for the job which they ultimately hold. For Michael Arguello ’17, these fears do not exist because he already has a job lined up for after he graduates from Brandeis—one that is both relevant to his career goals and exciting. Arguello, a double major in business and psychology, had been preparing since August of last year for his interview with General Electric, and even “dropped a class to practice interviews” with other companies and prepare his application, he said. In October, he received the good news that he was accepted into General Electric Health Care’s Commercial Leader Program (CLP). The CLP involves “testing different areas of business, specifically for sales,” and selling medical equipment to hospitals and private doctor’s offices. Arguello pointed out that the equipment could vary from a large MRI machine to a mini portable ultrasound machine. Not only does the work vary, but so does the location. During two years, he will be assigned to four different places in the country, so he will also have the chance to travel. Arguello credits this opportunity to his active involvement on campus and his leadership experiences. He was an Orientation Leader for three years as well as a member of CORE for the 2017 midyear class, was on Student Events and is now captain of the varsity tennis team.
Studying abroad in Australia last fall was another helpful experience for Arguello. While there, he interned with two marketing firms. “One I liked a lot,” Arguello said, mentioning that the other company he did not enjoy as much. He said that studying abroad and having both a positive and lackluster experience was beneficial in his process of applying for jobs because “it’s helpful to know what you like and what you want to do,” he explained. Now, Arguello is a study abroad ambassador at Brandeis and gives other students advice that will help them with their own journeys abroad. Arguello is excited to work for General Electric, not only because his sacrifices, hard work and preparation paid off, but also because he has always wanted to work for the company. A longterm goal of his is to hold a leadership role in a company, because “a powerful company contains powerful leaders,” and he would like to be a part of that. He believes that this opportunity will pave the way toward that goal. Among his many activities, Arguello said that his favorite was being an Orientation Leader. He “loved being involved in orientation” because “you’re the first face that freshmen meet.” In addition, being around all of the “hypedup and energetic OLs” made the experience more enjoyable and taught him to really enjoy Brandeis and what it has to offer to its students. For any students who are in the process of looking for a job after graduation, Arguello advised students to be “proactive about it, because jobs won’t find you.” This is especially true for corporate jobs with competitive applicant pools, he said. Arguello also suggests getting involved in “what you’re passionate about” at school, whether or not it is related to a future career.
Margolis to provide corporate solutions By Zach Cihlar editor
Management Solutions recently secured its newest consultant in financial risk: Micah Margolis ’17. Margolis will graduate this May with departmental honors in physics upon completion of his senior thesis along with a degree in economics and a minor in computer science. The senior was also elected into Phi Beta Kappa, an honors organization, as a junior in 2016 for his strong academic performance, a title given to only nine students who were juniors at the time of their election to the organization. Management Solutions is a Spain-based international company relatively new to the United States market. The company aims to “deliver business, risk, financial, organization, technology and process-related advisory services” to its clients, according to the company’s website. It seeks out recent graduates or final-year students with strong academic record, a solid work ethic and interests in business, math, statistics or physics. Management Solutions reached out to Margolis through LinkedIn, a professional networking site, and requested a resume. Shortly after, he began speaking to representatives within the company to begin the interview process. According to Margolis, he first spoke on the phone with an employee in the company to answer basic questions about his eligibility to work. Soon, he had set up an official interview via Skype. Finally, the job required Margolis to take a math test analyzing tables and synthesizing data to ensure his suitability for the position.
photo courtesy michael arguello
By Ally Gelber staff
With the current state of the U.S. economy set to shift in the future, what better time than now to join TAMID? TAMID is a student-led business organization that connects students with the Israeli economy by teaching them business and professional skills through consulting and fundraising.
companies and the economic realm. In TAMID, members can learn the basics of entrepreneurship, from interactive consulting to building business models for potential startups. According to the national TAMID website, while some students may want to join to learn more about Israeli culture and economic strategies, others pursue the organization to learn useful networking and persuasive presentation skills, such as public
photo courtesy micah margolis
He finalized the process with a phone interview with the partner heading the company’s American branches and will be located in Boston. Margolis filled his resume with an internship and lab work. During one summer as a Brandeis student, he worked at a fuel company, working tools involving coding and math. Though the internship did not pertain to financial consulting, he noted that the skills he gained at that internship aided in his job search. “It made me a better candidate for a lot of these other companies, even though it was an energy company,” he said. Similarly, in the summer of 2016, Margolis spent the break working in the astrophysics lab, gaining skills in physics. Margolis found further help from Hiatt Career Center, he said. A Hiatt tool he suggests for job seekers is HiattChat, a Gmail account (hiattchatt@gmail.com)
that students can send resumes to and expect comments and edits back within a couple days. “They helped a lot with cover letters,” Margolis added. Using Hiatt’s drop-in hours, he stopped by the office to receive comments and tips about writing cover letters for certain job and internship applications. Throughout the process of applying to jobs, Margolis learned that the best advice he could give to students pursuing jobs after college is to start early, be diligent and send out a lot of resumes. He emphasized that the job industry is remarkably competitive, so depending on the field of interest, beginning a job search as early as September may be a smart decision. “There are certain fields that recruit in August, September, October, so start early if you’re going into finance, consulting or accounting.” Margolis recommends that students should consider the job application process as if it were an additional class. It is beneficial to spend time each week job searching, updating resumes, writing cover letters and doing other preparatory tasks, he said. “You should act like it’s another class you’re taking, because that is something I struggled with.”
photo courtesy michael arguello
photo courtesy micah margolis
Getting down to business with TAMID
It spans across 30 campuses and is so enticing not only due to the beneficial skills it has to offer students for their careers, but also for being apolitical and nonsectarian, meaning anyone can join regardless of affiliation, according to the official website. TAMID works to prepare each new generation of students to become entrepreneurs. In an era of dominating digital businesses, TAMID is an essential resource for passionate enterprisers to learn how to navigate startup
January 27, 2017
speaking and finance skills. “TAMID allows me to apply the knowledge I’m gaining in the classroom, specifically in my business classes, to real work for Israeli start-ups,” says Harli Starr ’19. “I love that I can immediately use my education to further my passion for business and I am simultaneously helping a new company. I also love that TAMID has a fellowship in Israel, which places students at start ups and allows for even more hands on experience, and I am excited to partic-
ipate this summer!” TAMID provides students with the opportunity to engage in “comprehensive educational programs, interactive consulting projects with startup companies, and student-managed capital market research teams,” according to its website. Select members may also be chosen to embark on an all-expense-paid fellowship in Tel Aviv, Israel, working for innovative companies—a worldly and educational experience.
January 27, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot
Social justice stays with Spector come May
By Charlotte Aaron editor
People don’t realize how much power businesses have in terms of improving human rights, explained Heather Spector ’17. Spector is set to kickstart her career with a business consulting role at Accenture, “a strategy, consulting, digital, tech and operations” firm, after graduation. A double major in business and computer science with a minor in Social Justice Social Policy, Spector has transformed from a potential pre-med student upon entering Brandeis to a well-rounded businesswoman with passions for improving human rights globally. Like many Brandeis students, Spector explored a variety of subjects throughout her first semester on campus. She sampled a biology class, a programming course and even an introductory economics course with an open mind. “I didn’t really know what
I wanted to do,” she said, a statement she says still proves to be true—though you wouldn’t know from her clear passion for social justice in business. It was her sophomore year at Brandeis that she was first introduced to the large-scale impact businesses can have on improving their community and the communities of other companies with which they work. While skimming the ’DEIS Impact College course catalogue, she noticed a course specifically focused on social justice in business. I learned more about it and realized that’s what I wanted to do in the future, said Spector. Curious, Spector reached out to Brandeis alumni in the field, one of whom introduced Spector to Net Impact, a non-profit organization that teaches and prepares students and young professionals to create social and environmental change in their workplace. Clearly drawn by the mission, Spector founded a Net Impact chapter on the Brandeis campus. “In was a Net Impact reading list that recommended my favorite book ever, ‘The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil,’” said Spector. The book, she explained, was an autobiography about a woman who did a lot for human rights through business. “I was like, wow, I get it!” said Spector. “People really can respect human rights through business, and you can change system-
ic issues so corporations ... can positively impact human rights throughout their supply chains and throughout the companies they do business with.” For example, Spector explained, an employer may hold foreign workers’ passports until they complete their work—a human rights abuse. To help prevent this from happening, larger corporations that source materials from these smaller business can say, “We aren’t going to source materials from you unless you align yourself with our code of conduct,” according to Spector. “That’s probably the extreme example. Usually they try to work with the supplier to try to change their ways,” she explained. “There might be cultural misunderstandings … so you have to understand that too.” Spector, undoubtedly committed to improving the communities around her, looks forward to volunteer work at Accenture. After being offered a job in mid-November, Spector was invited to Philadelphia to meet coworkers, tour the city and learn more about Accenture. During her visit, she was thrilled to learn about the volunteer work Accenture employees participate in. “Philadelphia in particular is one of their more active volunteer spots, so I know I want to get involved in that,” she said. While she will no doubt be involved in community service, Spector plans on traveling to cli-
FEATURES 5
photos courtesy heather spector
ents four to five days a week. A perk of being a consultant, she explained, is the immense amount of miles they earn at hotels and on airlines. Before being offered the position, Spector went through three rounds of interviews, including a case interview during which she had to analyze a business case and provide recommendations on the spot. The last two interviews, both over Skype, followed an initial behavioral interview that took place at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Technology Confer-
ence. “I recommend anyone interested in technology go,” Spector said. While the conference is expensive, the Brandeis Department of Computer Science helped fund her trip. “When I found out I got the job, I was really excited! I was surprised because I’ve never done consulting before,” Spector said. As she finishes up her last semester as a Brandeis student, Spector acknowledges that she will miss the Brandeis community and her friends but looks forward to joining the Accenture team and entering the workforce.
Prof. Breen finds humanity in history By Blake Linzer staff
Prof. Daniel Breen of the Legal Studies and American Studies departments is well known for his interesting and relevant courses in which he combines his undoubted excitement about the law with an impressive ability to convey the personal and societal significance of legal issues. Breen’s success in teaching is in part the result of his unique capacity to expose the human experience of those involved in the legal and historical settings discussed. This ability to convey clearly and elegantly the human experience of the past transfers well to his writing, as exemplified in his article “A Day of Hilarity on Copp’s Hill.” The article tells of the lively, somewhat relatable and, above all, human political environment of Boston in the early 19th century, culminating in the Democratic-Republican Fourth of July Festival of 1806 on the revolutionary Copp’s Hill. After the Revolutionary War ended and the Constitutional system of government was established, two major political parties took control of American government: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans (hereafter Republicans). The Federalists were the party of Hamilton, Adams, law and custom, as Breen notes in his essay. The Republicans were the party of Jefferson, a party more comfortable with populism and the party Breen characterizes as the party of good and honest labor. Whereas a stuffy professional or a merchant business owner might have been a Federalist, an artisan or any hardworking common man may have been a Republican. Breen paints a vibrant picture of
the Boston political environment of the time in “A Day of Hilarity on Copp’s Hill.” He explains it was far from immune from the Republican-Federalist political battle. Benjamin Austin, a Republican political strategist and journalist, published politically motivated essays under many pseudonyms, most famously “Honestus.” Among Austin’s criticisms of Federalism was that it was in fact a contemporary version of the old British Toryism that the Revolution had painstakingly defeated. Federalist response to Austin was fierce, with one instance of a Federalist journalist and political strategist publicly spitting on Austin. Not only did the political contention exist between Republicans and Federalists, but also within the Republican party itself. Breen’s story continues through the state elections of 1806, having already outlined the Boston political scene. By 1806, the Federalist Party nationally had begun to falter and the Republicans began to start winning local electoral battles across the country. In explaining the political battles in Massachusetts, Breen describes how this national trend permeated Massachusetts as Republicans finally won control of the state legislature, despite Republican candidate James Sullivan losing the gubernatorial race. The party, just defeated for the governor’s seat, Breen argues, needed rejuvenation, which came on July 4, 1806 on Copp’s Hill. He describes the historical significance of Copp’s Hill and emphasizes the importance of that for the July 4 festivities. Copp’s Hill was at Boston’s North End and was increasingly populated by working class residents, keen to support radical Republican ideology.
The Hill still held the remnants of the Revolutionary British fortifications, and the Republicans, on July 4, would gather there to celebrate national independence and in doing so would celebrate the liberty and equality that independence furnished. The Republicans, associating these ideals with the ideology of their own party, sought to politically defeat the Federalists who they thought were the contemporary manifestation of the British repression the revolution had recently defeated. On the literal ground of British defeat, Breen argues, Republican liberals devoted to the true ideals of the revolution were gathering in a political festival with a purpose to rally against the modern British political power base—the Federalists. The July 4 festivities consisted of good food, supplied by the local Jefferson Tavern, but its real purpose, according to Breen, was politics. A gathering of about 600 accumulated on the Hill. Foreign diplomats were in attendance. The Declaration of Independence, the document most lauded by the Republicans as the true expression of America’s promise, would be read. Seventeen toasts, one for each state of the union at the time, would be delivered—all of which in some way illuminated the sacred message of the Republican party to protect America’s revolutionary promise in face of Federalist British resistance. The desired effect, Breen argues, was to illuminate the spirit of a party that just suffered a major political defeat, losing the governorship, reinstating in its masses the message that despite the defeat, Republicanism, representing the true ideals of America, was not through with. The British Tories could, after all, be defeated.
Breen’s article is a work in history, illuminating the past for its own value. But in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot, he mentioned that he wondered whether a similar type of party gathering couldn’t work in today’s political environment. Could a modern party gather up an effective number of its citizens (not in the context of a formal campaign) to reorganize and excite its followers? Of course the difference in times could contribute significantly to the difference in feasibility of such a program. Breen is not sure that people would buy tickets, similar to Copp’s Hill, to an event when they can hear equivalently motivating speeches from the comfort of their home on television or online. He deliberates on questions about whether there is still a fundamental ideological basis to the American party system today like there was for the revolutionary-minded Republicans or if voters are motivated today more by
technical issues that affect their everyday lives and finding fundamental solutions to those problems. Along these lines, could national party agenda be promoted with events like this? How big could such an event be that it would permit a sort of intimacy and companionship like the one at Copp’s Hill? How would parties be persuaded to hold such events when they are seemingly quite fond of fundraising activities for the specific candidates? The answers to all of these questions, among others, could help shed light on the question of whether a similar type of event could be considered today to help revive and rejuvenate the agenda of struggling political parties. But regardless of whether such a type of meeting could exist today, Daniel Breen’s “A Day of Hilarity on Copp’s Hill” shares an interesting and relevant human history of the political culture of Boston in the 19th century.
photo from alumni.brandeis.edu
SPORTS
6 The Brandeis Hoot
January 27, 2017
Women’s fencing earns a mid-week win
By Zach Cihlar editor
In an annual mid-week clash, the women’s fencing team defeated Wellesley College 16-11 Wednesday, Jan. 25. Captain of the team, Nina Sayles ’17, reported that the Judges have remained undefeated in meets against Wellesley since the 2013 season. Each year, the team takes on Wellesley in a one-on-one meet. The bouts occur in a small room with only two mats, differing from the rest of the season’s meets which are set in universities’ field houses, where multiple squads compete simultaneously. “It’s really easy to cheer on your teammates … There’s a lot more camaraderie and cheering going on,” Sayles said. Brandeis’s meet against Wellesley is unique in that it is the only meet that falls during a week of classes. The rest of the team’s meets are weekends and last an entire day, allowing the team to focus on and prepare for the meets without distraction. “Af-
ter coming from a whole day in school not necessarily thinking about the meet, it’s easy to come in less prepared and less excited than weekend meets,” Sayles said. Four women went undefeated against the Wellesley. Rookie Jessica Gets ’20, led the way with three wins and no losses in the foil event, while Joanne Carminucci ’19 added two wins to the foil event and a second undefeated record for the night. Gets commented that dual meet and rival atmosphere motivated her in all three of her bouts. “I was more determined to win all of my three matches because it was a dual meet,” Gets said. In the second event of the night, the saber squad fell to Wellesley 3-6. Despite the squad loss, Sayles earned all three wins for the event, and became the third Brandeis fencer to go undefeated for the night. Throughout Sayles’ career at Brandeis, she has never once lost a regular season bout to a Wellesley opponent. Her undefeated night solidified the streak. Epeeists regained the momentum for Brandeis and clinched the overall victory with a 6-3 record.
Liz Feller ’18 was the last fencer of the night to win all of her bouts, earning three wins for the Judges. The Judges are now 10-10 in their overall record for the season, and the team looks to take on some of their biggest rivals, Boston College and Vassar, on Saturday, Jan. 28, “both of whom we beat by pretty close scores last year, so it’d be pretty great to pull
out those wins again,” Sayles said of the upcoming Eric Sollee Invitational at MIT against these key teams. Saturday’s meets will be the team’s second and final league meet. The team looks to defeat league opponents and end the weekend with a winning record. “Our goals are always to beat as many league opponents as possi-
ble,” she said. The team’s season will finish in the NCAA Northeast Regional in Hartford, CT, at Yale, and the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, both of which occur in late March. Until then, the team is scheduled to compete in Invitationals and tournaments at Brown, MIT, Boston College and the University of Vermont.
relocated to the Village for four days. The USM Invitational, though unscored, was still an important meet for the Judges. Regan Charie ’19, who placed third in the men’s 55 meter dash and second in the men’s 200 meter dash at the event, explained, “Since the USM meet was right after vacation it was kind of good to see where we were all at after a couple weeks away from campus.” After a strong showing at this meet, notably including a first place finish by Irie Gourde ’17 in the men’s 200 meter dash, the Judges returned to practice to prepare for their first home meet. The next week entailed long practices as the Judges prepared for their home meet. “Because we didn’t have much else to do during the day, practices were longer and we stayed at the end stretching/ rolling/icing more than normal to spend more time with each oth-
er,” Maya Bliss ’19 explained. “The workouts were hard but not necessarily harder than normal. During their down time, the teams had plenty of opportunity to bond with one another. Both teams made sure to eat and cook together throughout the week. They even went to Josephs Two one night in Waltham. The campus was very quiet over break, which some members of the team stated that they enjoyed. The team spent tons of time together outside of meals as well; some members of the team went bowling one night, and others could be found binging the television show “Black Mirror” together throughout the week. At the 14th Annual Reggie Poyau Invitational on Jan. 14, both the men’s and women’s track teams posted third place finishes. The meet, held in Gosman, was open to any team or individual
who wanted to participate. The men’s team scored 70 points to tie Merrimack College for third, finishing just one point behind Bentley University, who finished second in the meet. The women’s team posted 67.5 points to secure third place, but fell short of University of Southern Maine, who captured the title in both the men’s and women’s divisions. For the men’s team, Irie Gourde ’17 stole the show with three second place finishes in just his second ever meet, with times of 23.13 and 51.46 in the 200 and 400 meter runs. Gourde also led the 4x400 meter relay, with Jeremy Wilson ’17, Erez Needleman ’20 and Jacob Judd ’20, which finished in second place with a time of 3:38:92. Additionally, Michael Hutton ’18 placed second in the 3,000 meter run with a time of 8:47.46, the 15th fastest time in Division-3 this season.
The women began the meet by dominating the 3,000 meter run, with Emily Bryson ’19, Maddie Dolins ’17 and Julia Bryson ’19 taking the top three spots in the race. Their respective times of 10:14.16, 10:28.96 and 10:36.81 were the fifth, seventh and 21st fastest times in Division-3. Doyin Ogundiran ’19 took home first in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:24.97, the 19th best time in Division-3. Willa Moen ’20 won the high jump in her first ever meet, with a height of 4 feet, 11 inches. The Judges look to continue their success in their coming meets. Both track and field teams competed in the non-scoring open meet, Greater Boston Track Club Invitational at Harvard University. The teams will not race at home again until Saturday, Feb. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 26, when the Judges host the UAA Conference Championships.
into the new year with a record of 2-6 and also a ninth-place finish at the Gompei Invite. The men’s team captured two wins while the women’s team split results. The wins followed the team’s losses to Trinity College in Hartford the previous weekend. There were many outstanding performances from the women
competing in the Judges’ meet against Trinity on Friday, Jan. 13. Kylie Herman ’19 had three firstplace finishes in the 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard butterfly and in the 500-yard freestyle. Natalya Wozab ’20 made a splash with two first-place finishes, in the 100yard breaststroke and in the 200yard breaststroke. Genna Karp ’18
broke her personal best this season in the diving competition, in the three-meter dive, with a score of 147.60. The 40-yard freestyle relay team, of Abby Damsky ’18, Herman, Philippa Zheku ’20 and Fallon Katz ’20, finished second with a time of 3:58.94. The men’s team also competed at Trinity with many strong performances. Tamir Zitelny ’20 took first place in the 100-yard butterfly and two second-place finishes in the 100-yard freestyle. Edan Zitelny ’17 finished second in the 200-yard butterfly and the 200yard backstroke. Noah Ayers ’20 took second in the 500-yard freestyle. The men’s 400-yard freestyle relay team, of Thomas Alger ’20, Cameron Braz ’17, Taku Harada ’18 and Zitelny, finished second. On Jan. 21, the Judges took to the pool again to take on Keene State and Bridgewater State at home. At this meet, seniors Zitelny, Braz and Eb Weber were honored by head coach Mike Kotch, who has spent six seasons with the Judges. Tamir Zitelny had three firstplace finishes at this meet, in the
200-yard butterfly, the 200-yard backstroke and the 100-yard butterfly. Ayers had two second-place finishes in the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle. Braz accomplished a first-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle, and two second place finished with the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle. Edan Zitelny finished second in the 100-yard backstroke. The men came up with a win of 141-137 against Keene State and 117-102 Bridgewater. The women’s team came up with a win, with a score of 193-95 against Bridgewater and 195-97 loss against Keene State. Wozab earned three individual first-place finishes, in the 100-yard breastroke, 200-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard IM. Herman earned two second-place finishes in the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 500yard freestyle. The 200-yard freestyle team, Herman, Amy Sheinhait ’18, Abby Damsky ’18 and Yvette Smith ’20, finished second. On Feb. 8 both teams will travel to Chicago for the UAA Conference Championships.
jessica gets competed in the foil event
The rookie first-year went undefeated for the night, 3-0.
photo from brandeisjudges.com
Track and field continues season mid-break
By Jordan Brodie staff
For the average Brandeis student, winter break is a time of relaxation, far away from Waltham. However, for Brandeis’ men’s and women’s track and field teams, winter break was spent on campus practicing and preparing for two meets, including the 2017 Reggie Poyau Invitational. The Judges tied for third in this meet, which was both their first home meet and first scored meet of the season. Here is a timeline of the track teams’ winter break: On Jan. 5, the Judges track and field teams back to campus, significantly earlier than the majority of students. Practice began immediately, as the teams were to compete at the USM Invitational just two days later. Because residence halls were closed, the team
Men’s swimming earns two wins on Saturday
By Shea Decker-Jacoby staff
The Brandeis women’s swim team started off their season this school year with a 2-7 record and a ninth-place finish at the Gompei Invite in Worcester on Saturday Jan. 21. The men’s team came
kylie herman
events.
The sophomore took two first-place finishes in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle
photo from brandeisjudges.com
EDITORIALS
January 27, 2017
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.” Editors-in-Chief Mia Edelstein Julie Landy Senior Copy Editor Sarah Terrazano News Editors Abigail Gardener Elianna Spitzer Arts Editors Katie Decker-Jacoby Emma Kahn Opinions Editor Katarina Weessies Features Editor Charlotte Aaron Deputy Features Editor Albert Reiss Sports Editor Zach Cihlar Photo Editor Karen Caldwell Layout Editor Lisa Petrie Deputy Layout Editor Candace Ng Editors-at-Large Matt Kowalyk Sarah Jousset Allison Plotnik Sabrina Pond Hannah Schuster Zach Phil Schwartz Emily Sorkin Smith
I
The Brandeis Hoot 7
Marching is only the beginning
n the wake of the many women’s marches around the country, it is easy to think that after such a large outpouring of support—the women’s march in Washington, D.C. alone was three times the size of Trump’s inauguration— the marches were a unilateral success and showed the solidarity of the nation’s women. However, not all women felt that they were represented or uplifted by the marches. For women of color especially, the marches were yet another reminder of how non-intersectional mainstream feminism is. It is another reminder of how many women only stand up when they feel that they are threatened, not when all along marginalized women have needed advocacy. Where were they for Black Lives Matter to support black women in the past? How are they standing up for immigrant women and the impending struggles of undocumented families? Many women felt that the marches lacked an intersectionality that these issues demand. With such a white-cis majority, women of color and trans women felt that their specific oppressions were overlooked by white women in pussy hats advocating for reproductive justice. This is not to say that these efforts are unim-
portant but that they critically leave out groups of women who face different kinds of oppression. Criticism that the marches were overwhelmingly white, cis and straight should not be brushed aside. Listen to the women who felt disenfranchised and excluded by the march. If their criticism makes you uncomfortable, it only reinforces how important it is to confront and critically engage with the inequality that others face. Without intersectional feminism, white, cis-gender feminists will continue to perpetuate racism and inequality. Our feminism cannot be stagnant; it has to not only take intersectional issues like race, gender and class into account, but also respond with true interest and action when underrepresented women—women most at risk in a Trump administration—voice their concerns. It is bad enough that these women have been left on the margins for so long already; to overlook how their marginalization makes them more at risk is to take a step backward. We cannot start to normalize Trump. We must resist, locally and at the federal level. Call your legislators and tell them that you oppose Trump’s cabinet nominations, like Jeff Sessions for attorney
general and Betsy DeVos for secretary of education. Tell them that you oppose the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Just because we are young does not mean that we cannot make a difference. In fact, our age gives us an advantage. Many of us do not yet have the obligation of jobs and children to keep us at home and keep us from protesting. We have more freedom than those with these obligations and therefore a responsibility to show up, especially when they cannot. Brandeis, we ask what social justice means. It means using your privilege to be an accomplice in the fight. It means taking the time to learn and then educating others, especially those who share your privilege. Part of The Hoot’s privilege is our platform as a newspaper, and we will not be silent. We will use this privilege to reach out to students, faculty and community members, and to speak out against the injustices we see. Our next editorial will be a public evaluation of The Brandeis Hoot, namely our diversity and our inclusion efforts. We are committing to publicly holding ourselves accountable to the community we serve and the community that has made us possible.
Volume 14 • Issue 1 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma
STAFF
Faria Afreen, Emily Altkorn, Sharon Cai, José Castellanos, Elizabeth Cayouette-Gluckman, Anindita Chanda, Shea Decker-Jacoby, Gabriel del Carmen, Jacob Edelman, Andrew Elmers, Daniel Freedman, Ally Gelber, Ari Givner, Max Gould, Emma Gutman, Sophia He, Alana Hodson, Daniel Kang, Adam Lamper, Samantha Lauring, Monique J Menezes, Santiago Montoya, Polina Potochevska, Faiyaz Rahman, Caroline Rourke, Ryan Spencer, Lily Wageman, Michael Wang
MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information. Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events. Recognizing that better journalism leads to better policy, The Brandeis Hoot is dedicated to the principles of investigative reporting and news analysis. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.
SUBMISSION POLICIES The Brandeis Hoot welcomes letters to the editor on subjects that are of interest to the community. Preference is given to current or former community members and The Hoot reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The deadline for submitting letters is Wednesday at noon. Please submit letters to letters@thebrandeishoot.com along with your contact information. Letters should not exceed 500 words. The opinions, columns, cartoons and advertisements printed in The Hoot do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial board.
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Tune in to The Brandeis Hoot’s Facebook page every Sunday at 7 p.m. for a live stream of the Student Union Senate meeting Want to join the Hoot-SPAN operation? Contact eic@thebrandeishoot.com
8 The Brandeis Hoot
WEEK IN PHOTOS
photo by sanin dosa/the hoot
See page 16 to read about performance artist Pat Oleszko’s daring, hilarious exhibit in the Women’s Studies Research Center.
pat oleszko
January 27, 2017
photo by karen caldwell/the hoot
mild high club
photo by faria afreen/the hoot
photo by candace ng/the hoot
Your photos could be here! See something interesting on campus or relevant to Brandeis? Submit it to eic@thebrandeishoot. com. photo by katie decker-jacoby/the hoot
January 27, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot
Signs went up around Usen Castle prohibitng entry now that construction has begun.
official notice
WEEK IN PHOTOS 9
photo by candace ng/the hoot
photo by mia edelstein/the hoot
photo courtesy eliana bernstein
introduction to 3d design
FA Prof. Christopher Frost’s class is building houses for their first project.
junior brandeis achievers
JBA at Waltham Group recruitment night
photo courtesy eliana bernstein
photos courtesy leah sherin
Brandeis students were among the tens of thousands who turned out on the Boston Common to protest President Trump. march on boston
10 The Brandeis Hoot
OPINIONS
Oscar nominations answer calls for change
By Santiago Montoya staff
The first film to have obtained 14 Academy Award nominations—a record at the Academy—was “All About Eve” (1950), a movie about actors (Hollywood loves rewarding itself). That record wasn’t tied until the blockbuster “Titanic” (1997) came along. Now, with the recent announcement of the 2016 Oscar nominations this past Tuesday, Jan. 24, “La La Land” (2016) has joined this selective group. “La La Land,” a jazz-infused musical, is a grand spectacle that speaks to the hard-working people who have taken the risk to venture into show business in an attempt to break through into Hollywood. Moreover, the musical production numbers impress and dazzle. However, the picture is not perfect; it is flawed, mainly for its lack of characterization. Mia, Emma Stone’s character, is filled with Stone’s grace and personality, but she is otherwise more of a symbol of success in Hollywood than a fully developed character. In terms of being an eye-can-
dy film, its production and score is superb. Nonetheless, it does not have the merits to earn Best Picture at the Oscars, despite the odds. Firstly, the Academy has rewarded enough films about show business, the most recent being “Birdman” (2014). “Argo,” winning for 2012, is about Hollywood saving the day, rescuing six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980. The year before, it was “The Artist” (2011), a silent film about the old Hollywood. And the list extends through the 89 years of the Oscars. It should be noted that “The Artist” and “La La Land” have something in common: Both films’ Oscar campaigns have been about bringing the old Hollywood back, specifically the silent era and the old musicals from the 50s and 60s. That nostalgic sense has influenced Academy voters, who are mostly older adults. Notwithstanding, the Academy’s record of constantly awarding films about Hollywood is getting egocentric already. But if not “La La Land,” what film should take Best Picture? As a matter of fact, “Moon-
light” (2016) is another film that has garnered momentum, taking home several accolades home, including Best Picture in numerous film critics’ circles and the Golden Globe for Best Drama. It is a story about self-discovery that chronicles the life of a young gay black man from childhood to adulthood. If the Academy voters were to vote for a film besides “La La Land,” “Moonlight” should win the major prize, not only because of its quality storytelling, but also because it would be a refreshing redemption. The last time that a film regarding LGBT issues was close to winning the Best Picture award was just over a decade ago, with “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). After “Brokeback Mountain” had swept major awards at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Critics’ Choice Awards, it was the top contender for the Best Picture award of that season. In fact, “Crash” (2005) shockingly took the award that year. While “Brokeback Mountain” did take Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and See POSITIVE CHANGE, page 11
photo from highlighthollywood.com
still from the movie ‘moonlight’
January 27, 2017
Resistance and punching Richard Spencer By José Castellanos columnist
The Brandeis campus is not alone in its treatment of the controversial inauguration of Donald Trump. Many students have rightfully expressed their moral and political disagreements over his inauguration, and in the inauguration’s aftermath, many actions have been taken to show the populace’s disagreement with Trump’s platform. Among these actions were the multiple Women’s Marches around the nation. These were not particularly contentious, but many other activists have taken actions that have proven to be extremely controversial. Specifically, many people disagree with the actions of a vigilante citizen who punched notable white nationalist and Trump supporter Richard Spencer in the face. The opinion that Spencer should not have been punched is disturbing. Not only does it mean that the overwhelming majority of the white population that put Trump in power tolerates fascists, but it shows the problematic nature of our society’s priorities. More people seem to be offended by the punching of Spencer than by the three-year long water crisis in Flint, MI, or the often terrible fates faced by Americans of color every day. The arguments against the attack on Spencer are relatively straightforward: that leftists, whether centrist or far left, have an obligation to take the moral high ground in situations such as these, and therefore cannot resort to actions such as physical violence. However, in the sometimes violent aftermath of the election, I would say that we have a moral obligation to take actions that mirror our circumstances. Spencer should not receive any sympathy from any human being who believes themselves to be moral. This is a man who not only has repeatedly advocated white supremacy and genocide targeting people of color, but also genuinely believes that people of color, especially black people, are not worthy of being called human. Quite frankly, Spencer is a Nazi, a figurehead of the same alt-right movement that made a xenophobic, sexual predator president of the United States. It’s easy to see why people would be hesitant to
condone violence, even when it’s against people such as Spencer, because people do not want to see themselves as aggressors. However, cases like Spencer’s are justifiable because of Spencer’s violent views. Additionally, it’s important to understand some of the less obvious reasons why this is seen by many as a wholly violent and unsupportable action. In most political systems, the government in power has a monopoly on violence. This monopoly often creates the belief that it’s perfectly acceptable for the government to execute violent actions ranging from the mass incarceration of people of color to the denial of health care to its disabled and trans citizens, while any miniscule form of violent protest is seen as an encroachment on that monopoly synonymous with treason. This is why many don’t bat an eye when the federal government uses water cannons in subfreezing conditions on protesters on indigenous land who oppose the placement of profit over people but are up in arms when a protest over the killing of a black man by a police officer becomes violent on a small scale due to the actions of a few. Frankly, it is ridiculous to immediately dismiss the actions of those such as the individual who attacked Spencer as wholly unacceptable because they are not perfectly nonviolent. It is become increasingly obvious that this “Love trumps hate” mentality is not working. Yes, it is important to hang on to the same love that makes the human experience unique, but in the face of white supremacy and the rise of nationalistic fascism in what was once seen as the shining bastion of democracy, it is critical to accept less peaceful forms of protest when faced with particularly violent circumstances. The punching of a Nazi is a perfect example of fitting action for an especially violent circumstance. We are entering a terrifying and uncertain new chapter of history, and the fact is that we can no longer accept peaceful demonstration as our only option. I am not advocating senseless violence in an effort to prove a point. Peaceful protests are often effective, and See RESISTANCE, page 12
Remember to practice self-care By Angela Mendez columnist
College students are often told to practice “self-care,” and honestly, it makes sense why. Students constantly struggle so much with managing their different responsibilities that their health and wellbeing usually becomes less of a priority. This often leads to stress, anxiety, exhaustion and mental burnouts. Speaking from personal experience, self-care helps deal with all of these issues and even more importantly, it helps people feel at ease. I came to realize the above state-
ment when I made a life-changing choice this past winter break; I vowed to take better care of myself. From that moment on, I adopted a healthier lifestyle. I exercised, ate smaller portions, read and reflected on past mistakes that I made. I started treating myself better, which is the main idea behind self-care: love yourself so much that you treat yourself better and feel better. Below you will find a list of selfcare techniques with a small description. I personally do most of these methods, but self-care looks different for everyone. Hopefully they help! 1. Schedule a Doctor’s Appoint-
ment—It’s good to know where your health stands. You might have a vitamin deficiency, who knows? 2. Exercise—I was not fit at all when I first started, and that’s okay. I walked for half an hour at a pace of 3 on the treadmill and slowly worked myself up. It took me about 2 weeks to get to 5. 3. Eat a Well-Balanced Meal— Add some vegetables to your plate. Maybe drink apple or orange juice. Eat fruit. 4. Take a Hot Shower—This one is self-explanatory. I would just say to take your time. Maybe play music to spice it up? 5. Read—I would recommend easy-reads, like those page-turn-
ers that let you escape from reality for a bit and immerse yourself in a world of entertaining drama. 6. Draw—For this one, I would recommend standing in front of the mirror and sketching yourself. When you sketch, really look at yourself. Notice the small details. Notice the lines and shades. Try to be as accurate as possible. Also, don’t be afraid to erase! 7. Clean your Room—I usually find that a person’s room reflects their mental state of being. If you clean and organize your room the way you want, you’ll feel a sense of order, and it’s nice to have something in order when life can get messy. 8. Decorate your Walls!—I put
up pictures and inspirational quotes. I also made a wall of inspirational women of color. My decorations remind me to keep pushing forward. 9. Dress Up—By dress up, I mean at your discretion. Wear whatever makes you feel empowered and good-looking. Don’t worry what other people might think or say. Usually, they’ll give you compliments because they see that radiant smile that shows you feel good. 10. Self-dates—Go out, walk, explore … just go out somewhere by yourself! 11. Watch a Movie or TV Show—Relax and watch some TV.
January 27, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot
OPINONS 11
Women’s Marches and the meaning of unity By Katarina Weessies editor
The day after the inauguration, the largest march in Washington, D.C.’s, history began. The D.C. Women’s March included about half a million participants, and had smaller sister marches in almost every major city in the country. Naturally, a protest this enormous was involved in some controversy, mostly over women’s “unity” and the various identity groups that different women inhabit. Early critics of the Women’s March considered that the march would not be intersectional, meaning that it would not address the unique problems faced by women who come from certain marginalized identity groups, such as black women or disabled women. For example, some black wom-
en who participated in the Black Lives Matter movement were bothered by the mainstream nature of the Women’s March. Many of these women expressed frustration that enormous crowds of white women were willing to participate in the Women’s March but did not show up to the many Black Lives Matter protests over the past few years. These women were also frustrated with a lack of enthusiasm for anti-racist action on the many Women’s March Facebook pages. They were bothered by the fact that protesters were showing off their pink “pussy hats” in defiance against Trump’s sexist remarks, but displayed no widespread meaningful recognition of Trump’s racist statements. Trans women also expressed discontent with some of the Women’s Marches. They claimed that the marches equated womanhood with having a vagina in a way that excluded trans women from the
conversation. For example, many trans women were bothered by the presence of “pussy hats” and posters that depicted cis women’s nude bodies as symbols of feminism. Some protesters saw these signs and hats as a way of defying Trump’s remarks that are geared specifically toward the cis female body. However, critics of the marches state that these forms of protest create an incomplete version of womanhood that reduces women to their body parts and prevents trans women from fully participating in the march. Most of the disagreements over the Women’s March occurred over Facebook or other social media platforms. In general, the actual marches had a diverse body of attendees who held signs relevant to intersectional issues, such as those that affect undocumented women, disabled women and queer women. However, on the Internet, many of the interactions between marchers were less
harmonious, and several marchers expressed problems with demands that the march have an intersectional platform. Many women misinterpreted intersectional criticisms of the Women’s March as divisive. The typical counter-argument to demands for intersectionality was that focusing on a specific identity group, such as women of color or poor women, would undermine the unity of the march. Marchers who believe this thought that unless all marchers are unified in their support of women’s rights in general (that is, as they apply to white women), their protest will be unsuccessful. This belief is clearly flawed. Since the world has billions of women, we are always going to be an extremely diverse group with who inhabit many differing identities. These identities will always affect different women in unique ways, and without intersectional women’s movements that recog-
photo from nbcnews.com
nize each woman’s unique identities, most women will remain excluded from mainstream women’s movements. Misguided attempts to pursue “unity” at the expense of intersectionality won’t result in a more cohesive movement will rather will exclude the vast majority of women from participating. It is a mistake to assume that diversity and unity cannot coexist. Diversity in large movements is not only inevitable, but also an important part of developing a successful movement. The varying perspectives and needs of diverse women maximizes the inclusivity and scope of a certain action or initiative. It allows a movement to benefit more people, and ensures that the movement is not unintentionally harming or excluding certain people. The Women’s Marches that happened all over the world were so numerous, successful and beautiful because of their diversity.
photo from laweekly.com
photo from bostonmagazine.com
photo from nytimes.com
women’s marches in washington, d.c. (top left), los angeles (top right), boston (bottom left) and new york city (bottom right)
POSITIVE CHANGE, from page 10
Best Original Score, many claim it failed to win the main award because of homophobia from the older voters. After two consecutive years of the controversial #OscarsSoWhite, last year the academy revalued their membership qualifications as well as inviting more people to join. The voters are now 40 percent people of color and 40 percent women, and this change seems
Oscars create positive change to have caused a fairer game this year. For the first time, 6 black actors are nominated in the four different acting categories: Mahershala Ali, Viola Davis, Naomie Harris, Ruth Negga, Octavia Spencer and Denzel Washington. Furthermore, Barry Jenkins made history as only the fourth African-American director to be nominated for the Best Director award. If he wins, he would be the first African-American director to actually win the award. There were not many surprises this year, yet one big surprise,
proving that Hollywood can forgive, is Mel Gibson’s nomination after his career nearly ended in 2006 when he uttered anti-Semitic slurs while being arrested for drunk driving. Gibson got a nomination for Best Director for his work in “Hacksaw Ridge,” which overall earned six nominations, including Best Picture. One of the few disappointments this year was that “Deadpool” (2016) was not nominated, either for Best Picture or Best Screenplay, despite getting several important nominations at the Guild
Awards and Golden Globes. “Elle” was not nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, although Isabelle Huppert did get a nomination for Best Actress. Another let down was Amy Adams’ snub as Best Actress for her film “Arrival,” which managed to get eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Overall, there were many positive highlights that demonstrate a change, especially compared to recent years. Joi McMillon became the first African-American woman film editor to receive a
nomination in Best Film Editing for “Moonlight.” Ava DuVernay became the first African-American woman director to earn a nomination in Best Documentary—Feature, for her work in “13th,” a redemption after being snubbed back in 2014 for her work as director for “Selma.” In a new era in which many people would say that our society is going backwards, the Academy Awards proves to us that change, if demanded, will continue unfolding.
12 OPINIONS
By Daniel Freedman columnist
This election is a repudiation of the liberal ideology. The recently retired president has become the incarnation of socialism and despotism in the minds of those who voted for “change [I still cannot] believe in.” As the vision of all that is evil, Obama’s legacy is under attack for its namesake. The Affordable Care Act is a monumental piece of legislation that insured tens of millions of individuals, limited healthcare discrimination and is the reason that many of my fellow college-aged peers do not need to buy their own health insurance until age 26. Sure, it stood far short of the single payer ideal for liberals, and did necessitate some taxes, vexing conservatives. However, it was a vast improvement over the predatory and exclusive system that preceded it. Now it seems all but fated to die an ignoble death with ignorance driving in the final nails to its coffin: An overzealous, Republican-dominated Congress votes for repeal without a plan to replace it. What is so heinous about the Affordable Care Act? The first outcry of disapproval came with the falsified revelation of “death panels” coined by Sarah Palin, and cuts to Medicare. Death panels (bureaucratic
The Brandeis Hoot
January 27, 2017
GOP legislators hate Obamacare because they hate Obama override to deny care) represent an ethical and economic issue unto themselves, but their existence was wholly untrue, while the cuts to Medicare were a disingenuous statement of truth stripped of context. The other significantly maligned component of Obamacare is the individual mandate that forces the public to find insurance or else face a fine. I understand the contempt for any intrusion into the American citizen’s star-spangled freedom, but it was a necessary evil to provide the consumer protection that prohibits denials for pre-existing conditions. The protection without the mandate is not fiscally feasible, and our civility is arguably questionable in the absence of providing for our most vulnerable citizens. If you are not much for empathizing with their condition you still cannot escape the economic truth that your tax dollars will bear the burden of the cost regardless. It is far cheaper to administer preventative care than to let a condition develop into a medical emergency treated in a hospital. Maybe you did not want to subsidize the insulin for a diabetic patient with the Affordable Care Act as proxy—that’s fair. Except a year later that patient wanders into the emergency room in diabetic ketoacidosis without insurance to receive some costly treat-
ment, and you are stuck with an even bigger bill. I ask again: Why is Obamacare so heinous then? Because it bears the Obama brand, and worse yet: People like it. It seems then that the Affordable Care Act will go
down in the annals of good ideas proposed by the wrong person. Partisanship means more than content, and a spiteful evisceration of a political legacy is more satisfying than fulfilling the duty to represent the best interest of
constituents. None of this comes across as surprising given our Congressional track record, but it is a compounded disappointment that the legislative branch will fervently support a partisan purge: the apparent will of the people.
cartoon by julianna scionti
Farewell to the Castle By Anindita Chanda columnist
It has been a week since I moved out of the Castle and into my Ziv, and with all of these changes I could not help but reflect on my time in the Castle—the edifice that will be torn down and replaced, the monumental Brandeisian structure that will forever remain in history instead of before our eyes. For the first two years of college I commuted back and forth, since I live in a town near Waltham. That all changed rather suddenly this past summer, the summer before my junior year, when I real-
ized that my schedule was packed beyond words and it would be more convenient for me to live on campus. A lot of people complain about DCL, and within the context of their specific scenarios it is understandable why they do. But I must say, I was incredibly lucky. When Sarah Hogan-Crowley heard about the details of my situation, she treated me with kindness and put me into a room in the Castle, A204, a number I will never forget. Living in A204 was an adventure, though of course there were ups and downs. One of the ups was that I finally felt like an actual college student! It was amusing to me that it was during my first semester of my junior year that I ex-
perienced the life of a first year— although not quite because I had had all the advantages of having friends and knowing my way around campus ahead of time. The first time that I and a couple of friends explored the Castle, I had imagined that we would come across secret pathways, or that we would find the Graffiti room. Unfortunately after climbing many stairs and going through winding narrow hallways, we just encountered dorm rooms. Due to a lack of patience on my part we never even made it to the Graffiti room. The downs? Well, every now and then my hall got a wonderful visit from a little brown mouse. In the quietest hours of the night, there it would be, gnawing away on
whatever it was that it found to be mouse food. Then of course there were times when the person living on the floor above me would move and chips of plaster from the ceiling would crumble onto my bed which was directly below. As mainly sophomores lived in the Castle, I was a little bit isolated from my friends, who mainly lived in Ziv. But even though I had a hard time walking to my friends’ apartments in Ziv, the Castle was a convenient location when it came to walking to classes. The monstrous Rabb steps did not feel so daunting when I walked from the Castle. But walking from Ziv now… at least it is some form of a workout, right? I will never forget my time in
the Castle because like all the firsts we have in our lives, that was one of my most important firsts. It was technically my first time living away from home, my first shot at some independence and my first time learning to be with people outside of the few hours in lectures. Surprisingly, and as cliched as this may seem, I also grew up a little more during what was the beginning of my time on campus. It is the kind of growing up that I hope to continue to do— though it won’t be in my room up in A-tower. Farewell my Castle, you will be missed and remembered by all who had the good fortune of knowing you.
We cannot rely on peace RESISTANCE, from page 10
random violence and crime can be extremely counterproductive. However, we need to face the reality that we need to change our perspective of how to deal with fascism and intolerance, because the old methods simply are not working anymore. Do not get upset because Spencer got punched in the face. Spencer is not deserving of sympathy or respect. He is, quite literally, a Nazi, and any sympathy for him is sympathy for the ideology he rep-
resents, and any acceptance of his ideology is a loss because it shows that the populace as a whole is content with the actions of the altright. Take to the streets and protest. Write to your representatives. Punch Spencer. Everyone should take action against the rise of nationalism, whether you are a moderate or you believe that a socialist political revolution is imminent, because the day that we accept Spencer and his ideology as the new normal is the day that we lose who we are and what we stand for.
ARTS
January 27, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot 13
Pottery Club carries on despite relocation By Katharine Mound staff
At the crux of the on-campus fine arts scene lies a club that seeks to combine community, creativity and, most importantly, clay. About three decades ago, the Pottery Club sprang up at Brandeis and is now led by president Marisa Rubel ’17. Although the club has technically existed since the early ’90s, Rubel explains that she and peers revived the club in 2014, imbuing life into a much-needed creative space for students. Rubel claims that Pottery Club is more than simply a workshop for those with an interest in ce-
ramics, asserting that the club serves as a vessel for building relationships, stretching comfort zones, relieving stress and escaping “the hum of the main campus,” as she put it. She assures that prospective members should not feel like they are not artsy enough to join. This is a club for those who want to learn new skills and improve on old ones. Unfortunately, the club underwent a shocking and upsetting change in the fall. After having operated out of the club’s studio in the Usen Castle for years, Rubel, Brittany Finney ’17 and other E-board members returned to campus in great anticipation for what the fall semester would bring, only to find out that they
photos from facebook.com
had been locked out of their studio. The Brandeis administration did not reach out to club leaders before locking the studio, and as a result, the club was forced to halt their practices. While many on-campus clubs can perform their activities in classrooms, the Pottery Club was incapacitated without studio space. Even so, Rubel and Finney were not about to go down without a fight and linked up with Yage Wang ’18 and Lian Chen ’19 in order to make a statement to the administration that students truly cared about and needed the Pottery Club. On Nov. 3, the club took to the SCC atrium and held studio hours for anyone who was interested, where they were met with massive support. Finally, the Pottery Club was allowed a temporary, shared studio space in Goldman-Schwartz, lent to the club under tight restrictions. Although Rubel was relieved that the group would continue to live on, even for just over a semester, the situation that the club exists in now is less than ideal. “We have less space as we share the studio with classes,” Rubel said. “We have less organization, fewer hours and our materials are spread across two locations. Also, within the studio itself, we only have shelf and material space in the basement, so all the clay and glaze is stored there and is brought up for studio hours … We cannot spread out or use the
space as we would like and all our materials have to be put away completely every day.” Although the shared studio serves as somewhat of a solution, Rubel underscored that the club needs a new on-campus studio since it will be kicked out of Goldman-Schwartz at the end of spring semester. Despite all of the hardships that the group has endured, Rubel is thankful to instrumental figures who were by her side supporting the club and supporting its future. This semester, along with searching for a new home for the Pottery Club, Rubel aspires to thrust the group to “the forefront of the art scene at Brandeis.” She is in the works of organizing a table for the club to sell their pottery at
the Bernstein Festival for the Arts in the spring, as well as pairing up with SCRAM and the Brandeis Farmer’s Club for future events. The club will also begin hosting studio hours next week on Feb. 2 from 2-4 p.m. and Feb. 3 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., for anyone interested in creating pottery. Rubel is also looking beyond the end of the spring semester. She is unsure whether or not Brandeis administrators are actively seeking out a ceramics studio for the club. For the sake of students who not only find the Pottery Club as an artistic outlet but also as a therapeutic community of creative minds, the administration certainly needs to pay more attention to this pressing issue.
Sodexo rings in the Lunar New Year with traditional Chinese foods
By Sanin Dosa staff
Brandeis University dining services celebrated Lunar New Year this Thursday, Jan. 26 by offering Asian barbecue, soups and entrees in Lower Usdan and Sherman dining halls during dinner. Under Sodexo, this is the first time the dining halls put together an event for the Lunar New Year. Even though the new year will not begin until Jan. 28, university dining services wanted to give the staff a chance to celebrate the new year with Brandeis students considering that a significant number of the staff take the holiday off, said Lisa Marie, marketing coordinator for dining services. Both the dining staff and students from the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection club (BC3) worked together to prepare the food and decorations and provide a more traditional aesthetic for the event. Two staff members from Sherman, Yen Yu and Charlie Yu, made a dish they eat at home, crab rangoon. Only available in Sherman, crab rangoon are fried wontons filled with cream cheese and bits of crab, according to Yen. The dining halls were decorated by members of BC3. Hanging from the ceilings of Sherman were round red lanterns. Yen made origami fish designed with Chinese characters and symbols that mean
photos by sanin dosa/the hoot
luck and calmness, she explained. The fish represents fortune and happiness. A tradition during the celebration of the Lunar New Year is for the older generation to hand out red envelopes to the younger generation. Usually these contain money, but “that is too much money to give to the students,” Yen joked. Instead the students found two chocolate Hershey kisses inside the envelopes they received. The colors most commonly seen on the decorations are red and gold, symbolizing wealth, health and happiness. That is why all the decorations
are red with gold symbols and characters, Venus Sun, the co-director of public relations for BC3, explained. Dishes provided in the menu Thursday night included Chinese lion head soup, grilled chicken satay, crab rangoon, spicy bok choy, white scallion pizza and a coconut mandarin cake. The bok choy was sauteed in garlic sauce with red pepper flakes to make it spicy. Chinese lion head soup is a stew with white or red meatballs and vegetables. The dining halls also offered the usual dining options such as pasta and burgers. Most of the food, with the blessing of Rabbi Elyse
Winick, was easily transferred and prepared in the kosher side of Sherman. The crab rangoon was the only exception, Elaine Lunardi, Sherman’s food service manager, explained. Both Sherman and Lower Usdan served the same food. In a Lunar New Year feast, dumplings are usually eaten, Sun said. The dumpling is a tradition from northern China and is now common in southern China and all over the world. In southern China, she explained, families usually make food that is sweet. On Jan. 27, according to the Lunar New Year calendar, the
year of the monkey will end and the year of the rooster will begin the following day, Jan. 28. There are 12 animals in the Lunar New Year calendar, each representing a year. Every 12 years, an animal will repeat itself symbolizing the end of a cycle in one’s lifetime, Sun explained. For example, the first twelve years is the cycle of childhood. Long lines trailed through the dining halls, reflecting the exceptional nature of the festive evening. The extra care taken to create these meals brought Brandeis students and staff alike much happiness as we all celebrated together.
14 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
January 27, 2017
Sorrows stay afloat in ‘Manchester by the Sea’ By Ryan Bunis staff
Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” (2016) is a work of genius. Set and filmed in the northeastern town of Manchester, MA, Lonergan captures a powerful, depressing tale, yet finds the hint of humor that comes from daily life. The writer and director of the film, rare for today’s filmmaking, Lonergan has a way of storytelling that is distinct and meaningful to people, radiating from beginning to end. Casey Affleck plays Lee Chandler, a janitor who lives in Quincy. He keeps to himself, but there is something off about him, evident from his undecorated apartment, to when he starts a brawl in a bar out of nowhere. His mannerisms suggest that there is something festering inside of him. He eventually gets a call, only to discover that his older brother died. It was already acknowledged at this point in the movie that his older brother, Joe, had a terminal heart condition, so his passing was not completely unexpected. Joe’s death leaves Lee taking care of Joe’s 16-year old son, Patrick, a normal kid, who is surprisingly mature and independent. Lee then spends more time in Manchester, visiting funeral homes and lawyers and deciding what to do about his brother’s commercial boat. Most of the action in the film comes from routine tasks and small happenings, which Loner-
gan uses to highlight the characters’ suffering. As Lee spends more time in Manchester, his past is revealed, and it is shown to be utterly painful. Affleck exhibits an incredible amount of acting power with just the few facial expressions he relies on. These minimal facial expressions, however, reveal an inner sadness that few have been able to achieve on-screen. It could initially be interpreted as a weaker display of acting, but this is not the case. Lee is holding onto inner demons and refuses to let them go. He does crack a joke every once in awhile and has quite a good sense of humor, but clearly, it is dampened by his condition. His humor and the interactions he has blend nicely into the film, and really are essential for the topics that “Manchester by the Sea” undertakes. While the supporting roles are not as strong as Affleck’s performance, they do work well in the film. Patrick shares a similar sense of humor with Lee, and they both connect more since they spend a good amount of time together. Their relationship demonstrates Lonergan’s strength in creating realistic, personable characters. C. J. Wilson, who plays Joe’s best pal and business partner, also puts on a good performance. However, Lee’s ex-wife Randi, played by Michelle Williams, is not particularly great, as her acting comes off as shallow. The rough beauty of New England in “Manchester by the Sea” is precise. The seasons change from a brisk fall to an intermi-
photo from fandango.com
photo from impawards.com
photo from nyt.com
photo from heyuguys.com
nable, snowy winter. The inside of the houses additionally have a hollow feel, with the creakiness of walking up old, wooden stairs, the ones that can easily be seen while driving along the coastal town. The fact that the movie is set in Manchester shows that movies are branching out to unique locations. Manchester is known for its fishing and is an unorthodox place to shoot, since it is merely an ordinary town. Yet this makes it feel all the more realistic. Movies like this one are capturing people’s attention, or at least the attention of intellectuals who recognize them for chances at film festivals. Movies are being shot in places such as Manchester, and even Cincinnati, offering little-seen buildings with unique German architecture a chance to be seen on the big screen. Films that pertain to the working class seem to have the ability to resonate with many. The working class is personified in Lee, but in the most depressing way. He is working a minimum-wage job and carries on with his life, with or without meaning. The guilt of his past weighs on him and he only wants to continue to tuck it away. Revisiting his hometown slowly opens him up, but only to realize that perhaps that he will never be the same again. Though this film follows an exceptionally gloomy storyline, Lonergan’s cast and cinematic mastery make “Manchester by the Sea” a force to be reckoned with at the box office.
Improv show displays campus talent for midyears By Brianna Cummings staff
With the recent political events casting a gray cloud over many, it is nice to have something to put a smile on our faces. On Saturday, Jan. 21, while most were marching in protest of the new presidency, Brandeis’ improv comedy circle provided a more upbeat atmosphere. TBA’s co-presidents, Monica Chen ’19 and Conor Amrien ’19, decided to put together an improv showcase for midyears with the help of the rest of the campus comedy community: Crowd Control, Bad Grammer and False Advertising. There were so many students in Ridgewood Commons that some had to sit on the floor or stand. The event was designed as a fun experience for midyears and as a way to make students aware that TBA and Crowd Control were holding auditions Monday night. False Advertising performed a skit called “Clueless Star.” The skit was about a hand model who had to work with a famous, controversial monkey named Chad. Someone was eventually hired to kill Chad, only for the audience to
find out that there were actually two monkeys named Chad, with the slain one being brought back to life. The skit also included other comical characters that got caught up in the commotion. As always, False Advertising distinguished themselves with a musical skit accompanied by the keyboard. “There’s something about improv that is impossible to repeat, so all the jokes are on their own an experience,” said Boris’ Kitchen member Jason Kwan ’20, who was in the audience. “I particularly enjoyed False Advertising’s musical improv, as their stories get absolutely hilarious as they go on.” Bad Grammer took the stage next. They interacted with the audience to enhance their skits. The first sketch was called a common game called “Half-life,” in which Bad Grammer would recreate a one-minute skit in 30 and then 15 seconds. Whenever a new impossible time frame was announced the audience shouted, “It can’t be done.” The first skit had to relate to the word “love.” Bad Grammar then came up with a skit about a father and son digging in a garden and the son eating a radioactive rock and being poisoned.
“I believe that improv comedy is a fantastic form of comedy. Coming up with such great lines on the spot is something that I find truly remarkable. Please give a shout out to Bad Grammer, who deserve to be recognized as ‘The Spiciest Bois on campus,’” Kwan said, referencing a name that was given to Bad Grammer and joked about within the show. Bad Grammer’s next skit was the classic, “Good Bad Evil Robot.” Four members would stand in front of the audience, ask for a scenario and four different characters would respond to the problem. Among the personalities displayed were a ditzy girl, a Russian, a creeper and a practical robot. The scenarios that were acted out carried storylines that ranged from, “My hand has a mind of its own,” to “My mom is my uncle.” The audience was enthusiastic about calling out odd situations for the group to perform. For the next skit, the audience was asked to call out three genres: film noir, horror and glam. Then, the audience was instructed to say a random word. The word “anime” was chosen. Three members acted a guy and his friend watching anime on Crunchyroll, a website with anime shows, while the guy’s mom fed them crunchy rolls. They performed this in the style of film noir, horror and glam. At the end, all four improv troupes came out and played the chair game, where a word was called out and they all had to say something witty regarding the word, following the scheme of “I like my [man/woman] like I like my [word].” The audience ultimately enjoyed themselves and were pleased with the wide variety of high-quality performances.
photo courtesy lifetouch
photos from facebook.com
January 27, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS 15
Netflix original ‘One Day at a Time’ is relatable, humorous and serious all at once
By Mia Edelstein editor
If you follow through on one New Year’s resolution, make it an easy one: Watch “One Day at a Time.” Just released this month, watching this Netflix original series is the perfect way to start off 2017.
The show, a reboot of Norman Lear’s 1970s sitcom by the same name, follows a matriarchal Cuban-American family in Los Angeles. Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) is an army medic-turned nurse, separated from her army vet husband. Machado is a dynamic actress, who can be both no-nonsense and tender
with her two kids, Elena (Isabelle Gomez) and Alex (Marcel Ruiz). And Rita Moreno, at age 85, playing Penelope’s 70-year-old immigrant mother Lydia, steals scenes with her old-fashioned advice, humor and sensuality. All of these characters live in the same apartment and have befriended Schneider, the privileged, recovering alcoholic building superintendent, who was named in homage to the original series, whose super was also named Schneider. “One Day at a Time” can easily steal your heart. It is funny and relatable. You feel how much each character wants to succeed in their own way, whether it’s Penelope’s desire to be recognized for all that she does for her family and her office or Lydia’s unrelenting push to convince Elena to have a quinceañera. What stands out most about the show is the community, which is convincing and compelling on screen. This family looks out for each other, and the viewer comes to care deeply about these characters because we see how important they are to each other. The series does not shy away from more serious topics. We find out that Penelope separated from Victor because he suffered from untreated mental illness after he left the army. There is also an episode dedicated to immigration and deportation.
15-year-old Elena’s best and most prominent is her militant, intersectional feminism. Sometimes, she seems like a caricature of an angry feminist, who must be cut off from ranting about the patriarchy, but thankfully, this doesn’t delegitimize her politics. These rants do not distract from her overall feminist character. One gets the feeling that the writers included these moments so that viewers could take a beat and laugh at the impassioned, stereotypical feminist. As frustrating as that is, this does not divert from Elena’s message or strong characterization, and renders her more identifiable to those of us who proudly spout feminist ideas. Frequently, Alex seems no different from a sports and video game obsessed middle-school boy, but at other times he shares sweet moments with the women of his family, is thoughtful, and showcases his vulnerabilities. The show did fall into a common trope with its coming out episode. Rather than focus on the gay character and center her narrative, most of the episode is about a straight character’s coming to terms with this announcement. It was a missed opportunity to raise up a lesbian voice. While it was exciting to have an outspoken lesbian on screen, it was disappointing to see the writers portray
a straight person’s difficulties as taking precedence over someone in the LGBT community, whether or not the writers explicitly intended to do this. Often, characters speak Spanish, and while there is generally enough context to know what is happening, the show doesn’t automatically add subtitles. This choice normalizes a language other than English on our screens. It forces non-Spanish speakers to do some work and invest themselves in the show and the characters’ Cuban heritage. This show is a far cry from radical, but it is still better than most of what we have on TV. Particularly now, with Trump in office and promoting policy that persecutes marginalized people, it is important to have pop culture that affirms these identities. Media is powerful. Thirteen 30-minute episodes are not much, but each time the characters support and positively represent issues such as immigration and depression, they make some impact. For the most part, scenes are set in the family room of the Alvarez apartment, but I never found myself wishing for more variety in setting because the storytelling that happens in this one room is fantastic. As of yet, there has been no word on season two, but as we get deeper into 2017, hopefully we will receive some good news.
photo from tvweeklynow.com
‘The Vigil’ conveys urgency for immigration law reform By Emma Kahn editor
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, filmmaker Jenny Alexander came to speak as a guest in Brandeis course, Documenting the Immigrant Experience, bringing particular focus to her film “The Vigil.” Along with the members of the class, students and faculty of other departments, such as Romance Studies and Latin American and Latino Studies, were invited to the presentation, as Alexander’s work links the faculties together. Her work “The Vigil” follows the plight of immigrant Mexican community members of Maricopa County, Arizona in the days surrounding the emergence of the controversial Senate Bill 1070, the toughest anti-immigration law in the country. The bill, in its initial terms, allowed enforcement officers to verify the immigration status of anyone suspected of being an illegal or undocumented immigrant, and required all immigrants to keep their papers constantly on hand. Alexander reveals the quotidian experience of Mexican immigrant communities and the unseen consequences that laws such as SB 1070 create, by following the protests largely through the point of view of a Mexican immigrant named Gina. The film opens in the early morning with unmediated footage of a woman unloading the Virgin Mary from the passenger seat of her car, an intimate moment in which she delicately extracts the supplies which will become the components of her altar. We then see a prayer underway, as a woman bows before the altar and
presents the Virgin Guadalupe with a modern prayer—that she protect those who are out driving and that she keep her loved ones from being detained. Each day, a number of dedicated protesters occupy yard space outside the Capitol grounds in the hopes of stopping SB 1070 from passing. The yard becomes a site for prayer, for food, for conversation and for the Mexican community in Maricopa County to support one another. Alexander’s filming style keeps the narrative simple and appeals to the humanity of these peaceful protesters, who go to great lengths to preserve their fundamental human rights and their dignity. “We are not criminals,” began one testimony. “But in that moment we were made to feel like criminals.” Footage of shouting protestors and children crying fill the view as one of the early protests ensued. Senate Bill 1070, while intended in large part to ameliorate the issue of illegal immigration, was expected by many to become a legal means of racial profiling by police. Gina had lived in the United States for twelve years when the footage of “The Vigil” was taken. “When you first come here,” said Gina, “you come with a dream to give your children a better life. They tell you you’ll earn money, that everything is easy and beautiful. But what they don’t tell you is what you must endure … They said you’d make money, you’d have a job, but they never said at what cost.” After arriving in the United States, Gina managed to create her own business, but she con-
tinues to live in fear without legal citizenship. Prior to SB 1070, Gina did not leave her house. “I only went to work and necessary things, like payments and my son’s school. But at night I would not go out.” The risks were simply too high, and she lived in constant fear of running into the wrong place at the wrong time. However, Gina had to step up when it came time to defend her family and community. “For me to go to the Vigil,” she said, “is something I can’t explain. How is it that I, with so much fear of the police, how did I end up where the police would also come?” Despite threats of arrest or deportation, Gina risked everything on behalf of her son and on behalf of all those in similar situations to herself. After three months of peaceful gathering and arranging community events in protest of the bill, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio threatened to round up and detain all protesters, sparking fear in those involved. “I decided to be here and fight,” said Gina, twirling Rosary beads in her hands. “I would be sacrificing the 12 years that I have been here … If the law goes into effect, I don’t know what will happen. What I do know is that I fought and I showed my son that he should fight and be a good citizen to fight for the rights of many people who don’t have the opportunity. I think that is a beautiful thing that he will have even if we lose. It will be an important lesson for him.” The film’s website sums up perfectly the individuals who Alexander captures on film: “Jenny is interested in films exploring the character of individuals who, de-
spite extreme hardship, choose to risk their lives to create systemic change not only for themselves, but for others.” Those strong and passionate activists we see in “The Vigil” could not be described any better. Words alone cannot do the film justice. One must experience firsthand the power of narrative
that Alexander conveys with her stark footage. As told by the website, “This is a story of those who are not considered American, making American history.” For those interested in an integral part of American society and contemporary issues in this country, look no further than Alexander’s film, “The Vigil.”
photo from filmmakerscollab.org
photo from socialjusticefilmfestival.org
16 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
January 27, 2017
Oleszko’s ‘Fool for Thought’ WSRC exhibit stuns with puns, anecdotes and underlying messages By Katie Decker-Jacoby editor
Performance artist Pat Oleszko, whose art is on display in the Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC), unraveled the absurdity of her work to a full house in the Kniznick Gallery on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Faced with a burning bra, boob costume, crocodile, polar bear, life-size cactus costume and more, gallery visitors immediately pulled out their cameras. Oleszko’s art is that mesmerizing. “Leading people happily astray,” is how Oleszko described her duty as an artist, in an interview. Oleszko effortlessly accomplished this task in her artwork, especially in “Fool for Thought,” which WSRC staff member Susan Metrican curated to perfection. Constructed with balloons and fabric, “Betty Boob” made for quite the bizarre spectacle at the main entrance of the gallery. Oleszko named this costume “Breast, St’oked!” and created it for an open water swim race at Coney Island. Oleszko really likes puns. She informed the audience about her frequent use of what she calls, “puntification,” in her artwork. For example, the inflatable “Womb with a View,” which unfortunately does not appear in the exhibition, portrays a gigantic, naked woman laying on her back with her legs sprawled apart. A human head pops out of the figure’s vagina. The short film “Recipe for Pasta Madonna” features cheery Oleszko in an outfit completely made out of different types of pasta. She cooks pasta, stuffs pasta into her mouth and holds a baby in front of a church, in the video. Oleszko draws upon her own personal experiences in her work as well. An alligator made of cardboard, fabric, a skateboard and a toy car occupies the gallery’s floor. Dubbed “Gator Raid,” this piece is based off of a six-foot alligator she found in Queens. She discovered the animal underneath a car, hence the toy car inside of the alligator’s mouth. While Oleszko sure knows how to make her viewers laugh and ponder, she also employs her sense of humor to make statements on political issues. “Hello Folly: The Floes & Cons of Arctic Drilling” comments on oil drilling in the Arctic. “O-Let’s-Go Chant,” an original poem, accompanied the scene on a placard.
photos by katie decker-jacoby/the hoot
“False informing / Media whoring / Facts ignoring / Global warming / QUIT DRAGGIN’” reads the first stanza. Oleszko effectively communicates the urgency of this conflict with her repetition of “QUIT DRAGGIN.” There are two parts to “Hello Folly”: The “Drilling Sergeant Platform” displays an oil rig labeled “Polar Wrecks-Plorer,” “The Cull of the Wilds” and “Oil, Oil, Toil & Trouble” on the three different sides of the sculpture. The pipes on the ground say “Hell No!” with the Shell gas logo and “Drill = Spill.” Plain black pieces of fabric, or oil, spill out of the pipes as well. The second part focuses on polar bears, or as Oleszko calls them, “Bi-Polar Bears.” One large bear sits on a platform, while other polar bears are draped over the wall behind. The polar bears look lost, vexed and angry. All the while, blue plastic bags lay underneath both segments, symbolizing water. Oleszko uses the plastic bags to communicate the harm they cause to the environment, as these types of bags are made from petroleum and in oil refineries.
By far one of the most amusing stories of the night was about the time Oleszko went to jail in the Vatican for five hours. She created a pope costume and props to interact with visitors, while also criticizing the pope. She called herself the “Nincompope,” meaning “little pope.” The Nincompope carried a golden water gun containing “holy water” that she squirted at pedestrians. Oleszko showed the audience footage of this public performance. She can be seen shooting holy water into her mouth and spitting it out with disgust. However, the Vatican did not appreciate her stunt and consequently detained her. The artist was ultimately released soon after, but this incident clearly demonstrated Oleszko’s pure courageousness. This entire episode ultimately stemmed from the mere truth that Oleszko disliked the pope and was willing to openly mock him in his own home. At the end of the day, Oleszko said that the fact that she ended up in the Vatican’s jail made the project a success. Oleszko also got kicked out of
the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade … three times. Sporting a conspicuous turkey costume, the third time around, Oleszko hid in the middle of crowds when the police searched for her. The police eventually found the performer and made sure she actually left the scene by escorting to the subway. Oleszko has actually been thrown out of plenty of events and arrested quite a number of times in her career. Playboy once threatened to sue her for visual slander when she dressed up as a Playboy bunny, just not in the conventional way. Instead of a licentious, seductive bombshell beauty, Oleszko appeared as an unsightly female rabbit in undergarments. Ironically though, Playboy later contacted her because they wanted to photograph her in the unappealing, taunting costume. As is evident in all of her work, Oleszko does not hold back. Frankly, throwing boundaries to the side is why Oleszko’s art has such a strong effect on her viewers. The packed room of more than 50 attendees most certainly admired Oleszko’s talent, as did the
rest of the world. Oleszko’s work has been showcased in the Museum of Modern Art, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has also received a Guggenheim fellowship, the Rome Prize fellowship, the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin residency as well as numerous other awards, grants and residencies. Pat Oleszko is, to say the least, a world traveler and artist. A question that most observers probably contemplate is how and when did Oleszko’s wild, imaginative, comical, critical eccentric persona arise? Oleszko started using her body as armature and the world as a stooge in college, when she realized she could use her six-foottall stature as pedestrian art. “I found these characters lurking in my body,” she said. Bold—the most fitting word to sum up both Oleszko’s persona and art. She is outright fearless in her craft. The performer walked into the room sporting an all-black outfit covered in what looked like stuffed hands. These hands adorned her coat, headdress and earrings. She undoubtedly captured the audience and remained the center of attention throughout the evening. This crowded room contained individuals from predominantly older generations. However, Oleszko’s art certainly has the ability to appeal to a younger audience. Her work can be vulgar, witty, hysterical and aesthetically pleasing among all the chaos. Without a doubt, Brandeis students, and community members in general, should journey to the Women’s Studies Research Center for a very unique artistic experience, on display through March 3. In short, Oleszko’s mantra is, “I am, therefore I art.” This motto aligns with the employment of her own body as walking art. Oleszko literally embodies art. However, Oleszko also embodies art in hopes of carrying and conveying deeper messages about the world. “We have a lot of work to do in the future,” Oleszko concluded her talk. “Show me what democracy looks like,” she howled. “This is what democracy looks like,” the audience shouted in response, a common cheer from last week’s Women’s March. Ultimately, Oleszko’s artwork not only has the capacity to provoke roaring laughter, but also has the power to embolden her viewers and the world around her.