Volume 14 Issue 7
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe” www.brandeishoot.com
March 24, 2017
Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.
Residence hall to be constructed during 2017-18 academic year By Elianna Spitzer editor
A residence hall to replace the Castle will have 164 beds and will cost approximately $38 million according to Jim Gray, vice president for Campus Operations. Four floors will be divided between two wings. “It’s nice that the building turns so that you don’t have a bowling alley effect,” Gray said. The first floor of one wing of the building will not contain student housing. Instead, a large common room will provide a space to house events, seating up to 100 people. A smaller studio space on this floor will be available for club use. “We imagine this would be an excellent additional practice space for a lot of student clubs like a cappella groups or dance clubs,” Gray said. The floor will also house a kitchen. Gray referred to the entirety of this space as the “upper commons.”
The residence hall will comply with standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, meaning that it will be wheelchair accessible, and an elevator will run between floors. Each room will either be a double or single. The administration will avoid putting triples in the space, according to Gray. “We’ve got a lot of great common space in this building,” Gray said. Each floor will have a common area or lounge. This can be said of almost every non-suitestyle residence hall on campus. However, the new residence hall will also include study spaces that are able to seat eight to 10 students. “I know there is a shortage of good study spaces on campus. The reason that we have so many in this residence hall is partly to begin to address what is, in the mind of many students, a very serious problem,” Gray said. See CASTLE, page 4
hall will have a glass walkway connecting two sides of the building. This is a rendering of the building from the Brown Terrace.
BLM Symposium brings Khalil Gibran Muhammad to campus
By Abigail Gardener editor
Harvard Kennedy School Prof. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Ph.D., gave the keynote speech about black criminality and systemic racism at the Black Lives Matter: Local Movements, Global Futures symposium on Thursday, March 23. Hosted by the Department of African and Afro-American Studies, the symposium is a two-day
event composed of student-led teach-ins, panels, forums, presentations and keynote speeches. The symposium will continue into Friday. “The panel, teach-ins and presentations are all initiated by fellow Brandeis students and reflects their commitment to engaged scholarship and translating theories of racial justice into practice,” according to an informational email sent by the Symposium Planning Committee. “This symposium fully engages with the local, national, and glob-
black literatures of love and struggle Critical
correspondence
Inside This Issue:
EDITORIAL: Grad. union should pass
al significance of the Black Lives Matter Movement, putting in conversation scholars, activists, and artists and paying attention to the particular contributions and concerns of queer, trans, and women of color in the global movement for Black lives,” the email continued. Muhammad, who teaches history, race and public policy, was Thursday’s keynote speaker. He centered his address around Ida See SYMPOSIUM, page 3
photo courtesy diana filar
Race Theory class provides dramatic readings of intimate black
News: Non-tenure faculty bargain with univ. Ops: Obamacare replacement is ineffective Arts: ‘Vagina Monologues’ has large turnout Features: Thoughts on off-campus housing
photo from brandeis.edu
new residence hall The
‘Blkswn’
Page 4 Page 13 Smino’s debut album released last week Page 11 Page 5 Page 7 ARTS: PAGE 11
Graduate student workers to petition for union By Ryan Spencer staff
Graduate student workers, specifically teaching fellows, lab assistants and adjunct professors on campus, are in the closing stages of forming a labor union. The workers plan to hold union elections by the end of the semester after filing with the National Labor Relations Board, according to members of the union’s organizing committee. The graduate student workers hope that forming a union will allow them to collectively bargain with the university for both department-specific changes and blanket benefits for all graduate workers. Some of the main goals of forming a union are to improve transparency of administrative decision making, add dental and vision to employee health plans, improve career services available to graduate students and get better subsidization for commuting to and from campus. Diana Filar, a member of the union’s organizing committee, said that commuting to campus
via the commuter rail costs her approximately $13 a day and that the student commuter rail pass is worthless, if not more expensive, since the pass does not account for periods of time in December and May when students are not commuting due to seasonal breaks. The pass, which commits students to a four-month duration from October to January or February to May, provides an 11 percent discount, according to the Brandeis website. This year, Brandeis was not in session from December 20 until January 17, and the final day of exams in the spring is May 12, meaning graduate students would likely not be commuting during these periods of time through which the four-month-long commuter rail pass runs. Long hours working in labs, including working on weekends and holidays, is also a concern that union organizers hope a union would help them negotiate. There is “a very palpable sense of fear” among students that professors, who control many aspects
Women’s Tennis Strong season start with 8-1 record SPORTS: PAGE 15
See UNION, page 2
NEWS
2 The Brandeis Hoot
March 24, 2017
Unionization efforts take shape at Brandeis after National Labor Relations Board reverses ruling UNION, from page 1
of their student workers’ lives, might retaliate against students who voice problems, especially in science departments, according to Anna Henkin, a member of the union’s organizing committee who works in labs on campus. Henkin hopes that through forming a union and negotiating with the university, a procedure for anonymously reporting grievances can be set up so that problems can be heard without directly confronting the professors who have control over students’ grades and work schedules. The union contract, if formed, would have the ability to create
sub-clauses specific to particular departments. Four graduate workers, all but one of whom were on the union’s organizing committee, expressed dissatisfaction with career services in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) in interviews with The Brandeis Hoot. The graduate workers noted that while the Hiatt Career Center, which provides career services to undergraduates, has 16 staff members, GSAS has one individual in charge of career counseling, according to the Brandeis website. The Brandeis administration has been supportive and open with the graduate student workers’ efforts to form a union, ac-
Jacob Edelman ‘18 elected president of the Student Union By Chengcheng Xiang special to the hoot
Jacob Edelman ’18 will serve as president of the Student Union for the 2017-2018 academic year. Having served as the director of Academic Involvement and Communications on the Student Union Executive Board since last year, Edelman feels he is well suited for the job. “Something that served me well was not being on the Union for so long that I became completely entrenched to the way they do their business, but being [on the Union] long enough to see what one individual or a team could really do,” he said. Speaking about what led to his successful campaign, Edelman believed it was a combination of things. “It was valuable to gather a great team of people to help me,” he said. “They were there to counsel me, offer me advice and correct me when I did something wrong and I listened to them. Listening is important.” During the election week, “we tried to put ourselves out there, be transparent and upfront about things,” he said. Edelman has done research on his proposals, one of which is to increase access to health services on campus. He intends to make the health
center available for students on weekends during his presidency. “A leader doesn’t get things done themselves. They get things done with the help of others,” Edelman said. He already has a full agenda before his inauguration: to appoint the chief diversity officer for the Student Union and a number of other members of the E-board. Ending free student labor including research jobs and admission jobs on campus is also one of his priorities. “If you need that research job to get to a graduate program to help your career, it should be paid,” Edelman said. “You shouldn’t have to choose between working a job that will advance yourself at Brandeis versus one that will hold you back, but gives you the resources you need in order to get through.” Making himself accessible to every individual at Brandeis is a priority for Edelman. He plans to start open office hours. “Students can come in and talk about to me their clubs, their complaints and their compliments,” he said. “The most important role as the president is being there for other members of the team, being there for Brandeis when an individual or a group needs assistance or an advocate,” he said. Edelman is certain about his dedication.
photo courtesy jacob edelman
cording to Filar. The organizing committee is close to having 30 percent of the eligible graduate workers sign union authorization cards, which demonstrate an individual’s support for the formation of a union but not necessarily an intention to join the union, according to several of the committee’s members. Graduate students obtained the right to unionize in August of 2016 when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) overturned a previous ruling that stated that graduate student workers were students before they were employees and were therefore not entitled to unionize. Columbia University became
the first private university to create a union after the NLRB’s decision. Boston-area schools such as Harvard University, Boston College and Tufts University have had mixed results in the unionization process so far. NLRB hearings, which would determine the fate of a close election, ended on Friday, March 17, and a final decision is not expected until next month, according to an article in The Harvard Crimson. Harvard’s vote for the formation of the union ended with 1,456 ballots opposing unionization and 1,272 supported unionization, but due to questions of
voting eligibility, 313 votes have been contested, and the NLRB’s conclusion on the issue remains to be seen. Boston College has petitioned the NLRB after 30 percent of the eligible student employees signed union authorization cards, according to the Boston College Graduate Union website. Tufts also has students working toward unionization. With the Trump administration’s decision to appoint two members to vacancies in the NLRB, several members of the union’s organizing committee are fearful of another overturn of graduate student workers’ right to unionize.
Election results for president, vice president, secretary
March 24, 2017
NEWS 3
The Brandeis Hoot
Black Lives Matter Symposium translates theories of racial justice into practice
SYMPOSIUM, from page 1
B. Wells, whom he called “the first anti-racist activist of the post-Bellum period.” Referencing Wells, Muhammad said that the foundation of his address is that “we’ve been here before. The basic idea of Black Lives Matter is an old idea,” he said. “If we’re concerned about the role of criminalization as perhaps the most salient feature of the modern American experience of racism and dehumanization, Ida was there first.” Muhammad moved through the different sociological opinions on the persistence of racism within American culture. Throughout his analysis, he often returned to Wells. “In many ways, like Black Lives Matter,
Wells was anti-respectable. She was queer in her organizing. She was a womanist in her politics and her critique of white feminism. And she was anti-racist in her attempt to expose sexual violence perpetrated against black women,” he said. “It seems that that foundation that Ida B. Wells gave us, the capacity to see through a queer lense, the work that was required to transform and make possible the full vision of black life in America, met so much of the same resistance that we witness today.” Muhammad remarked that ideas of respectability and responsibility have been pervasive when addressing systemic racism. Black progressives in the 1900s conceded that it is the responsibility of the black community to solve
problems of drugs and violence. In that same vein, members of the white community would address structural racism. This denied the racism that allowed for drugs and violence to remain constant in communities. “What most explains the punitive turn in black America is not a repudiation of civil rights activism, but an embrace of it. African Americans have always viewed the protection of black lives … as a civil rights issue, whether the threat comes from police officers, or street criminals. Far from ignoring the issue of crime by blacks against other blacks, African-American officials and their constituents have been consumed by it, and certainly the history we have walked in today can certainly attest to that.” The discussion also centered on
Election results for treasurer, Board of Trustees, undergraduate curriculum
the usefulness of crime statistics. They have been used since the early 1900s to show both racist and anti-racist ideas, according to Muhammad. At the end of the presentation, he displayed a piece of a speech from FBI director James Comey. Comey called for more accurate data to understand the crime rate and number of police shootings. “If you think about the fact that in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement challenge, on the systemic nature of state violence, the recognition … that there is no national administrative data on police killings, whether justified or not, whether the suspect is armed or unarmed, and that the very fact of what we know today comes from newspapers, from the Washington Post and The Guardian just like The
Hannah Brown ‘19 elected vice president of the Student Union By Chengcheng Xiang special to the hoot
Hannah Brown ’19 will serve as the vice president of the Student Union for 2017-2018 academic year. She served as a senator for North Quad during her freshman year, and as the Class of 2019 senator and the executive senator helping the vice president this year. Her past experiences have benefited her. She has also served as the chair for dining services and a global fellow, which helped her better understand the needs of students. “I really have tried to prioritize and find effective ways to fix things. I like to do things rather than talk,” Brown said. She is active among campus committees and likes to make an impact. “I really make an effort to know people across campus, and I am genuinely concerned about making Brandeis better,” she said. This was one of the things that helped her during the campaign, according to Brown. Brown worked hard to do research for her campaign. “I talked to people across campus to hear their complaints. And I have been
graphics by elianna spitzer/the hoot
Chicago Tribune kept track of lynchings … We have not moved nearly as much as … we think we have moved.” Muhammad ended his speech with a quote from James Baldwin. “This is the crime of which I accuse my country and my countrymen, and for which neither I nor time nor history will ever forgive them; that they have destroyed and are destroying hundreds and thousands of lives, and do not know it, and do not want to know it. One can be, indeed one must strive to become, tough and philosophical concerning destruction and death, for this is what most of mankind has been best at since we have heard of man … But it is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime.”
fortunate enough to talk to administrators and hear their problems,” she said. One of her proposals is to implement an Office of Student Rights Advocacy, which would serve as a resource to help students overcome obstacles, including their academics and external as well as internal problems. “It is an office that provides students with resources. I think it will be nice for people who have a problem and don’t know where to go, they can just go to this one office so that office can either help you themselves or point you to a direction,” she said. She also is dedicated to housing affordability and campus sustainability. Brown is also planning on being a resource not only for students, but for the Union Senate and committees as well. “I think as vice president, I will really make an effort to be there for the Senate and work with the committees. I will try to be there as a resource,” she said. “I am always accessible. I am really happy for everybody to come up and talk to me,” Brown said. She believes having specific measurable and achievable goals will be a good way to start her term.
photo courtesy hannah brown
4 NEWS
The Brandeis Hoot
IN THE SENATE: Mar. 19, 2017 •
Club Recognition • Brandeis Fencing Club • As of now, the only fencing that exists on campus is a physical education class and the varsity team. • A coach from the Boston Fencing Club agreed to coach the team once the club can pay him. In the meantime, they would like to hold practices twice a week, whether they have a coach or not. • The Senate voted unanimously to recognize • Veg Club • The club strives to improve animal welfare and provide a supportive community for vegans and vegetarians, focusing on personal health, the environment, factories, farms and animals. • The Senate voted unanimously to recognize • Club Chartering • Brandeis Chak De! • The club wants to celebrate its culture and share its love of dance, specifically Indian fusion dance, which is Bollywood dance mixed with other forms of dance. • The club has not been participating in the national chak de network as much because they do not have money to go anywhere. • The Senate voted unanimously to charter • Executive Officer Reports • President-Elect Jacob Edelman ’18 • He will hold transition office hours, emailed to the student body soon. • President David Herbstritt ’17 • The proposed constitutional amendment to add a position for an international senator surpassed the 2/3 margin it needed to pass. • Committee Chair Reports • Campus Operations Working Group • The committee met with Student Sexuality Information Services, which has agreed to distribute menstrual products in their office. • Dining Committee • The Veg Club and Dining Committee put out a survey asking people what vegetarian options they want to see for meatless Mondays in the dining halls. • Sustainability Committee • The committee met with President Liebowitz. He said that he is stretched thin because of a financial crisis. He did say that he is interested in hiring more climate and environmental professors. - Katie Decker-Jacoby
March 24, 2017
Faculty Forward continues collective bargaining By Abigail Gardener editor
Brandeis Faculty Forward, Brandeis’ non-tenure track faculty organizing committee that is part of a nationwide campaign, has made advances in bargaining with the administration since their formation in December 2015 and their opening presentation to administration in late May. Brandeis Faculty Forward, which is part of SEIU 509 (the Service Employees International Union, Local 509), includes both adjunct faculty and part-time faculty at Brandeis. Adjunct faculty are hired on a course-by-course basis, while part-time faculty are hired on one-year or multi-year contracts on a less-than-full-time basis, according to Nina Kammerer, a senior lecturer in the Ph.D. program at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Both groups have united because they feel they receive fewer benefits than their full-time colleagues and therefore feel they are unable to provide optimal learning conditions for students, according to the bargaining goals listed on Brandeis Faculty Forward’s website. Kammerer elaborated on what they hope to accomplish. “Our principles include commitment to Brandeis’s mission of academic excellence and social justice, and our goals include equitable compensation, increased job security, increased benefits, support for professional development, greater inclusion and greater transparency,” Kammerer said in an email to The Brandeis Hoot. Since Brandeis Faculty Forward’s opening presentation last
May, in which the newly formed union presented their principles and goals to the administration, many bargaining sessions have been held. “We have had many bargaining sessions since then, both during the summer and this semester. Negotiations are ongoing,” Kammerer said. At these bargaining sessions, there is much representation from administration, including Provost Lisa Lynch, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren and representatives from Heller and the International Business School (IBS), among others, according to Kammerer. “I can say that I greatly appreciate the amplitude of the administration’s presence at the bargaining table. To me it signals a commitment on the administration’s part to ensure that the bargaining includes the perspectives of all our constituent schools,” she said. The most recent bargaining session was on Tuesday, March 21, in which the challenging topic of compensation was discussed. One of Brandeis Faculty Forward’s goals is to attain compensation that is equal to that of their fulltime colleagues. However, “in the area of compensation, things are moving more slowly. We are encountering predictable resistance to raising salaries and providing guaranteed yearly cost-of-living increases,” said Amy Todd ’04, an adjunct faculty member in Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) at the Rabb School. Todd is an online faculty member, meaning she and other online GPS faculty are not physically present on campus. This leaves them particularly vulnerable to exploitation, she said. For example, included in the compensation
negotiations, the administration proposed a separate and lower pay scale for online faculty, giving the reasoning that online faculty do not put in as many hours as on-campus faculty do, Todd said. “We teach online not to cut corners but to provide our students greater flexibility through ‘asynchronous’ (round-the-clock) delivery of course content. Their proposal abandons this principle and compromises the ability of GPS to recruit and retain high-quality faculty,” she said. Brandeis Faculty Forward is the first SEIU union in the Boston area to include online faculty in negotiations. “We hope what we are doing here will provide a model for organizing online faculty on other campuses in the future,” Todd said in an email to The Hoot. Most negotiations have been productive and successful, according to Kammerer. “I know I am pleased with advances made, including tentative agreement on the establishment of an annual $25,000 professional development fund, a system of performance evaluation, a pathway for adjuncts to multi-year appointments, increased access to benefits and lump sum payments in the event of course cancellation,” she said in an email to The Hoot. Although these agreements are tentative until the whole contract has been agreed upon by both sides, Kammerer is optimistic. “The contract will be voted upon and, I am confident, ratified by faculty within the Brandeis Faculty Forward union unit,” she said. “We are only asking Brandeis to enact its stated social justice values, values we share.”
New residence hall to increase number of beds and provide common space for events CASTLE, from page 1
The new building will incorporate sustainability features present elsewhere on campus. Solar panels on the roof will provide small carbon offsets and assist with peak campus demand management, according to Gray. This will be the first building on campus to introduce a geothermal system for heating and cooling. Thirty to 40 wells will create a circuit that uses underground temperature to heat the building in the winter and cool it in the summer. Other buildings on campus use either steam or electrical heat, according to the housing section in the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. The geothermal system will be a “highly sustainable feature,” according to Gray. The main architect team of the hall is William Rawn Associates. Leggat McCall Properties, Shawmut Design and Construction and Brandeis Campus Operations and Campus Planning teams will assist with other elements of the project. Demolition of the Castle will not begin until late May, after finals. Towers A and B, as promised by the university, will remain standing. However, due to its free-standing nature, the interior of Tower B must be renovated.
Specifically, changes will be made to Chum’s Coffeehouse to ensure that it is compliant with modern building codes. Renovations will take place over the summer so that Chum’s can reopen for the 2017-2018 school year. Construction will occur throughout the 2017-2018 school
interior of first floor The
the building.
year. Residents of East may be affected. “It’s going to be, at times, a little bit noisy and disruptive probably, mostly for people in East,” Gray said. The new residence hall will include about 60 beds more than the Castle. When examining the project last year, the university con-
cluded that renovating the Castle would cost more than replacing it. They also determined that renovations to the Castle would decrease the amount of beds available rather than increase it. “We have an exciting new residence hall plan, which I think represents an excellent step for-
ward in housing Brandeis students,” Gray said. The project will be financed through bonds as a donor has not stepped forward to assist in the project. For this reason, the hall remains unnamed. The new residence hall plans to open for the Fall 2019 semester.
photo from brandeis.edu
first floor will have doubles and singles on one side and a large event space on the other. The floor will also house the laundry room for
March 24, 2017
By Charlotte Aaron
FEATURES
The Brandeis Hoot 5
Fresh out of the Kutz Bakery
editor
While 3:30 a.m. is the end of a long night of studying for many students, it is the beginning of the workday for Lead Baker Steve Mulready of the Kutz Bakery. Throughout the day, he and his team bake enough bread, pastries and desserts to supply both dining halls, Louis’ Deli, the C-Store, the on-campus cafes such as Starbucks and Peet’s, as well as any catering orders the bakery receives. Mondays through Thursdays, Mulready arrives on campus no later than 4:30 a.m., and on Fridays he arrives at 3:30 a.m. to start working. Throughout the morning, his workers arrive in shifts to jump in and help. “We have to [start early] because of the breakfast stuff that goes out. We are baking stuff fresh every morning,” Mulready explained. By 6 a.m., all breakfast items are completed and loaded onto the bakery truck for the breakfast delivery around campus. “We just kind of run through the day,” Mulready said. As soon as the breakfast food is delivered at 6 a.m., the team of three bakers are on to lunch, preparing all the breads, muffins and desserts needed. “By 10, we try to get out the door with lunch stuff.” On average, the bakery produces 600-700 units of each specialty dessert, such as cupcakes and sheet cakes. The bakery sends out about 1,000 of the little cookies each day, which arrive in pucks of dough from Spunkmeyer, a baked goods company. Hand scooping dough for all the little cookies would be too labor intensive, Mulready explained. Only his specialty cookies are made and scooped entirely
in house. For example, the vegan cookies are from a recipe developed by Mulready himself over the summer. “That was just something I kind of started playing with in the summertime when I had time just mixing stuff,” he said. “When they said let’s do vegan, I said we can do it, but let’s really do it!” Mulready exclaimed. Unlike an average at-home baker, Mulready researches all the ingredients he puts into the food. “We use sugar in the raw [in our vegan cookies]. Real sugar is actually made and processed with bones of animals … if you’re a true vegan, you have to buy a certain sugar.” Just as he ensured every ingredient in the vegan cookies was truly void of any animal product, he puts the same level attention to detail in everything he makes. “Craisins. Those things are processed with sunflower oil. So if you’re allergic to sunflower oil, you could eat one of those” and not suspect anything ahead of time. We really put a lot of attention into the different food categories, Mulready said. Since starting at Brandeis three years ago, learning what it means to run a Kosher pareve kitchen has been an important part of Mulready’s job. Much of this has meant learning what to look for when purchasing food products, he explained. “Rabbi helps me a lot.” One unique aspect of the kosher kitchen is that it has no dairy— the definition of pareve. This is an unusual set up for a baker who uses ingredients such as butter and milk every day. To ensure his kosher kitchen is producing the best food possible, Mulready has become innovative. Recently, he baked a pumpkin cheesecake using a tofu substitute instead. “It
tastes just like a cheesecake,” he said, explaining that most people could not even tell he hadn’t used dairy. Rather, he turned tofu into a cream form and added confectioners sugar to replicate cream cheese. During a tour of the kitchen, Mulready pointed out that every item used in the kosher kitchen is labeled with a blue indicator mark. If a baker plans to take any of the kosher dishes out of the kosher kitchen, the baker wraps the dishes in plastic to ensure there is no cross-contamination. The small oven in the pareve bakery is Mulready’s biggest challenge. Supplying home-made challah every week for Shabbat, Mulready bakes about 35 loaves for around 180 people. However, unlike the oven in the non-Kosher bakery, he can only fit 12 challas in at a time, making timing key in the challah-making process. “If you stay ahead of it, you’re fine,” he said. Amanda McCaffrey, a baker who joined the team about a month and a half ago, said she is always surprised by the amount of food they are able to make in a day. “It’s a lot of fun!” she said. “It’s nice to work with a boss that cares.” According to McCaffrey, Mulready is hands on in the kitchen and will work right next to her, preparing food and getting everything ready to send out. “I get right in with them. I’m not a sit-down guy. I [have to] move,” Mulready said. Baking since his first culinary class in high school, he has not lost his love of the trade. “I … just got hooked on it!” While Mulready’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all firemen, Mulready can’t help but bring the heat in the kitchen with his passion for baking every day at Brandeis.
granola is put on pans to be baked
mccaffrey pours syrup into oats for granola
in the oven
photos by daniel kang/ the brandeis hoot
Upperclass students respond to housing lottery error By Zach Cihlar editor
On the evening of Wednesday, March 15, the nervous anticipation of housing selection quickly turned to confusion with one email. The Department of Community Living (DCL), after a series of “inquiries” about housing selection numbers, informed students that they would “re-run” the lottery the following day. In the email, DCL cited a coding error in the automated system that produced the random lottery numbers. The error caused the system to separate rising juniors
ridgewood
and rising seniors into two different groups, with rising seniors receiving the preferred numbers. The system would have prioritized “all seniors over all juniors,” the email stated. The challenge of the lottery, Tim Touchette, assistant dean of Student Affairs, stated in a second email from DCL that was sent on Thursday, March 16, is that it is meant to treat rising juniors and rising seniors with parity, while simultaneously running a lottery exclusively for rising sophomores. The external coding system failed to mix the lottery sequence for upperclassmen, and created three
photo from brandeis.edu
separate lottery sequences, one for each class. Touchette and the rest of DCL were unaware of the error until they began receiving “complaints” from students who understood that the lottery prioritized rising seniors. DCL’s solution to the error intended to keep the integrity of the first lottery sequence, but mix the rising junior lottery and the rising senior lottery, “such that senior and juniors alternate throughout all numbers,” the email said. “The redistributed numbers maintained the fairness of the initial order within each class and removed the weighting, therefore equally distributing numbers among juniors and seniors,” Sheryl Sousa, vice president of Student Affairs, said. Sousa oversees the offices that focus on “student life outside the classroom,” which include DCL. DCL assured students that the office was not seeking to change the process of housing selection, and the separated distribution of rising junior numbers and rising senior numbers was a mere coding error. The office apologized for the delay in addressing the issue. “We should have caught this when we shared the manual, and again when we distributed numbers, but we didn’t,” the email from
Touchette said. After the initial confusion, many students expressed their anger toward the error, but maintained that they believed DCL’s solution was fair. “It’s fair because juniors would have gotten no housing,” Eeshani Nagarkar ’19 pointed out of the new housing sequence. Nagarkar got a good number in the rising junior pool in the first lottery sequence, but since she was a junior, she still would have had trouble finding on-campus housing. With the lottery re-run, it was “good that [DCL] fixed that,” so that now she has a good chance of obtaining the housing of her choice. Remi Miller ’19, on the other hand, argued that people who got good numbers in both sequences may have initially thought their number was good enough for their preferred housing, but the new sequence may have pushed them outside the range that would allow them to choose their desired housing. The solution, however, seemed fair for the circumstances, Miller said. The rising junior expressed dissatisfaction that the error occurred in the first place. Haley Cohen ’18, on the other hand, is a rising senior whose number rose significantly from the first sequence to the second. Initially, her first number would
have secured her a choice in housing, but her options became limited when the rising juniors were incorporated into the new lottery system. She recalled that she was upset that the new system restricted her housing options, especially since she had been elated when she found out her first lottery number on Wednesday. However, Cohen said she understood the need for the redistribution. Gianna Petrillo ’19 thought DCL handled the error well, and found the only solution that would ensure fairness from the first lottery to the second. Petrillo received poor numbers in both housing lotteries. DCL entertained a “variety of options including completely re-running all of the numbers,” Touchette’s March 16 email stated. Ultimately, the office decided on alternating the rising juniors and rising seniors. Touchette and DCL took full responsibility, expressing their regrets in both the emails sent on March 15 and 16. “Please know that Community Living is made up of individuals who care about each student and that we as a department are committed to helping all students through the process,” the office reminded its students in one of the two mass emails.
6 FEATURES
The Brandeis Hoot
March 24, 2017
What to know about living off campus Debate on and off campus
By Polina Potochevska editor
With housing numbers recently released, many students may be considering living off-campus next year. Rachel Gifeisman ’19 has been living off campus for a full year in a house on South Street about a block away from campus with four other members of the debate team, Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society. Gifeisman found the space through students on the debate team, which she is a part of, since members of the team have occupied that house for a few years, and “we just replace the people [who live there] year by year.” While some of the people she lives with have a car, Gifeisman does not and often walks to campus. She also has a job on campus in a lab and babysits off campus occasionally.
Some of her reasoning for living off campus include that it’s “a lot cheaper,” and you don’t always have a roommate like you would in dorms, which Gifeisman said felt like “rat cages.” She said she liked that you can control your space a lot more effectively, and choose exactly who you want to live with without the fear of having someone thrown into your living arrangements with you unexpectedly. More pros include that for her, studying and doing work is easier off-campus as opposed to in a dorm room, because she feels more at home. Gifeisman enjoys being able to have a TV and cook in a real kitchen. “There are no boundaries,” within reasonable limits, as opposed to in a dorm where the Community Advisor or Area Coordinator are on watch, and it’s also “easier to kick people out of the house!” Some negative aspects of living
off campus for Gifeisman are that she doesn’t have free laundry in her building. She also pointed out that South Street last year faced some problems with safety, so that is something to take into consideration. However, living off campus does feel more independent than a dorm, and it prepares you in a personal sense for living like an adult. Gifeisman said she learned a better sense of scheduling, because you have to drive yourself to do work on time, and plan shopping trips to the grocery store. Gifeisman’s advice to those hoping to live off-campus next year is that almost “anything you find off-campus will be cheaper [than living on campus],” but don’t disregard easy-to-ignore living costs like groceries and Internet. She also said to be careful about landlords and do research on the living space, since many “cycle through college students.”
photo courtesy rachel gifeisman
Also, distance shouldn’t always be sacrificed for price, because the further away you live, you might be less likely to attend all of your classes, as Gifeisman said based on the experience of someone she knows who lives close to Hannaford. Lastly, try to find a house with free laundry.
Living off campus isn’t for everyone, but for some, it is a great opportunity to experience living independently with more responsibilities than you would experience living on campus in a dorm. If that interests you, try to get in contact with a landlord or a friend currently living off campus soon.
Pros and cons of independent living By Polina Potochevska editor
Since her junior year at Brandeis, Emma Jannsen ’17 has been living off campus in a house on South Street with three of her close friends. When she was a sophomore, one of her friends, who was a senior at the time, was looking for people to take her spot at the house, and Jannsen and her friends decided to move in. Before moving, Jannsen had to convince her mom that living in the house, including utilities and buying food, would be less expensive than paying for Brandeis housing, a single fee that accounts for utilities. After doing her research, she discovered that if she didn’t have a meal plan, living off campus would be better for her financially. She does not have a meal plan, and instead, “I make
my own food, or use [friends’] guest swipes if I’m eating on campus,” she explained. Although Jannsen does have a car, which “makes things easier” in terms of getting to and from campus, her roommate who does not have a car either gets rides from others or walks without any issues. She says that it is “feasible to live off campus without a car” if you choose to rent in the immediate area, since there are other forms of transportation, including the BranVan, the Waltham shuttle or walking if the weather is clear. Jannsen knows of someone who lives off campus on Moody Street without a car who is able to get to campus whenever it is needed. One of the reasons that Jannsen enjoys living off campus is the sense of independence that comes with it. She said that she feels like she will be “more prepared after graduation” because she will be
familiar with paying rent and paying for her own groceries. While her parents help with the rent, she also works an off-campus job to help pay for groceries and other expenses. She mentioned that her house has a washing and drying machine in the basement, so it was not difficult for her to transition to living in a house instead of a dorm. Another pro to living off campus is that “you get to decorate your own room however you want.” Jannsen has a queen-sized bed in her room instead of an XL twin and says that being able to decorate the room makes it feel much more like home than a dorm room does. However, there are some cons, too, that students should take into account when figuring out their living situation for the following year. Jannsen mentioned that some might feel like living off
campus and away from the “immediate social life” and action on campus is isolating, but because she lives with her closest friends, it is not a large issue for her. Also, Jannsen and her roommates have had to deal with some pretty unique problems on their own, without the help of Facilities. “We had a bat in our house and all had to get the rabies shot,” she mentioned, as an example. Although their landlord’s nephew can assist with some issues, the lack of Facilities becomes very clear on snow days, when Jannsen and her friends cannot leave the house without shoveling to get food, for instance, because of the snow. Despite this, Jannsen said that “these are issues you have to deal with in the real world,” and that it’s good to have practice dealing with these problems like an independent adult would be-
fore actually entering the “real world.” Jannsen also gave some advice to rising sophomores, juniors or seniors who want to live off campus. She said the first step is to ask people you know who currently live off campus and “see if the landlords have other properties,” since that is a common practice. If you can, set up a meeting with the landlords and see the space to check that it fits your needs. Also, she said that it is helpful to “get your parents involved” for help with paying rent and other financial topics, since they most likely have years of experience. Two other important pieces of advice are to carefully look over the renter’s agreement so you know exactly what you are paying for and creating a budget to keep on track with your expenses, especially if it is your first time living independently.
UTC restructures for coming school year By Leah Samantha Chanen staff
The way undergraduate theater has worked at Brandeis up until this year will be restructured in the fall of 2017. In the past, the Undergraduate Theater Collective (UTC) was made up of six different theater groups, but next semester, those groups will be dismantled. Because of the large number of theater groups, they have always competed for space and resources, as well as actors and tech theater workers. Part of the reason for this change is to hopefully end some of this conflict. A top priority in the restructuring has been “preserving the goals and values of each individual group,” according to Gabby Lamm ’17, a current UTC coordinator. They have designed the new collective to “reflect what the student body is looking for at that time,” according to next year’s UTC president Tres Fimmano ’18. When the combining of the undergraduate theater groups
was first proposed, “many members of the UTC were concerned about potentially losing the identities of the individual clubs” as well as their positions on UTC sub-groups’ E-boards, according to Lamm. Taking those concerns into account, “the club leaders and members have worked together to channel those concerns and address them alongside the other improvements we were already working to make,” Lamm continued. Starting next year, the UTC will have one large E-board composed of 14 positions, with certain coordinator positions representing the interests of former UTC groups. These roles will ensure that those values are upheld in the coming years. For example, there is a Hillel coordinator on the proposals board to ensure that there is always a production every semester that fits the standards of the old Hillel Theater Group. There is a musical coordinator and straight play coordinator who will ensure there are productions for Tympanium Euphorium and Brandeis Players, respectively. There are also some
positions specifically reserved for first-year students to ensure that the new group is welcoming to newcomers and with the hope that the UTC will be open to a variety of voices and people serving on the E-board, according to Lamm and Fimmano. They also aim to serve the entirety of the student body that wants to be involved in undergraduate theater. Lamm and Fimmano have dedicated this year to ensuring that the new UTC will be a reflection of what independent theatre clubs have been in the past. They hope to ensure that the values and aims of each club are properly reflected in the constitution. Fimmano’s primary goal for the coming year is to make the changes effective and easy so that nothing is a burden. “Ultimately, I’d like to see that by the end of next year we can see that we’ve improved the UTC for the long term by laying this groundwork,” said Fimmano. However, this structure needs at least 14 dedicated people to fulfill those E-board positions to run the new commission in addition to any non-elected mem-
bers of the UTC to help it run as efficiently as possible. “Every year, new people show up with a new level of excitement and enthusiasm, and it’s great watching those people end up in E-board positions that allow them to channel that excitement to building the UTC,” Fimmano said.
utc coordinator gabby lamm
“One of the reasons I have faith that the UTC will continue to thrive after I graduate is because I know they will always have people who care about the club, about undergraduate theater and about the amazing opportunities that the UTC provides for Brandeis in general,” Lamm said.
photo by charlotte aaron/ the brandeis hoot
EDITORIALS
March 24, 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 Polina Potochevska 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
Volume 14 • Issue 7 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma
STAFF
Faria Afreen, David Aizenberg, Emily Altkorn, Jordan Brodie, Ryan Bunis, José Castellanos, Elizabeth Cayouette-Gluckman, Anindita Chanda, Leah Samantha Chanen, Brianna Cummings, Shea Decker-Jacoby, Gabriel del Carmen, Sanin Dosa, Jacob Edelman, Daniel Freedman, Ally Gelber, Ari Givner, Max Gould, Emma Gutman, Noah Harper, Sophia He, Daniel Kang, Jonah Koslofsky, Samantha Lauring, Santiago Montoya, Katharine Mound, 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.
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G
The Brandeis Hoot 7
Graduate student worker union a necessary protection
raduate student workers are an integral component of our university community. They are our teaching assistants, and they do the difficult and not always glamorous work in research labs. They serve a dual role as students and workers, with the pay from their work being integral to being able to continue their studies. Their status as student workers is precarious because they are not currently unionized, although they are currently in the process of establishing a union. The Brandeis Hoot supports the proposed graduate student workers union. Graduate students are at Brandeis to pursue an advanced degree because they have an academic passion, and they take on work at the university to enable their studies. They need the money from their work to afford life expenses while earning their degree, and they need consistency and to be fairly certain of their income in order to budget their life expenses appropriately. This creates a difficult balance between their roles as students and as employees. To this end, they need advocacy to protect their rights and demand just compensation, and it can be very
difficult to perform this kind of advocacy as an individual, especially an individual working a significant amount of time while also engaged in full-time or near-full-time study. A labor union would be very beneficial to the graduate student community in this regard. Institutions overpower individuals. The institution that graduate student workers must work with, and sometimes against, is the university. Graduate students have more than their fair share of grievances against the university, but they attest to feeling afraid to address these with their direct employers for fear of retaliation, such as from professors. As individuals, whose livelihood depends on campus jobs and whose future depends on their degrees, they are vulnerable in the face of a university. But as part of a union, their own institution, graduate student workers can finally advocate for themselves effectively. More than strength in numbers, unions offer institutional structures thanks to their advocacy staff, resources and national networks, systems of support and power unavailable to a lone worker. Specifically, graduate students explain needing an anon-
ymous way to report grievances, because their unique position as students and workers opens them to academic retaliation for speaking about grievances regarding working conditions. Brandeis University has a strong tradition of employing unionized workers. Non-student Sodexo workers and librarians are unionized in order to defend their rights and benefits as employees, and Brandeis ought to allow graduate students to acquire the same protections. Moreso, Brandeis sells itself as founded in principles of social justice. But overworking, underpaying and generally exploiting graduate student workers is not socially just. If the graduate student workers are successful in unionizing, the university should not resist the movement to a unionized workforce. Our graduate student workers, who make up such a significant portion of our community, deserve protection from institutional infringement on their rights as workers, and if they choose a union as the most appropriate way to get that advocacy, then the university ought to recognize and respect that decision.
WEEK IN PHOTOS
8 The Brandeis Hoot
photo by mia edelstein/the hoot
‘i am the future’ SSSP exhibit in the Shapiro Campus Center encourages passersby to write up their dreams for the future.
photo courtesy jenny rossman
survivors lap
Relay for Life, hosted in Gosman March 18-19, begins with a lap honoring cancer survivors.
photo courtesy diana filar
black lives matter symposium
say, “Black lives matter.”
Students from the Critical Race Theory class faciliate a discussion about what it means to
st. patrick’s day
photo by katie decker-jacoby/the hoot
The Cupcake Obsession Club celebrated with green cupcakes.
photo courtesy ilana krill
photo courtesy qianyi yvette gong
tsa breakfast night
March 24, 2017
centennial
Delta Phi Epsilon ended their centennial event with a picture featuring alumnae and present members.
ARTS
March 24, 2017
By Noah Harper
The Brandeis Hoot 9
‘Mirrors’ presents bizarre plot and innovative directorial decisions
staff
“Mirrors,” directed by Otis Fuqua ’19, is a wholly satisfying one-act play staged by the Brandeis Players. I was pleasantly surprised by the dynamic, experimental visuals and the cohesive, twisting narrative. On the surface, it is the story of Fred (Abram Foster ’19), an aging, philosophical father surrounded by what might seem like a regular family. His children ask him for advice, his wife makes him dinner, and everything seems normal. But there is something deeply wrong lurking beneath the surface. It is all a lie, Fred discovers. In a plot twist, evocative of “Manchester by the Sea,” the play reveals a secret about the world that completely changes the dynamics at play—which I won’t reveal to avoid spoiling the play. Written by the late playwright John O’Brien, this one-act show delivers on its simple premise. Opening with an elaborate sequence involving the actors’ shadows dancing on a screen, we get a visual prelude to the action: Figures flit back and forth, twisting into grotesque shapes. The use of scale in this projection sequence is also quite impressive. Lit from behind by a single yellow bulb, the actors on the screen are able to change their size at will and combine to create new shapes. The sound design of this sequence—and the rest of the play—is also notable. Created by Sasha Ruiz ’17 and Talia Loeb ’20, their work with strings and choral voices creates an effective auditory dimension that draws the audience into the experience and underlines dramatic shifts. The sound and visuals combine to create great foreshadowing in the projection sequence. Fred aimlessly walks around the twisting figures, while another character, Doctor (played by Sivan Spector ’18, who also plays Fred’s wife, Sarah), places her gnarled fingers over Fred’s head, manipulating him. In the play’s penultimate scene, once Fred’s mental state has unraveled, these gestures underscore the psychological dynamic. Speaking about this sequence, Fuqua said that it “was the element I had the most fun working on. I began by researching shadow theater, finding images that were striking and doable, and
then piecing together an outline for a story with those fragments.” As for its function, he said that the “prologue was designed to inform the audience of the play’s backstory, while maintaining enough vagueness for the action of the play to unfold unexpectedly.” In terms of set design, there is the aforementioned screen, and also several painted wooden blocks, resembling Tetris pieces. The characters stand and sit on these, and in the climactic scene, in which Fred realizes the true nature of his reality, the Doctor even climbs up on top of one. I appreciated the blocking in this production, how they used their space. One of the highlights of Fuqua’s direction is the ability to create depth. As Fred’s sons, Chip (Riely Allen ’18) and Freddie (Josh Rubenstein ’19), ask him deep questions, like “I want to know what love means,” they constantly move back and forth between these blocks, sitting down, standing up, making good use of the dimension that is available. In this portion of the play, protagonist Fred remains immobile, sitting wistfully in a chair below the stage. He doesn’t look at his kids when he speaks to them and stares off into the distance, addressing us, the audience, instead. He seems distant, confused, like he knows, deep down, that none of this is real. But even before the bubble is popped, this vague feeling that something is wrong begins to seep back in. Fred tells his son about about a dream he had, in which he witnessed his house burning down. He says that he had the keys in his hands, but did not go in to save anyone. Freddie asks his father another question. “What do people do?” As Fred Senior answers, Rubenstein plays around with a little red ball in his hand. As the discussion heats up, he grips the ball, his fingers visibly playing anxiously with its surface. It is impeccable object work on Rubenstein’s part. It is evident that even in this dreamland, Fred still bears anxieties—worries that any parent might have. The falseness of this created world is demonstrated by the play’s use of sitcom laughtrack audio, canned laughter and applause that plays sporadically after actors deliver a line. While never coming after a piece of dialogue that is actually funny (it’s
photos courtesy tres fimmano
not intended to be), the laughtrack does add a certain eeriness and a sonic element that helps indicate that there is something fundamentally wrong with this world. The protagonist’s existential crisis comes to a head when, all of a sudden, his three children appear and begin yelling a cacophony of obscenities at him. It begins when his daughter, the aloof Marita (Halley Geringer ’19), tells him that she’s “not having any of it.” Marita is soon joined by Chip and Freddie, and they jointly scream hateful vitriol at their father. The lighting during this scene is effective: tiny flashlights coincide with a dimming of the lights creating an interesting visual of a deluge of little lights cascading over the overwhelmed father. They depart, and Fred tries to clean up each individual gleaming piece from the ground. The show then transitions. Lights change once again. The Doctor appears. She is much different than the affable housewife before. Wearing a dark cloak and jewels in her hair, wielding a qua-
vering cane that lights up. Spector’s movements, too, are impressive. The way her character moves reminded me particularly of the Skeksis from Jim Henson’s “The Dark Crystal.” In comparison to her other character, the housewife Sarah, the way that the Doctor conducts herself is vastly different. It’s a nice touch of detail that adds to the overall experience. “You suffered a psychological break,” Doctor says, “No one blames you Fred … no one holds it against you that you need a fantasy to cope.” “Your purpose, Fred, your purpose is out there!” she tells him. At this moment, Fred cannot bear living like this any longer, and, despite having been sedentary for much of the past 50 minutes, he leaps to his feet, agitated, screaming, “I’m not alone in here!” While I loved Spector’s performance, I am not entirely sure about the narrative motivation here. Why can’t Fred keep living in his dream world? In an otherwise enjoyable play, I found that this bit of poorly-explained story stuck out.
“I was attracted to ‘Mirrors’ because as a first-time director I wanted a play that would offer freedom to make strange and bold decisions, and a play that takes place inside of a character’s head seemed a good place to start,” Fuqua said. He also added that the community theater debut of “Mirrors” was at Brandeis in the 1980s. In terms of what Fuqua wanted audience members to take away from the production, he said, “I hope the audience left feeling a threshold has been crossed for the UTC [Undergraduate Theater Collective].” He felt that the UTC was an underutilized resource, that he wanted more people to take advantage of. “If you have a crazy idea you’re passionate about, there are people who want to work with you to realize it, resources to bring it to fruition, and a strong theater-going community that wants to see it. I took risks. Not all of them worked and others were really successful, but I am glad to have taken all of them. Theater should be brave, and working within the mold is not.”
10 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
By Jonah Koslofsky
‘Iron Fist’ a show that feels like being punched in the chest
March 24, 2017
staff
A few weeks ago, the first reviews of “Iron Fist” were released, and they were not positive. Though critics praised other Netflix and Marvel collaborations such as “Daredevil” and “Luke Cage” and lauded “Jessica Jones,” “Iron Fist” received a much more tepid reaction. When asked about the poor response to the show, star Finn Jones said in an interview with Metro UK, “Well, I think there’s multiple factors. What I will say is these shows are not made for critics, they are first and foremost made for the fans. I also think some of the reviews we saw were seeing the show through a very specific lens, and I think when the fans of the Marvel Netflix world and fans of the comic books view the show through the lens of just wanting to enjoy a superhero show, then they will really enjoy what they see.” The thing is, I’m one of these fans Jones is counting on. I’ve read (and really enjoyed) the Iron Fist comic books that Jones is referring to, and I love the other Marvel Netflix shows. As a fan, I can tell you that Jones is dead wrong. This show is not for the fans; this show is not for anyone. And I’m only three episodes in. “Iron Fist” is not a good show. It’s not even a watchable show. The premise, reminiscent of a grotesque combination of “Arrow,” “Batman Begins” and “Dr.
photos from imdb.com
Strange,” is that the prodigal son of an affluent family returns from the mystical East (we’ll get to that issue in a second) to his native city to fight crime and take back his corporation. It doesn’t get better from there. The first and arguably largest problem is that the main character, Danny Rand, is not compelling in any way. In those comic books that Jones was quick to mention, Iron Fist is a likeable, if somewhat aloof, businessman by day and crimefighter by night. He should be like if Batman had the sense of humor of Spider-Man or Tony Stark. On the show, however, there’s no reason to care or get invested in Danny, and Jones is about as charismatic as Jeb Bush or a cardboard box. The audience needs to know why they should like Danny in the first place, aside from the smirk Jones gives the camera after his character has made the 10th
dumb decision in an episode. Plus, three episodes in and the “hero” Danny Rand has been so self absorbed that he has forgotten to actually save anyone. What a fantastic superhero. Not casting Jones could have solved a couple problems, actually. This show was plagued by bad word of mouth the minute Marvel chose to cast Jones, a white man, as Danny Rand, as there is a huge lack of Asian superheroes in TV or film. While Rand is white in the comic books, his entire origin is problematic in 2017. For context, Iron Fist was originally created in the seventies, when white appropriation of Asian culture was certainly much more prevalent (but still not OK, obviously). I had read in another review (by Polygon, which I highly recommend) that there was a scene where Danny, a white man, teaches an Asian woman how to do martial arts in her own dojo.
I was worried that scene wouldn’t make it into the first three episodes, but there it was, in episode three, just as bad as I was expecting. While the “white man returns from the East with ancient magic” trope is inherently bad, “Iron Fist” really works to take it to new levels. And not only does the show promote questionable handling of Asian culture and an awful main character, “Iron Fist” lacks any fun fight sequences. After all, Marvel also makes “Daredevil,” which has the best fight choreography on TV. (Seriously, don’t get into a hallway with Daredevil. He will mess you up. It’ll look great). But no, the fight scenes are nothing but blurry movement and excessive cuts. It is the least interesting, Jason Bourne-esque direction that has been problematic in action movies and TV for the past decade. Also, there is a character on this
show named Ward Meachum. Somebody actually wrote that and then it got made into a character on a television show. Ward Meachum. It’s just a chore to watch. Each episode is about an hour, full of boring corporate maneuvering and bland characters. Had this show aired on a network, the directors would have had to cut each episode down to about 40 minutes, which I actually would have preferred. Also if this show had been on a network instead of Netflix, we would probably hear that it was canceled, a slight reparation for the three hours I have already wasted with the show. Watch “Jessica Jones” instead. Or “Daredevil.” Or “Luke Cage.” Or even “Arrow.” Take it from a fan of the source material and just about everything else Marvel: You’ll want to stay away from “Iron Fist.” Fan or not, you deserve better.
WSRC features art of Helène Aylon, contemporary Jewish feminist artist
By Katharine Mound staff
The Women’s Studies Research Center Kniznick Gallery is now displaying the final installment of Helène Aylon’s 20-year series. Commissioned by Shula Reinharz Ph.D.’77 founder of the center, Aylon’s “Afterword: For the Children” is comprised of several wall installations and four separate digital videos projected onto a wall accompanied by sounds of rainfall emanating from an overhead speaker. On Tuesday, March 21, a reception and artist’s talk was held in the gallery at 6 p.m., where Aylon walked attendees through her career as an artist, highlight-
ing several of her monumental works. “If my body of work could be summed up in three words,” Aylon contemplated, saying they would be, “body, earth, God.” The first category, body, describes Aylon’s process art of the 1970s, when she was working in her Berkeley, CA, studio. During the artist’s talk, Aylon highlighted her 1978 series “The Breakings,” where she poured linseed oil on large panels, let them sit for a few months until a membrane had formed around the oil, and then tilted the panels so that the oilfilled “amniotic-like” sacs hung from the panels. Some sacs would burst immediately, while others leaked and dripped oil before shriveling up. Aylon, who was raised as an Orthodox Jew, com-
photo from brandeis.edu
mented that there, indeed, was a spiritual aspect to these works, comparing the fluidity of the oil to the fluidity of spirit. In her second phase, Aylon produced works of eco-feminist and anti-nuclear art, like her performance piece “Earth Ambulance” in 1982. After procuring a van, Aylon strapped ambulance emblems onto it, loaded it up with pillowcases filled with dirt from nuclear bases, and drove it from Livermore, CA, to the United Nations, picking up and dropping off those who wanted to participate on the way. When she arrived, Aylon and her entourage emptied the pillowcases into frames outside the UN to protest nuclear war. When asked about the legality of this performance, the artist smiled and asserted with pride, “I never, ever asked for permission.” Her last and current era of work deals with God in her hallmark series “The G-d Project: Nine Houses Without Women.” In this vein of work, Aylon critically engages the Torah and its patriarchal notions and language in nine different works over the span of 20 years. One of her most monumental works in this series, titled “The Liberation of G-d,” serves as a reference point for her later works, especially “Afterword: For the Children.” In “The Liberation,” Aylon laid transparent parchment paper over passages in the Torah and highlighted in pink marker passages that she felt were patriarchal. To Aylon, these passages are not attributed to God, but rather to authors with patriarchal and misogynistic mentalities. However, Aylon’s use of pink
photo by katie decker-jacoby/the hoot
highlighter to draw attention to these passages is merely to challenge their divine validity, not eliminate them. After all, the words are still visible under the marks she has made, and the paper can be separated from the holy texts as if the words were not brought into question at all. Aylon’s highlighting is the vessel through which our understanding and acceptance of these passages are investigated, and it is up to us to enact change and further engagement with these patriarchal sensibilities. The exhibition has a concern for future generations and takes up a particular interest in the Second Commandment. One of the videos projected onto a wall in the gallery portrays Aylon before a panel of glass with text from Exodus 20:5 printed on it: “For I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me.” Aylon takes up a brush soaked with watery, pink paint and coats the words, challenging the notion that these words originated from a loving, forgiving God. The thin paint, of course, does not plaster over the words but, instead, falls down the surface of the words, channeling a similar effect of the pink highlighter in “The Liberation of G-d.” Aylon continues her investigation into these words, suggesting that we take up a more critical engagement with the holy texts, although not “repairing” the texts herself. The exhibition has much more to offer, especially on the subject of a world inherited by future generations. “Afterword” is on display until June 16, and will subsequently travel to Israel to be displayed at the Jerusalem Biennale.
March 24, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot
By Emma Kahn
Smino’s ‘Blkswn’ offers something for every music lover
editor
If you’re already a fan of Chris Smith Jr., better known as Smino, then I’m sure his debut album “Blkswn” has surpassed your highest expectations. If you have never heard of Smino, put down this paper, and open up your preferred streaming service. I may be biased, but I am willing to wager that no matter the genre you prefer, this album is sure to please. A mix of atmospheric chords, smooth R&B vocals and tight rap verses, “Blkswn” might be one of the best possible introductions to the world of young Chicago artists making their way to center stage. Twenty-five years old and already featured among some of this year’s and last year’s best albums, Smino leaves his fans in awe with each new project. “Blkswn” is the culmination of his unique and breathtaking sound, which he describes as “futuristic funk and soulful rap.” Released this month, the album contains 18 powerful tracks that blend together into one unified sound. The first track, “Wild Irish Roses,” establishes the vibe of the whole project, opening with light and smooth electronic chords that lead into Smino’s warm and
full singing voice. From the start, it is impossible to keep your head steady as he invites you into his mellow and funky aesthetic. And before you know it, layered above those atmospheric vibrations comes a crisp beat and the hints of what is to come as far as Smino’s vocal capabilities. Before that first song ends, you are guaranteed to be hooked. By the second song, Smino has introduced you to a few more tricks up his sleeve. The easy listening of the first 40 seconds of “Maraca” is interrupted by perhaps one of his best skills—playing with shifts in the beat and tone of a song and introducing funky syncopations that will have you pressing replay again and again. This dynamic and progressive track takes risks that pay off tremendously. After one listen, I could not help singing along to the chorus that begins, “Maraca maraca we make somethin’ shake / Sinatra Sinatra we all want Frank.” Yes, Smino is the kind of artist who can get away with a Sinatra reference, not to mention dozens of cheeky puns and even a song titled “Edgar Allen Poe’d Up (ft. theMIND).” If you think Smino is a talented artist for his age, wait until you hear “Glass Flows,” which features Ravyn Lenae, a high school senior whose age bears no connection to her musical ability and the matu-
rity behind her profound lyricism. Lenae brings to “Glass Flows” a chilling vocal collaboration that takes the song to great new heights. Her beautiful and hypnotic voice blends perfectly with the haze of electronic symphonies behind her. She was described as having “a watercolor R&B platter with startling depth” by the Austin-American Statesman and has frequently been compared to musical greats Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu, among others. I do not have sufficient vocabulary to give Lenae the high praise she merits. And yet, Smino’s impeccable falsetto matches her abilities, the two achieving remarkable mastery over their vocal ranges, throwing high notes out of thin air as though they were nothing. From “Glass Flows,” we transition into one of Smino’s classic sounds in “Flea Flicka.” He and featured artist Bari rap over a boom-bap style beat and funky electronic waves. The two adopt Smino’s familiar rapid vocal play and alluring alliteration, even going so far as to make frequent cheese puns: “Said I want the cheese / grilled up when I cheese / Yanno I gotta find the parmesan / And long for provolone / ‘Cause when that feta on my fingertips / I feel like I’m the goat.” Smino takes us along from the lyrical depth of “Glass Flows” to a song like “Flea Flicka” and despite the jump in
photo from pitchfork.com
photo from brooklynvegan.com
subject matter the album retains a consistency throughout that solidly blends the project together. I could easily go into depth with every song from this album, but I’ll let some of the tracks speak for themselves. However, I have to speak to my favorite track by far, “Innamission.” I’ve long lost count of how many times I’ve listened to this song, yet each time it comes on, I find myself taken aback by Smino’s vocal abilities. Unfortunately I cannot put onto paper how well he can cut from low notes to high and in doing so, tease out the catchiest lines with more mastery than I ever would’ve thought possible. For this one, you’ll either have to trust me, or go listen. I recommend that you go listen, in case you have any doubts that he can actually control his voice that well. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find his studio recordings on YouTube, some of which are even acoustic recordings. Watching him live, you’ll see how well he can throw out those verses and test the limits of the human vocal range. Finally, in the last few tracks of the album, Smino brings in more featured artists and not just any. “Long Run” with Via Rosa drops some gentle beatboxing beneath soulful and expressive vocals. “Ricky Millions” features Drea Smith, Smino’s cousin and
ARTS 11
renowned artist, from whom he draws career-making advice and inspiration. “Silk Pillows” featuring Akenya is a light and refreshing track that I initially had little hope for; to be honest, from the title I expected a misogynistic pseudo-love story, perhaps an over-detailed account of lovemaking, or at worst, nauseatingly explicit sexual moans akin to Mac Miller’s “Skin,” ironically included in his album titled “The Divine Feminine.” But what Miller does all wrong, Smino gets right. Instead of explicitly teasing out the idea of femininity, Smino simply features strong women artists. His final track, “Amphetamine,” benefits tremendously from Noname and Jean Deaux, two phenomenal artists who have harnessed a powerful wave of feminine sounds in their own, genuine terms and have effortlessly woven themselves into Smino’s aesthetic. From start to finish, this entire album is overflowing with talent. Clearly built off the foundation of his extended release “Blkjuptr” and taking that project above and beyond, “Blkswn” is a must-listen for anyone looking at a future in music and of production. There is not a single moment of this album that doesn’t speak volumes to Smino’s abilities, and I cannot recommend highly enough that you give it a listen.
photo from saintheron.com
Annual ‘Vagina Monologues’ fills every seat By Brianna Cummings staff
We may claim to live in progressive times, but sexism is still prevalent. A white woman earns 75 cents for every dollar a white man earns; a black woman 66 cents and a Hispanic woman 54 cents. Young girls are still forced into arranged marriages and sex slavery. In an effort to empower women and bring attention to their struggles, the Brandeis Vagi-
na Club conducted its yearly performance of “The Vagina Monologues,” a play by Eve Ensler. “The Vagina Monologues” took months of preparation for its performances in Spingold’s Merrick Theater. Auditions were held in January and the show ran from March 16-19. “We could choose from about three different monologues, and when we were ready, we went in and read them in front of two members of the production staff,” cast member Benée Hershon ’20 said about the audition process.
photo courtesy asisa isack
During the show, Hershon provided the audience with “Vagina Happy Facts” interspersed between monologues. Walking into the theater, I was first amazed at how bright it was, in contrast to the dark stages I am accustomed for Brandeis performances. There was no proper stage but rather an area set aside for performers, with rows of folding chairs for audience members. The show opened with a trigger warning, making the audience aware that there would be mention of sensitive topics such as sexual violence and misogyny. A representative sat at the back of the audience to provide support if they felt like they needed to talk to someone during the show. The show opened up with a monologue about a woman who had problems with her husband because she did not want to shave her pubic hair. Opening the show this way was powerful, showing how society forces women into doing what it expects of them, even if it makes women uncomfortable. My favorite monologue centered on the story of an old woman who answered questions about her vagina. The woman thought
that it was absurd to pay so much attention to one’s vagina, or as she liked to call it, “down there.” She told the audience anecdotes that explained why she felt so uncomfortable with her vagina, stories that she had never previously had the opportunity to say aloud and clearly had repressed. One aspect that made the performance so interesting was that it told the story of a generation that is often neglected and painted as “old fashioned” for not sharing the same progressive views as younger people, and helped give that generation a voice. One of the most powerful performances was given by a woman who was raped during a war. She felt ashamed and thought there was nothing she could do about the trauma she faced. “The war one was emotional and I like how it spoke about issues that matter to women around the world and did not just pander to white feminists,” said Yaneth Martinez ’20. Martinez also enjoyed a skit about a woman’s sexual encounter with a man named Bob. Bob is described as “the most ordinary man.” However, Bob loves vaginas, much to the orator’s surprise. He spends hours looking at them
and helps the orator grow to love her own vagina. The last performance was called “The Woman Who Loved To Make Vaginas Happy” and featured the story of a sex worker who loved to give women pleasure. The skit featured the whole cast who stood with their backs to the audience, providing some of the soundtrack behind the sex worker’s story. When the play ended, all of the cast members embraced and congratulated each other. Any onlooker could see that they had become a community. “[I loved] being a part of such an incredible community of caring and passionate individuals,” said Hershon. “It was amazing to be able to perform every night with a group of people who were passionate about the production and who were also passionate about helping each other. The show would not have had as much energy or emotion without our little but powerful community supporting each other,” Hershon added. “The Vagina Monologues” donated all the proceeds to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).
12 ARTS
The Brandeis Hoot
March 24, 2017
Guest lecturer Lisa Reindorf merges art, activism, environmentalism, politics
By Emma Kahn editor
Architect, artist and climate activist Lisa Reindorf gave a guest lecture that provided an overview of the interconnections between politics, economics and environmentalism, along with other fields, on Wednesday, March 22. Touching upon the works of other artists and environmentalists as well as her own oeuvre, Reindorf highlighted the ways in which artists can serve as important educators in the realm of environmental action. Reindorf was introduced by Prof. Aida Wong (FA), who later helped to mediate the subsequent discussion. She began by asking her audience what they believed was the largest source of energy consumption in the United States. Although many may assume that transportation consumes the largest amount of energy, development and building infrastructure are actually the culprits. In a modern age in which infrastructure is only growing and energy demand is reaching all-time highs, targeting climate change is antithetical to economic interests. The drive to develop larger territories and the issues of urban sprawl account for growing carbon dioxide emissions and increased instances of severe weather, threatening the sustainability of the planet. Artists, within this context, are developing new ways of interpreting the landscape and visually
rendering these complex realities. Some artists, such as Jill Pelto and Eve Mosher, take literal approaches and portray scientific data in innovative ways. Others, such as Diane Burko, Resa Blatman and Han Seok Hyun, approach the topic in abstract or interpretive ways. Pelto works with graphs that contain data on the four most common indicators used to track climate change: rising sea levels, glacial ice melt, carbon dioxide emissions and rising global temperatures. Instead of working with figures and facts, she paints beautiful works that represent these graphs in less explicit and technical ways. “Scientific research and data fuel the content of my artwork. I create pieces to raise awareness about interesting and important environmental topics ... I hope to cover both positive and negative issues which depict the reality of our current ecosystem,” Pelto writes on her website. Eve Mosher similarly tackles the subject of climate change through her art by using data to explicitly visualize climate change’s effects on urban landscapes, even stimulating conversations while in the process of making her art. The project “HighWaterLine” visualizes rising flooding areas throughout cities in numerous ways, most notably by delineating these lines in chalk onto cities throughout the country. On “HighWaterLine’s” website, Mosher writes, “I was struck by both the inactivity
around what I saw as a pressing issue—climate change and its related impacts—and the power of a visual story. I realized that while I didn’t have the skills to be a lobbyist, lawyer or politician, I didn’t have the money to make huge investments or sway opinion, but what I did have was creativity and my art.” Burko may not work with specific data, but her art powerfully bridges the boundaries of art and science. She monitors melting glaciers with her photography and through her paintings. Reindorf highlighted Burko’s impressive and large painting standing at 5 feet by 7 feet, titled “Arctic Melting, July 2016 (After NASA)” which closely resembles what you may imagine as a high-quality aerial view of a glacial shelf. Colorful, visceral and captivating, Burko’s painting calls to attention scary realities that most of the public comfortably ignores. Blatman, another artist Reindorf featured, is a resident of Somerville whose works can often be found exhibited locally. Her work includes paintings as well as dimensional works that are comprised of materials such as cut mylar, silk or even knitted yarn. Describing these dimensional works, Blatman explains that they “[offer] the viewer a peek into an unsettled environment or landscape, wherein perilous notions reside within nature’s bounty and beauty.” Devoid of explicit references to certain environments,
photo from dianeburko.com
photo from jillpelto.com
her work instead urges the viewer to grapple with ambiguous notions of environment, natural beauty and space. Finally, Reindorf included artist Hyun, demonstrating his environmental activism through his artwork titled “Natural.” Displayed last year as part of a Museum of Fine Arts series on the subject of supercities in Asia, his sculpture consists of small waste parts, mainly plastic scraps, that combine to form a vast green environment. The work presents conflicting notions of nature and of manufacture in utilizing recyclable refuse to assemble a natural landscape. Reindorf ’s own art fits neatly into her overall narrative. Having a distinct perspective as an artist and architect, her works are largely centered around the didactic between infrastructure and the natural landscape. Utilizing vivid colors influenced by her upbringing in Mexico, and playing with urban and natural representations of space, her paintings such as “Water Drain,” “Tsunami” and “Toxic Bloom,” to name just a few, represent her frustration with the incompatibility of land development and environmentalism, which she feels do not need to remain at odds. Despite her adamant stance that climate change poses a serious risk, her works ultimately engage in the beauty of landscape and invite the viewer into the work and
into the cause. During her lecture, talk of politics, architecture and history came to the forefront. Instead of these discussions detracting from the art, however, they served to lay an important foundation to the activism found within these artists’ works. Reindorf hopes that artistic representations of environmental concerns will build a greater degree of sensitivity toward the way society views our landscapes. She hopes to see more thought put into what is built, where it’s built and how people are living within these infrastructures. When advocating for action against climate change, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary, as Reindorf demonstrated through her brief but compelling lecture. “Artists are great observers and great collectors of data,” she said, reminding the audience of the need for nuanced perspectives and open mindedness within the realm of activism. Reindorf ’s lecture was a great opportunity for the Brandeis community, and the only disappointment associated with it was the lack of attendance. The Department of Fine Arts frequently offers remarkable opportunities for students, faculty and staff to hear from noteworthy artists on a range of topics, and the events offered merit far more participation by the community than is typically seen.
HOOT SCOOPS: What do you think about the arts on campus? “I think that the arts on campus are fantastic, even though they might not always get the attention they deserve. There is always so much going on. I have had so many great experiences, from visiting the Rose, attending student performances and more. While they might not always be widely advertised with huge turnouts, they’re each special in their own way and contribute a lot to our campus and community.” -Ruaidhrí Crofton ’19
“I think that Brandeis supports the arts fairly well, especially through the variety of opportunities and activities that allow students to demonstrate their artistic interests and abilities. On top of extracurricular options, students are also encouraged to explore art through classes and by visiting events in which students showcase their artistic explorations. Overall, I think the arts are well represented, and I only hope Brandeis continues, if not increases, its ability to support the arts on campus.” -Mariel Guzman ’19
“I think the arts don’t get as much attention as they should, which is a shame because Brandeis has so many vibrant and talented artists across all departments—studio art, theater, music, etc. Especially with the Rose Art Museum a part of our campus, we have a really incredible array of artistic resources.” -Courtney Garvey ’19
“While there’s definitely a lot of really talented and passionate people, they’re not as visible as they could be. From my experience, people who aren’t interested in art or are personally connected to someone involved in the art community never take an art class or go to any Rose or student art shows.” -Ben Davis ’17
OPINIONS
March 24, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot 13
The Nike Pro Hijab enhances inclusivity in sports By Katarina Weessies editor
This year, Nike announced that they planned to launch a “Pro Hijab,” a headscarf meant for Muslim women to wear while exercising. The Nike Pro Hijab, slated to come out in 2018, is made of stretchy, breathable material, has an extension on the back to prevent the hijab from slipping, and features the iconic Nike swoosh on the side. The Pro Hijab was announced in the wake of the 2016 Rio Olympics, which featured hijabi athletes such as the fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and weightlifter Amna al Haddad, both of whom received media attention for competing in athletics while covered. Muhammad in particular received attention for being the first hijabi athlete to compete for the United States. Given the current global climate surrounding the hijab and its wearers, reaction to the Nike Pro Hijab has been mixed. Many people are thrilled with the hijab’s announcement, stating that it allows women who choose to wear the hijab to compete in athletics without the physical limits of a non-athletic headscarf that can fall off or shift. However, there have certainly been negative reactions to the Nike Pro Hijab, mostly from people who falsely believe
that all women who wear a hijab are forced to do so against their will. For example, one Twitter account tweeted that “supporting the Muslim Hijab is supporting the enslavement of women and the murder of gays.” This is clearly ridiculous. The person who tweeted this was probably thinking of Iran, which does have a mandatory head-covering law, and also has poor women’s rights and LGBTQ laws. However, stating that Nike’s hijab inherently supports subjugation of LGBTQ people and women ignores the millions of women (including Iranian women) who actively choose to wear the hijab. Stating that these women must be forced into wearing the hijab against their will ignores these women’s agency and humanity. Many hijabi women, contrary to certain Western beliefs, are in fact making an active and liberating choice involving their body and their self-expression. Obviously, forcing a woman to cover herself or face legal and physical punishment is horrific. But for millions of women, this is not the case. Many of the women who choose to wear the hijab enjoy athletics, and they have the right to participate in sports while staying loyal to their religious beliefs. The Nike Pro Hijab would not impact their decision whether or not to wear a hijab. It would simply allow wom-
en who already wear the hijab to participate in athletics more safely and effectively. A breathable, secure hijab prevents overheating. It also ensures that the hijab will not fall off completely or shift over women’s faces, affecting their vision, during exercise. Some Muslim women do have specific concerns about the Nike Pro Hijab. Al Haddad, one of the inspirations for the Pro Hijab, mentioned that athletic hijabs “did exist on the market for a few years,” but Nike is getting all of the media and financial credit for the inclusive athleticwear. Other women are concerned about the commercial nature of the hijab, stating that Nike is seeking to capitalize off Muslim women without actually caring about their liberation or well-being. While it is true that Nike is releasing the Pro Hijab with the main purpose of making money, it will still likely contribute to the liberation of hijabi women through athletics. Nike’s commercial intentions do not prevent the Pro Hijab from enhancing the inclusivity and accessibility of fitness and sports. Another concern about the Nike Pro Hijab is its financial accessibility. Athleticwear receives a lot of criticism for being unaffordable, and Nike is no exception. Nike has not released the price of the Pro Hijab yet. However, Nike is not a cheap brand. It is likely
that, given the Pro Hijab’s probable price, it will only contribute to athletic inclusivity for wealthy Muslim women. That being said, trends in the fashion industry do tend to trickle down. Hopefully, the success of the Nike Pro Hijab will encourage inexpensive brands to carry similar items. The hijab is just a headscarf. It is not inherently oppressive because it is not inherently anything. Preventing women from wearing
the hijab constitutes a regulation of women’s bodies that abridges the religious freedom of Muslim women and their freedom to control their own bodies. While the Nike Pro Hijab is imperfect, given its potential costliness and commercial nature, it increases the inclusivity of sports, helps hijabi women express themselves and provides hijabi women with a wider breadth of choices and opportunities.
photo from indianexpress.com
the nike pro hijab
Join the Student Union to help other Brandeis students By Jacob Edelman columnist
Several days ago, I received a note via email from a member of our community. The subject line was “Riverside shuttle…thanks,” and the email stated the following: “As one of the fall riders, thanks very much for helping get the Riverside shuttle back into action: it’s been an expensive spring of using Lyft and Uber to get here each morning. And I’m glad someone noticed, as well, that a 40-person bus isn’t needed to ferry just a few students! Thanks again.” To provide a bit of background, I was a member of a small working group of Student Union and Graduate Student Association (GSA) members who worked to bring back the Riverside Shut-
tle service earlier this semester, which had been discontinued due to budget constraints. After a bit of work, the service was restored, and it was done using less money than before. When I paused for a moment to think about what happened in order for that email to have been sent at all, a few things jumped out. First, we considered the needs of the community based on hearing straight from students—we did not have to guess in order to gauge a student need. Second, we thought about how to cater to the specific need— transportation—and respond in a more efficient way than how the old system of delivery had been operating. To do this, we simply started hiring a much smaller shuttle bus than the original. Third, we formed a special
connection with the Graduate Student Association, also realizing that this sort of collaboration had the potential for many future partnerships down the road. It is the hope for next year that the GSA and the Student Union will have more collaborations of this sort in any number of areas. Fourth, the individuals involved in formulating the solution engaged in creative thinking to better define the role that they should play—as a Union and as people—in tangibly helping our community. Fifth, a student at Brandeis was pleased enough that she took personal time to sit down and express herself. More often than not, there will be no email. More often than not, the effects of an improvement will not be as profound as restoring a shuttle route. More often than
not, it will take longer than we hope in order to fix what seems like a straightforward issue. Yet human beings still work to make things better. We must always remember that no matter how we choose to involve ourselves in the pursuit of improvement, there will be thankful folks out there and people whose experience was made better. This year, I am extremely proud of the work that has been done by the Student Union, yet the work will continue, and so must the ways in which we improve upon ourselves as a group. We must continue to find new ways to collaborate, new ways to listen and new ways to think about the common problems that we too often overlook. To improve, we must have continual participation from the community, and for that, I ask
you to consider stepping up. This Monday, March 27 at 8 p.m., the 2017 Spring Elections Round Two meeting will be hosted in the Student Union Office, SCC 301. The seats up for election include five seats on the Judiciary, senator atlarge, class year senators, racial minority senator and the new international student senator position. Coming to the meeting is not a commitment to run, but it is a way to find out more if you are interested and to sign up if you would like to get involved. If you are interested in making a tangible difference, representing your community and joining one of the most hardworking and dedicated student teams on campus, as well as making some of the best friends you could have, consider coming to this meeting. Consider joining the Student Union.
Republican health care to cover all
By Daniel Freedman columnist
The new Republican health care plan will make sure all Americans are covered—unfortunately for many, that will be beneath enormous medical debt, and for still others it will be beneath six feet of soil. Trump was content to promise his voters the world before the realities of office set in. He boasted that “no one will lose coverage,” and further that “everybody’s going to be taken care of much better than they’re taken care of now.” Then when this feckless outside maverick with new insight
to Washington ends up the supposed leader of the free world he says, “Nobody knew health care could be so complicated.” Aside from the delusions of grandeur that he would show up with some miraculous insight for an obvious fix, and beyond the egocentrism that pertinent realities only exist if he is privy to them (ahem, climate change), this is a profoundly moronic comment. That’s fine, though; we have come to set a low bar for the intellectual caliber of the most recent Republican presidents. In many ways this is not horribly unexpected. Trump’s special sauce is that he is told the reality of the situation and persists nonetheless. He is
not deterred by reason, save his own false rhetoric which he internalizes and believes. Trump said that Obamacare was a disaster and witnessed his constituents go wild with approval. Generally speaking, he makes up a “fact,” his audience cheers and ipso facto, the Affordable Care Act is in shambles, and he must replace it by any means. The Republican Party is illequipped to combat the public’s feelings on this because, despite their mutterings about Obamacare since its conception, they have come up with no viable alternative. They have publicly endorsed reform while shying away from any discussion in which it was involved. The cur-
rent iteration of health care in this country is not so far removed from Republican principles, considering it was a co-opted form of Governor Mitt Romney’s plan in Massachusetts. Again, the political posturing and disapproval of the then-minority party is not particularly egregious, all things considered. Nor is it surprising that the Republican Party encouraged reform when it had no such intentions save political objection to the Obama administration. The big issue currently is that the party of reform has been given their chance at the plate, and despite years of advocating for change, they have little more than vague platitudes and slogans to provide. Now the Trump plan
that has been hobbled together is a disastrous downgrade that has left those at Republican town hall meetings rightfully enraged. What is Trump’s response to the public disapproval? Denial. He will do all in his power to ram his bill through Congress because he is a child who was never told no. The final irony to all of this is his plan to get congressional approval. Trump has made uncashable promises to Congress as well, claiming that the Republicans will gain 10 Senate seats in the midterm elections if they vote with him on health care—which is about as likely as him upholding his election promises to the people.
14 OPINIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
March 24, 2017
One foot in Hong Kong, the other in America
By Candace Ng editor
For a really long time, I have struggled to fit in, and unfortunately, Brandeis was the most challenging place of all. It was not that I didn’t make any friends; in fact, I have met and become friends with many Brandeisians. My biggest struggle was that I didn’t fit in anywhere culturally. On most days, my friends forget that I am an international student. To be exact, nobody asked, for everyone simply assumed that I was American-born Chinese. But I am a Hong Kong native, born and raised. I grew up speaking both Chinese and English, and strongly identified with my Chinese heritage even during the four years in which I attended an international school. I knew that I belonged though I never fully fit into the Hong Kong stereotype: In terms of appearance, my skin, although yellow, was “too tan.” My natural hair color is an anomaly in itself; it is in a shade of brown that is considered both too warm and too light. In terms of the way I acted, I spoke “too quickly” and “too much English.” In terms of my beliefs, I was “too liberal” and “too open about my anxiety.” I was determined to go to boarding school during my freshman year of high school. Hong Kong did not feel like home anymore, and I wanted to find my place in the world. I craved independence, but mostly I dreamed of finding my “home away from home” as the school brochures advertised. The following fall, I packed my life into two checked
By Katarina Weessies editor
Most people who know me well know that I love dogs. It is one of my dreams to raise my own dog. While I would prefer to adopt a dog from a shelter, this is pretty much impossible for me since I am allergic to most dog breeds. This means that I will probably have to buy a hypoallergenic dog from a breeder. The reputation of dog breeders is varied. Many people hate breeders, thinking that they deter people from adopting dogs in need. Some people think that most breeders treat their dogs inhumanely. As someone who needs a hypoallergenic dog, I will probably rely on finding a trustworthy, caring breeders in order to get a dog. Most hypoallergenic dogs are purebred, which can cause its own slew of problems. Many purebred dogs are basical-
a french bulldog
photo by candace ng/the hoot
hong kong
pieces of luggage and traded a short, 20-minute-long car ride to school for a trip that takes over 24 hours door-to-door. I have not been in Hong Kong for more than two months at a time ever since. Upon arriving at boarding school, it did not take long for me to learn that I wasn’t “American” enough: I didn’t grow up watching Disney Channel. I have never seen a pickup truck in real life. I had not heard of, or had, a Lunchable. At the same time, I wasn’t considered “Chinese” either: My accent was more British than Chinese. I decided to study German instead of Chinese at school. I traveled with my Canadian passport as opposed to the one issued by Hong Kong. I had left home, but I couldn’t find the America I learned about from watching the news or reading books, the one that glorified its acceptance of different cultures, races and ethnicities. Instead I was stuck in an imaginary gray box of my own creation, torn
between the colors white and yellow. Every trip from New York or Boston to Hong Kong, I brought a part of my newfound identity with me, and vice versa. Like the Biblical parable of the two builders in the book of Matthew, I had built a home for myself on sand. The foundation of my home was weak; its construction is unstable and constantly shifting. I desperately wanted to believe that I had found my place in either culture. Many of my relatives and old family friends called me “gwai mui” (degradatory Cantonese slang meaning Caucasian girl) as I was growing up. The not-sosubtle nickname hinted that I had been “whitewashed.” By the time I graduated from boarding school, I felt like it was an accurate representation of who I was. Although I am still capable of reading Chinese, I read almost exclusively in English. I follow American politics rather than government affairs in Hong Kong. I consider bagels to be my comfort food
(to the extent where I decided to name my dog Bagel). When asked where I was from, I would say “Hong Kong,” but my response is always followed by, “but I went to boarding school in upstate New York. Near Albany.” Recently, I met with a Brandeis administrator to discuss ways to increase diversity on The Hoot’s staff and editorial board. She, upon realizing my East Asian heritage and upbringing, told me that I didn’t understand my own culture. Ashamed, I remained silent. Her words lingered on my mind for days after; it was all I could think about. I tried to come up with excuses for myself. “Hong Kong is different. It is a global city. Its culture is different from other cities in East Asia.” I repeated those words over and over again in my head until I could believe it, but I couldn’t. I realized two things, neither of which I wanted to admit to: the first, my privilege in growing up in a multicultural society. The sec-
ond, she might have been right. This year marks my fourth year away from home. Four years is a long period of time—four years marks a leap year and an U.S. president’s term in office, as well as a lot of physical and emotional growth. I had left my home culture for so long that I have almost become a stranger in my own skin. I refused to be a part of cultural groups at Brandeis, with the exception of Cru (Brandeis Christian Fellowship). I became defensive when strangers pointed out small details that reveal my “Chineseness.” I became embarrassed to say my name in Cantonese, my mother tongue. I wanted to break off ties with my own roots, yet felt offended if people told me I was “basically white.” My social psychology class defines “culture” as “a system of enduring meanings, beliefs, values, assumptions, institutions and practices shared by a large group of people.” I still can’t find the words that can do justice to both the Chinese heritage I grew up with and the Western society I spend most of my time in. While I know I am not defined by my race and ethnicity, I continue to find myself struggling to choose between my two identities. Going back and forth from one culture to another makes you restless, and allows for one identity to become superior to the other. It is hard. I believe that I will return home for good one day, with one foot in Hong Kong and the other in America. But for now, and for the rest of the time I live abroad, I will continue to build my own culture and my own identity. That will be my story to tell.
The problem with pugs
ly inbred, which means that they are genetically prone to certain health issues. This can be difficult, or sometimes even inhumane, for the dog, and seeking healthcare for these issues is expensive for the owner. One of the most popular dog breeds is the pug. Pugs are also one of the most immediately recognizable breeds. They are known for their small size, distinctively smushed faces and odd, snorting noises. But something that many people don’t know is that their short, smushy faces and snorting noises are indicative of a huge health problem known as brachycephaly. All pugs have brachycephaly, meaning that their respiratory systems are malformed in a way that causes them to have trouble breathing. The enlarged soft palate and collapsed nostrils that brachycephalic dogs have can make it incredibly arduous for them to breathe. Pugs, and other
photo from dogtime.com
dogs with brachycephaly, cannot exercise as much as other dog breeds. They struggle to breathe through their noses, are prone to snoring and sleep apnea, overheat easily, and can faint. These issues can be life-altering, and for older dogs, are often life threatening. Brachycephaly can also be difficult for the owners of dogs, both emotionally and financially. Irresponsible breeders might not warn clients about the dangers automatically incurred by pugs due to the shape of their face. This means that when their dog starts to struggle with the symptoms of brachycephaly, owners might not notice until it’s too late. Many brachycephalic dogs, as they age, need surgery to enlarge their nostrils or shorten their soft palate. For younger dogs, these surgeries are incredibly beneficial, but for elderly dogs, the prognosis for these breathing issues, even with surgery, is not good. Pugs are not the only dog breed with intentionally bred brachycephaly. Shih Tzus, bulldogs, boxers, and Boston terriers are also brachycephalic. Purebred versions of all of these breeds are very popular, and therefore dog breeders have an incentive to breed brachycephalic dogs. The reality is that our culture considers the symptoms of brachycephaly cute. The smushy faces and snorts of pugs are frequent subjects of cute videos on the Internet. People find the snores endearing. However, I think that our society needs to consider whether or not creating these cute but unhealthy dogs is ethical. We need to ask ourselves, as a society, whether it is okay to make dogs suffer in order to make them
a pug
cute. This question is not exclusive to dogs with brachycephaly. Many other purebred dogs face comparable health issues. Golden retrievers are prone to hip dysplasia and early onset arthritis. Huge dogs like Great Danes are prone to heart failure, and live much shorter lives than smaller dogs. While dogs like pugs and boxers have a bubbly, energetic demeanor, it is clear that the symptoms of brachycephaly cause them to suffer. There have been many solutions proposed to try to prevent dogs being bred with these health issues. One of the solutions is to ban breeders from intentionally breeding brachycephalic dogs. However, this is not a reasonable solution: As long as there is high public demand for brachycephalic dogs, breeders will continue to sell them. Banning these dogs will merely push irresponsible breeders into the shadows, which would be far more dangerous for the dogs.
photo from akc.org
Breeders themselves are enacting a much more viable solution. They are creating new types of dogs that share some features with brachycephalic dogs like pugs and boxers but with longer snouts. A new trend in the world of dog owners and breeders is a type of pug that does not have brachycephaly. It is too early to know if these dogs will become popular in the mainstream, as they do not have the characteristic short faces of traditional pugs, but I am hopeful that people will realize that if they want to purchase a pug rather than adopt, it is morally necessary that they create demand for a pug that can breathe. Similarly, dog owners of all breeds need to think about how their preferences for a dog’s breed or appearance might hurt the dog. Animals like dogs are sentient beings that shouldn’t be made to suffer for no reason. An owner’s perception of “cuteness” is not a good enough reason.
SPORTS
March 24, 2017
The Brandeis Hoot 15
Women’s tennis at highest ranking in program history By Shea Decker-Jacoby staff
Brandeis women’s tennis had a strong start to the season with an 8-1 record going into their match against number-seven Middlebury. The Brandeis team is currently ranked 18th in Division III according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The team started their season ranked 28th in Division III. With their six victories, including wins against top-20 teams University of Redlands, formally ranked 19th, and their 6-3 victory against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, then ranked 17th, led to their climb to their best ranking
in the program’s history. Head Coach Benjamin Lamanna has worked with both the men’s and women’s teams for 12 years. Since starting as head coach in 2005, Lamanna’s highest team ranking for the women was in 2012 at number 19. The Judges can attribute their success to the consistency of all their team members with singles and doubles. Rookie Sabrina Ross Neergaard ’20 is currently 7-2 at the number-one spot in singles. She plays number-one in both singles and doubles. Her doubles partner Olivia Leavitt ’19 is currently 6-2 overall in single matches, playing mostly at the number-four spot. Team captain Haley Cohen ’18
is at the number-two seat in singles, currently going 6-3. She also plays in the number-two doubles spot. Sophomore Keren Khromchenko is currently 5-2 in single matches at the number-three spot, and also competes in the number-three seat in doubles play. Sophia He ’19 held a winning record at number-five singles before taking time off due to injury. The women’s tennis team’s winning streak came to an end this week with their match against Middlebury, with a 1-8 loss. The Judges started off slowly by dropping the first two doubles matches at numbers one and two. But the number-three doubles team got Brandeis on the scoreboard with an 8-5 victory from Michele Lehat
’19 and Khromchenko. Neergaard and Leavitt fell 8-4. Ariana Ishaq ’19 and Cohen fell 8-1. Unfortunately, the Judges were unable to earn another victory in singles play. The Judges’ remaining opponents in their schedule include many nationally ranked teams. They will face off against 12thranked Tufts University in a mid-week match on Wednesday, March 29. In April, the team will compete in the Northeastern Bowl, playing Southern New Hampshire and Skidmore. Finally, they will head to Altamonte Springs, FL, to compete in the UAA Conference Championships at the end of April right after the spring break.
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• • • • • photo from brandeisjudges.com
Khromchenko and her doubles partner Michele Lehat ‘19 secured the only win for the Judges at third doubles against number-seven Middlebury.
keren khromchenko ‘19
By Jordan Brodie
Next week:
Friday, March 24: Baseball will play Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 3:30 p.m. at New England Baseball Complex in Northboro. The game, if not postponed, will be the first the team plays since March 6. Saturday, March 25: Men’s and women’s track and field compete in the Bridgewater State University Bears Invitational. It is both teams’ first race of the outdoor season. Monday, March 27: Baseball travels to Salem to play against Salem State University at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 28: Softball has a double-header against Suffolk University. The games are scheduled for 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 29: Women’s tennis competes in a mid-week away match against Tufts University at 3 p.m. Tufts is currently ranked at number 12 in the nation. Wednesday, March 29: Softball has another double-header. The home games against Lesley University are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday, March 30: Women’s tennis returns to the stage for a home match against Babson College at 3 p.m.
March Madness Recap: March 16-19
staff
For the three weeks from midMarch to the first weekend of April, it seems as if the whole world stops to appreciate the buzzer beaters, Cinderella stories and busted brackets of the NCAA men’s basketball championships. Competition began with 68 teams, and as of Thursday, March 23, only 16 teams remain. On Thursday, March 16, the true March Madness began. The first game of the tournament pitted No. 5 Notre Dame versus No. 12 Princeton. Princeton missed a
three to win the game as time expired, and Notre Dame pulled out the victory 60-58. There were only two major upsets on day one. The first came from No. 12 Middle Tennessee State, who beat No. 5 Minnesota 81-72. The other upset occurred when No. 6 Maryland fell to No. 11 Xavier 76-65. In arguably the most exciting game of the day, No. 8 Northwestern managed to hold off No. 9 Vanderbilt for their first ever NCAA tournament victory. Northwestern was down by one with 15 seconds remaining and was on the path to be sent home, but luckily, a Vanderbilt player fouled Northwestern’s Brian
McIntosh, who sunk a pair of free throws to put the Wildcats ahead. A missed three-pointer by Vanderbilt as time expired sealed the victory for Northwestern in the first of many March miracles. Overall, the day was (relatively) boring, with little upsets and few close games. Day two of March Madness felt similar to the first. In one of the earlier games, No. 7 Michigan prevailed over No. 10 Oklahoma State 92-91. The game went back and forth until the last minute, when Derrick Walton Jr. converted a two-pointer to give Michigan the lead. This game was the highest scoring game through the first weekend of the tournament.
photo from nytimes.com
reigning champions villanova fall in the second round
three-pointer.
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The UAA Conference has a highly competitive group of women’s tennis teams, featuring six of the top 20 teams in Division III and seven of the top 35 teams in Division III. After their defeat against New York University the Judges are now ranked fifth in the UAAs behind Emory, University of Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis and Carnegie Mellon. Neergaard was the UAA tennis athlete of the week after finishing 4-0 in singles and doubles matches with the Judges win over St. Lawrence University and NYU. The team hopes to continue to improve their rankings as the they come into the second half of their season.
No. 8 Wisconsin upset the No. 1 seeded team off a buzzer beater
In a game between No. 8 Arkansas and No. 9 Seton Hall, a questionable call late in the game may have changed the game’s outcome. With 24 seconds left, Seton Hall was trailing by just one point, and it seemed as if the game would come down to the wire. A travel by Seton Hall gave Arkansas the ball, and afterward, a few Seton Hall and Arkansas players got tangled up in what was called a flagrant foul. Seton Hall ended up losing the game 77-71. Many fans and commentators complained about the call that potentially cost Seton Hall the game. No. 11 University of Southern California pulled off one of the wins of the day against No. 6 Southern Methodist University. After the first half, Southern Methodist led the Trojans by 12. USC took their first lead with two minutes left, and Elijah Stewart hit a three with 36 seconds left to secure the upset 66-65. Rhode Island, also seeded 11, pulled off the upset against No. 6 Creighton 88-72 in their first tournament appearance in 18 years. Additionally, No. 10 Wichita State upset No. 7 Dayton 64-58. Round one of the tournament had some of the fewest surprises of a round one in recent memory, with all of the top 16 teams advancing. Round two, however, easily made up for this. No. 4 West Virginia was the first team to advance to the Sweet 16, defeating Notre Dame 83-71. They were followed by No. 8 Wisconsin, who shocked the nation by defeating reigning champions and top-seeded Villanova 65-62 in one of the most exciting games of the first weekend. Northwestern came close to giving No. 1 Gonzaga the same fate, but Gon-
zaga prevailed 79-73. No. 11 Xavier continued their run by routing No. 3 Florida State in a 91-66 landslide victory. They are the only double-digit seed remaining. Second seed Arizona and No. 4 seeds Butler, West Virginia and Purdue also advanced. The last day of the Round of 32 was a rough day for No. 2 seeds. Kentucky advanced by defeating Wichita State, but both Louisville and Duke fell on Sunday. Louisville was leading by as much as nine points in the second half but was unable to hold on as they fell 73-69 to Michigan. On the other hand, Duke’s loss to No. 10 South Carolina was one that nobody saw coming. After scoring just 23 points in the first half, the Gamecocks came out on fire in the second half, scoring 65 points on 70-percent shooting. This was good enough to give them the upset of the tournament thus far, 88-81. The rest of Sunday went pretty much according to plan. It was a great day to be a three seed: UCLA defeated No. 6 Cincinnati; Oregon hung on to beat Rhode Island, and Baylor squeezed past USC. Top seeds Kansas and North Carolina also advanced, defeating No. 9 Michigan State and Arkansas, respectively. As usual, most March Madness brackets are busted after the first weekend. According to ESPN, only two perfect brackets remain. One has Wisconsin winning it all, while the other has the University of North Carolina dancing on April 3. Nobody knows how the rest of the tournament will go, but there will most certainly be madness as the tournament continues with Sweet Sixteen action.
16 The Brandeis Hoot
WEEK IN SPORTS
photo courtesy david sternberg
Tron, the men’s Ultimate Frisbee team, placed third in a tournament in Fair Oaks, IN, on March 18 and 19.
diii midwestern invite
photo courtesy hunter stusnick
Epeeist Hunter Stusnick ’18 won gold at the New England Regional Open Circuit competition last weekend.
gold medalist
photo by zach cihlar/the hoot
delayed season
row.
Baseball games were postponed due to inclement weather for the third week in a
March 24, 2017
photo by zach cihlar/the hoot
wbfc
The women’s club soccer team poses after a Thursday night team workout.