The Brandeis Hoot 11/14/2014

Volume 11 Number 23

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

November 14, 2014

Students and Public Safety bond over ice cream Brandeis Manhattan mansion on the market for $33 million

By Jess Linde editor

The Brandeis Department of Public Safety hopes to become more familiar with the Brandeis student body through events like this Thursday’s ice cream social, according to Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan. The event, part of this week’s “Kindness Day” series of events, was organized

by Callahan and Student Union President Sneha Walia ’15.

Walia and Callahan had brainstormed the idea for weeks before Callahan suggested an ice cream so-

cial, according to Walia. “We thought Kindness Day would be perfect timing [for the event],” she said. “Luckily, the Kindness Day people were totally on board.” Sodexo laid out a selection of flavors and toppings, along with utensils, that guests were encouraged to take from before sitting at tables and interacting with Public Safety officers. Around 30 students attended the event, which was held in Upper Sherman.

For most Brandeis students, Public Safety is “only represented by officers who have shut down parties or tell people to be quiet,” said Callahan in

an interview. “This event is important because it lets students get to know that we are real people who care about the community.” Callahan, known to the Brandeis community by his weekly email updates, expressed hope that the relationship between students and Public Safety would continue to improve.

Walia had similar hopes. “I have met with [Callahan] a couple times about all kinds of student engagement with public safety and safety See POLICE, page 2

photo by jess linde/the hoot

ice cream The Brandeis campus bonded with members of Public Safety at an ice cream social, part of Brandeis Kindness Day.

By Emily Belowich staff

In mid-October, Brandeis announced plans to close its Vanderbilt Mansion, previously used as an alumni center, located on East 77th Street off Fifth Avenue in New York City. The university has decided to put “Brandeis House” on the market for $33 million, a figure reflective of the increasing prices in the Manhattan real estate market.

James W. Gray, vice president for operations at Brandeis, said they decided to put Brandeis House on the market because the alumni population has “outgrown the facility.” There are more than 11,000 alumni in the greater New York City area. Yet the building’s size is also not the only limitation.

“We heard from some alumni who said its location wasn’t convenient and that they preferred events to happen in Midtown,” Gray wrote in an email to The Brandeis Hoot. “The building also had accessibility issues, which made it difficult for those who have mobility challenges.”

He acknowledged that not all alumni were originally satisfied with the decision, but that “when people heard our reasons for putting the building on the market, they understood why that decision made sense.”

Gray mentioned that over the years, Brandeis House has hosted a wide

variety of events ranging from discussions with prominent faculty and alumni, affinity group get-togethers, networking gatherings, wine and food tastings and holiday parties. He notes that moving events out of the Upper East Side will provide an opportunity to expand alumni programs and services at more convenient locations in Manhattan. For example, earlier this month, the Alumni Association hosted an event with Senator Joe Lieberman at the Time Warner Center, located at Columbus Circle, an event that attracted more than 225 alumni.

It was the opening event for a new initiative, established by the Richman Family Foundation and the family of Michael Saivetz ’97 and Aliza Saivetz Glasser ’01, created to expand programming for Brandeis alumni who have graduated since 1994.

Gray announced in his email to The Hoot that there are no plans to purchase another building in New York.

University President Fred Lawrence wrote in a separate email to Brandeis alumni that “the proceeds of the sale…will be placed in the University’s endowment to support current and future generations of Brandeis students.” The endowment for Brandeis was reported to be $766.2 million in 2013.

Brandeis House is described as “orSee MANSION, page 2

Sodexo forum gives students a voice

By Hannah Schuster Staff

On Wednesday Oct. 12 in the OlinSang Auditorium, the Senate Dining Committee sponsored a forum with Sodexo, Brandeis’ dining service provider. The event allowed students to pose questions and engage in meaningful discussion with Sodexo administration members in regard to campus dining services. Topics presented during the forum included food quality, changes to the meal plan options and student involvement in decision making processes. Wednesday’s event was the first forum held between students and Sodexo management, though it was meagerly attended by 11 students.

Ben Margolin, class of 2017 senator and chair of the senate dining committee spoke first: “We’re very proud to have this discussion and to hear everyone’s comments and concerns.”

Margolin introduced the panelists: General Manager of Sodexo Shawn Monaghan, Senior Director of Operations Randi Kates-Peirce and Rabbi Chayim Zirkind. Vice President of

Inside this issue:

Operations Jim Gray sat in the audience and participated in the dialogue as well.

To begin, Monaghan took a moment to offer his apologies, stating, “I’m embarrassed at the way we started this year … But if we think back where we were Sept. 1 to Nov. 1 we’re a completely different food service.”

He apologized for “taking this long to get together a meeting with the students” and promised he is eager to engage in dialogue and work towards a better program for all. Universally, students agreed the food quality has improved significantly and thanked Sodexo for their efforts.

Katie Blocklove ’16 posed a question about the new meal plans introduced this year. Blocklove, who is on the 12 meal plan, strives to get the biggest bang for her buck, but finds it exceedingly difficult to use all her meals. She feels compelled to eat in dining halls and rarely visits Upper Usdan—as it only accepts points.

Blocklove stated she preferred the meal plan options from the previous year.

See SODEXO, page 2

News: Reflections on environmental solutions Arts, Etc.: Baladi’s retrospective Opinions: Societal norms not insurmountable Sports: Confident fencers Editorial: Community events essential

photo by sharon cai/the hoot

drums The Global Bazaar event celebrated many different cultures through music, dance and crafts.

Global Bazaar event celebrates International Education Week

By Hannah Stew staff

Celebrating a variety of cultures and their connections to the Brandeis community, the Global Bazaar was held on Wednesday, Nov. 12 in honor of International Education Week. Hosted both by the International Students and Scholars Office and the Wien International Scholars, the event

‘Spring Awakening’ Page 3 Page 5 Teen angst turns dark in stuPage 14 dent-directed musical.

Page 6 Arts, Etc.: Page 16 Page 10

featured tables representing various countries and student cultural clubs.

International Education Week is sponsored by the United States’ Department of Education and Massachusetts to encourage global awareness and crosscultural interactions.

Sherman Function Hall was filled with tables representing clubs and academic departments, as well as international food vendors. The Bazaar lasted from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and was packed

with students throughout. In addition to food, vendors sold crafts and other items of cultural significance, including handmade jewelry and small sculptures, hats and scarves.

The bazaar continued out into the hallway and Upper Sherman rooms, where a raffle for small prizes was held. There was international music playing throughout the event, which

Semester Show Spectacular

See GLOBAL, page 11

Company’s student choreography impresses.

Arts, Etc.: Page 8

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

November 14, 2014

Sodexo forum exposes rational behind dining decisions From SODEXO, page 1

Monaghan describes the process which led to new plans, stating there were students, administration and Sodexo personnel involved in discussions. Monaghan is currently participating in discussions to address the shortcomings of the meal plans.

Margolin asked Blocklove what particular corrections she would administer to the meal program. She suggested a ratio of more points to less meals would better represent student needs and allow students greater flexibility to dine in varying locations.

She feels there are shortcomings in the current program, which ought to be addressed. Blocklove also questioned the ability of the school to update the meal plans.

Similar to Monaghan’s earlier remarks, Gray described the talks from several years ago, which involved both students and staff. Those discussions led to the university’s contract with Sodexo. The university bid on a package deal from Sodexo, which encompassed many items, said Gray—including items students had requested.

Blocklove asked how the students on the committee were chosen, and Gray explained they were Student Union representatives. Blocklove replied, “I’m not sure that that’s a very representative sample.”

Gray responded, “I’m not sure how to get more representative than the elected student representatives.”

Blocklove suggested the administration send emails to students to ask who is interested in serving on the committee.

Gray recognized that it is “hard to represent 3,600 students perfectly,” but continued, “I think we made a sincere effort.”

He described the give and take process of building the contract, stating there were many items the school gained as result—such various retail locations. There were also certain items lost in the process, such as meal equivalency.

Gray said that the practice was not economically feasible. He noted there are still aspects of the contract to be implemented, such as the policy requiring all students living on campus to purchase a meal plan. In response to Gray’s comments relating to finances, Blocklove said she was “shocked that Brandeis values the economics of a situation more than it does its students’ needs.”

Grey replied, “We work really tirelessly daily to try to meet as many of your needs as we can,” but explained that the university has limited resources and must think logistically about spending.

Blocklove then asked why, if so

many students have responded negatively to the current meal system, the university is requiring more students to participate. In response, Gray said he believes there are many students satisfied with the meal plans and apologized that he cannot please everyone. “Anytime you change something you’re likely to have some people that appreciate the change and some who wish we could go back to the way in was. We can’t be all things to all people,” said Gray.

Margolin then returned to the subject of student involvement in shaping the contract with Sodexo, stating, “Talks did happen with the Student Union and students, but very late in the game. Student Union wasn’t involved with negotiations and shaping the meal plans, it was more informing and confirming once the meals plans were decided. There was a large concern about students being cut out.”

Margolin notes changes have been made and, moving forward, students are playing a much larger role in discussion, which he greatly appreciates.

Two other students in attendance were the President Jane Qian ’15 and Vice President Matthew Schwartz ’15 of the newly recognized Recovery Network, a nationwide club which encourages universities to donate (rather than discard) unused food.

According to Monaghan, Brandeis

students use approximately 70 percent of their meals. Schwartz asked whether Sodexo purchased based on this assumption or on the premise of 100 percent use.

Monaghan illustrated his method of tracking student consumption.

He works to ensure there is the appropriate quantity of food and staff members present during the business periods of the day. With the weather changing, students have begun eating dinner earlier, thus Monaghan ensures there is enough food present to accommodate the crowds. Monaghan said he does not purchase based on 100 percent consumption, but rather based on careful calculations, in order to reduce waste. He did state that Sodexo discards some food each day.

The representatives from the Recovery Network said they would like to know what procedures are currently in place concerning food waste.

Monaghan said, “We do support some local programs in the community,” though he did not specify what sorts. He also affirmed he is very open to speaking with students about waste.

During the forum, Monaghan probed the audience for their thoughts on the best way to steer dining services. Students provided a variety of responses.

One student drew upon a common thread, proposing alterations to the meal plans which would give students

Brandeis to sell alumni center

Public safety staff mingle with students From POLICE, page 1

on campus,” Walia said. “I think it is an ongoing process, and a huge part of it is bringing students and Public Safety closer.”

Several students in attendance at the event admitted that they had come for the free ice cream but were happy with the conversations they had with Public Safety employees.

Several said that they were surprised to find that officers were so willing to interact with students.

“I want Brandeis to be a stronger community,” said Student Union Vice

President Sofía Mühlmann ’16 in an interview. “These events are super important to show how Public Safety really is here to protect and help students.” Public Safety officers in attendance happily talked to students about topics ranging from their favorite ice cream flavors and toppings to movies, cementing the friendly atmosphere.

Callahan also related the event to the recent increase of reported alcohol-related incidents on campus.

“There are certain people who continually get reported because of their actions when alcohol is involved,” Callahan said. “But Public Safety is

not only here to ruin students’ fun.”

The reports were all filed only after complaints were called in, rather than being the result of Public Safety seeking to shut down parties or events.

In the future, the Student Union will collaborate with the Brandeis administration to bridge gaps between various departments and students, Walia said. “We want to work with the university to make the students really feel like they are heard and can trust [the administration],” Walia said. Many events are currently in the brainstorming stage in the Student Union and will occur in addition to more roundtables and public forums.

From MANSION, page 1

nate” and includes “a facade of limestone blocks on the lower floors and yellow brick above with an entrance portico supported by limestone pillars,” according to a Wall Street Journal article. It was built by architect Richard W. Buckley and his partner Robert McCafferty, and it was completed in 1896. It was purchased

by Reginald Vanderbilt in 1916, a millionaire sportsman who owned stables for racing horses. Manhattan’s Landmarks Preservation Commission described Vanderbilt as a “noted horseman” and identified the architecture style of the home as neo-Renaissance. Vanderbilt’s greatgrandfather, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, was the creator of the family fortune.

John Burger, a broker at Brown Harris Stevens, a luxury residential real estate firm with offices in Manhattan, said in an Oct. 7 Wall Street Journal article that he expected a strong interest from buyers who are “seeking a single-family residence, which is what the house was built for.”

He also identified residential streets just off Fifth Avenue and Central Park, better known as “the park blocks,” as holding some of the city’s highest prices for townhouses. The home is 25-feet-wide and is five stories tall, including “original wood paneling, fireplaces, decorative plaster and a curved wooden staircase.”

Burger believes that families would want to see extensive adjustments made to the house before purchasing it as a single-family home.

The house was sold two years after Vanderbilt’s death to a real-estate executive and then to an insurance firm.

In 1934, the house was purchased by Nate B. Spingold, a former top executive at Columbia Pictures. Spingold’s widow donated the house to Brandeis in 1960, and in 1970, it was renovated into an alumni center with additional administrative and office space.

Brandeis is one of many other notfor-profit organizations and universities that have decided to sell the Manhattan mansions they had owned for many decades. This “trend” has heightened in the city’s residentialproperty market since the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis.

photo from internet source

photos by jess linde/the hoot

party with police Brandeis community members enjoyed ice cream together.

more points or allow them to use meals in more places.

Blocklove praised unique items in the dining halls, such as the apple cider in Sherman. Similarly, another student proposed specialty stations, with people cooking different foods depending on the day. He suggested theme nights, to celebrate different holidays or ethnic cuisines. Blocklove also suggested the addition of spice bars, in additional to traditional condiments.

An enthusiastic Gray replied, “That’s an outstanding idea … thank you for that.” Another student proposed the addition of Sriracha to the dining halls, which Gray felt was an excellent proposal as well. One forum participant asked about meal periods and multiple swipes. Gray professed that he believes three meal periods is quite insufficient.

“We’re moving toward a four or five meal period definition of the day which will significantly change and increase people’s ability to swipe,” said Gray, asserting he hopes to implement the new program quite soon.

At the close of the discussion, participants discussed the impending renovations to Sherman. Gray explained that few changes have been formalized and that many upgrades will be made to failing kitchen equipment.

brandeis house This picture depicts the inside of the Brandeis mansion that is currently for

sale.

November 14, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot

NEWS

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Environmental play offers contrasting faculty viewpoints

By Hannah Stewart Staff

On Monday evening, Nov. 10, a panel composed of faculty from several different departments gathered in the International Lounge of Usdan to discuss climate change, how the world has responded to it and how the world needs to better prepare.

The panel, titled “The Good News on Climate Change: Brandeis and a World of Solutions,” offered points of view not often heard in mainstream media as well as advice for what students at Brandeis can do to make a difference.

The moderator of the panel, Philip Wight, a doctoral student from the Department of History, explained the unusual name of the event: “Climate change is an enormous problem, but it’s also a tremendous opportunity, and there is no shortage of creativity that we can employ to address the problem … we have the technology to solve this problem, and what we need to focus on is the social and the political will,” he said.

The panel itself was composed of six professors from all three schools at Brandeis: Sabine von Mering, an associate professor from the German and the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies departments; Frank Lowenstein, who will be teaching “Land Conservation in a Crowded World” this spring; Judith Herzfeld, a professor of biophysical chemistry; Charles Chester, a guest lecturer who will be teaching “Atmospheric Civics and Diplomacy: World Politics of Air Pollution, Ozone Depletion, and Climate Change”; John Ballantine, a senior lecturer at the Brandeis Inter-

national Business School who will be teaching the graduate course “Investing in Energy: Fossil Fuels to Cleaner Energy”; and Eric Olson, a senior lecturer at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

The panel began with the question, “Why is climate change so urgent to each of you?”

“As I’ve gotten more in depth with climate change, I’ve realized that, in my view, climate change is not particularly a threat to the natural world … but rather a threat … to society as we know it,” began Lowenstein. “The natural world may experience a mass extinction … but it will still be there, and over millions of years it will recover.”

Chester offered a contrasting point of view: “I do worry about the natural world. I spent a lot of time in my career in Yellowstone National Park and … for me, one of the most fundamental challenges I have … is what is Yellowstone going to look like in 50 years? It’s probably going to look very different than what it looks today. What in the world are we trying to protect today, in that case?”

Throughout the evening, Ballantine suggested a different perspective through which to view climate change.

“I guess I look at climate change … through the perspectives of businesses and companies both in the United States and throughout the world … In the United States, energy companies have been in opposition to government intervention … and then you look at the differences in Northern Europe and the energy companies there … in changing their perspective on how they look at energy and to what extent they invest in greener

panel on climate change Lecturers urge students to advocate for environmentally conscious practices.

technology.”

Von Mering explained some of the changes already made by Germany.

Germany and France have pledged $1 billion dollars to the United Nation’s Green Climate Fund to help developing and underdeveloped countries “leapfrog” the industrial age and move straight into the renewable age. “They’ve raised awareness about climate change for a long time,” von Mering commented about Germany’s environmental conversation. She

mentioned they were “inspired, by the way, by American environmentalists … that young generation in the ’60s and ’70s really felt as if there is something looming over our heads, and we all know it, and we’re not doing anything about it, we’re responsible, we’re complicit.”

Building off of the theme of the power of the youngest generation, Herzfeld recollected, “You may not realize, recycling on Brandeis only happened because of students. The

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

students were the ones who put them [the recycling bins] out.”

Olson offered one final piece of advice to the audience as well.

“You can vote. Vote as often as possible … become active in the political process … Ask what is not being taught at Brandeis … The primary thing that students can do is expand their own education … make some things much more mainstream than this conversation currently is,” he said.

Safety concerns shut down library party

By Theresa Gaffney Editor

Last weekend, Student Events held its second annual Library Party—an event that has quickly adopted the infamy of Pachanga, a previously controversial and exciting party on campus. Fitted with a stripper pole and decorated so that nobody could ever imagine studying there, the library opened on Saturday, Nov. 8 for the party at 10 p.m.

Due to much hype in the weeks leading up to the event, students were lined up at the doors right when the party started. The building reached its capacity less than two hours after the party began, creating a long line outside the library.

Student Events also closed off the upper level of the library for capacity reasons, making the already small area designated for the party even more crowded.

Students then became frustrated because of the restricted access to the upstairs area, according to Associate Director of Student Activities Steve Pagios. However, Student Events did have a second dance area on the first floor of Farber Library, where students could also go. “Outside, quite simply, there were a good amount of people that wanted to get in,” Pagios said.

Student Events and Public Safety, however, were more concerned about the safety concerns arising from large crowds. “For the space we were using in the library, we figured out those numbers and only allowed that number of people in,” Pagios said. “Eventually, people in line started pushing against the door and each other making the outside environment unsafe.”

goldfarb library Library party fails to meet student expectations.

With the safety of the students in mind, Public Safety and the Department of Student Events decided that the best decision was to end the event.

The party was then shut down at approximately 11:45 p.m., with between 200 to 300 people still outside.

Frustrated students still attempted to enter the library, some forcefully, and Brandeis Police were called to facilitate the shutdown of the event.

Arriving officers encountered mul-

tiple intoxicated students, as well as “students who were upset and unruly because of the party closing,” according to an email to The Brandeis Hoot from Public Safety Director Ed Callahan. Police officers then spent a long time convincing party attendees to clear the area safely before students finally dispersed around campus.

Many students were intoxicated, resulting in numerous disturbances and complaints being filed all over

photo from internet source

campus that night, according to the Brandeis Police Log. In East Quad, a group of intoxicated students tipped over a table.

In the Foster Mods, a large group of students from the party gathered outside, shouting anti-police slogans laced with profanity and banging on tables and cars. However, once Brandeis Police officers and cars arrived, the majority of the gathered students left the area peacefully.

When asked whether the Library Party would take place again next year, Pagios said, “That is a conversation Student Events plans on having with both Public Safety and the library staff to determine if the event will reoccur and if so, what measures can we take to ensure the event will be a safe and fun experience for all of our students.”

Andrew Elmers contributed to this report.

ARTS, ETC.

November 14, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot 4

Poet Kazim explores ‘lostness‘ in reading

By Clayre Benzadon Staff

On Nov. 11, poet, essayist and translator Kazim Ali performed a poetry reading in Mandel. He first read through “Bright Felon” and “Sky Ward.” These two poems, typical of most of his poems, contain messages of philosophy, religion and his personal experiences.

His first poem encompasses everything he has felt for most of his life: “Lostness.” He was born in the U.K. to Muslim parents but has been a nomad for most of his life, lost, traveling the world until he finally settled down in Ohio, where he has been for the past five years. He considers his book as something that was written in crisis, as he constantly tries to find himself in a fragmented world, saying that his biggest struggle was attempting to gain the strength to come out as gay to his parents. This isn’t the only topic that comes through Kazim’s poems, however, as his philosophical statements extend out to more universal ideas of isolation, which is especially demonstrated in “Lostness”: “dear God of blankness I pray to dear

unerasable/ how could I live without You if I were ever given answers/ the summer thickens with lostness.”

The ethereal, prose quality of this poem reflects the time that crosses through life, moving forward and backward in memories, with the fragmented form illustrating the difficult truths. “Lostness” is personified in many different ways, with the “summer thickening with lostness,” with “God of blankness” a symbol that gives the speaker a sense of this “lostness,” since this God does not give him the answers to life’s questions, and with his pleading of: “dear afternoon God dear evening God my lonely world,” desperately looking for the answers.

With most of his poems consisting of philosophical statements, he aims to delve into his personal archeology to find what the root of human emotion is. Emulating Gertrude Stein’s style, most of these life questions do not end in question marks but rather are punctuated with periods as a way to create statements that seem hypothetical, powerful and demanding, while interrogations are demonstrated as weak before the answer.

A lot of his poems also contain recurring themes, with spiritual and Biblical references, mysterious qualities and blanks left to for readers to fill out. The motifs serve to create a cyclical symbolism that reflects the spiraling forward of our lives.

Hunger, water, truth and the feeling of isolation are all major themes he touches upon as the basic needs that humans desire. In addition, these are representations that are not only put forth in the setting of desert land and Egypt, but also intertwine his life and the conflicts his faces.

Additionally, in “Cairo,” Kazim writes of the active gay community in the titular city. He chronicles the police’s history of raiding parties and arresting many of his friends who do not have the money to bribe the police to release them. Again there is the speaker’s feeling of isolation in the piece: “In the one place everyone looks like me—has my name—I am the most foreign…I am without language. Even in a place where Kazim should feel at home, he does not.

He feels as though everyone looks at him suspiciously, as though he were a “thread lost in a labyrinth.”

photo by marian silijeholm/the hoot

kazim ali Poet reads works from his book, Sky Ward.

English Department announces new courses and instructors

By Michelle Kim Editor

Brandeis’ newest English classes have just recently been announced.

According to the English Department, Scott Moore and Jodie Austin will be teaching a number of courses next semester.

Moore, who will be teaching Moving on Up: The Fiction of Merit and Mobility this coming spring, earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from California State University, Chico, and received his Ph.D. from Brandeis specializing in 19th-century American literature. An already experienced instructor, Moore currently teaches Composition and has taught sections of University Writing Seminar. His spring class will explore the problematic relationship between talent and class mobility in American literature and culture and will be a special one-time offering for spring 2015 only.

Austin, who earned her B.A. in

English from University of California, Santa Barbara and earned her Ph.D. in English from Brandeis, will be teaching three courses in the Spring: Digital Humanities, Poetics of Plague Writing and The Political Zombie.

Digital Humanities is an introduction to the history and development of digital media and culture. The class will explore topics like video games, cyberpunk culture and e-commerce sites. The Poetics of Plague Writing is a literature-based course focusing on plague in the 17th century. Finally, The Political Zombie is a UWS in which representations of the zombie as a political figure in film will be studied. As an English professor, Austin is most looking forward to meeting her students and developing a rewarding relationship with them. “These are all new courses, so I’m hoping that we can break some exciting ground together in terms of engaging with the content and trying out some novel approaches toward class-based projects. For example, the

Digital Humanities course will be the first class that I’ve ever taught that will feature a video game as a common text,” she disclosed. When asked about her personal favorite works of literature, she said that some of her favorite works will be read in class and that students will have to take the courses to find out.

At Brandeis, Austin wrote her dissertation on the plague and its impact on early modern literature in England. The Poetics of Plague Writing is based upon her own dissertation research. “I wanted to teach it in order to expand further upon my research in addition to seeing what students themselves think about the topic. Although I’ve always loved studying early modern literature, I’ve also tried to keep one foot firmly planted on the modern/postmodern side of things as well; the prospect of teaching a Digital Humanities course really appealed to my geeky side,” she said.

There are many parallels between the intellectual Renaissance that early

modern Europeans were experiencing in the 17th century and the digital renaissance that we’re currently a part of. “I see this as an opportunity to bridge some of those discussions.

As far as the UWS is concerned, I am well aware that America is fairly saturated with zombie culture at the moment; however, I’ve found that

there aren’t that many opportunities for undergraduates to explore the idea of the allegorical zombie, or the historical zombie, within a more rigorous, academic context,” she explained. “I felt in many ways like it was time to give the zombie his/her due. Even the undead should be allowed to have a political voice.”​

photos from internet source

jodie austin and scott moore Professsors will teach new English classes next semester.

Darkmatter performance stuns

By Jess Linde Editor

Alok Vaid-Menon and Janani Balasubramanian, poets and activists known together as the trans South Asian political performance art duo Darkmatter, delivered an incredible performance at Chum’s Coffee House last night that blew the roof off. The event was organized by the media club Brandeis Television (BTV) and Triskelion, Brandeis’ student resource for empowering LGBTQ members of the Brandeis community. At least 100 Brandeis students and other guests packed into the venue for the performance, and were all at rapt attention for its entirety. The event was opened by BTV President Rohan Narayanan ’15, who described Darkmatter as two of his “poetry

and activist heroes.” Narayanan also performed two pieces of his own slam poetry, about gun violence and frustration with portrayals of Indian Americans in media. The pieces were both passionate, well-written and very moving.

Vaid-Menon and Balasubramanian then took the stage. Both of them performed biting and intense poetry based around themes such as racism, gender nonconformity, colonialism, anti-capitalism and much more, and both are brilliant. I was first introduced to their work through the medium of Twitter, on which Darkmatter is active in online organizing and promoting good causes. Since then, I have watched most of their performances that are on YouTube and finally saw them perform live and met them in person at MIT last year. I am a white, heterosexual, cis-

gender male; Darkmatter’s poetry is not “for” me. Yet experiencing VaidMenon and Balasubramanian’s work, both in poetry and political activism, have been essential in the progression of my own politics. Specifically, finding ways to contribute in ways that actually redistribute power and resources to marginalized and oppressed people.

Thursday’s performance was just as incredible. Poems Darkmatter performed included “Breakup Letter to Stanford University,” which deconstructs the idea of universities as places of power, and “Boston,” about the use of gay rights to continue structural racism in America. Both are fantastically powerful and cut to the very core of what “activism” should be and is. In each piece, the duo made it clear what their goals were: that they represented themselves and

their communities, and they had no interest in conforming to any sort of social norm created by systems of imperialism and oppression. The work of Darkmatter is an antithesis to American imperialism, capitalism, heteronormativity, white supremacy, gender binaries and most every social norm that may exist. But the poems they write are calls to arms, meant to rise up, not to defeat.

Their words are as empowering as they are heartbreaking, funny as they are bittersweet. These feelings were enhanced by the intimate setting of Chum’s. Audience members cheered and snapped throughout the performance, obviously moved and energized, as the raucous applause after every poem confirmed. Some attendees were even brought to tears during more personal pieces. More than anything, people celebrated the

fact that marginalized people and experiences were not only being voiced, but also celebrated by the duo, which made the event that much more extraordinary.

The event ended with a question and answer section, during which Vaid-Menon and Balasubramanian gave advice on activism and relating to others and shared more personal stories. There was even an educational moment when a self-described “straight white dude” (not me) asked how to be more active in issues Darkmatter presented. Overall, it was an experience that ought to happen more at universities like Brandeis; one that affirmed and promoted values many Brandeisians hold dear, in a way that circumvented a system many also see as broken or ineffective. I do not really have anything more to say, other than wow.

November 11, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS

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Baladi reflects on international, multimedia art career

By Emma Kahn

Special to the Hoot

Lara Baladi, a highly acclaimed Egyptian-Lebanese photographer and multimedia artist, recently presented “Organised Chaos,” which beautifully summarized a retrospective autobiography of her career, her most prized works, her inspirations and her message. The Brandeis Art Council hosted Baladi, who gave a talk presented by the Department of Fine Arts, the Department of African and Afro-American Studies and the Rose Art Museum.

Contact with a myriad of international experiences and iconography of cultures inspired Baladi, a Cairobased artist. She works with a broad array of media, from tapestries and traditional modes of expression to sounds and perfumes that enhance her message. These diverse modes of expression fuel the imaginations of her viewers and articulate her own history in a generalized way that can relate to all.

“Lara Baladi is one of the most traveled artists we’ve ever hosted,” raved Gannit Ankori (FA), who introduced the presentation. Baladi’s art, however, draws inspiration not only from her travels, but also from her close connections to family. She shed light on two recent events that caught her attention: the passing of her grandmother, a vibrant woman whose energy was a subject of many of Baladi’s pieces, and a new law

signed in Egypt that criminalizes foreign funding such as that of NGOs. The law infringes on citizens’ rights to free media and journalism, and has fragmented the cultural scene of Cairo. Similar circumstances are often the focal point of Baladi’s work.

In the midst of conflict and chaos, Baladi began by taking a retroactive look at how Arabs view themselves and their history. She explained that her photography created a foundation for her work, but in no means labels herself as a photographer.

Nonetheless, her career began with a focus on the history of the Western orientalist view of the Middle East, and her goal was to redefine this view. In her piece titled “The Mother of the World,” she looks at the orientalist image and turns it on its head, leaving viewers with a sense of strong iconography that contrasts the natural perception of the desert and of the origins of humanity. Beginning with classic images from postcards, she journeys into uncharted territory, pulling in new images that are antithetical to conventional portrayals of the Middle East.

She also called attention to her piece “El Fanous El Sehry,” showing a short video of the production process. This piece, consisting of colorful “dark room” depictions of an x-rayed doll giving birth, were representative of her passion for Japanese manga culture. Inspired by a nephew’s love for Pikachu, she quickly realized that manga culture was present throughout her childhood without

her knowledge, having spent decades watching colorful manga cartoons and seeing its imagery everywhere.

“I was being fed a culture that I knew nothing about”, said Baladi.

With help from her grandmother’s doctor, she was able to draw upon xrayed images, a material she wouldn’t have had access to anywhere but in Cairo. “Cairo, because of its nature of being completely diverse and abnormal, with no set cultural normatives, allowed me to be able to produce something that should have cost me a fortune to produce.” Japanese manga, a culture that was unknown to her but has embedded itself in every aspect of Japanese culture, became the focal point for “El Fanous El Sehry” and has direct ties to the inspiring work of manga artist Go Nagai, author of Grendizer. She recounts that returning from Japan, she found Cairo to be outdated, comparing her travels to regressing from the “26th century to the 15th.”

Baladi then turned directions to her modern kaleidoscope, called “Roba Vecchia,” named after the modern Italian community residing in Egypt. Her piece transforms the old stories that connect closely with the unique perspectives and collective histories of each individual viewing her “Roba Vecchia.” Her kaleidoscope is comprised of not just shapes and stars like a normal kaleidoscope, but also of modern images and figures. The images are constantly changing and bending, illuminating the fact that each person’s perception

of art is destined to be unique, although the collective experience will be similar. Baladi described the work as immersive, allowing people to be directly involved with the art. She was inspired by the notion of writing history from the leftovers, claiming that recorded history is colloquially the “tip of the iceberg” and that the leftovers of history, namely the trash that gets lost as time progresses, is the best way to document history.

Finally, Baladi stressed the pieces that are tributes to her father, whose cancer slowly absorbed his life and taught her the importance of art in her life. She found that when tragedy hits, art anchors her and makes sense of a world that doesn’t make sense.

Baladi collected photographs of the coffee cups of her father and her father’s visitors, paralleling the act of reading the remnants of coffee cups that is traditional in her culture.

Although her art is closely connected to personal issues, her tributes to her father have become works that tie her loss to the losses of her viewers, allowing her viewers to read the diary of her father’s future and read her loss in his coffee cups. Her works such as “Chronologie,” “Relative Destiny” and “Qabr El Zaman” (The Tomb of Time), among others, chronicle her loss in a way that resonates with viewers. These pieces highlight her lucid storytelling, subjectivity and the fluidity of narrative language, and work to unroot history and allow it to transcend time.

Baladi then discussed the difficulty

of creating art under a dictatorship, photographing and involving the revolutions of Tahrir Square into her art. She was inspired by the innovation of photography that allowed protesters to photograph and document what was around them. She found that Tahrir was an incredibly sad, messy and angry place without a way to channel these conditions into something positive. Baladi thought, “We need something. We need a screen.” Baladi improvised a media activist program which screened various political images of the time and recorded accounts of individuals being oppressed. These images proved incredibly powerful, as they documented tales which the Egyptian people had been sheltered from.

Tahrir became a place for sharing, participating and discussing.

Throughout her career, Baladi has emphasized the act of archiving as an act of resistance. She believes that in the current digital age, the power is in the hands of those who can document history. Baladi is currently working on a project at MIT called “Archiving a Revolution in the Digital Age,” a transmedia project that connects various images and accounts into a timeline, a conglomeration of all the narratives of various civilian reporters into one. She has been working on this piece for three years and expects the project to continue into the next two years. This riveting talk was one of several Artist Talks that the Brandeis Art Council will host throughout the year.

Library Lamentations Pt. 2

By Linjie Xu

photos from internet source

lara baladi Acclaimed multimedia artist gives a talk about the inspirations behind her work.

SPORTS

November 14, 2014

SPORTS 6

Fencing looks forward to a promising year

By Sarah Jousset editor

The men’s and women’s fencing teams kicked off their season on Saturday, Nov. 1 with their first tournament, the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Fall Invitational. The Brandeis men’s team took home one gold, two silver and two bronze medals, while Captain Caroline Mattos ’16 took home the only medal for the women’s side, a silver in women’s foil. With six medals to bring back, the Judges were happy with their performance.

“The first tournament is a test of our individual strengths, and we had a lot of success,” said men’s captain Jess Ochs-Willard ’15. With the team off to such a good start, the Judges hope to build momentum.

Both the men’s and women’s teams have high expectations for the Brandeis fencing program this season. Mattos reported good things for the women’s team, saying that “the women’s team has stepped up this year…I think this year our team has more drive to remain the top Division Three school.” After a transitional year last year for the women’s team (with eight sophomores and five first-years) the young team had trouble competing against fencers with more experience. However, “with another year under our belts, we have definitely gained much experience and continue to grow. I be-

photos from internet source

strip confidence Adam Mandel ‘15, left, and Caroline Mattos ‘16 both medaled in the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Fall Invitational on Nov. 1.

lieve that his will be our best season yet” said Mattos. With a more experienced team this year Mattos knows that although there are things to work on, she isn’t worried.

Mattos said the team hopes to qualify as many fencers as possible to earn a spot in the NCAA’s as well as win New England’s. “I’m more interested in helping my teammates reach performance goals. I want to see all of them increase their level of fencing, whether it be through footwork or point control, because this is more beneficial in the long run,” said Mattos. The team looks for little victories

and improvements every time, hoping “to medal in every competition,” said rookie epeeist Shayna Lyandvert ’18.

“We need to bring the same underdog mentality as last year. We need to practice hard and smart…We’ve added some talented freshmen this year, and they’re going to be invaluable not only in meets, but in helping the returning fencers stay in form,” OchsWillard said. The team now looks to use its potential to the fullest in order to send as many fencers as possible to the NCAAs this year. However, for the men’s team, there are some major

matches that have to be won before they can get to NCAAs. “Our team goals include beating Duke and winning our conference,” stated epeeist Hunter Stusnick ’18.

Ochs-Willard also cited Sacred Heart, Yale and Brown as important teams to beat this year. The team members know that they must support each other to beat these teams, and push each other hard in practice.

“The team looks strong and cohesive. Everyone is very supportive and does a great job motivating each other to work hard and improve. We have the tools to make for an impres-

sive season,” said epeeist Matthew Schattner ’18. The men’s team is looking to the future, and it seems bright.

“All of our starters have the potential to qualify if they work hard,” said Ochs-Willard. Schattner added that the team’s goals include being, “the best team in the conference” as well.

Last year’s team qualified three fencers, all of whom will return for this year’s season.

Both teams will take part in the Northeast Conference Meet at MIT this Saturday, Nov. 15 against Boston University, MIT, Sacred Heart and the University of New Hampshire.

Men’s and women’s soccer qualifies for NCAAs

By Sarah Jousset editor

Both Brandeis soccer teams finished their seasons on a high note this past weekend against New York University.

The women’s soccer team finished with a 0-0 tie against New York University in a UAA match, but outshot their opponent 21-9 in the game. The shutout marked the 12th of the season, resulting in a school record for fewest allowed goals for the regular season. There were only nine goals allowed, five fewer than the previous record set in 1990. The women Judges finished the regular season with a record of 12-4-2 and 2-3-2 for the UAA conference.

The Judges finished sixth in the UAA conference, and third in the NCAA New England rankings. On Monday, the women’s soccer team earned a bid for the NCAA tournament. It was one of six teams selected from the UAA conference. This marks the third time in five years that Brandeis women’s soccer will be playing in the NCAA Division III tournament. The Judges will take on Penn State-Behrend of the AMCC conference on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania. This will be the first meeting between the Judges and PSUB. The men’s soccer team also finished strong this season, matching the school record for wins during the

ncaa tournament Michelle Savuto ‘15, left, and Evan Jastremski ‘17 will play with their teams in the first round of the NCAA tournament this week-

photos from internet source

end.

regular season after defeating NYU 1-0 this past weekend in a UAA conference game. The men’s soccer team outshot their opponent 21-8. However, the game remained scoreless until the 81st minute, when Evan Jastremski ’17 found the back of the net. He met with success on his third attempt, after three back-to-back shots. The

Judges finished the regular season 17-2, and 5-2 in the UAA. This record matched that of the 1985 squad’s, with 17 regular season wins. The Judges finished second in the UAA conference behind the University of Chicago, but are the top ranked team in New England.

This will be the third year in a row

the Judges qualify for the NCAA Division III tournament. The Judges earned an at-large berth to the tournament from their impressive record.

They will host the first two rounds.

The Judges will take on Husson University, champions of the North Athletic Conference, at home on Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. This will be the first time the

Judges have faced Husson all season.

The winner of this game will play on Gordon field on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 5 p.m.

Admission to the game will cost $6 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for children under 12. However, tickets are free for Brandeis students with their student ID.

7 FEATURES.

The Brandeis Hoot

FEATURES

November 14, 2014

General Tutoring builds better futures

By Hannah Schuster staff

General Tutoring is a club under the umbrella of Waltham Group that partners children of all ages in the greater Waltham area with Brandeis students for free one-on-one tutoring in a variety of subjects, ranging from math and reading to SAT/ACT prep. The organization was founded more than 30 years ago. Currently, more than 100 Brandeis students volunteer with General Tutoring, which serves more than 100 students in the Waltham public schools.

General Tutoring sessions take place once a week on the Brandeis

campus. Interested members of the Waltham community may sign up for the program and will subsequently be put in contact with a Brandeis student. Tutors coordinate with tutees and their parents to arrange convenient meeting times.

General Tutoring endows volunteers with a great amount of freedom, and volunteers are encouraged to coordinate personally with students and their families. “[The coordinators] usually act as a third party that oversees the relationship between the volunteer and the student,” Coordinator Erick Yeung ’15 said. He explained that the Brandeis students involved with the program “provide tutoring

photo from internet source

SUPPORT General Tutoring aims to be a resource for students who, though less fortunate than many of their peers, deserve the same chance to succeed.

photo from internet source

services with a high level of professionalism.”

Over the years, General Tutoring has developed in-depth training sessions to aid volunteers in their work.

Workshops provide them with skills to better their performance as tutors and teach them how to handle a variety of situations, both expected and irregular.

General Tutoring has a strong partnership with many members of the Waltham community, and the group has received overwhelming positive feedback from both students and parents. General Tutoring has a good reputation in the Waltham community and “parents often refer family and friends to the program,” said Yeung.

The program has built relationships with community partners such as Waltham High School, and in the past, General Tutoring has even arranged mock SAT exams.

The group seeks to provide Waltham students access to services and experiences they may not otherwise have.

Yeung himself began tutoring children in high school and joined General Tutoring once at Brandeis to

continue his passion for it. “I always thought of it as an opportunity to give back to the community,” Yeung said.

“As a tutor attempts to explain a concept, he or she will hopefully be able to inspire the student and grow as an individual in terms of developing effective communication and understanding the material from different perspectives,” said Yeung, explaining the important relationship between tutors and their students. Yeung sees the benefits of tutoring on all sides of the equation, from Brandeis to Waltham and from teacher to student.

“Not only are we able to help the students, but this experience prompts us to self-reflect and understand ourselves even more in the process,” he assessed.

Upon joining General Tutoring, Yeung worked with high school students on SAT prep and enjoyed the experience immensely. He felt as though he wanted to do more for the program and the Waltham community as a whole. This led him to became a coordinator his sophomore year at Brandeis.

“Being a coordinator for Gen-

eral Tutoring allowed me to interact with other coordinators in Waltham Group and further appreciate the different ways in which Brandeis volunteers are making a difference in the community.”

It is clear that General Tutoring has a major impact on the community members it serves. Cardinally, the children involved in General Tutoring enjoy their time spent learning and connecting with Brandeis students. The kids view their tutors as role models, friends and mentors. The tutors genuinely care for the children they work with and as a result, “Many [children], along with parents, love to ask tutors for guidance in order to benefit the student’s future,” Yeung said.

Providing children with hopeful, promising futures is the goal of General Tutoring. In Waltham there is a large education gap, illustrated by standardized test scores, for example. General Tutoring is focused on bridging this gap.

“Some parents, some families cannot afford private tutors. Their next generation shouldn’t be suffering because of this lack of resources,” said Yeung.

November 14, 2014

ARTS, ETC.

The Brandeis Hoot 8

Adagio Dance Company dazzles at ‘Be the Spark’

By Sabrina Pond Staff

Lights and streamers lined the stage. Nearby hung a colorful sign that read “Adagio Dance,” a considerably modest setup for the Dance Company’s latest performance, “Be the Spark.” Other than these subtle decorations, the only other adornment was a white tarp that hung in the stage’s background, used primarily to catch the spotlights. These overhead lights added another layer to the performance by constantly changing color, flashing and dimming in and out. “Be the Spark,” overall, was successful in unveiling the fiery, glowing sparks that twirled, shimmied and soared throughout the entirety of the stage—until eventually resuming the final pose of the performance and gracefully blowing

out.

Adagio featured several dance styles, including modern, hip-hop, jazz and lyrical ballet. The range of musical numbers was so diverse and so vast—the very essence of some songs contradicted each other—that the shift from one number required the adjustment from one “world” to another. As Bentley’s dance group CRAZE completed the last few jerky moves of their edgy hip-hop number, for example, Adagio performed “Alleviate,” a soft, graceful and elegant dance. The switchover from rough and tough to a delicate lullaby really shows just how wide-ranging and distinct the show was.

The dancers were altogether clean, sharp and sophisticated—to say the absolute least. The coordination and synchronization of each and every piece goes to show just how dedicated the dancers truly are, and the amazing art they are capable of making. One haunting dance number,

“You Need,” was performed by Dance Ensemble and was meant to show the “struggle of seven girls as they fight to control each other,” as the program notes. The song “You Need” by the The Bengsons, in tandem with the inventive and unsettling choreography, generated an unnerving vibe that was absolutely chilling to the core. The nature of power dynamics, deception and manipulation were all inadvertently visible throughout the choreography; some girls were being controlled like puppets, unable to move—to dance—on their own. To top it all off, the very end of the dance was punctuated as one dancer stood on a chair and snapped her fingers, causing all the other dancers to fall to the ground—a powerful message and thrilling finale to a beautifully crafted performance.

Brandeis University’s Hooked on Tap (HOT) also shuffle ball-changed its way onto the Levin Ballroom stage. Brandeis’ only tap perfor-

mance and teaching group made an appearance at the Adagio Dance Performance with a number titled “Don’t Stop Me Now.” The patter of tap shoes emanated throughout the ballroom’s enclosed space, creating one combined melodious sound. It was as if the tap dancers were playing instruments but with their feet, paying careful attention to each and every swipe against the floor. The tap dancers’ awareness of each other and ability to feel the music was obvious in every hand movement and every shuffle of the feet.

In between numbers, Levin Ballroom was riddled with chuckles, largely due to the emcees’ witty comments and strange reactions to each group’s performance. David Getz ’15 and Dan Hirshfield ’16 were wellchosen emcees because of their proficiency in renewing the audience’s interest in the performance and keeping a lighthearted atmosphere.

At one point in the performance they

photos by sharon cai/the hoot

be the spark Adagio’s fall show amazes audience and sets a high bar for future performances.

claimed to “love the energy” they felt around them without realizing that they set the tone for the entire show.

All in all, they both had a very strong presence and are characters that are hard to forget.

“Be the Spark” was undeniably entertaining, charming and gripping, and really sets a high bar for all of its dancers and future performances.

The dedication and enthusiasm of the dancers was possibly potent. The blood, sweat and tears of each and every individual, though not literally seen, are still very evident. The interest and ardor of a small subset of Brandeis’ student body is truly amazing and should be recognized as such.

Adagio Dance Company is looking for more dancers and will be accepting interested performers at the start of the spring semester. It accepts individuals of all dance levels and is both flexible and accommodating, allowing for interested persons to determine their own level of dedication.

9 The Brandeis Hoot

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

photo by sharon cai/the hoot

rabb Brandeis student head to class

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

fall leaves The Brandeis Campus is covered in fallen leaves

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

seasonal colors Fall blankets the Brandeis campus with leaves

photos by karen caldwell/the hoot

perspectives on prematurity Brandeis students gather for an event this week about premature babies, and how that danger

can be prevented.

photos by marian siljeholm/the hoot

louis Louis statue in the fall weather

November 14, 2014

EDITORIALS

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editor-in-Chief Dana Trismen

Senior Managing Editor Victoria Aronson Managing Editors Theresa Gaffney Andrew Elmers News Editors Emily Belowich Jess Linde Senior Copy Editors Mia Edelstein Julie Landy Deputy Features Editor Nathan Benjamin Deputy Arts Editor Michelle Kim Deputy Sports Editor Sarah Jousset Senior Layout Editor Sasha Ruiz Graphics Editor Linjie Xu Website Editors Zak Kolar Andrew Parks Zach Phil Schwartz

Volume 11 • Issue 24 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

November 14, 2014

Community benefits from student-staff interactions

T

his past Thursday, Nov. 13, the Student Union organized an ice cream social in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety, inviting students to mix and mingle with officers who are responsible for ensuring the safety of the Brandeis community.

As part of the itinerary for Brandeis Kindness Day, the ice cream social signifies a significant step on behalf of Public Safety to foster positive relationships with the student body.

In the past, students have vocalized feelings of dissatisfaction and discomfort when interacting with members of the Brandeis Police.

Remedying this stigma is critical to ensuring that students feel comfortable with, and inclined to contact, Public Safety—particularly in the case of emergencies.

Armed with the task of protecting the student body, officers interact with students on a regular basis, although primarily in cases of distress, where authority plays a critical role. Lacking the contrived nature of empty promises designed to dismiss student concerns, the event instead demonstrated a genuine initiative on behalf of the officers to get to know members of the student body. Creating a relationship outside of the typical student-officer interaction could prove key to establishing feelings of mutual respect.

We support the Student Union’s initiative to establish positive relations between the

student body and Brandeis Police officers, and recognize the potential to extend this strategy to various others departments across campus.

In fact, another recent event hosted as part of Brandeis Kindness Day sought to express gratitude to the custodial staff. Hosted by the Department of Community Living, the event entailed a lunch held in Ridgewood Commons.

Students were invited to donate a meal swipe to make this event possible.

Although often overlooked, the custodial staff here at Brandeis works diligently on a daily basis to keep our residence halls clean. Dining workers and other staff members are all part of our Brandeis community and truly shape the student experience here.

Many of our dining and facilities employees participate in the English Language Learning Initiative, receiving tutoring services from students.

However, establishing connections between staff and students does not have to be limited solely to organized programs but can extend to everyday interactions as well.

In the future, we suggest the implementation of similar events to foster positive ties with other departments on campus that provide critical services to the student body, such as the Psychological Counseling Center (PCC).

As a center that also has suffered from negative student experiences and societal stigmas

surrounding mental health care, the PCC nevertheless provides a critical and necessary service to students coping with psychological stress. Creating an event where counselors can meet undergraduate students on a more casual and personal level could be key to remedying this relationship and demonstrating an initiative on behalf of the PCC to foster positive relations with the student body. Those students suffering from trauma, coping with mental health disorders such as depression, combatting eating disorders or recovering from incidents of sexual assault may feel more comfortable taking advantage of the services offered by the PCC after meeting counselors in a casual environment.

The university is a collaboration of countless departments working across campus to ensure the safety and well being of students.

Rather than dismissing student concerns or offering empty administrative promises, events such as the ice cream social with Public Safety offer the opportunity to develop genuine connections between staff members and the student body.

The Brandeis Hoot supports the initiative of the Student Union to foster positive ties among students, university officials and staff members and urges for this practice to be extended to several other departments across campus.

STAFF

Charlotte Aaron, Clayre Benzadon, Ethan Berceli, Rachel Bossuk, Robin Briendel, Sharon Cai, Karen Caldwell, Shikha Chandarana, Rachel Dobkin, Curtis Zunyu He, Kevin Healey, Rachel Hirschhaut, Shayna Korol, Carter Kunkle, Joe Lanoie, Nabi Menai, Monique J Menezes, Joon Park, Lisa Petrie, Allison Plotnik, Sabrina Pond, Emily Scharf, Marian Siljeholm, Emily Smith, Naomi Soman, Hannah Stewart, Vardges Tserunyan, Joe Vigil, Michael Wang, Sophia Warren, Shreyas Warrier, Liya Wizevich, Ludi Yang MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information.

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

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

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

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

An open letter from the Brandeis Labor Coalition to university administration Dear Brandeis University Administration, According to Brandeis University’s mission statement, the university affirms “the importance of a broad and critical education in enriching the lives of students and preparing them for full participation in a changing society, capable of promoting their own welfare, yet remaining deeply concerned about the welfare of others.” We, the Brandeis Labor Coalition, are a collective of students concerned about Brandeis’ current labor practices and financial policies.

We urge the university to take initiative in creating a more economically just environment for members of the Brandeis campus, including those employed by outside contractors. According to the university’s diversity statement, Brandeis “seeks to safeguard the safety, dignity and well-being of all its members,” which includes students, faculty and staff. Furthermore, Justice Louis D. Brandeis is often remembered for his defense of labor laws and the rights of workers. Despite these facts, terms such as “streamlining” and “efficiency” are employed as codewords to justify exploiting labor and slashing or stunting workers’ hours, pay, benefits and jobs. Too often, workers on the Brandeis campus are mistreated and denied adequate channels of recourse.

Additionally, our institution was founded so that those excluded from other universities would have an opportunity here. While we acknowledge that Brandeis has improved in making higher education accessible to low-income and middle-class students—as highlighted by being ranked 25th on The New York Times’ College Access Index for “The Most Economically Diverse Top Colleges”—we also recognize that a Brandeis education is unaffordable for far too many. Economic barriers such as rising costs of attendance and inadequate financial aid must be addressed in order to ensure an economically diverse community and to prevent drop-outs and transfers. We must strive to have the most brilliant and promising students on our campus, not only the wealthiest.

As a university committed to social justice and developing future leaders, Brandeis needs to constantly reexamine its labor practices; systems of admission, financial aid and other forms of support for low- and middle-income members of the community; and internal processes and practices surrounding budgeting and executive pay.

Thus, the Brandeis Labor Coalition proposes the following five reforms: 1. Just Employment Policy

A. Ensure that staff members have a safe and harassment-free work environment, and create mechanisms to ensure that they are protected from retaliation should they wish to report coworkers, managers or anyone else with whom they work.

B. Provide appropriate grievance procedures where staff ’s concerns are addressed in a timely manner and ensure they are complied with, as well as create mechanisms to ensure that workers are protected from retaliation should they choose to report a grievance.

C. Recognize and uphold negotiated union agreements, take proactive measures to ensure subcontractors do not act in violation of union contracts and take punitive action against subcontractors found to be violating union contracts.

D. Provide full-time, well-paying employment when possible and part-time or temporary work only when necessary. Brandeis will seek commitments from outside contractors hired by the university to also prioritize full-time jobs.

E. Create infrastructure to safeguard that the aforementioned proposals are properly implemented, maintained and evaluated on a regular basis.

2. Transparency of the University Budget A. All students, faculty and staff (including employees who are subcontracted and nonmanagerial staff) be given access to complete, up-to-date budget information and proposals, as well as simplified and easy-to-understand summary versions.

B. Open town hall forums be held throughout the budget-planning process, during which all students, faculty and staff can propose modifications. Multiple forums should be held at different times to ensure that all persons who are interested are able to attend.

3. Reformation of Executive Compensation A. Institute a policy of transparency regarding past, current and future executive compensation. Both complete compensation packages—all salary, benefits and other remuneration received by any current or former university executive—and the mechanisms for calculating executive pay should be published in a publicly available forum.

B. Proportionally anchoring executive pay to the payment of the lowest-paid full-time worker on campus, including those employed by outside contractors. Complete annual settlements for executives should be no greater than 15 times the complete annual earnings of the lowest-paid full-time employee.

4. Fair Community Representation A. Additional student, faculty and nonmanagerial staff representatives on the board of trustees. In order for a full representation of the university, the voices of multiple communities are vital for board of trustees meetings.

B. All student, faculty and non-managerial staff representatives on the board of trustees shall have voting power.

C. Students, faculty and non-managerial staff have a nonbinding vote to endorse the annual budget.

5. Lock-in of Tuition Rate A. Tuition rate becomes locked in at time of enrollment. Tuition increases have applied to all Brandeis students, and some students and families have had to pay more money in tuition every year since matriculation. In order to guarantee that students are able to afford to attend Brandeis from the day they matriculate to the day they graduate, they should pay no more than the tuition fee at the time of enrollment in their first semester. a. In the case of students who unenroll from Brandeis for a specified period of time but plan to return, those who return after a maximum of two consecutive semesters of absence should be allowed to continue paying at the rate of their first semester of enrollment.

B. New tuition increase for each incoming class should not exceed 3.5 percent.

C. Need-based financial aid cannot be decreased. For the duration of a student’s time at Brandeis, institutional need-based financial aid should only be allowed to increase.

D. Need-blind admissions be extended to include both transfer and wait-listed students.

We believe that if Brandeis implements these measures, it will be a major step toward creating a more equitable, democratic, welcoming and accessible community for everybody. As our mission statement demands, our university “carries the name of the justice who stood for the rights of individuals [and therefore] must be distinguished by… awareness of the power and responsibilities that come with knowledge.” The Brandeis community is aware of the shortcomings that exist here. With this knowledge, we must be held accountable and hold each other accountable, as we have the privilege, duty and ability to improve the well-being of all individuals involved in this campus.

We hope to discuss making these proposed reforms a reality with you soon.

Sincerely, The Brandeis Labor Coalition

NEWS

11 The Brandeis Hoot

November 14, 2014

From GLOBAL, page 1

culminated in a global fashion show. The music represented many of the different cultures that were seen at the Global Bazaar.

The Global Bazaar offered many opportunities for students to learn about the international community at Brandeis and ways to get involved.

Representatives from the Office of Study Abroad hosted a table with information about its programs and ways for Brandeis students to continue their studies in a foreign country.

The newly created Student Language Exchange, a club that offers languages not taught at Brandeis, passed out Vietnamese candies and other sweets in promotion of their club.

The event featured tables from language departments and a variety of student-run clubs on campus. A Chinese Program table offered information about educational and cultural opportunities, hosted by students involved in the program. The German Studies Department table gave out free soft pretzels, while the Brandeis Black Student Organization sold soul food. A local Indian market sold Indian dishes and snacks ranging from vegetable puffs to mango lassi and spiced potato chips. The Intercultural Center hosted a table where information about their services and initiatives was available.

Other clubs, like the Brandeis Traditional Music Club and the Brandeis African Student Organization held tables with information and food.

The Waltham Group and Brandeis

photos by sharon cai/the hoot

celebrating culture The Global Bazaar event gave students the opportunity to learn more about other cultures.

Interfaith Chaplaincy both had tables, too.

Brandeis sponsored events all week, like the Language Lunch, hosted by the Division of Humanities and the

Foreign Language Oversight Committee, at which students could speak only a foreign language.

Throughout the week, a number of guest speakers came to discuss their work, including artist Lara Baladi and journalist Roger Cohen. The Brandeis International Journal sponsored a

panel on separatists in Iraq, Nigeria and Ukraine, which featured experts on separatist groups in these countries.

Included in International Education Week is World Kindness Day, an event that celebrates acts of kindness and provides opportunities for

students to participate in community service activities.

International Education Week ends Friday, Nov. 14, with an event hosted by the Brandeis Asian American Student Association and the Taiwanese Student Association titled “Food For Thought.”

Film screening critiques consequences of antibiotics

By Rachel Hirschhaut Staff

Today, we know antibiotics as an easy cure for treatable illnesses, yet there is a downside to their widespread use. Filmmaker Michael Graziano came to Brandeis for a screening of his documentary “Resistance” on Thursday evening, Nov. 13.

He was accompanied by Maryn McKenna, author of the book “Superbug,” and Dr. Tom O’Brien, researcher and vice president of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics.

“Resistance” deals with the increase in superbugs (drug-resistant bacteria) in recent years. This is a public health issue caused by the overprescription of antibiotics, which wipe out good bacteria that are necessary for a healthy ecosystem.

The film tells two stories: the ex-

periences of several people who fell ill from these superbugs and died or were left with lasting effects from their illness; and the work of the doctors and public health experts who are trying to understand the new strains of bacteria that evolve faster than science can catch up with them. It claims that society has “squandered” the promise of antibiotics through overuse. This has been a problem for decades, since the overuse of penicillin led to new strains of diseases.

The event was held in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and was cosponsored by many groups: the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, which does research on this issue; the Heller program in Sustainable International Development; the Research Group on Global Development and Sustainability; the undergraduate biology, environmental studies, and Health:

Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) departments; and Brandeis Students for Environmental Action (SEA). Approximately 40 students and faculty were in attendance.

The film criticizes the use of antibiotics in farming as one cause of the superbug problem. Some farmers use these drugs as a way to make livestock grow faster.

This led to the rise of a salmonella strain found in ground turkey that proved to be resistant to all antibiotics that exist today.

Easy solutions to this problem are still elusive: McKenna told the audience that “new drugs are far from ready for clinical trials and approval, so until then, we’re still stuck in the cycle of competing with microbes.”

“We should purchase antibioticfree meat…and we should be eating meat that is raised as sustainably and healthily as possible,” Graziano said,

photo from internet source

when one student asked how individuals can make a difference. He also cautioned that the “organic” label “is not as strict as we think,” and even organic-certified meat may not necessarily be immune to the effects of antibiotics.

“Unlike other crises like climate change, resistance is one of these things where our behavior really can make an impact,” Graziano said. “We need to be smarter about the way we use antibiotics and the way we exist in the microbial world.”

OPINIONS

November 14, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot 12

College not always worth the investment

By Tristan Ramirez de Haro Staff

It depends on who you are, where you come from and where you want to go. The value of college, as the values of other life experiences, is subjective. One can generalize the idea that people who go to college are generally going to have better paying jobs than people who do not.

However, to say that for young people going to college is completely worthwhile is as valid as saying that it is worthwhile for young people to go to the beach. Both can be true, but that statement does not answer the entire question.

To assess the value of college, first ask yourself, “What makes college worth it?” In basic terms the answer is: one, the experience of college; and two, the practicality of having a college degree for your work career. Now, the college degree is indispensable and can only be earned by going to a college or university, but what about the experience that one gets from college? To clarify, by the word “experience,” I mean all of what a person can learn by being a college student. That includes time spent in classes, extracurricular activities, jobs and hanging out with people associated with the college.

Is attending college indispensable to this learning? Do we need to go to college to learn about other cultures or how to program a computer or how to analyze a book or the value of team effort?

I does not seem so to me. College does make it easier to obtain that experience: Books are easily found in the library, people willing to form a team are easy to approach. College faculty organize the knowledge taught in their classes so that it is most accessible and understandable.

See VALUE, page 14

photo from internet source

Election results yield important lessons

By Samuel G. Scudere-Weiss staff

The results from last week’s election give an interesting perspective on the current American political mindset. Americans consistently elected Republican candidates in all offices, in all divisions of government. However, most of the progressive ballot initiatives also passed, leaving the United States with progressive policies (such as increased minimum wage and legalized marijuana) and conservative legislatures, an interesting combination. Analysts, I’m sure, will go on to interpret the meaning of all of this, psychoanalyzing voters and determining the methods and intentions behind the vote. However, the answer is much simpler.

This election had the lowest voter turnout since World War Two, at 36.4 percent, so it’s no wonder that the results seem so strange.

Voter apathy is one of the largest problems facing the United States. People feel as if their vote does not matter, and whether or not they vote in the election, their vote will have no outcome on the end result. This sentiment can be alleviated in several ways, one of which would be adding more seats to the House of Representatives, which has not been done since 1911, and is vastly overdue. While there was merit to the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929, it is important to realize that the U.S. population has increased about 200 million from 1929 to 2014.

In 1929, each congressman represented about 300,000 citizens, while currently each congress-

man represents about 700,000 citizens. An increase in seats would not only help alleviate strain for congressmen, but it also would allow each voter to be more connected to politics on many levels. It gives more votes to the Electoral College (taking away some of the importance of swing states) and it has the potential to significantly decrease the gridlock in Congress.

In this election, what did the Democrats do wrong? Firstly, the ballot initiatives show that progressive policies and ideals are wanted by the American people. An interesting campaign to look at would be Gary Peters from Michigan.

He campaigned with President Obama, and he was one of the few non-incumbent Democrats who won a seat in Congress. He embraced the Democratic Party’s leadership and ideals. In

photo from internet source

other words, he ran as a Democrat. The rest of the Democratic candidates have been trying to run as moderate to right-leaning candidates, who hate taxes and love guns. You know, like Republicans. If Democrats ran as true Democrats, they would be far more likely to be elected than if they ran as Republicans.

Secondly, the Democrats allowed poll predictions to “prepare them for the worst.” Most of them “knew” they had lost before they had started. Modern election statistics, while accurate and important, are not written in stone; they can, and have, changed. The Democrats should have approached the negative predictions as a challenge instead of a death sentence.

They should have worked harder to get voters to the polls. Basically, they should have campaigned better. If progressive ballot initiatives can be passed, progressive candidates can be elected. The Democratic Party needs to get its act together. It need to stand by its values and run as the progressives they are.

The last, and probably most important, issue with this election is the amount of money involved in modern politics. While this is currently seen as a progressive issue, it is something both sides of the aisle should be concerned about. If we allow wealthy individuals and corporations to buy our congressmen, which is what they are doing now, then we are not a nation “for the people.” The FEC reports a total of $1.5 billion being spent on elections this year. We cannot pretend that this doesn’t affect the outcome of an election. If one candidate can buy more airtime or larger signs, they’re more likely to win. Does their ability to purchase these things define their worth as a politician? Probably not.

This election should have been an eye opener for the American people, we need to vote, we need to care. And we need to pay attention. If we apathetically allow either or both parties to tell us what we want, we lose our value as a democracy. We are still the “great American experiment.” Let us prove wrong the statement that democracy eventually falls into the hands of an oligarchy. Let us prove that people have the power and the will to change our nation. So remember to pay attention, and most importantly remember to vote in 2016.

November 14, 2014

OPINIONS 13

The Brandeis Hoot

College idealism leads to broken expectations

By Monique J Menezes Staff

Professors should make clearer syllabi

By Shayna Korol

College is a time of idealism and possibility. The cliched image of people staying up late, talking about issues and how they will change the world is present on campuses everywhere.

Unfortunately, most of these fantastic dreams of change don’t get very far. The world outside the idealistic bubble of college isn’t an easy one to change. Thus, I find myself questioning what kind of expectations young adults should have nowadays. I would hate to think that people should forget about dreaming before they ever start, but the truth is that these expectations to make impactful change are a little high and sometimes unrealistic. This is the time of year where those high expectations don’t seem farfetched.

Last week, elections took place across the country. Voters across the spectrum went out to support candidates who they believed would represent their beliefs. Our elected representatives are a perfect example of people in the world who promise and intend to make change. Once upon a time, they were students in their own idealistic college bubble. These politicians make speeches about all the great changes they want to make so that our world and community are a better place to live in. Seldom do these politicians deliver on all said promises. This is not a rant about politicians or politics, though. This is a reminder that even for those whose job description includes making the world a better place, it’s difficult.

So even if you were disappointed by who won or lost this past election season, remember that their intentions are primarily good, and remember that most of our representatives might not even meet their own expectations.

Even closer to home, course registration for next semester has just past. Students all over campus perused the class schedule, reading descriptions for classes and getting excited for

Staff

photo from internet source

See IDEALISM, page 15

photo from internet source

Library party demonstrates failure of Student Events

By Joe Lanoie Staff

Each semester I have been here, some event has happened that made me question Brandeis’ competency in event organization. Usually, it has to do with food or commencement speakers, but in this case, it happened to be an event smack dab in the middle of the semester.

The famed library party, which the school officially organizes, got shut down by the school’s own police. Student Events claimed in a Facebook post that they “couldn’t let people upstairs because we were reaching the weight limit of upper green room … The police was called because of over capacity and security issues with the line outside … it was out of our control. We have to keep in line with the safety regulations, it was becoming a safety issue for everyone.”

That was an understatement. Through personal research, the line to get into the party went as far as Gerstenzang; by some accounts, it went as far as Rosenthal Residence Halls. This was with both the Upper and Lower Green rooms of Farber Library at full capacity. Then Brandeis police shut down this Brandeis party. Think about that—a party run by the school was shut down by school forces because there were too many people. The only axiom I can think of to say to Student Events is, “If you can’t handle the time, don’t do the crime.”

Brandeis is not a party school. We do not have fraternities and sororities recognized by the school. At Brandeis, the nightlife on campus is abysmal. When schools themselves host parties, they usually have the adequate security, supplies, planning and room necessary.

As Brandeis proved Saturday night with the library party, it lacked this type of foresight and planning. By having little room, it crowded the party. By closing it down with a huge number of angry people waiting outside, it risked trampling. No one got hurt Saturday night, graphic by Linjie Xu/the hoot

See LIBRARY, page 15

Under normal circumstances, it is incredibly easy to fall behind on coursework. When new material that will not be on the upcoming exam is introduced right before the exam, it is even more impossible to avoid.

I can’t speak for everyone’s study habits, but in my own experience, I tend to focus on the material that I’m going to be tested on. I’d hazard a guess that’s true for most students. If something is covered right before a midterm that won’t be on the midterm, but will be on the final exam, what sense does it make to do the work for it before the midterm? Studying new information takes away from the time and focus needed to master the old material.

I understand that to some extent it’s a scheduling issue. There are only so many times a class meets a semester, and often topics get glossed over or cut out completely for the sake of time.

If the course isn’t moving at breakneck speed, it follows that the professor won’t be able to cover all of the bases. If it’s almost impossible to keep up with a full course load, does that mean that we’re learning the most we possibly can?

Of course not. I often find myself spending an inordinate amount of time catching up on one subject, which leads me to become further behind in my other classes. This is a good argument for better time management both on my part, and that of the administration.

Instead of introducing new material that won’t be tested on an exam right before the test, exams could be scheduled for a few days earlier.

That might mean less time to study, but it would also prevent the confusion and scrambling to catch up afterward that comes with the introduction of new material. If exams aren’t going to be rescheduled, students could benefit from a few recapping days of some sort. Even if that meant that some material couldn’t be covered in the scope of the class because of time constraints, it’s a workable compromise. This way, students get a stronger grasp of the material that is covered.

Science and language classes are the worst offenders, and that’s probably because the syllabi in those courses rarely leave room to breathe.

Those are also the types of classes that could most benefit from a review session before an exam due to the nature of the material.

Trying to learn new information unrelated to the exam right before an exam is usually more confusing than helpful because the focus of studying for a test should be on consolidating material that has already been learned rather than cramming in new content. From anecdotal evidence that I’ve heard from multiple sources (more than enough people to form a small army), what usually happens is that the new material is put aside until after the upcoming test.

Once that’s over, even more material is introduced, and a vicious cycle of trying to catch up on information built on previous information begins. It’s not enough to simply study the newest material, because it’s often incomprehensible without understanding the information that was introduced before it. Given the fact that most Brandeis students take four or five classes a semester, the potential to fall behind at some point becomes a near certainty.

One remedy is to constantly stay on top of work, to manage time so efficiently that you never fall behind because of midterms or extracurricular activities. But that is not realistic.

Only covering material that will be on the exam before that particular exam is a more feasible solution, however, and professors will be able to give new material the time and attention it deserves, if it’s introduced at a reasonable time.

14 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

November 14, 2014

Average American may not need college education VALUE, from page 12

But are these resources found in college necessary to learn all the teachings that form the college experience?

I am afraid not. In fact, nearly all (if not all) of what one can learn in college can be obtained independently.

Harvard President Drew Faust recently claimed in a conference in Dallas that “going to college is one of the best decisions you will ever make. In fact I believe college is more important than ever.” A university president however, will always try and sell the value of college, using trivial generalizations such as, “College is the best investment you can make,” or “It is definitely worth it.” Faust also claimed that going to college automatically makes you discover new dreams, that it will take you to places you’ve never been before and that it will make you acquire skills that will last a lifetime.

But the process is not automatic.

College is simply a tool that can be used to do the fantastic things that Faust talks about, and only if the person works hard and uses the tool appropriately. Do not buy into the idea that just by being in college and doing fine in it, you are automatically experiencing all the fantastic results that college should provide.

The bulk of knowledge obtained in college can be gained without actually going to one. The fantastic consequences of college that Faust argues for do not come automatically—they happen only if the college student works hard and takes advantage of the tool that is college. Having this in mind, I ask again, is college worth it?

Is it worth it for the average American who puts a massive amount of

photo from internet source

academic and extracurricular effort to get accepted into a decent college and then has to work all through college and perhaps still be in debt afterwards?The answer is clear. For the average American, who does not intend to make the most out of a college’s resources, but instead sticks to a limited path inside his or her comfort zone has to put himself (and probably

his parents) under strenuous effort to get in and out of college. And the bottom line truth is that for this student, college is not worth it.

Should the average American stop going to college then? No, because even though college is probably not worth it for him or her from the experience side, it is still worth going for the practicality of a college de-

gree. Unfortunately, the job system in America is one that will generally put a college degree above everything else.

In most jobs, no matter how more prepared and skilled you are compared to another candidate, if that candidate has a college degree, they will get the job over you. This somewhat nonsensical system is what enables colleges to raise tuition every couple of

years without any repercussions, as no matter the price of college, people are still going to do the extra effort to get in. Therefore, unless you are a Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates or Mark Rothko and you are somehow able to beat the system with some original idea, or you are able to live off some particular ability, you are bound to follow the system.

Fat shaming is unacceptable in society

By Zach Phil Schwartz staff

We’re all human beings, and we all need to support each other. When we pass judgment on others, either purposefully or subconsciously, we lose a sense of our humanity. Some tend to think of themselves as really special when they tell others how to live their lives. These people, who find themselves better than others, think they are entitled to pass judgment as advice, and believe they deserve to be thanked at the end.

Such is the case with fat-shaming, where perpetrators “advise” those they believe are too heavy for their tastes the most condescending and despicable bull a human being will ever say. This fat-shaming mentality is degenerate and sickening, and it needs to be put to an end.

The first thing to say in a proper rebuttal to most of those who fat shame is, “You’re not a doctor.” What right do these people think they have that allows them to tell others “your weight is unhealthy” and “it’s your own fault that you’re fat.” Oftentimes in the real world, weight is a product of many factors. Some of these factors include genetics, pre-existing conditions and the environment, all of which are out of our control. Remember when your pal told that girl that she “could lose a few pounds to be more attractive”?

Your pal, the doctor that he must be, thinks he did that girl a favor. Little does he know that the girl might have had no control over her weight. The only certainty is that your pal is a terrible person and you need to make better friends.

In the real world, people have a choice and they’re entitled to that choice. We aren’t forced to follow societal norms nor are we forced to impose those norms upon others. If a

graphic by Katherine Selector/the hoot

human being likes the way they look, then another one should be content with that, and not try to change that.

It’s as simple as that. Those who try to force their values on others fool themselves into thinking they’re more special than others, and this is one of the uglier occurrences that can occur in human interaction.

Also in the real world, being a jerk to other people is actually your own fault. Although those who fat shame may have a smug look of content on their faces at the end of the day, no-

body else thinks it’s funny. Nobody thinks it’s cute. They let a darker side of their humanity come out. They bring out the sad true interior they hide from the world. Most of all, they hurt others.

The guise of “support” and “intervention” allows perpetrators to feel good about themselves while thinking they are making a difference in someone’s life. Let me tell these perpetrators that they are making a difference in someone’s life: a negative one. We can trace numerous health

problems back to stress—that strain that just so happens to be exacerbated by receiving criticism.

Societal norms will always get in the way, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow them. This is one of the main tenets of social justice here at Brandeis, the destruction of cancerous societal norms—like the need to be skinny to be attractive. It also doesn’t help when the media bombards us with these norms. This issue is obviously deeply rooted in our society and therefore, as a unified soci-

ety, we need to do extensive work to rectify it.

Although individual Brandeis students can only do so much to alleviate the effects of the deeply ingrained societal forces at work in fat-shaming and in any other prejudice, we can act as a unified community and be kind to our peers no matter what they may look like or act like. We’re all humans, and we’re all the same, so why should any of us have the right to act with condescending superiority over others?

November 14, 2014

OPINIONS15

The Brandeis Hoot

College students should have realistic expectations IDEALISM, from page 13

them. Nevertheless, I guarantee that these same students, bright-eyed and excited to learn something they are interested in, will be belly-aching come this spring.

This is because of two reasons. One: It is the natural order for students to complain about school work. They stress and whine, and that is just reality. Two (and this is at the heart of what I am trying to get at): Students build these classes up in their heads.

Hopes for ground-breaking discussions and epiphany-inducing lectures seep into student brains, creating high expectations. Sure there are really great classes that exist. Nonetheless, sometimes reality just is not as good as the expectation. Something that sounds pretty great now in the fall might not look so good when sitting at a desk in the spring.

Whether it’s peoples’ preferred government representative or a class that sounds great, people are always being disappointed. Maybe it makes sense to lower our expectations. Then again, if people lowered their expectations, if they didn’t bother to try to make a change, and if they didn’t dream, I am pretty sure we would be living in a very different world right about now. So what if people are disappointed from time to time. Isn’t that part of reality? Reality is something everyone has to face in becoming an adult. As college students, people are transitioning into adulthood. College is not only the time to discuss how the world can be better. It is also the place where some people do their own laundry for the first time. It is where many people have their first taste of independence and learn to not only stand on their own two feet, but also to walk.

With that in mind, college is a place to become an adult and to transition into the real world. It is expected that students start out idealistic, with their minds open to possibilities and

photo from internet source

dreams for a better world still intact. By senior year, after four years of stressing about a job after school, and all the things that have to be done so that a job after school is possible, some students become cynical and maintain low expectations in order

to avoid disappointment. It’s easier to be “realistic” and do what has to be done to make it in the real world, outside the comforts of the college bubble. Fortunately, considering this is Brandeis, a land driven by social justice, those cynical seniors will still

graduate with the ideas and capabilities to bring change—despite their expectations. If keeping expectations low for something like a class helps people avoid that sinking feeling in their stomach, fine. But when it comes to the big picture, I wouldn’t let “un-

realistic” expectations stop me from having a dream, from expecting just a little more from life. It’s one thing to let reality keep expectations sensible, but it’s another to let reality kill a dream.

University should better plan for events

photo from internet source

LIBRARY, from page 13

but it was not outside the realm of possibility. Brandeis erred greatly Saturday night, and it is by sheer luck

that no one got hurt, trampled, assaulted or worse.

If Brandeis ever wishes to throw a party again, it must learn from this utter fiasco. Firstly, more people than

you expect will show up. If you think only 200 will come to the only social function available on a weekend night when there is no class the next day, you are purely ignorant. If you

think 500 will come, plan for 1,000.

If you think a 1,000 will come, plan for twice that. It is better to have an empty space than a tin of sardines.

Secondly, don’t shut it down im-

mediately then and there. Shutting an intensely packed party has led to dangerous situations on other campuses in the past. I once went to a party at UMass Amherst which got shut down. When I heard that the party was shutting down, I headed for higher ground. If I hadn’t, I would have been trampled by the thousands of people, irate, drunk and high, who had to flee the area. Most people, when kicked out of a party, don’t go to bed. They go somewhere else to continue their night. Instead of inciting a mob, students should be let slowly out of the party in droves.

Thirdly, a party needs to be organized.

Stopping people and making them wait on a cold fall night because they “couldn’t let people upstairs because we were reaching the weight limit of upper green room” is not acceptable. Maybe the party should not have taken place on the mezzanine, or they should have used the other three floors of Farber. There was a whole wing of the library not used at the Library Party. That was poor planning and a waste of resources. Plan in advance. Put the party in a place where people can go to it, and decrease waiting time to get in.

Brandeis cannot throw good parties because it is not a party school.

The institution is not used to the outflow of people that party shutdowns can cause.

The Library Party will not be forgotten, but not because it was good. It was a fiasco that shamed a new aspect of Brandeisian character: the little social life this school has.

November 14, 2014

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The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS, ETC.

‘Spring Awakening’ combines musical talent with dark reality

By Theresa Gaffney Editor

This weekend, Typanium Euphorium presents “Spring Awakening.”

Directed by Rachel Liff ’16, the musical premiered on Thursday night in the SCC Theater.

The play opened as Sarah Steiker ’17, playing Wendla Bergmann, walked on stage toward a chair. She put on a short dress and began to sing. Immediately, the discipline and determination of the cast was showcased as (unexpectedly) a moth flew toward her. Just a few minutes into the show, the creature landed on her dress once and even flew toward her face. Not once did Steiker flinch or even glance at the moth. From that moment, the audience knew that this

show was the real deal.

Luckily, a focused gaze was not the only thing that Steiker—or any of the cast—had to offer. Steiker and co-star Jason Theoharis ’17 led the cast in an amazing range of vocals. The pair boldly played out a sexual encounter on stage and showed true emotion in their actions and their voices. Steiker had confident vocals, but when her song started with her character crying, her voice trembled. The couple shared a few intense scenes, never holding back so as to provide the audience with the full shock factor.

Zachary Bellis ’16 brought much of the darkness to the play as the confused and struggling Moritz. Though his character is one of the most troubled in the play, with strong vocals and an upbeat presence on stage, he was also one of the most liked. On the other hand, Katie Jacobs’ ’16 charac-

ter Ilse was not introduced to the show until much later. Despite the shortened time, Jacobs’ solos were poignant, and she gave a raw display of emotion in Ilse’s encounter with Moritz.

After Steiker opened the show, the men of the cast created a familiar scene of a Latin class at a school for boys. “Bitch of Living” created an atmosphere reminiscent of “Dead Poet’s Society.” The boys maneuvered wooden chairs around stage in amazing synchronism with each other and the music. As they jumped on top of the chairs, one got the feeling that this show would carry the same weight as the Robin Williams classic.

The choreography by Sarai Warsoff ’16 was greatly detailed. From tapping feet in the dark behind a spotlight to dragging hands against chests and thighs, the actors were always

moving with the music. Actors constantly were moving their hands up and down their chests and legs and head, giving physicality to the longing that the characters sang of.

One of the most effective casting decisions was to make Zoë GolubSass ’16 and Joe Tinianow ’17 all of the adult parts in the show. GolubSass and Tinianow played off of each other so well, creating comedic breaks as well as reflecting the classic misunderstanding of a younger generation by the older.

Tympanium Euphorium created an atmosphere that was sincere in both its comedy and its angst. The cast’s performance of “My Junk” perfectly encapsulated the realness and hilarity of the scene. Part of the cast stood around Jason Teng ’17 as he sat in a chair masturbating. While Teng humorously portrayed the situation, au-

dience members chuckled knowingly of the struggle of having parents yelling at the door of the bathroom when all you need is some privacy.

Almost every song featured multiple cast members, even those without real character identifications. Dennis Hermida Gonzalez ’16, Rodrigo Garcia-Granados ’18 and Adam Recht ’16 all had strong solos throughout the show, despite for the most part being ensemble characters. Similarly, Nicole Wittels ’15, Gabi Nail ’18 and Isidora Filipovic ’18 added vibrancy to numerous songs and dances.

Between the depth of the cast’s vocal talents and Alex Faye’s ’15 direction of the pit, the music in “Spring Awakening” could not have been better. Students should go see “Spring Awakening” while they still can this weekend, on Friday, Saturday or Sunday at 8 p.m. or Saturday at 2 p.m.

photos by theresa gaffney/the hoot

tympanium euphorium ‘Spring Awkaneing’ cast gives amazing performance.