The Brandeis Hoot 10/24/2014

Volume 11 Number 21

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

October 24, 2014

Dr. David Lisak visits campus; discusses sexual Sodexo addresses waste issues with online press conference violence on college campuses

By Emily Belowich Editor

On Tuesday, Oct. 21, Rapaporte Treasure Hall was fully packed, as members of the Brandeis community gathered to listen to the nationally recognized forensic consultant and

lecturer, Dr. David Lisak. He delivered his keynote address, “Sexual Violence on College Campuses: Confronting the Reality.” The talk was sponsored by the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and the Department of Queer Studies, as part of the 11th annual Eleanor Roos-

dr. david lisak This forensic consultant and lecturer spoke on the Brandeis campus this

evelt Lecture Series.

Lisak was introduced by Professor Deirdre Hunter (WMGS), who spoke about his success in applying forensic work on non-stranger rapists. She stated that he has helped See LISAK, page 2

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

week.

By Emily Smith staff

Sodexo held an online press conference called “Sodexo Talks Food Waste Reduction” on Thursday, Oct. 23 to discuss food waste and sustainability in its dining services. The press conference was hosted by Laura Antal, instructional designer for Sodexo, and Christy Cook, Sodexo’s senior manager for sustainability field support.

They spoke about the company’s initiatives to reduce food waste and save energy. The online press conference was held one day before Food Day, a celebration designed to promote real food and improved food policies.

Sustainability coordinators of a few of the universities served by Sodexo attended the press conference. One of the topics discussed during the press conference was Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow toolkit, which includes their waste and energy toolkits. These initiatives aim to reduce waste and energy consumption in their campus dining facilities.

Cook explained that, while important, equipment updates and changes do not do enough in terms of waste reduction.

“If we just have equipment [changes], then we are not changing the culture,” said Cook.

Equally important, in her view, is training employees in waste reduction and making them conscious of the impact of food waste on the environment. Simply using digesters to convert food waste into energy and establishing composting programs is not enough, Cook said. According to Cook, people tend to waste more when they know that the waste is being composted or used to make energy.

“It might surprise many to learn that wasting food is about much more than even that,” said Sodexo’s Senior Manager of Public Relations Gregory Yost in an email to The Brandeis Hoot. “Food waste impacts energy. It impacts water resources as well as climate change.”

The press conference discussed ways Sodexo will aim to conserve energy and reduce their contributions to food waste.

Acknowledging Sodexo’s potential contributions to food waste, Yost See SODEXO, page 2

Students hope for more univ. action on environment

By Ethan Berceli Staff

An Environmental and Service Reflection lunch was held in room 313 of the SCC on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 22 to commemorate past service and impact, as well as to discuss new ideas for environmental service and changes on the Brandeis campus.

The lunch started off with a short talk given by Professor of Practice and Associate Director of the Environmental Studies Program Laura Goldman on the background and history of sustainability at Brandeis.

When she first arrived 15 years ago, there was no environmental program at all, but environmental awareness has been spreading around campus in recent years.

When a person first learns about climate change, Goldman says, they can do one of two things.

“You can try and tackle these issues, or you can go and climb underneath a rock,” she said, and commended the assembled students and faculty for choosing the first choice, or at least coming to learn more about it. Climate change is a daunting issue, but Goldman informed the audience that there is still a part for everyone to play.

The environmental trend hadn’t picked up at Brandeis until recently.

A major breakthrough for Brandeis, at least on paper, was a petition in

Inside this issue:

2007, with 1,500 signatures that convinced former University President Jehuda Reinharz to sign the National President’s Climate Commitment in that same year. The commitment declared that Brandeis would reach climate neutrality by 2050, and although it was a well-received public declaration of good intentions, it was no more binding than that. In 2008, Janna Cohen-Rosenthal ’03 was hired as Brandeis’ first Sustainability Coordinator. She helped grow a number of useful programs, including a plan that would reduce the university’s carbon emissions by 15 percent by 2015.

However, it is unlikely that this goal will be met, and Goldman blames this on a number of different factors.

Brandeis has increased its student population by about 100 students each year for the past four years, and this has translated into increased carbon emissions as more facilities are used to accommodate them. Additionally, an increase in the square footage of buildings and the operations and maintenance that go into that space further increased carbon emissions. Finally, and rather ironically, the weather has not been cooperative. Harsh winters of late have burdened carbon emissions, as buildings generate more heat to keep occupants warm.

Brandeis has had some positives

News: WSRC previews new documentary Arts, Etc.: “Fury” WW2 movie review Opinions: Parking issues must be resolved Sports: Swimmers grow as a team Editorial: Univ. should lead in env. issues

See ENV., page 3

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

documents These extremist literature documents shed light on the women’s liberation movement.

The Close Looking Series exhibits collection of extremist literature

By Hannah Stewart Staff

On Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Hall-Hoag Collection of Extremist Literature was exhibited as part of the Close Looking series in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.

This collection contains over 5,000 articles, pamphlets and flyers dating back from the late 1940s to the 1980s. All of these materials promoted beliefs and convictions that society has labeled as “extremist.” Topics range from politics to religion and include the points of view of both the far left and the far

‘Angels in America’ Young ensemble cast exceeds expectations with emotionally charged performance.

Page 11 Page 5 Page 13 Page 9 Arts, Etc.: Page 16 Page 10

right. Wednesday’s event focused on a specially-chosen selection of media concerning feminism. The discussion was led by Dr. Joyce Antler, the Samuel B. Lane Professor of American Jewish History and Culture, and by Dr. Karen Hansen, a professor of sociology and history. Both speakers are also members of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies department.

This collection was begun by Gordon Hall, an archivist and a researcher “who was a soldier in World War II, came across fascism and hated it and wanted to get enough information so that people would be informed about

the extremist right, but then came to consider the extremist left equally important,” said Antler. In the 1960s, “he and Grace Hoag put together a collection of 5,000 pieces … on organizations of ‘the far left and the far right’ and then Grace writes, at some point, they had to change their collecting strategy because ‘it was tricky to determine where a group was heading politically, whether it would turn violent or not, so they included dissenting groups,” Antler explained.

Both speakers chose to focus their See LIT., page 2

Noise from dungeon

Quiet places to work and study on campus are worth the effort to find, since silence is hard to come by.

Opinions: Page 12

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

October 24, 2014

Sodexo attempts to curb energy and food waste From SODEXO, page 1

wrote, “As we approach Food Day (Oct. 24), it’s a great time to think about the implications of food waste.”

“We waste 40 percent of the food that we grow and raise in the U.S., even as 49 million people here are at risk of hunger,” said Yost. “Perhaps

even more shocking is the fact that 4 to 10 percent of all food purchased is tossed out before it even reaches a plate.”

Among Sodexo’s sustainability initiatives is its Sustainable Seafood Policy.

According to their policies, they are no longer serving any seafood species identified as being at risk.

Additionally, they have committed to the promotion of specific aquaculture standards and the use of less wellknown fish species. Sodexo’s water conservation project, according to the company’s website, has saved 2.6 million gallons of water annually.

Sodexo’s website states that of all their total waste production, “95 percent consists of organic waste and

Lisak educates on sexual assault From LISAK, page 1

guide rape prevention and response policies at many major institutions, including the U.S. Armed Services and colleges and universities across the country. Lisak is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and he has been profiled as one of three men in the documentary, “Boys and Men Healing.” He has conducted workshops and trainings in all 50 states, as well as overseas, and is a founding board member of 1in6, a non-profit dedicated to helping men who survived childhood sexual abuse.

The first part of Lisak’s lecture informed the audience about common trends in sexual violence on college campuses today. He identified the issue as a universal problem at institutions, but stated that how each university acknowledges and treats the problem sets them apart in being future leaders.

“It’s important to recognize that the problem isn’t Brandeis’ problem.

Every institution has its problem.

This is a planetary problem,” Lisak explained. “The focus here is the situation at Brandeis and what needs to change and how can we engineer that kind of change.”

Lisak stressed that even though in the last few years, institutions have come under intense scrutiny regarding the issue, it is important to recognize that openness in this discussion was previously nonexistent for a long time. He spoke about the important role that student activists and survivors have played in the issue and stated that they have been the leading force in pushing forward conversation on campuses today.

“This is a universal problem in our society, but in the U.S., we are actually leading the way in a lot of ways in terms of our openness to this problem, to discussing it publicly and to

confronting it,” said Lisak.

The one type of institution that has not come under enough scrutiny, according to Lisak, is the civilian criminal justice system. He says that is the problem that needs to be confronted, because it underlies much of what’s happening in higher education— making it harder for students to trust authoritative figures. Lisak cited a study conducted by the Department of Justice that estimates that “fewer than five percent of completed and attempted rapes of college women are reported to law enforcement officials.”

“The lack of justice and the miscarriage of justice are profound, and they are extraordinarily harmful,” Lisak explained. He spoke about many serial rapists who are getting away under the system, crossing state lines and going from city to city, stating, “it is simply a product of the criminal justice system.”

The lecture then shifted to a discussion about sex offenders, specifically how group differences are unable to yield or lead to a profile of the offenders themselves. Lisak identified this as a core problem of the system, one that allows offenders to roam campuses while authoritative figures are unaware of these circumstances.

“What it means is that all these institutions, universities and services are inadvertently recruiting a small number of sex offenders,” Lisak said.

“These are men who have committed sex offenses prior to coming to these institutions.”

But Lisak explained that if there is no profile of an offender, “nobody can sit in a room, listen to a guy and say ‘you know what, this guy doesn’t sound like or feel like a rapist.’” Lisak described the profound psychological implications that occur from this type of situation and referred to the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013. He explained that none of the bomber’s friends could believe

dr. lisak Speaker lectured on sexual assault and activism on Tuesday.

that their friend had committed such a crime, but that this is also a common form of disbelief seen among friends and family of rapists.

The last part of Lisak’s lecture focused on defining terms of sexual assault and rape. He explained that rape is usually portrayed as a “guy in a ski mask dragging you into a street corner.” He explained that when victims acknowledge that this is not their exact situation, they only view it as a bad experience and do not understand that the experience could be defined as a form of assault.

“The majority of people who have been sexually assaulted don’t label it as a sexual assault,” said Lisak. “The same thing is true about perpetration … We ask behaviorally explicit questions that don’t use words like ‘rape’ or ‘assault’ but they describe circumstances that meet the legal definitions of various kinds of rape or sexual assault.”

Lisak’s presence on the Brandeis campus was not only shared in this community forum, as he spent time with a smaller group of students earlier in the day. This group of students is working toward reforming policies to combat sexual violence on the Brandeis campus. Lisak was first introduced by Dr. Susan Lanser (COML/ENG/ROM/WMGS), who spoke about the Lecture Series creation in 2004 as a way to honor the former First Lady’s commitment to social justice, as well as her role in women’s history. Roosevelt, a U.N. ambassador, also served as a member of Brandeis University’s Board of Trustees from 1949 until she died in 1962. She was a visiting lecturer of international relations and received the honor of giving the university’s first commencement address in 1952.

Past Roosevelt lecturers include prominent figures such as activist Jennifer Finney Boylan, author Alison Bechdel and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun.

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

packaging materials.” In 2010, the company launched their “Stop Wasting Food” campaign, with objectives including reducing by pre-consumer food waste by 20 percent. The campaign is aimed at college students and administrators. This initiative is one of the many programs and policies implemented by Sodexo to curb energy and food waste.

Recently, Sodexo’s dining services have been receiving criticism from Brandeis students.

Students held a protest in early October and have created a satirical “Sodexo Fan Page” on Facebook. Sodexo has implemented some changes in response to student’s dissatisfaction, such as providing reusable to go containers that will cut down on waste.

Speakers and documents highlight women’s liberation movement From LIT., page 1

discussions upon “the way these documents are suggestions for larger narratives,” said Antler. More specifically, Antler sought to answer, “What do they suggest about women’s liberation?”

The women’s liberation movement was distinct from the earlier liberal moderate and less “extreme” movement. The first wave of feminism began in the early 1960s and centered around the National Organization of Women, furthering its goals through legalistic strategies, commissions for equal opportunity, and more. However, the groups focused on during Wednesday’s discussion were formed in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Antler explained that the second wave of feminism regarded their predecessors as “kind of a sell-out, too compromising, too accepting of the status quo. What they wanted was a radical restructuring of social organizations and comprehensive consciousnessraising … to create social equality.”

Antler used her chosen selections to challenge three different styles of narratives commonly associated with the women’s liberation movement: that all women are a monolith and view one another as sisters; that the movement, while controversial at first, rapidly became mainstream; and that the women’s liberation movement failed and that society has been left with very little.

She provided a rather unique point of view by adding a pair of photographs and an article from the The New York Post from her own personal collection. The newspaper was dated Aug. 27, 1970, which was the 50th anniversary of the 1920 Suffrage March. What makes this particular piece so unique is that, in the background, Antler herself can be seen.

She told the story of how she had been heckled, along with the 50,000

other participants of the parade, by both men and women. She spoke of how those interviewed believed that all women who participated in the movement were either divorced, single or, euphemistically, “frustrated.”

Hansen continued the discussion by discussing the diversity of opinions within the political spectrum.

“In our casual glance backward, what is commonly talked about is how the movement was really very white, very middle-class and really only concerned about issues of its own self-interest … there are plenty of documents in this collection that reveal that to be wrong, or at least not wholly true,” she said.

Her discussion and choice of documents analyzed the broad range of political positions of a handful of groups, all of which fell under the banner of the women’s liberation movement. These topics included peace and solidarity, international imperialism, racial equality, class and labor issues, reproductive rights and family problems. Some of these documents were cynical, while others offered solutions that held a “healthy dose of utopianism,” as Hansen phrased it.

After the lecture, the floor was opened to questions, and the event transformed into a seminar-style discussion in which many of the audience members who had lived through and sometimes even participated in this movement answered the questions posed by the younger generation. All were invited to leave their seats and step forward to gaze at a handful of original documents from the collection, and to continue the conversations initiated during the question and answer portion of the event.

The next event in the Close Looking series is called “Duck Foot.” It will be held on Dec. 3 in the Rose Art Museum and will be hosted by Dr. Christian Gentry.

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

October 24, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot

NEWS

3

Entrepreneur shares personal business trajectory

By Joon Park Staff

On Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Brandeis International Business School’s Lee Hall, Bodo Liesenfeld, former CEO of Rohde & Liesenfeld International, shared his experience of selling his company in a talk titled “Harvesting: If, When and How.” Charles Reed, senior lecturer at IBS, introduced the speaker. Liesenfeld holds a degree in business administration from the University of Hamburg Germany. He is also the chairman of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute and runs a family business, Liesenfeld International LLC. The former CEO has also been a neighbor of Reed’s for six years.

In explaining the title of the event, Liesenfeld said, “Harvesting is getting something approved on time.” Under normal circumstances, harvesting is good, but harvesting in the sense of selling a company, Liesenfeld said, is not necessarily positive.

“Deciding when and who to sell and how to sell are difficult,” said Liesenfeld. “There are some times when the company is just forced to sell. There are huge number of possibilities and combinations to selling.”

Liesenfeld concentrated on the timeline of his bargain and shared brief background facts about his company.His logistics company, founded by his father in 1954, grew relatively large. It expanded into an international intercontinental ocean and air freight company. It reached many countries on five continents, and had about 1,000 employees. The turnover was approximately $500 million. The company, headquartered at the World Trade Center, had nine other offices in the U.S. He entered the company—after spending some time in Latin America and after earning his M.B.A. back in the United States—in the begin-

ning of 1980s. There were about 350 to 400 people involved in the company at that time. The company then had some difficult years, and in the end, Liesenfeld made the decision to sell his company.

He also explained the difficulty of understanding the differences in entrepreneurship cultures across different countries.

“There are cultural differences depending on where you live,” he explained. “Private companies in Europe usually, they do not grow their company to sell. The majority of the people that have privately owned companies still own the company to pass it on to the next generation to keep and grow it as a family business as long as they can.”

He continued, and described the manner of independent business he conducted. “You grow your company in a different ways,” he said. “Thinking about the next generation … My mindset was to keep the company as a family company.”

Then he transitioned to talking about what the company meant personally to him.

“It was genetically in me,” he said.

“It was a logistic business, but I did not need to intervene in daily interactions. How free am I as an entrepreneur? I am self-employed. But I depend on the banks, customers, employees and staffs. If my best people leave, my business is in jeopardy.”

Running the entire business at his own risk, he realized he was not free at all. His last freedom surfaced in his decision to sell the company.

He detailed how he dealt with the negotiation. “The company was a well-medium sized company, but in the ’90s, the high time of global time, it was a difficult time,” he explained.

“I talked to Asian companies the same size, preparing to sell the company … I went to financial investors to finance … They said all the inde-

bodo liesenfeld Former CEO discusses business strategy.

pendent players were so high in supply that I would have to give up a lot of shares when the companies merged together … that was the major reason I decided to sell the company after realizing my opinions will lose strength after the merging of the company.”

Next he proclaimed that there is no defining the “best” moment to sell a company. However, he felt lucky in his own transaction.

Liesenfeld started his negotiation in February 2007 and signed the contract on Sept. 27 of the same year.

He closed the deal on Jan. 3, 2008.

In 2007, the “housing bubble wave” in America had not yet gone over to Europe. In April 2008, the participator from the bank who was financing the deal said to Liesenfeld, “You are lucky. This kind of deal would never

ever happen.”

In his case, his deal was successful due to swift decision making. Liesenfeld did not hesitate, and he signed the contract as soon as possible.

Liesenfeld mentioned that selling a company is nerve-wracking. “Who am I if I am not sitting at this office anymore?” he asked, giving examples of how he felt at the time. “Who am I if cannot ask the secretary to write a letter? Who am I if people don’t come to me anymore because I am no longer an important customer?”

Liesenfeld made a point of never attending negotiation meetings.

“When you sit there and there are tough negotiations and there are guys on the other side, young, fastrunning, four-language-speaking, Brandeis graduates, 28-years-olds,

photo from internet source

they know the more hours they keep you in negotiations, the higher the revenue is for their company whether it be BCG or Bain, so they keep talking and they talk about what you and your company has done wrong in the past,” he explained.

Liesenfeld spoke about what he has done since selling the company. “I was happy with the deal but I had totally new things to learn about wealth management … before I did not have to worry about it. I had to learn from scratch how to manage money, allocating things … After selling a company I realized how much I have received from the society. Everyone in this room should be conscious, grateful, humble and modest. It was the society, community that helped me be successful. We should give back.”

Alum. fosters student activism

By Victoria Aronson Editor

“I see sexual violence. I see my family’s pain. I see addiction … I see people being murdered,” were some of the statements from students participating in the workshop “Organizing for Power and Collective Liberation,” held on Thursday, Oct. 23.

Hosted by the Brandeis Divestment Campaign and facilitated by Shea Riester ’12, a current climate justice organizer, the event was designed to bring together student groups fighting against oppression while developing strategies to effectively tackle these issues.

Reflecting on his experience studying sociology at Brandeis, Riester expressed his frustration, saying, “We were constantly learning about our

systematic oppression. But we didn’t learn any way to act on it.” Now as a climate justice organizer for Better Future Project, an organization promoting divestment from fossil fuels, and also for 350.org, a global grassroots movement, Riester has promoted social change first hand To begin the evening, Riester asked each student to introduce themselves and state a social movement they are passionate about.

Sexual assault prevention, feminism, socialism, racism and peace were among some of the topics mentioned. Throughout this article, no specific individual’s names are reported, due to the sensitivity of the issues presented.

Following introductions, Riester asked students to participate in an interactive activity, designed to reflect on the shared struggles of the human

experience. Participants were asked to walk quickly past each other, keeping their gaze focused on the floor, to mimic the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Riester then asked students to slow down and lock eyes with a partner, despite potential feelings of discomfort. “The being in front of you will play a very real world in the healing of our world.” Riester stated.

Participants were then told to break off into pairs for an activity focusing on active listening. Each student was given two uninterrupted minutes to answer a question posed by Riester, while his or her partner silently listened.

Challenged to finish the statement, “When I look at what is happening to our living planet and our human family, I see..,” students offered responses such as solitude, issues

of race and gender, alcoholism and resilience against oppression. Then asked to comment on how they felt in response to what they see in the world, students expressed feelings of hopelessness, cynicism, sympathy, and even desperation. “I am a normal person. Why do you have perceived notions about me?” echoed a student, while others spoke Ferguson’s name, pointing to police brutality and racism.

Specifically targeting social issues on campus, Riester asked students to discuss what obstacles emerged in their fight for justice here at Brandeis.

A lack of respect between students and administration was cited, while the near allocation of a honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali and statistics revealing Brandeis has twice the national average for sexual violence were all vocalized.

Reconvening to discuss the meaning of power, students distinguished between institutional, consensual and nonconsensual power, and the distinction between “power over” and “power with.” Riester defined power as “the ability to make meaningful change.” When asked what changes they wished to see at Brandeis, students vocalized the desire to improve the freshness and quality of food through collaboration with local growers, and also asked for more support for racial minorities.

Despite concerns vocalized by students citing the complex nature of power and the capacity to induce change, as complicated by issues such as privilege and hegemony, Riester adamantly affirmed this belief: “With enough people or enough money, you will change anything you want to change.”

Students advocate for sustainability ENV., from page 1

in its sustainability battle. There have been large infrastructure investments in heating and water fixtures, making them more efficient in reducing operational waste. The Brandeis Sustainability Fund provides grants, support and advice for any green projects undergraduates want to pursue. Last year, they provided funding for hydration stations, which helped reduce the waste from plastic water bottles. The fund also provided bike racks to incentivize greener transportation.

Elizabeth Villano ’16 pointed out that an indicator of how far sustainability needs to go at Brandeis was in front of every student at the reflection lunch.

“It’s frustrating that we’re sitting here talking about the environment, but we’re eating off paper plates,” she said.

As one of the planners of the lunch, Villano had tried to organize an arrangement with Sodexo to borrow plates and silverware from the dining halls. However, facing what Sodexo viewed as a bizarre request, a solution was not able to be found in time.

The bid was an attempt to make the lunch, which revolved around environmental conservation and service, as waste-free as possible. A vegan meal was even served as the most environmentally, food-friendly option.

But as demonstrated by the plates and utensils, being sustainable is just not that easy.

Goldman stressed the importance of student involvement in Brandeis’ history of sustainability. As the Climate Commitment petition testifies, each of Brandeis’ new sustainability initiatives have been student driven, a testament to the passion and positive

attitude of Brandeisians. Conversely, she points out that this paints a rather poor picture of the administration.

Students have had to be behind sustainability on campus, and without clear top-down leadership, Brandeis has suffered for it.

Universities, companies and governments who have strong leaders that push for sustainable solutions are more successful than those without.

Brandeis is taking steps to reconcile this: Goldman is very excited about the appointment of Jim Gray, the new vice president for operations, as he has repeatedly stressed how impor-

tant Brandeis’ environmental impact is to him.

Other topics that attendees felt were both interesting and feasible were touched upon. These included roof gardens to help regulate buildings’ heating and cooling, parking lot solar panels to alter the sunlight from heating cars to help power campus and larger scale behavioral change.

Max Parish ’16 believes that administrative leadership will eventually have to step in and solve the bigger problems, but that in the meantime student activism can still make a big difference.

ARTS

October 24, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot 4

Shakey Graves shakes things up on new album ByAndrew Elmers Editor

Shakey Graves, also known as Alejandro Rose-Garcia from his days acting on TV’s “Friday Night Lights,” recently released his second fulllength album, “And The War Came.”

The Austin-based alternative country/folk singer-songwriter has been building a steady following over the years through social media and by playing in numerous festivals, such as South by Southwest. His latest venture marks the start of raised expectations as more and more listeners tune in and are aware of his existence, as evidenced by Shakey Graves’ latenight television debut last week on “Conan.”

Shakey Graves seems to understand this increased pressure to perform, as “And The War Came” is much more tightly produced compared to his prior albums, which could be classified as lo-fi, with their inclusion of random snippets of conversations to segue between tracks. That’s not to say that Shakey Graves has abandoned that characteristic of his art, though. The random lo-fi aspects are still there on this album; opening track “This Is The Beginning” lasts seven seconds, and is simply just someone stating, “This is the beginning” in a deep voice reminiscent of Daniel Johnston. As an opening track, it is a complete waste, and you should uncheck it on iTunes to keep it out of your shuffle, but at least Shakey Graves maintains his weird tradition.

From there, the album transitions into actual songs with “Only Son,” a soft acoustic lamentation that eventually builds into a soaring chorus with claps and stomps serving as percussion. Not the best of tracks, but the

chorus will definitely get stuck in your head. “Dearly Departed,” a duet with Esme Patterson, formerly of Paper Bird, comes next. Graves’ voice drowns out Patterson’s throughout the chorus, and the back-and-forth on the verses don’t really serve Shakey Graves’ writing style. Originally billed as a sort of lead single for the album, this song is anything but.

It’s repetitive and sounds too much like a pop song to be called a real Shakey Graves song.

“The Perfect Parts” marks a bit of a departure from classic Shakey Graves as well, but in the opposite direction.

It starts with an electric guitar riff a la The Black Keys and with an actual drum kit (a suitcase drum that Graves plays himself while singing and playing guitar). This track becomes a real rock anthem not seen before from Shakey Graves. Classic Shakey Graves makes a return on “Hard Wired” with a finger-picked acoustic guitar perfectly matched along to lyrics of a lost love, another signature trope of his.

The album reaches its apex on the sixth track, “Family and Genus,” a beautiful song that combines typical Shakey Graves elements with a modern flair. Acoustic verses lead to synth-based choruses and string backgrounds further on, and the song is a clear example of Shakey Graves evolving into a more refined performer and more resourceful in general. Arcade Fire could have very easily produced this track, as the intro, outro and choruses all sound like something off of the “Her” movie soundtrack, which Arcade Fire contributed heavily to. It even features one of Shakey Graves’ random moments with a part of an interview finishing the song, on topics that seem irrelevant to the lyrics. One of the most beautiful songs I have heard in

a while, the choruses are intoxicating and will easily be stuck on repeat.

The seventh track, “Big Time Nashville Star,” features another duet with Esme Patterson. This one is better produced than “Dearly Departed,” as Patterson’s voice comes in clearly throughout, but the actual song itself is just forgettable. A more traditional country song, it is clearly not his best effort in terms of lyricism, and it leaves you just wanting it to be over.

“Pansy Waltz” is a much easier song to listen to, following the conventional three-fourths time signature of waltzes. And with his electric guitar, some rough percussion, a tuned down cello and his emotional voice, Shakey Graves offers a lot to listen to on this track to keep it interesting. The next track, “House of Winston,” is similar to “Family and Genus” as it takes a rough folk song and adds layers in production to give it more depth. One of the better tracks on the album, the build-up to the last chorus is memorable.

The next track, “If Not For You,” sounds extremely similar to another song Shakey Graves has performed live in the past—“The Waters.” The beginning sounds like basically the same melody, and some of the vocals are also the same at certain points.

If he did rework “The Waters” for this album, it was the wrong decision. Granted, the live version greatly benefits from from his performance quality, that version is head and shoulders above the song on the album. Yet another duet with Patterson closes out “And The War Came”, and it is probably the best of all three.

Returning to his lo-fi roots, Shakey Graves and Patterson croon out a lament to someone that left.

Overall, “And The War Came” feels disjointed, with a few different styles appearing throughout. In

addition to that, some of the tracks just aren’t good quality—namely “Big Time Nashville Star” and “Dearly Departed.” “And The War Came” will not be one of those records that you can

sit and listen straight through, which Shakey Graves’ first effort, “Roll The Bones,” was. Instead, there are a few songs that will definitely be staples and others worth skipping.

photos from internet source

shaky graves New album, And The War Came, disappoints

Slosberg guest performs avant-garde, multimedia piece

By Sabrina Pond

Special to the Hoot

Brandeis’ latest addition to the 2014-2015 Concert Series was striking in its combination of solo piano playing and electronics. The unique performance, titled “The ElectroAcoustic Piano” (EAPiano), is actually a project that was initiated in 2009. It supports the creative minds of modern pianists and aids them in all of their musical pursuits. EAPiano’s resulting work is so original that the compositions need to be experienced—seen, heard and felt—in order to be fully appreciated. Over the course of its five-year run, EAPiano has supported more than 20 composers in their musical endeavors and the finished pieces have been performed in Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Germany, England and the United States.

The musical performance was memorable because of the way it integrated traditional instrumental music and electronics, thereby creating a distinct artistic performance.

The concert was innovative because it merged diverse sounds, which allowed the audience to experience the performance on several levels.

One piece, “Medusa in Fragments,” combined solo piano playing, surround sound electronics and video projection. A woman, playing the part of Medusa, was projected onto the stage, and the combination of eerie cinematography—oftentimes characterized by shots of Medusa’s

moving lips—and Medusa’s eloquent, purposeful dialogue led to a rich viewing. This avant-garde video combined with a piano solo that was dark, gloomy and piercing. Sound electronics created a multi-dimensional performance that can only be described as a wholly new experience; so many senses were captivated by one piece.

The EAPiano performance featured Keith Kirchoff, a notable pianist and composer. A strong presence on stage, Kirchoff ’s talent and confidence make him a captivating performer to watch. Driven by his passion for contemporary music, Kirchoff has performed more than 100 new works and has commissioned more than 24 pieces. He has

traveled across the country, performing concerts at a string of colleges and universities. Over the course of his career he has been recognized for his array of accomplishments and his contribution to a new world of music.

Interestingly, the concert incorporated the full spectrum of human emotion—from overwhelming, judgment-clouding sadness to exuberant, sun-filled bliss. The pieces themselves elicited such strong emotions from the audience members, myself included, that it could be difficult at times to determine to what degree we were influenced by the musical composition.

For the most part I came to the conclusion that the music was the driving force for most of my emotions. One composition, “Every Problem is a

Nail,” was both discordant and unsettling. From the moment the first note was played to the moment the piece had finished with a drawn-out chord it was apparent that a broody, dark and menacing cloud had formed in Slosberg. It threatened all the while to drench the audience and submerge us in a river of pain.

“Utuquq” incorporated the piano, Xbox Kinect and electronics. Every time Kirchoff waved his hand above the Kinect, it played a bubbly, gargled sound that was in sync with the instrumental part of the composition.

The idea of using a Kinect, a gadget originally intended for video games, and applying it to the musical realm is revolutionary; it redefines the way we think about music.

All in all the concert was powerful in its ability to capture the audience and amaze them at every corner—each piece had its own identity, entirely separate from the composition played before it. One audience member had difficulty explaining the premise of “Medusa in Fragments” during the intermission because he couldn’t determine what verb to use to describe how he experienced the performance. He decided to use “watched,” though that is actually too limiting for him because the performance was experienced in various other ways. There’s no doubt in my mind that as music continues to evolve and change in fundamental ways that the musical “experience” will continue to change, too.

photos from internet source

electro-acoustic piano Brandeis’ newest concert showcases memorable, innovative

pieces.

October 24, 2014

‘Fury’ offers a realistic WWII experience

By Jess Linde Editor

There is an argument in the halls of pop culture criticism that every story relating to World War II has been told and that audiences are tired of seeing new ones. This argument was principle in the move of the “Call of Duty” video game franchise from a series of boring pro-America war fantasies set in the ’40s to its current form, a series of boring pro-America war fantasies set in the present day.

In the realm of movies, this has only been around since 2009, when Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” came out. Since “Basterds” was so unique and fun, not to mention critically acclaimed and financially successful, many people, or at least I, could not think of a way that similar stories could do better.

I mean, c’mon, how can you make a genre movie that beats Tarantino at his best? “Fury,” the fifth film by up-and-coming auteur David Ayer, steps up to the plate by going down the opposite road. Where “Basterds” was a spy thriller born of and existing in the same universe as pulp WWII films from the ’60s and ’70s, “Fury” is a portrait of man at his worst and war at its most hellish. It makes no excuses and does not pull any cinematic tricks, telling a story as hard and dirty as the titular tank, in which most of the film takes place.

Said tank is the home of Wardaddy (Brad Pitt), a tough-as-nails sergeant leading his tough-as-nails crew (Shia Labeouf, Jon Bernthal and Michal Peña) through the German coun-

ARTS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

tryside in mid-1945. The gang is assigned naive desk clerk Norman (Logan Lerman) as their new gunner at the last minute for their push toward Berlin, and personalities clash immediately. At first, Norman is completely averse to working with the men and cannot keep his lunch down when the blood starts flying. But as “Fury” rolls through town after town and fight after fight, the reality of war sets in, and a new sort of respect forms between them as they try to survive.

There are three things Ayer wants us to know about his vision of World War II: It is loud, dirty and dark. The men fighting the Nazis aren’t “good”; they’re only good enough to fight a larger evil and tough enough to do so efficiently and without mercy. Unlike Tarantino, Ayer makes no attempt to take the most fictionalized war in history and stretch that fiction to its most ridiculous limits. He is painting a blood-soaked picture of men: mean, angry men who are only good at being mean and angry and are lucky that they have Brad Pitt there to point them at the Nazis.

Ayer crafts this black and gray world of mud and blood and guts magnificently. The battle scenes, the most realistic since “Saving Private Ryan,” are so intense and frightening that I spent each one with my jaw totally clenched. Every time someone gets shot or a tank runs over an SS trooper, blood and flesh fly, but in a way that holds weight. The people we see dying are people, despite their side in the war, and when they’re dead, they’re dead. By the end of the movie’s final, amazing sequence, I was

fury Despite realism, Fury fails to represent authentic characters.

Comic By Katherine Selector

so tense I had to sit for a couple seconds before leaving the theater.

However, “Fury” failed to immerse me in every other way. Again, the aesthetics of the film are really good; it looks, sounds and feels like you’re in the fight. But Ayer spends so much energy on these factors that the narrative and characters get no real attention. The character of Wardaddy is just a mere clone of Pitt’s “Basterds” character minus any personality, and even though the rest of the cast is pretty good (even Shia Labeouf, whom I can’t stand), they are stuck playing outlines, rather than characters.

More than anything, the cast is playing a set of archetypes: There’s the religious guy, the new guy, the non-white guy, the Southern guy, the tough leader and it goes on. A filmmaker like Sam Peckinpah could take these archetypes and elevate them through a sense of poetic framing, but “Fury” is just too interested in mood to even scratch this. The one scene that attempts a human interlude is incredibly silly and outof-place, and there’s no point to the whole thing until the last half hour.

The film is also way too long, and for a movie that is mostly action, the lack of depth makes it seem like not that much is happening. It is definitely a film that people will disagree on, and one that I didn’t necessarily hate, but in the end, it is also only as deep as the mud the tank rolls over. Had the story and characters been more developed, it could have been a great film, but “Fury” is ultimately too shallow to have any real emotional effect.

photo from internet source

Comic By Linjie Xu

October 24, 2014

ARTS 6

The Brandeis Hoot

Poet remembered for spirit and passion

By Clayre Benzadon Staff

On Sunday, Oct. 19, a memorial event for poet Allen Grossman was held in the Mandel Center for the Humanities, where the room was filled by alumni and more, commemorating the huge influence that he had on their lives. Allen died at the age of 82 this June due to complications of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Grossman was born in 1932 in Minneapolis, MN. He attended Harvard and received his Ph.D. from Brandeis in 1960. He then taught at Brandeis, where he was the Paul E. Prosswimmer Professor of Poetry

and General Education. He has also received many awards, including three Pushcart Prizes (1975, 1987, 1990), the Witter Bynner Prize for Poetry of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim (1982) and a Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (1985).

At the beginning of the presentation, the audience listened to a recording of Grossman reading his poetry aloud. According to his wife, Judith, who spoke at the event, his poetry was much different later in his life compared to the pieces that he wrote in his early years. Yeats, who was his first master in verse, largely influenced him. Emily Dickinson’s “I cannot live with you” also was a huge inspiration on his own works.

One of the poems that the crowd listened to was titled “Wash Day,” which describes the beauty in the ephemeral and specificity of the pastoral settings and objects immersed in it.

Mrs. Grossman recalled an early memory of how she took on the job of reviewing his first book of poems in the student newspaper. She knew little about American poetry, but she was assigned to the job because none of the undergraduates wanted to review his works.

Another funny moment that she spoke of was the time they started dating. They went on a road trip in the spring, driving together from Minneapolis to California on famed Route 66. While they were exploring the caves in Missouri, “a tour guide

came over and politely asked us what language we were speaking. I admitted I had an accent but it was still English,” jokingly referring to the fact that they were speaking in poetics the whole time.

Later on, she then remarked that one of the biggest difficulties that she faced was seeing her husband when he “forgot he was a poet long before forgetting he was a teacher.” His life was fractured by a schizophrenic breakdown, and in one of his letters sent to his wife, Mr. Grossman wrote: “I entered Harvard with a strong desire to become a rabbi. I felt a sense of purpose and a sense of health. I left with a poor sense of health and with my purpose swallowed up in self-knowledge. I only wish now to learn.” He was grateful to Brandeis

for enabling him to become part of the disposition of poetry and Judaism. One of Mr. Grossman’s most memorable features was that he always wore a white shirt, necktie and suit. He dressed formally, even in private, in order to honor poetry.

“Poetry is a principle of power invoked by all of us against our vanishing … The making of poems is a practice—a work human beings can do—in which civilization has invested some part of its love of itself and the world. The poem is a trace of the will of all persons to be known and to make known and, therefore, to be at all.” Mr. Grossman said this as a way to describe the importance of poetry, a way in which a person is able to learn more about themselves and the world around them.

photos from internet source

allen grossman Memorial held for former Brandeis professor.

‘X Factor’ winners release crowd-pleasing debut album

By Michelle Kim Editor

Alex & Sierra, the duo who not only won last year’s season of “The X Factor” but also the hearts of fans nationally, just released their debut album with Columbia Records and Sony Music, “It’s About Us.” While competing on the third season of “The X Factor,” real-life couple and University of Central Florida students Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton surprised judges and viewers alike with their various performances. Their covers of pop group A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera’s “Say Something” and Sara Bareilles’ “Gravity” topped the iTunes chart while they were on the show.

Shortly after their win, the duo announced their debut album. The pair worked with Jason Mraz, Toby Gad, John Legend, Sam Watters and John Shanks. Unlike many singing competition winners, instead of releasing an album within a month of the show’s finale, Alex & Sierra opted to spend months preparing, writing and recording the album. “Rather than striking while the iron’s hot, we would rather put out an album a few months later and have it be something we really believe in and we were a part of. We can stand out here and perform these shows and love every second [instead of] singing songs other people wrote for us that we could have gotten out early,” said Deaton in an interview with The Los Angeles Times.

“It’s About Us” is a relatively romantic and folksy pop record that, while not as commercially successful as Cowell’s other mentee groups (like boyband One Direction), has done relatively well both critically and commercially. Unsurprisingly,

the album conceptually and lyrically revolves around Kinsey and Deaton’s romantic relationship. It is obvious that the album hones in on real emotions and events in their relationship.

“Give Me Something” is a mellow song; Deaton’s soft voice, paired with Kinsey’s background vocals and hints of electric instrumentals, create a calm atmosphere. Deaton and Kinsey showcase their impressive abilities to play with their voices. In “Little Do You Know,” Deaton sings of a time in which Kinsey hurt her. Kinsey, in return, promises to not hurt her again. While extremely cheesy, the song still touches upon intense pain and shame. The song, however, has obviously been enhanced by pro-

ducers, which takes away from its emotional value.

Like any couple, Deaton and Kinsey have thought about what it would be like to cheat on one another. In “Cheating,” they jest about cheating on one another, which is a little weird. The song itself, however, is quirky and somehow displays their playfulness.

“Broken Frame” is a somber song in which Alex & Sierra ponder the hardships of any relationship, evident in lyrics like, “The greatest pretenders forget to remember the lies/We’re falling forever, we’re far from together tonight.” Beautiful and dark, the group succeeds in telling their audience that they have problems just

it’s about us X-Factor winners’ album reveal diverse talents

like every couple, despite the media’s attempt to portray them as a happy couple.

Contrary to the songs related to fighting and cheating, there are also happy, romantic songs. “Scarecrow,” the album’s lead single, is upbeat.

While not a standout track, the song is by no means a failure. “Just Kids” is an anthem in which the duo proclaims their youthfulness and freedom. “Here We Go” sounds a lot like something that would be released on an “Of Monsters and Men” album.

Personally, the most impressive song is “All For You,” a sultry jazz piece that is reminiscent of their “I Knew You Were Trouble” jazz rendition on “The X-Factor.” The track

opens with a saxophone, followed by clever and playful lyrics. The couple croons of how far they would go to support one another, as indicated by lines like, “If you wake up and see me on the news/I did it all for you.” Bongos and pianos are added, adding to the jazzy feel.

“It’s About Us” has done a good job of reassuring fans that Alex & Sierra are capable of making good music.

While Kinsey has a relatively normal voice, Deaton has the ability to sound both delicate and strong throughout the album. Some of the songs are extremely pop-influenced, but works like “All For You” and “Cheating” give listeners a glimpse of what Alex & Sierra are capable of.

photos from internet source

October 24, 2014

FEATURES

The Brandeis Hoot 7

Voices of Soul brings R&B to Brandeis

By Nathan Benjamin editor

Brandeis University is home to 13 separate a cappella groups, all of which feature their own distinct genres and styles that set them apart from one another.

One prominent group on campus is known as Voices of Soul.

The co-ed singing group was formed in 2001 and distinguishes itself with its rhythm and melodic nature as they perform songs in the R&B, hip hop and soul genres, exclusively. Voices of Soul currently has 11 active members, including two who were just recently added to the group this year. In the past, Voices of Soul has performed at venues such as Culture X as well as the Coleman House Nursing Home in nearby Northborough, MA.

The president of Voices of Soul is Jonathan Gilman ’15. As president, Gilman has been responsible for keeping the group together and on task. Also in leadership are Olivia Gunther ’16 and Molly Winer ’17. The two act together as co-music directors, and are largely responsible for the teaching and perfecting of the music that is eventually performed. Additionally, the two also create and manage musical arrangements, which includes assigning and teaching parts of a song to the group.

What makes Voices of Soul so special, says Winer, is their tightknit relationship with each other.

Winer states, “I’ve been in VOS for a year now, and I absolutely love it! Not only do we make awesome soul music together, but we’re also a family who loves to have

photo from internet source

RHYTHM Voices of Soul performs songs in the genres R&B, Hip hop, and Soul, exlcusively.

photo courtesy molly winer

fun.” This relationship is also the group’s key to their own success.

Winer says that it is a combination of “strong leadership to keep the group in shape … [and] a great rapport between all of the people in the group.” To the members of Voices of Soul as a whole, “It’s not just about the music, but also about having a good time and doing something you love with your friends,” said Winer.

As co-music director, Winer is partially in charge of ensuring that the group performs to the high standards it sets for itself.

While Winer states that the group has been working on making the group sound more like a unit, overall, “As a group, we are getting stronger and stronger as the semester goes on.” Some featured songs on Voices of Soul’s set list to look out for are “Hit ’Em Up Style (Oops!)” by Blu Cantrell, “No Diggity” by Blackstreet and “American Boy” by Estelle.

New songs to be performed by the group this semester are “Ignition Remix” by R Kelly and “DooWop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill.

Goals for this semester, states

photo from internet source

MUSIC The a capella group was founded in 2001 and currently has 11 active members.

Winer, are “to keep improving as a group with our sound and confidence.”

Already, the group has had a lot of invitations to perform at coffeehouses around campus, which have been “keeping us busy and

give[ing] us an incentive to work hard and learn new music,” Winer stated.

Voices of Soul’s next performance is scheduled at Chum’s this upcoming Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9 p.m. as well on Nov. 8.

SPORTS

October 24, 2014

SPORTS 8

Men’s soccer takes two

By Sarah Jousset editor

Although a crowd of bald caps in support of the “Be Bold, Be Bald” campaign turned out on Friday, Oct. 17 for the men’s soccer game, the Judges just couldn’t produce enough energy to get ahead of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans. The game was evenly matched with nine shot attempts for each side, but unusually physical with a total of 20 fouls on each side.

The game went scoreless into double overtime, until Zach Vieira ’17 scored for Brandeis with 3:45 left in the second overtime. Patrick Flahive ’18 headed the ball to the left side of the box for the assist, where it found the feet of Vieira, who then dodged a defender and outsmarted CMU goalkeeper Jacob Rice ’15 with a shot to the lower-right corner of the goal.

The goal from Vieira was all the Judges needed to win the game 1-0, improving their record to 13-1 on the season and 2-1 in the UAA conference.

The Judges came out with a 1-0 victory again on the Oct. 19 for another win against the Emory Eagles.

The two teams battled in the first half with a fair number of shots on both sides. One came as a close call for the Judges when, with one minute left in the half, Emory’s Connor Curtin got off a solid shot to the left side only to be denied by Brandeis’ Joe Graffy ’15, who leaped to make the save.

The first half ended with the Eagles and Judges on an even playing field of four attempted shots each and a

photos by marian siljeholm/the hoot

take two The men’s soccer team wins games against Carnegie Mellon University and Emory this past weekend.

scoreless game.

After the exciting shot at the end of the first half, it was expected that the Eagles would come back with a lot of energy. However, Brandeis matched their intensity to keep up the tight defense. The second half began as the first did, with an attempt on both goals. The first and only goal of the

game came shortly into the second half, at 49:42. But this goal was all the Judges needed to secure the win. Tyler Savonen ’15 was pulled down in the box, and rewarded a penalty shot as a result. This penalty shot is Savonen’s second penalty shot he has scored this season for the win. Savonen’s goal also gave the Judges their seventh 1-0 vic-

tory this season.

The Judges outshot the Eagles 9-7, while the Judges’ tight defense kept the Eagles from scoring. Graffy stopped all four shots taken against him during the game.

Judges men’s soccer plays again on Oct. 27, in a home game against Mount Ida College at 7 p.m.

Women’s soccer splits the weekend

By Curtis Zunyu He staff

The women’s soccer team returned to Gordon Field Friday, Oct. 17, hosting the Carnegie Mellon Tartans in the UAA Conference. Unfortunately, the Judges were not able to stay energized through the whole game as they gave up a lethal goal to the Tartans during the last ten minutes and ended the game 0-1. The Tartans cheerfully walked out of the shadow from the recent defeat by Washington University in St. Louis, while the Judges were, for the first time of the season, mired into an upset losing streak with a record of 11-3.

The Tartans’ hunger for victory was ubiquitous on the field during the first 30 minutes as they chased after the ball, trying to overwhelm the Judges’ defense by incessant tides of attacks.

Consecutive long-range shots were fired 12 minutes into the game towards the Judges’ goalie Alexis Grossman ’17. Strong pressure on the ball from the Tartans helped them snatch a few steals in the Judges’ back field and intensified the bad mood of the Judges’ fans.

However, the meticulous defense from the Judges saved the team from being totally flooded and amazingly turned the game around when Brandeis players suddenly switched on their power button around 33 minutes into the game to regain the control of the midfield. Judges’ defender Haley Schachter ’16 became the pivotal force, breaking apart the Tartans’ offense by intercepting their passes from wings to the middle. Schachter’s

comeback breaks streak The tie Sunday gives hope to the women’s soccer game after Friday night loss.

..

height also halted counterattacks from the Tartans when the Judges took over the game, when she intercepted a couple of long-range passes from the Tartans’ defenders. “We had two marks and no matter what, one of us is going to be on them. So we communicate the whole time. We just want it. Every defensive player tried their best today,” said Schachter after the game.

However, it didn’t take very long for the Tartans to shake off their fatigue in the second half, turning the

second into a complete stalemate between two teams for the first 39 minutes. The Judges couldn’t find a clear path by multiple attempts through the left wing, while the Tartans offense wasn’t able to make connect their midfielders and forwards. Forward Holly Szafran ’16 again tried her best to carry the team’s offense, as the team’s leader in assists. Szafran fired two beautiful free kicks soaring to the enemy’s goal with high quality but not enough to slip past the goalkeeper. Although she almost fulfilled

photos from internet source

her mission of “taking advantages of free kicks and corner kicks,” a small loophole of the Judges’ defense was promptly spotted out with only six minutes left in the game. Carnegie Mellon’s Rebekah Walsh ’17 assisted Carson Quiros ’16, who buried the game-winning header off a corner kick. “for them to score on a bogus corner, it feels awful,” Schachter again expressed the frustration of all Judges’ players after they have fought so hard to hold off the Tartans’ offense.

The Judges faced Emory Univer-

sity on Sunday, Oct. 19 at home again with a huge crowd of Brandeis fans attending for this special “homecoming weekend.” For Schachter, Sunday’s game was imperative to win. “We are going to get a win. We are gonna stretch out tonight, ice and then tomorrow relax for a day and go into it with all heart on Sunday,” Schachter said in anticipation of Sunday after Friday’s game.

The Judges didn’t quite achieve that goal of a win, but settled with a tie of 1-1 to Emory in a UAA contest Sunday. Emory scored just seconds before half time, taking the lead. In a back and forth match, Brandeis didn’t score until the 85th minute. A charging Samantha Schwartz ’18 grabbed the pass from Melissa Darling ’16 in the six-yard box and chipped it in to tie the game. Brandeis went into double overtime with Emory, outshooting Emory 14-13 throughout the game, but couldn’t produce the win.

The Brandeis women’s soccer team doesn’t play again until Friday, Oct. 31, when the Judges will take the field in St. Louis against the secondranked Washington University in a UAA contest.

October 24, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot

By Curtis Zunyu He

SPORTS

Swimming and diving lose but grow as a team

9

Staff

After a long, eight-month wait, the Brandeis swimming and diving team finally filled the Lindsey pool with intensity and excitement in their opening campaign against the Wheaton College Lyons on Saturday, Oct. 18. Although the Judges seized 10 individual wins, the Lyons excelled in diving, where they took control. The men’s team lost a close meet to the Lyons by a total score of 151.5 to 136.5, while the women’s team fell hard, notching 94 points against the Lyons’ 191.

It was a tough loss for the men’s team as they managed to maintain an even score on the board after 14 swimming events and completely dominated in freestyle and butterfly.

The crowd was on its feet when Max Fabian ’15 was striving to lead the fastest Wheaton swimmer by almost a lap and won the 1000-yard freestyle match by 27 seconds. Fabian continued to shine in distance swimming when he gained another important victory in the 500-yard freestyle for the Judges. He won the 200-yard butterfly as he caught up with the lead swimmer in lane three during the third lap and finally surpassed him in the final sprint, accomplishing a huge comeback win.

Brian Luk ’16 snatched the 100yard freestyle race from Wheaton’s Jake Horne by .27 seconds. His butterfly short distance swimming was outstanding, as well, with a firstplace win in the 100-yard contest.

The Judges fell in both men’s breaststroke and backstroke. Judges weren’t able to be victorious in either breaststroke or backstroke beyond these two events. Brandeis’ men lost diving by 26 points because Sam

photos by marian siljenholm/the hoot

BUSDT continues to grow in first meet of the year

Zucker ’18 alone competed against two upperclassmen from Wheaton.

As for the women’s team, Joanna Murphy ’16 retained her speed as she led the Judges with two individual victories out of the three total wins from the team.

Murphy experienced a similar turnaround to Fabian’s in the 200yard butterfly when she successfully surpassed the leading Lyons swimmer in the third lane during the third lap. In the 500-yard freestyle contest, Murphy sustained her prestige as a record holder by leaving the secondplace swimmer 20 seconds behind her.

In addition to Murphy’s wins, Erin Gawronski ’18 achieved her first individual win in her college swimming career by beating all of the Ly-

ons swimmers in an intense match.

However, the other events were dominated by the Lyons, especially in diving events for which the Judges didn’t have a participant to compete.

The Judges will meet a new challenge at the University of Rochester Invitational this weekend, Oct. 25-26.

The competition will be the opening campaign for the Yellow Jackets at home. The Judges will compete with and to learn from all other four participating college teams including New York University, Canisius College, Hartwick College and Rochester University.

While the Judges lost in the pool, the meet was a huge step forward for the team overall. Having recruited 19 new swimmers, the team doubled in size since last year.

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

fall colors Despite rain, fall is in full swing at Brandeis.

photos by marian siljeholm /the hoot

EDITORIAL

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

Volume 11 • Issue 21 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

STAFF

Charlotte Aaron, Clayre Benzadon, Ethan Berceli, Rachel Bossuk, Robin Briendel, Sharon Cai, Karen Caldwell, Shikha Chandarana, Rachel Dobkin, Curtis Zunyu He, Kevin Healey, Shayna Korol, Carter Kunkle, Joe Lanoie, Nabi Menai, Monique J Menezes, Joon Park, Lisa Petrie, Allison Plotnik, Emily Scharf, Zach Schwartz, Marian Siljeholm, Emily Smith, Naomi Soman, Hannah Stewart, Vardges Tserunyan, Joe Vigil, Michael Wang, Sophia Warren, Shreyas Warrier, Liya Wizevich, Ludi Yang

October 24, 2014

Univ. should lead in environmental issues

I

n this week’s issue, The Brandeis Hoot featured an article about oncampus environmental activism, past, present and future. The article addresses, among other important points, the lack of effort made by Brandeis administration to meet goals related to environmental sanity and campus sustainability. Students and faculty members spoke at the event and made their opinion clear: Brandeis University can and should do better on these issues. We at The Hoot support this goal. As the majority of research has consistently shown, climate change is one of the most pressing and potentially catastrophic issues of our time, particularly for the millennial generation that the majority of Brandeis students belong to. The optimal time for action has passed, but that does not absolve institutions from working toward a sustainable future.

As an educational institution, particularly one that is based on ideals of social justice, Brandeis is a place that dedicates itself to providing a path to the future for its students. As shown by the article in this week’s paper and the activities of student groups such as the Brandeis Divestment Campaign and Students for Environmental Ac-

tion, the environment is an important issue for many Brandeis students. For some students, the issue hit close to home, motivating them to organize a trip to New York City to take part in the massive climate march this September. This was a movement The Hoot highlighted last week, in our article titled “Brandeis student activists find solidarity behind bars.” In this case, students and alumni felt the issue of climate change was of the absolute utmost importance. “I should get arrested as much as possible if it helps the movement,” said Naveh Halperin ’12, in a recent interview with The Hoot. Halperin was one of the multiple Brandeis students and alumni arrested at the Flood Wall Street march, a response to the connection between the perpetuation of climate change and corporate greed.

These news articles, as well as recent opinion pieces in The Hoot that highlighted the issue of light pollution on campus, illustrate that Brandeis students are incredibly invested in making the world a greener place.

We at The Hoot urge the administration to join hands with students and adapt Brandeis’ operations to be more sustainable.

Our education at Brandeis is a

path toward the “real world,” which may include finding a job or starting a family. The extracurricular work students do, whether in clubs, internships or other outlets, gives students the experience needed to thrive in the world. Brandeis’ constant promotion of elements of social justice encourage students to help build a world that reflects the values imparted on campus.

To ignore or fall short of progress in the area of environment sustainability defies that ideal. We at The Hoot call on the Brandeis administration to work with students in order to create a clearer path toward sustainability.

Students must have the ability to communicate easily with the administration and trustees in order to, at the very least, discuss the implementation of ideas. We ask that Brandeis be held accountable to the voices being raised in the community, people who have proved they are firmly dedicated to the issue of climate change. Recently, California’s Pitzer College announced its financial divestment from fossil fuels, the largest educational institution to do so as of now. Brandeis has an endowment more than seven times that of Pitzer; surely it can afford to at least talk to its students about making campus a little more green.

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

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Correction The article titled “The lasting influence of the Shapiro family” published on Friday, Oct. 17, about the Shapiro family’s influence at Brandeis University, misstated several facts about the family and omitted others. Carl

Shapiro has always led the family’s involvement at Brandeis, and he himself directed the planning and construction of the campus center. The family also has generously donated in order to establish the Rhonda S. and Michael

J. Zinner Forum in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Additionally, the article failed to mention daughter Linda Waintrup, and the passing of Ruth Shapiro and Rhonda (Ronny) Zinner.

NEWS

11 The Brandeis Hoot

October 24, 2014

Big Siblings pioneers on-campus program

By Liya Wizevich Staff

The Brandeis Waltham Group Big Siblings program has been serving youth ages six to 17 in the Waltham area since its founding in the early 1980s. Recently the program has added a new on-campus program, in partnership with the Jewish Big Brother Big Sister organization (JBBBS).

The new program is the first time the Big Siblings program has had an on-campus-based option. Brandeis volunteers meet with the child they mentor, known as their “little,” every other week on campus for two hours at a time. These pairs, or “matches,” spend time together one-on-one, forming a bond and relationship.

They spend time together doing activities, including playing sports and board games, doing craft projects, going to the game room in Lower Usdan and attending on-campus events.

“We are particularly excited about the campus-based program because it is the pioneer campus-based mentoring program for our community partner, JBBBS,” said coordinator Sophie Brickman ’16. “They hope that our campus program will be the pilot for a future series of college partnerships.”

JBBBS is a local nonprofit organization based in Newton. The new program with Brandeis is designed to allow and encourage even more volunteer participation, as it allows the program to accept volunteers who do not have cars or another mode of transportation to the elementary schools.

The new program allows greater interaction between the Waltham and Brandeis communities and also provides an opportunity for younger kids. In this way, these children can gain exposure to a college environment, which may prompt them to begin thinking about attending a higher education institution earlier than usual.

“The program’s infancy has allowed us to explore important riskmanagement issues that arise when hosting on-campus programs, which we have been able to discuss with other Waltham Group programs and Department of Community Service staff, ” Brickman explained.

The two original options, which Big Siblings will continue to run, are lunchtime programs at Stanley and Plympton elementary schools in Waltham where Brandeis volunteers visit the schools for an hour each week to spend lunchtime with their little. The matches eat together, talk, play games or do art projects, similar

BIG SIBLINGS PROGRAM Waltham Group introduces on campus volunteer program.

to the campus-based program.

Additional ongoing programs and opportunities for volunteering at Brandeis, include group training sessions and meetings where volunteers discuss their experiences with the children and reflect on the impact they are making. These students are,

above all, continuing to learn new skills to become the best mentor they can be.

Overall the goal of the Big Siblings program “is to provide youth in the Waltham area with one-to-one mentoring relationships that focus on trust, stability, working together and

photo from internet source

having fun.”

Brickman hopes this new program will expand the opportunity for “the bigs to serve as positive and stable role models for their littles,” and she hopes it will create an environment where all participants can feel safe and have fun.

Documentary addresses hidden Jewish history

By Jess Linde Editor

Yesterday, Oct. 23 the Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC) previewed “Laid to Rest,” the new documentary by scholar and filmmaker Ornit Barkai. It is a film that details the history of the involvement of Jewish immigrants in Argentina sex trafficking during the late 1900s. Barkai has been filming and editing the documentary over the past several years, and provided the audience an idea of the scope of the story, in addition to showing video clips. The event was attended by a group of around 20 people, most of whom worked with the Center, as well as Brandeis students.

“I stumbled on this story almost completely by accident,” Barkai said.

While Barkai was visiting her husband’s family in Buenos Aires, a relative offhandedly recommended that she investigate “Polacas,” European Jewish immigrant women forced into prostitution upon arriving in Argentina. Intrigued, Barkai researched the subject, only to find that there were almost no records or histories available, least of all from the Argentine Jewish community. “All the women involved in the trade were remembered as ‘unclean,’ even though they were forced into prostitution,” Barkai said. As a result, many records were kept hidden or destroyed.

Like her initial discovery of the “Polacas,” Barkai found many of her sources by luck and coincidence.

Through her investigations, Barkai was able to find journalists, historians and activists, most of whom appeared

in the video in candid interviews, who had done their own research and were happy to speak about it. Barkai and her husband, who served as her translator, were even able to find and interview people who were alive during the time when much of the trafficking took place.

The witnesses, researchers and documents described in the video clips worked in tandem to portray the story of hundreds of women targeted by pimps pretending to be suitors traveling through poor Jewish communities, before being tricked into going overseas.

In many cases, women were lured with the promise of marriage, and were tied to men in phony ceremonies performed by corrupt rabbis.

The mass immigration of poor Jews to Argentina in the late 19th century

allowed pimps and other predatory men to entice women with the promise of a better life in a new country. A trailer shown also promised details on how Jewish communities and cultural centers in Argentina and other places have actively worked to bury the story of the women. It also examined the thriving sex industry in Buenos Aires.

The final half hour of the presentation focused on Bertha Pappenheim, an Austrian Jewish woman who founded the League of Jewish Women. She sought to protect women and girls from sex trafficking. Pappenheim and fellow activists would often meet immigrant boats arriving in cities like New York, where they would hold signs warning new arrivals about predatory men. They also offered shelter for women escaping prostitution. Though Pappenheim

and the League of Jewish Women never reached Argentina, her ideas influenced many of the women there, who worked to escape forced prostitution and bring down the community that protected traffickers.

Barkai did not announce a release date for the finished documentary, but stressed the importance of the story in light of current statistics about sex trafficking. The most recent United Nations report cited over 27 million people as currently being trafficked against their will, 80 percent of whom are women and girls. “As much as this story is about a shameful part of Jewish history, it is really about gender,” said WSRC director Shulamit Reinharz. “It is really about how gender is used as a way to entrap and enslave women, and how that fits into history and culture.”

Cafe Science makes research accessible to community

By Jamie Soohoo

Special to the Hoot

Every first Monday of the month, the Cafe Science program invites one Brandeis professor in the sciences to Solea, a restaurant on Moody Street, to discuss their research, for the purpose of informing the local community about current scientific advancements. Recently, on Oct. 6, Cafe Science invited Dr. Bruce Goode (BIOL) to speak about his research on the cytoskeleton, a dynamic network of polymeric proteins found inside all living cells.

Goode spoke about the cytoskeleton as critical to the viability and functioning of cells. He stated it gives them “dynamic mechanical properties, enabling cells to generate directional forces and thus reshape themselves, crawl, contract or divide.” Additionally, the cytoskeleton functions to “organize the interior of the cell, holding things in place and

transporting smaller parts to specific locations,” he said.

Funded by federal grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, as well as private agencies, Goode’s research lab works with the proteins actin and tubulin, which are the basic building blocks of the microfilament and microtubule polymers that constitute the cytoskeleton. The Goode lab studies how other proteins, such as formins, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and kinesin, bind to the sides and ends of microfilaments and microtubules. From there, they connect them and coordinate their dynamics in cells.

Goode works with six Ph.D. students, five postdoctoral fellows and six undergraduate researchers in his lab. He says that student researchers make significant contributions to the research, performing biochemical, genetic and cell biological work on the proteins that make up the cytoskeleton. In studying these proteins,

Goode’s research lab hopes to further understand how the components of the cytoskeleton work together in reshaping the architecture of cells.

Successful research of the cytoskeleton could lead to advancements in treating human diseases in the future.

Alterations in microfilament and microtubule-based mechanisms are linked to human health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, neurodegeneration and developmental disorders, as well as pathogen-induced illnesses.

Moreover, mutations in formins, APC and kinesin-1 in humans lead to disorders and cancers such as colorectal cancer, kidney disease and defects in limb development. Further study of these proteins could hopefully uncover mechanisms that are directly relevant to human health, and ultimately may provide strategies for treating a variety of human ailments.

Goode strongly supports the efforts of the Cafe Science program, as he believes it encourages the commu-

cafe science Professor Goode dicussed his research on cytoskeleton.

nity to learn about current scientific research.

Goode’s research is funded indirectly by taxpayer dollars, so he feels it is important for the community to have a chance to hear about what their money underwrites. Cafe Science provides the community with the opportunity to meet and connect with academic researchers, as well as

photo from internet source

further their understanding of how current research can directly affect their lives.

“I hope that Cafe Science will continue to gain in popularity and continue to inform the community about the world-class research occurring at Brandeis and its direct impact on the health and well-being of the public,” Goode said.

OPINIONS

October 24, 2014

Combat rising class sizes

By Monique J Menezes Staff

Patience is a virtue, that’s what my parents told me. I don’t like being patient, and I dare you to find me someone who actually likes waiting.

It probably isn’t just me, but the lines for food at Usdan feel longer. Not just that, but finding a table is Mission Impossible: Brandeis Dining Edition. I know this has a lot to do with timing, but that’s not the only explanation. Brandeis has gotten a little more crowded in recent years, and it isn’t only affecting how efficiently you get your food.

Two years ago, Brandeis had a record-breaking number of applicants, and last year’s number of applicants exceeded that. This is a good thing.

Brandeis is a good school, and there should be an amount of applicants that reflects its excellence. Nevertheless, Brandeis’ acceptance rate has not changed that much. It is more competitive than ever before to get in, but the school is also accepting more students than ever before.

This serves as an explanation for all of you in a forced triple. The fact is that the population on campus has continued to increase, while Brandeis itself isn’t getting any bigger. In triples, students are forced to share closets and make do with a confined amount of space. College living itself is something to get used to, without the extra challenge of multiple roommates. Speaking of housing, it’s only guaranteed for your first two years, because of the lack of space. The campus just does not have enough space for everyone.

Simply, there is a limit on how many people can occupy a confined space. Thus, Brandeis is forced to limit parking and housing, allot less space to those who are already guaranteed a place to live and encourage us to utilize the virtue of patience in the dining halls. They really don’t have an alternative. For the most part, it’s manageable—a little frustrating, but there isn’t much you can do.

There is only one place where the increasing number of students does bother me: the classroom. Brandeis is one of the smallest research universities in the country. A big perk of attending a school that doesn’t have an outrageous population is the small class sizes. On more than one occasion, smaller classes have proven to be a better learning experience. Students get to know their teachers and vice versa. Intimate class discussions encourage students to actively participate. Nevertheless, like everything else, Brandeis has to find a place to put all these people.

Formerly medium-sized classes are now becoming large lectures. Students are getting lost in the crowd, and the possibility of student involvement decreases. The quality of education is pretty high up on the list of factors when it comes to choosing a college, and smaller class sizes are one of the many things that attract students to Brandeis. Pushing the boundaries of how big a class should be is taking something away from its students.

Unfortunately, altering a class size is sometimes not an option. Classes like the third-level foreign languages need to remain small in order to have their intended impact. These are required classes, and they are extraordinarily competitive to get into. Some language departments have begun to offer more time slots in order to compensate. Nonetheless, it still does not feel fair. Students’ primary purpose for being here is their education. Now, with an increasing student body, there is added stress (and even an obstacle) to get into their chosen classes. Students have to line up at 8 a.m., if not earlier, to get special consent codes; others have to contact professors a month in advance.

More people means more complications, especially on a campus with spatial restrictions.

Sometimes, it’s unavoidable, and the school is forced to adjust. Nevertheless, Brandeis can’t keep this up. Sooner or later, these issues will get out of hand and need resolving. Don’t get me wrong. I undeniably support people getting a quality education. I even support them getting a quality education here at Brandeis, but I don’t want the rise in class size to compromise my education.

The Brandeis Hoot 12

Dungeon emits unnecessary sounds

By Andrew Elmers Editor

As midterms roll around and more and more papers are due, I find it necessary sometimes to find someplace quiet in order to get my work done. Now, if you ask anyone on campus where the best, quietest spot would be, they would point you to the dungeon—the bottom of the library, on Goldfarb 3. Other than random pockets around campus that might be empty, this is the designated quiet study area on campus. It has numerous desks set up and signs everywhere directing students to make sure they stay quiet. Yet whenever I head down there to get some work done, I’ve found it’s anything but quiet.

Sure, no one is talking or has music playing to distract you, and if someone does breach the social contract in place by raising their voice, they are quick to be reprimanded by others studying.

So it’s not that the rules are being broken, per se, but it’s impossible to find total silence in the dungeon. Instead you find that the near-silence simply winds up annoying you.

Of course, with a multitude of people in a location, squeaks and squawks are bound to arise.

But the noises emanating from the dungeon are more frequent than some random occurrence.

The sound of pages from a Norton Anthology turning as someone reads for their English class the next day and the squeal of the highlighter dragging across the page are all expected sounds. But everyone can also hear the clicks and clacks of someone pounding away at their keyboard to meet their midnight deadline on LATTE for a sociology paper. Phones vibrate on the wooden desks as friends wonder what’s taking you so long to finish your homework.

Most of these clattering noises are the somewhat inescapable phenomenon of studying, but really, the sound of keyboards and turning pages See LIBRARY, page 14

photo by linjie xu/the hoot

Injustice in our salads

By Alexandra Libstag Special to the Hoot

If you are under the impression that slavery is solely a scar of America’s past, you have been greatly misinformed. Slavery exists in the United States today, and it helped make your salad.

Immokalee, FL, is referred to as America’s tomato capital. Yet that is not all it is known for.

For decades, it has served as a Garden of Eden for injustice, cruelty and the abuse of migrant workers. Subjected to long hours of labor and horrid working conditions, these farm workers exist as disposable tools in a system where they are made to be invisible to the eye of the consumer. Workers are verbally and physically abused by their employers and made to work hour after hour in the sweltering heat.

They are housed in dirty, cramped spaces where they are constantly watched over—essentially held captive. Their wages are insignificant and their debt rampant—one of the many ways that their employers keep their hold on them.

Their stories are haunting. From narratives of sexual abuse and forced labor to descriptions of the wretched conditions in which they live, this modern-day slavery is very real—the pain and injustice as raw as a fresh tomato.

As Ronald Takaki explores in his book “A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America,” time and time again, immigrants have been subjected to exploitation in the workforce. Hopeful for what America would bring, these immigrants believe this country to be the answer to their prayers—a land of riches, opportunity and justice. They were beckoned by the ever-elusive American Dream. As Japanese immigrants experienced when they came to the U.S. in the late 19th century and early 20th century, life in America did not turn out as expected. These laborers fell victim to cruelty, working hours on end for very little pay. Though this may have happened decades ago, this sad pattern has persisted throughout time. If this treatment is what the American Dream entails, then I think it is time to wake up. photo from internet source

See SALAD, page 15

October 24, 2014

OPINIONS 13

The Brandeis Hoot

Be cautious when toying with nuclear power

By Zach Phil Schwartz Staff

Campus parking woes

By Kevin Healey

At many American power stations, a heat source delivers enough heat to boil water into steam. The steam turns a turbine, which in turn pushes a generator that makes distributable electricity. It is these heat sources, however, that define the power plants—from the burning of fossil fuels to the exploitation of our planet’s heat to heat-producing nuclear reactions. Only one of these sources, however, has the capacity to produce immediate catastrophic results: nuclear energy.

Nuclear power has been an awkward discussion topic among both green energy advocates and detractors, primarily due to its association with the bomb. Many irrationally fear it due to the atomic bomb. Its association with the bomb is not fair, but one must still recognize the possibility of catastrophic core meltdowns and the very real, current issue revolving around spent fuel. Meltdown catastrophes can happen, and they shouldn’t be ignored just because of their rarity. It wasn’t just rotten luck—being that one in a million chance—that caused the Fukushima Daiichi disaster; it was nature to blame.

It wasn’t just luck that caused the 1979 Three Mile Island Incident either; it was human error.

No matter how rare catastrophes are, and no matter the advanced technology in place to prevent disaster, natural circumstances and human error will still occur, and there will never be a way to stop those. It is not irrational for someone to fear future nuclear energy catastrophes based on past ones.

That being said, environmental issues surrounding both functional and disengaged nuclear power stations still exist, albeit not in the form of carbon dioxide emissions. The di

Staff

See NUCLEAR, page 15

photo from internet source

Tenure reform needed

By Joe Lanoie Staff

My work experience has mainly consisted of jobs that forced me to serve people. Having worked at a big box retailer for two years and at a fast food restaurant this past summer, I usually joke that I am writing a book about all the traumatic experiences I suffered. In the past, customers and managers have berated me constantly for hours. I had to put up with their vitriol thanks to the constant mantra of the customer service world: “The customer is always right.”

This seems irrelevant for Brandeis faculty.

Tenure is their goal. The problem with tenure at Brandeis is that it focuses on how often a professor publishes work in their field. Some professors are constantly in publication; a professor of mine has written six books. Some professors have not, preferring to focus on their students and guiding us in study. Some do both; my advisors are constantly balancing the worlds of academic publication and academic education.

The tenure program favors the first instead of the latter two. The best professors have to worry about their jobs because they don’t write enough. The worst get job security, wasting our tuition dollars on poorly taught classes. Tenure, in the best of worlds, ensures the good teachers’ jobs. However, this has not happened. Student involvement and terms in a selection system would prevent the bad from benefitting from a system designed to benefit the good.

Personally, I am not a fan of tenure, due to my own philosophy and bad experiences in the past. With the tenure program, even if a professor is not happy with their position, they most often will not leave because of the benefits of staying.

Another problem with the tenure program is that there is no student input on who gets it, which bothers the American in me. Although I have had plenty of good tenured professors, tenure protects bad professors. The only two bad Brandeis professors I have had were tenured. One professor spent her entire class praising radically left political systems and ideologies and shunned whoever disagreed with her.

In my student review, I put down my issues and photo from internet source

See TENURE, page 14

I would really appreciate it if no one hit me with their car. I don’t find this a particularly trying request to make, nor do I believe it will be an undue hardship for our university’s drivers. In fact, I’m not entirely sure why I need to bring it up at all. However, since someone nearly hit me when they pulled their Jeep over a curve, across a grassy strip and onto the concrete pad in front of my residence hall, I think we may need to talk about our driving practices.

Whenever Brandeis has a discussion about parking, which seems to be almost all the time, discourse invariably focuses on the impact of parking access, or lack thereof, on drivers. I’m not going to argue that drivers aren’t majorly impacted by parking access, but I want to address the ways that our parking situation affects those of us who don’t have cars. Access to parking has been steadily decreasing on our campus for the last decade, with class sizes increasing and more students forced to live off-campus. Though restricting underclassmen access to parking (a decade ago first-years actually could park on campus), as well as steadily expanding the number of spaces available in lots, has prevented a total crisis, even as recently as last year there were more parking permits issued than spaces available. In short, despite all the student input and administrative efforts, over the past 10 years there has been little improvement in the parking situation on campus. With access to actual parking limited, over the past two months I have witnessed more and more people resort to parking in locations that are not parking spaces at all.

The concrete pad, located between Deroy and Shapiro, has gone from a place for first years to unload on move-in day to a place for someone to stash their Subaru for a few hours. Besides the obvious safety concern of having to look for cars coming across areas not designed for traffic flow, this influx of illegal parking makes Public Safety’s job even more difficult. More frightening, however, are the ways these problems will get worse over the next few years.

Besides the current effects of the parking situation on first-years, the potential problems faced by the class of 2018 when they gain access to parking are significant. Despite the ongoing nature of the parking crisis on campus, the university has never initiated a long-term plan to address it and it has not found a solution during the last decade. With the chances of any substantial improvement to the parking system in the near future slim, the parking situation will only get worse. The class of 2018, like recent classes before it, is one of the largest classes Brandeis has ever admitted. Without real improvements to campus infrastructure, the minor problems in parking will become a full-on crisis. Visualize adding 100 cars onto campus today and imagine the havoc that would cause. The possibility of a car parking in the wrong area would be far outweighed by the traffic chaos and continual lateness for every commuter, faculty member and student living off campus. In fact, with more and more students and no new housing, more students may be forced off-campus and forced to drive to class. The potential parking crisis around the corner is significant.

Luckily, however, this doesn’t have to be our future. We have a few years to implement some real changes on campus to address the parking problems and enough goodwill among our students to succeed. In the short-term, low cost options such as carpool incentives, improved bike share access and an improved shuttle schedule could all decrease the number of cars on campus while not costing the university too much. Over the long term, the university needs to plan for the construction of more parking, be it a garage or simply another lot. Construction is expensive, but if the university invested each year in a parking fund, then the cost could be shared over successive budgets. Whether or not these increases in class size are good are another matter, but if they’re going to happen the university needs to prepare itself.

The potential for a Great Parking Crisis of 2016 hangs in the balance, and I hope the university can take the steps necessary to avoid it.

The time to make a lasting change is now. At the present, it’s the administration’s turn to implement these policies to improve our community.

While I wait, meanwhile, I guess I’ll just keep my eyes peeled for any oncoming Jeeps.

14 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 24, 2014

Silence can never be completely found

photo from internet source

LIBRARY, from page 12

is increased by the fact that there are no other sound waves in the air to drown them out.

The most egregious noise from whenever I’m down in the dungeon is the door that leads to the stairway in the middle of Goldfarb. The main stairway, which stands between Farber and Goldfarb, is free range and has no door, but the other one is guarded by a large, metal fire door.

This is a door that gets used frequently and always manages to squeak as someone opens it. It also makes a decent-sized thud as it closes. Some people are aware of this and make sure to close the door carefully, deafening the thud, but when people are busy and want to get started on their work, they simply walk away without worrying about the door. Perhaps a few drops of oil could loosen up the hinges and stop the door from squeaking each time it opens. May-

be it isn’t even necessary to have the door there in the first place, though I’m sure there’s a fire code somewhere that prevents that from happening.

Still, the silence one would hope to find in the dungeon isn’t there, and I found my mind was more preoccupied with trying to disregard any noise arising than the book I had to read. Sure, using a pair of headphones and listening to either music or just some white noise would drown out anything around you, but that’s true

of studying just about anywhere. I went to the dungeon to really focus on my work instead of possibly being distracted by music or even an open computer, where I can waste away time on the Internet. The dungeon should really be a place of complete silence, yet it is almost impossible to find it there.

Maybe more sound-proof barriers could be put in place between each workstation. I remember watching the Owen Wilson-Vince Vaughn film

“The Internship,” and they featured these pods with a large globe structure encircling your head, the kind Google employees could use for naps.

That could be part of the magic of Hollywood and might not really work to begin with, but I’m sure there are workstations out there that offer more isolation than the wooden desks in the dungeon already. Besides, these desks could use an upgrade already; the graffiti etched in pen include references dating back to the Reagan administration. Still, some sort of roof to the desk and more space between workstations would drastically improve the level of quiet found there.

Even with these improvements, I’d imagine there will never be complete silence in the dungeon. The rogue cough and other bodily functions pop up all the time, and simply can’t be helped. So maybe the best course of action for someone like myself, who desires total silence for studying, can be to get out of the library altogether.

In exploring the campus a bit, there’s probably an empty classroom somewhere that I could exploit for a few hours, or a corner in the basement of a building adjacent to an outlet where no living soul could find me.

One of the Simon & Garfunkel’s most famous songs is “The Sound of Silence.” It basically talks about a dream the narrator has, where he finds a multitude of people talking, but this concept of the sound of silence is not disturbed. An oxymoron if there ever was one, the words ring true in the dungeon of the library. Even though it is maintained as a “silent study space,” there is still a sound that forces itself out of the wooden workspaces.

Maybe these words ring true for everywhere in life—there will always be a sound emanating out of silence, and we will never find complete silence.

Still, we might as well keep looking, in order to procrastinate even further from getting our work done.

Tenure should be based on more than just publishing TENURE, from page 13

asked her to be more impartial in the future. Thanks to the program’s anonymity, I was spared from her wrath. I say “wrath” because once she got my review, she spent 15 minutes of a 50-minute class complaining that

photo by kathrine selector/the hoot

whoever wrote it “needed a good hit on the head.”

The second professor spent his class time the same as hers, berating conservative students and praising liberal ones. To him, his class was an extension of his political evangelization; he was very open in his involvement in a

campaign. I considered making complaints, but when I found out they were both tenured, I knew it would be futile. Nothing would happen; the minute some professors get tenure, students become constant pests, and they give favored status to some based on the stupidest of reasons. The prob-

lem is, of course, ensuring that the good professors get tenure, and the bad get fired.

I propose four reforms to the tenure selection system to protect against the corruption of tenure: student involvement, terms, academic output and transparency. The first is tied

to the fourth: Students should have a say on where and on whom their tuition money is spent. Tenure hearings should be public and the agenda of consideration be offered a month in advance by email. During this time, students should find and offer evidence for and against the confirmation. They should then be able to present it to the committee for consideration. The second is that the tenure is not for life but for a five-year term.

Once one receives tenure, the program should last for five years and then be renewed depending on the evidence presented at their next committee meeting. If one does not get tenure at the meeting, it does not mean instant dismissal but rather that they cannot be tenured for another three years, when they can appeal their cause and get an additional two years of tenure early. Tenure must only be offered to the best professors.

All in all, the tenure process needs reform to prevent bad professors from prospering and good professors from suffering. Tenure is an academic creation; it does not exist in the world outside of campus. Like all workers, people can be fired if they are incompetent or unruly. I see no reason why it is standard for academia to be the exemption. Firing is a sign of needed self improvement. It is necessary. One learns more from a loss than from 20 wins. Tenure for bad professors robs them from a necessary experience: a Scrooge-like journey to show them the error of their ways. Firing, for all intents and purposes, is good.

October 24, 2014

OPINIONS15

The Brandeis Hoot

Nuclear energy helpful, yet still dangerous NUCLEAR, from page 13

saster at Fukushima, which occurred over three years ago, still has grave implications on the area today.

According to an article published on Oct. 12 in The Japan Times from the Japanese JIJI newswire, radioactive tritium levels in a well near one of the reactors hit 150,000 becquerels per liter. According to the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission), the American EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) defines a maximum constant safe drinking water level of tritium at 740 becquerels.

Levels of radioactive strontium-90, according to The Japan Times’ article, hit 1.2 million becquerels per liter after the storm. The EPA defines the maximum safe level of strontium-90 at 0.296 becquerels. It would be an understatement to say that the Fukushima area isn’t safe by any standard.

It will likely be many years before any living thing can safely live there.

Many may still point to the crisis of radiation in the water in Fukushima as an isolated case caused by a nuclear disaster, and this is true to an extent, but many American nuclear facilities that haven’t melted down are also leaking. According to a Greenpeace fact sheet, over 20 American nuclear plants have admitted to leaking tritium into the environment since 2006.

The truth for many American nuclear power stations is that their private nature can put priorities in the wrong order. Some of these stations would rather make money on decaying facilities and worry about the consequences later. Such is the case for a nuclear station around two hours from Brandeis.

Everyone from protesters to Vermont governor Peter Shumlin have criticized the facility, known locally as Vermont Yankee. According to an undated statement from the Gover-

photo from internet source

nor’s office, it was time to “move on” from the “aging” facility owned by an out-of-state corporation to a better “energy future” for Vermonters.

It was this same facility that in 2011 was responsible for a tritium leak that, in a Jan. 21, 2011 statement from the Governor’s Office, concerned Shumlin. The facility is set to close at the end of this year.

Several of the other facilities named in the Greenpeace factsheet are now shuttered, spent fuel sitting on their porches—the same spent fuel that is

the center of another controversy.

Nevada’s Yucca Mountain, the proposed facility to house the nation’s nuclear waste materials, has been studied since the 1980s, and still isn’t open. In the meantime, spent nuclear fuels that will be radioactive for thousands of generations exist, and their numbers are only going to increase with an increase in nuclear facilities.

Obviously, nuclear energy has its positives in the immense power it can produce, but it also has negatives that can have severe consequences. Nucle-

ar fuel is non-renewable, and it will be around as an unusable radioactive waste product with no final location yet to be concretely determined for hundreds of thousands of years.

Human error, natural disasters and other out-of-the-ordinary events can result in catastrophic results, like at Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi.

It is too volatile a prospect to make a decision about lightly. Some areas surrounding Chernobyl are still dangerous, and living near Fukushima is out of the question. We need to think

of our energy future and ask ourselves how long we want to burden our children with the byproducts of a nonrenewable energy system. We cannot assure a safe future for our planet with the threat of radiation looming behind us.

We need a sustainable, clean and renewable resource that can harness the power nuclear energy can without the unsatisfactory byproducts. Only then can we assure a bright and safe energy future for humanity and all other living things on Earth.

Food revolution starts in each and every kitchen SALAD, from page 12

Luckily, steps have been taken and improvements have been made over the past few years. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a group that serves to educate the public on the issue of the exploitation of farm workers. CIW has worked to establish Fair Food Agreements with several large companies such as Walmart, Sodexo, Chipotle, McDonald’s and Whole Foods. The agreements are part of CIW’s Fair Food Program (FFP) which, according to CIW, serves as a “model for social responsibility based on a unique partnership among farm workers, Florida tomato growers and participating buyers.” This program entails a code of conduct that farms are held to. Companies involved in the FFP pledge to only buy from farms that uphold the expectations of FFP and to cease business partnership with farms that do not comply with their standards. Elements of the code of conduct include zero tolerance for sexual assault and forced labor, health and safety committees on each farm and auditing of the farms in order to ensure their proper participation in FFP. Since implementing these standards, work conditions have improved drastically across farms, with reports of harassment decreasing over the past few years, but steps must continue to be made in order to ensure the constant protection of these workers.

There needs to be physical representation that the consumer is purchasing from an ethical company.

If the consumer can actually see the

photo from internet source

morality of their purchase, they may be less likely to buy from unethical sources. Tomatoes coming from FFPapproved farms should be marked with a sticker indicating so. At the very least, this representation will spark the consumer to recognize that not all produce are created equal.

However, if companies are not truly following the FFP commitment, this sticker will do no good. As a concerned individual, I want to know what steps will be taken if standards regress. Who will speak up? The big

companies and corporations? The abused worker? I think not. Luckily FFP exists to help prevent such things from happening. However, if the companies break their promises to only buy from ethical farms, how long will it take before this information goes public? How many more immigrants will be abused in the process? The burden of injustice outweighs the nutritional benefits of my salad.

We must not think that just because conditions have improved, this injustice has disappeared altogether.

In combating injustice, there is no underestimating the power of one’s voice. The burden of responsibility must fall to the consumer. How do you know if you are unintentionally contributing to this system of modern-day slavery? Do your research, think about where you buy your produce. But more importantly, I challenge you to put yourselves in the position of these immigrants. Think about what it must be like to live life as one of these workers, one of these parents, siblings, children—one of

these humans.

Whether tomatoes are a staple in your household or not, the abusive treatment of immigrants is a human rights issue. It is not about politics.

It is about standing up for your fellow human beings. The consumer is a vital pillar of protection for these immigrants. I am not suggesting that everyone stops eating tomatoes altogether. But until a food revolution is served, human rights will continue to be at risk. This revolution starts in your kitchen.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS, ETC.

October 24, 2014

‘Angels in America’ impresses with bold commitment

By Theresa Gaffney Editor

On Thursday night, Oct. 23, Brandeis Players presented the opening night of “Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches.” Directed by Sarah Waldron ’17, “Angels in America” was made of a surprisingly young ensemble cast: All of the actors were sophomores or firstyears.

The main cast was made up of two couples— one gay and one straight.

Sarah Duffet ’17 plays Harper, a woman who from the very beginning faces psychological and emotional trauma as she experiences various hallucinations and abuses Valium.

From the opening scenes, Duffet is so convincingly disheveled that one almost worries it is real. With her sweater buttons hooked in the wrong spots, she wrings her hands and shifts her feet, as though there really are voices lurking in her head.

Opposite her is Joe Tinianow ’17,

playing somebody uncomfortable in a different way. Embodying a character not at home in his own skin, Joe stands stiff and awkward against his frazzled wife.

Louis and Prior—Reno Kersey ’17 and Sumner Alperin ’18, respectively—are a gay couple hit by tragedy when they learn that Prior has contracted AIDS. Alperin perfectly diminishes throughout the play, starting off as a smooth, confident and comedic partner. Throughout the play, however, he becomes shaky and sporadic. Flitting between comedic jabs and emotional turmoil, Alperin performs a spectrum of different sentiments.

“Angels in America” leaves much of the work to be done through the play’s dialogue, but cast members succeed in continuing to tell the story even when the spotlight is on another scene. With a simple design, the stage presents up to three scenes at a time, testing the strength of various relationships. But even as the spotlight fades off of Louis and Prior, the ac-

tors continue to embrace, creating a tension and a comparison between the play’s two couples.

While this play is the acting debut for some of the cast, inexperience is undetectable on the SCC theater stage. Cast members held nothing back throughout the play as the audience watched the characters and their relationships deteriorate.

Toward the end of the first act, the play comes to a climactic scene as Louis sits at a bar with his friend Roy (Dylan Hoffman ’18) talking about his problems with Harper, while Harper lays on the bar table, invisible to her husband and his companion. On the other side of the stage, Prior begins to engage sexually with a homeless man (also played by Alperin). The two continue hugging and necking, despite the fact that the

spotlight is on the conversation happening over Duffet, who moans in sync with their moves.

Both Alperin and Kersey show extreme dedication to their roles throughout the play. At one point, Kersey and Alperin begin to have sex, and Kersey actually pulls down the back of his pajama pants and the boxers underneath. While the audience doesn’t catch a glimpse of anything, Alperin certainly does as he pulled Kersey toward him unhesitatingly.

While Duffet, Tinianow, Alperin and Kersey are the main players, the rest of the cast provides a wonderful array of supporting characters. Lily Shrayfer ’18 becomes a rabbi, an assistant, a mother and a nurse. In almost every role, Shrayfer manages to pull laughter out of the audience.

As the characters plummet toward

the end of the story, Brandeis Players still are able to surprise the audience. During the second act, Alperin stands woeful by his bed, surrounded by hallucinations, when all of a sudden, a magazine falls from the rafters above the stage directly into Alperin’s hands. It is a small moment, but it is well-timed and well-rehearsed touches like this that help to make the show even more of a complete experience of emotions.

Brandeis Players’ performance of “Angels in America” is definitely worth the ticket price. Audience members will enter into a familiar world, yet should still expect to be surprised, saddened and terrified.

“Angels in America” will play in the SCC theater Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

photos by sharon cai/the hoot

angels in america Young actors shine in thought provoking play.