The Brandeis Hoot 10/31/2014

Volume 11 Number 22

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

Brandeis soccer players triumph on and off the field

New sustainability manager to be appointed by winter

By Jess Linde editor

photo by sharon cai/the hoot roll deis roll Three members of the Brandeis soccer teams have been specifically chosen for the honor of playing in the Capital One Aca-

demic All-District One teams. The goalkeeper on the women’s team, Michelle Savuto ’15, has been selected for the second time in her career.

On the men’s team, both Tyler Savonen ’15 and Conor Lanahan ’16 were chosen. Only players who excel on the field and academically (with a minimum GPA of 3.3) are chosen for this honor. The Brandeis women have a 11-3-1 record this season, while the men’s team has a 15-1 record, and are ranked No. 3 in Division III.

Krauss appointed Heller School interim dean

By Emily Smith Staff

Marty Wyngaarden Krauss, professor emerita, was recently appointed interim dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. The position opened when the previous dean, Lisa M. Lynch, was appointed to serve as provost-elect of Brandeis.

Krauss is an expert in intellectual disabilities and disability policy issues, specializing in the families of people with disabilities. Brandeis is currently conducting a search to find a permanent candidate for the dean position.

Krauss earned her Ph.D. from Heller in 1981, after receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. She served as the provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Brandeis from 2003 to 2011. In addition to her other work at Heller, Krauss was the director of the Starr Center for Mental Retardation and was on the board of directors for the Special Olympics between 1992 and 2002. Her work has been published in academic journals including The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and The International Review of Research on

Mental Retardation.

“I am thrilled to be re-joining my colleagues in advancing the mission of the Heller School. And I am very much looking forward to meeting the students at the Heller School who come from all over the world,” Krauss wrote in an email to The Hoot.

Krauss wrote that she will continue her work with intellectual disabilities as dean of Heller.

“The research and teaching beSee NEW DEAN, page 2

October 31, 2014

Brandeis will soon begin searching for a manager of sustainability programs on campus, according to university spokesman William Schaller.

The manager will be a full-time employee and will work for the new executive director of facilities.

According to an email sent by Schaller to The Brandeis Hoot, the new manager will “coordinate the efforts of groups on campus to maximize sustainability activities, further carbon footprint reductions and correspondent energy and waste expense savings to Brandeis.” James Gray, Brandeis’ vice president of operations, will lead the search to fill the position. He has formed a committee of Brandeis students and faculty to assist in the process of screening candidates’ resumes and interviewing candidates.

This comes in the wake of weeks of complaints from students about a seeming lack of action on sustainability issues on the part of the administration. “Students have an important role in promoting and ensuring sustainability on campus,” wrote Gray in an email. “The selection process will involve mostly the committee and myself, but I am always happy to hear other input from students or other members of the community.”

Neither Gray nor Schaller specified whether or not complaints from student groups such as Students for Envi-

ronmental Action (SEA) affected the decision to create the position of sustainability manager. “My hope is we have a great deal more progress in our future, and I embrace the leadership and assistance of the student body and faculty in helping us make that happen together,” wrote Gray.

The committee includes Tim Touchette from the Department of Community Living, Mary Sharrigan and Bill Bushey from Brandeis’ facilities department, Professor Laura Goldin (ENVS) and students Anna Bessendorf ’15 and Sophie Freije ’17.

Student Union President Sneha Walia ’15 was also consulted.

Bessendorf, who is the founder and chair of the Brandeis Sustainability Committee in the Student Union, told The Hoot in an interview that she has high hopes for the process. “Right now we are still working to clarify what the sustainability manager’s exact responsibilities will be,” Bessendorf said. “But the speed with which Jim Gray has been working shows real commitment to making actual progress.” Bessendorf has been passionate about sustainability on campus since her first year, and has sat on the board of SEA, in addition to heading the Sustainability Committee and helping to promote the Brandeis Sustainability Fund within the senate.

Once the details of the positions are See SUSTAINABILITY, page 3

J Street U discusses ‘What is Occupation?’

By Ethan Berceli Staff

On Wednesday evening, Oct. 29, J Street U Brandeis hosted the event “What is Occupation?” which was open to the entire Brandeis community in the Pearlman Lounge.

The assembled members and visitors discussed various definitions of occupation: what it is, what it means and how it applies to the current IsraeliPalestinian conflict.

The event is part of a larger series of educational meetings and events relating to a conflict that J Street U Brandeis holds close to their hearts.

J Street U Brandeis is the Brandeis chapter of a the national non-profit J Street U, whose slogan is “Pro Israel.

Pro Palestine. Pro Peace.” The organization’s mission is to work to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through positively influencing American diplomacy as well as creating a space for open and meaningful conversation about the conflict within the American Jewish community.

Inside this issue:

The atmosphere for discussion was both charged and accepting. Hannah Kober ’16 emphasized the safe zone J Street U creates.

“This is a respectful discussion,” she said. “All viewpoints, opinions and backgrounds are welcome, but remember that if you disagree, you disagree with an idea, not a person.”

Although the event lasted only an hour, the night was packed with information and perspective. After the necessary introductions, Yaakov Malomet ’17 opened the evening with a personal anecdote that illustrated what occupation meant to him. On his most recent trip to Israel, he and a friend visited the Palestinian city Ramallah for the purpose of tourism.

In what proved to be major complication since his friend had dual IsraeliAmerican citizenship, and anyone with an Israeli passport, dual or not, was prohibited from visiting these Palestinian zones.

The two decided to visit anyway and attempted to exit through a fence See OCCUPATION, page 3

News: Journalist lectures on issue of chronic pain Arts, Etc.: Comparing local eateries’ service Opinions: Advice for those who forget names Sports: Women’s volleyball spikes on local rival Editorial: Students carry the weight

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

hollywood ten On Wednesdsay, Arnie Reisman shared information about the Red Scare and Hollywood Blacklist.

Reisman uncovers Hollywood Ten in documentary, lecture

By Hannah Schuster Staff

On Wednesday evening, Oct. 29, Arnie Reisman ’64 spoke about the Hollywood Blacklist, a talk titled “When Red was a Scary Color: Hollywood and the Blacklist,” and sponsored by the American Studies Department. Reisman is the screenwriter of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Hollywood on Trial.”

He is an award-winning writer,

Uncle Joey a riot

Comedian Dave Coulier performs to parents and students as part of Fall Fest events, wows crowd with vocal impressions.

Page 11 Page 5 Page 12 Page 8 Arts, Etc.: Page 16 Page 10

producer and performer and a current panelist on the NPR quiz show, “Says You!” He was also recently selected as a Martha’s Vineyard Poet Laureate for a two year period.

In the 1950s, the Red Scare was in full swing in America. It had severe implications in Hollywood, where hundreds from all branches of production were targeted for alleged involvement in the Communist Party. They were refused work and many were called to testify before the House Un-American

Activities Committee (HUAC). A group of 10, dubbed the Hollywood Ten, refused to answer questions in court and were cited for contempt.

The case reached the Supreme Court, whereupon the Hollywood Ten were sentenced to jail time.

Reisman’s documentary on the blacklist paints a detailed portrait of these events. In Wednesday’s lecture, he relayed his extensive knowledge on See RED, page 2

Quarantine not

working for ebola

Govs. Christie and Cuomo not rational in handing out quarantines.

Opinions: Page 12

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

October 31, 2014

Krauss, professor emerita, accepts new position at Heller School From NEW DEAN, page 1

ing done through the Starr Center and the Lurie Institute are obviously of great interest to me,” said Krauss.

“I look forward to greater involvement with all the research and teaching being done throughout the Heller School.”

Krauss wants Brandeis undergraduates to know that “the Heller School is deeply involved in the educational mission of the whole university.

Undergraduates now have strong opportunities to be involved with our faculty both in the classroom and in its research activities. It is an exciting, innovative and mission driven part of Brandeis.”

Krauss is a distinguished member of the Brandeis faculty, having earned several awards and honors.

In addition to other awards, she received the Christian Pueschel Memorial Research Award from the National Down Syndrome Congress in 2000 and served as the chair of the Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Mental Retardation from

1993 to 1999.

Krauss was also awarded the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation’s Future Leaders Award in 1990. At Heller’s 55th anniversary celebration in September, Krauss was awarded the Heller Alumni Service Award.

Heller focuses on the social nature of the world’s dilemmas and creating positive social change. The school

houses the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, as well as the Nathan and Toby Starr Center on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Heller currently serves 536 students, 30 percent of whom are international.

Krauss will officially begin her term as interim dean of the Heller School on Monday, Nov. 3.

Reisman lecture brings 1950s history to life From RED, page 1

the subject and discussed the extensive process of constructing his film.

Reisman began by introducing one main source of inspiration for the project, a book written by Hollywood producer Gordon Kahn. He also mentioned an encounter he had with Kahn’s oldest son, Tony.

“The reason I even got to have this book, my whole reason for getting interested in what was the Hollywood blacklist was meeting Tony … and finding out from this Jewish kid next to me that he grew up in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I said, ‘Why?’ and he said, ‘You ever heard of the Hollywood blacklist?’” Reisman said. He replied in the negative, and Tony Kahn began to tell him the story of his father.

After the decision came down from the Supreme Court convicting the Hollywood Ten, these citizens began to comprehend the severity of their predicament. As such, they began to flee. Gordon Kahn was nearly called to testify before HUAC, and he lost his job at Warner Brothers. Thus, he moved with his family to Mexico.

Early on in the filmmaking process, the crew flew to Los Angeles and meet with a Variety staff member to discuss the project. Reisman explained that he expected to find the story tucked somewhere around page 48 of the daily, “a little box that says we’re making a documentary, but the next day, banner headline, printed right on the cover of Variety which basically said: Cambridge film crew to unearth Red Scare.”

Reisman will never forget the first call they made after the article came out. It was made to former governor and future President Ronald Reagan.

Reisman doubted whether Reagan would ever agree to an interview. He was then shocked to receive a call from Reagan exclaiming, “I think this is a fantastically good idea. It’s a story that needs to be told.”

“We start seeing this huge storm that’s going to open up, because you can’t believe that this actually happened,” said Reisman.

Throughout the lecture, Reisman relayed many fascinating memories and anecdotes that he collected throughout the process of constructing the film. He has managed to capture the confounding events that plagued the streets of Hollywood during the Red Scare.

He shared the little known tale of a secret meeting among lawyers, representatives of the U.S. government and all the major studio heads. During these meetings, they decided, in order to protect their industry and prove their patriotism, they would administer loyalty oaths or clean house.

“They’re going to find everybody who’s ever done anything that looks remotely radical, and they’re going to get rid of them,” said Reisman.

Reisman powerfully articulated the culture of fear that spread throughout Hollywood when it became clear the Red Scare would be a long-standing

reisman lecture Reisman spoke on the Brandeis campus recently about the Hollywood Blacklist. Below, protesters made a statement about

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

freeing the Hollywood Ten, back in the 1950s.

photo from internet source

operation. As the blacklist kicked in, Reisman explained, many were left without a business, their life suddenly altered dramatically. Someone seen even talking to the wrong person could never get a job again. Reisman highlighted the life of Otto Preminger, a producer and director, who dined out one evening with a member of the Hollywood Ten. Upon returning home, he received a mysteri-

ous phone call warning him to avoid all such interactions, or he would soon be history.

Reisman described the ugliness and chaos that ensued when people chose to give names. He told the story of Elia Kazan, a director who decided he wanted to keep working in Hollywood. He went to Congress and named about 20 people, appeasing both the government and the studio

heads.

Perhaps the most upsetting part of the story is that many of the names Kazan provided were of those he had personally recruited to join the Communist Party. When Kahn reached out to Kazan for an interview, he cursed profusely and hung up the phone. Reisman explains there were many similar people infuriated by his attempts to contact them.

It was an immensely stressful time in Hollywood.

If people talked, they could go to prison or lose their jobs. But if they remained silent, the same was possible. Over the years, Reisman gained up-close and in-depth knowledge of the relationship between the Red Scare and Hollywood, which he conveyed to Brandeis in an engrossing lecture.

October 31, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot

NEWS

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Walter Benjamin’s ideas brought to campus by lecturer

By Charlotte Aaron Staff

On Thursday, Oct. 30, the Brandeis community had the unique opportunity to listen to Howard Eiland speak about the works and life of Walter Benjamin, a renowned 20th-century philosopher. The event complemented a conference held at the beginning of October on philosopher Herbert Marcuse to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the publication of one of his books.

Eiland, an expert on Benjamin and co-author of the first English autobiography of Walter Benjamin, recently retired from teaching at MIT. The lecture, titled “Reality as a Palimpset: Walter Benjamin as Flãneur” had approximately 40 students and faculty members in attendance and was funded by the European Cultural Studies Program, Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections Department and the History of Ideas program.

Patrick Gamsby, a lecturer of History of Ideas at Brandeis, introduced Eiland. “Since I am lucky enough to teach the core course in the History of Ideas program, one of the benefits

is that I get to bring in a distinguished guest speaker.” said Gamsby. He continued to commend Eiland for the publication of “Walter Benjamin: A Critical Life,” and he spoke about the pleasure he found in reading it.

In addition to introducing Eiland, Gamsby took time to discuss the relevance of Benjamin, a key philosopher in his Introduction to Critical Theory course. “Benjamin once wrote, ‘There are places where I can earn a minimal amount, and places where I can subsist on a minimal amount, but no where in the world where these two conditions coincide.’ So to speculate wildly, if circumstances were different and paradigms matched up perfectly, I would like to think that Benjamin would have found a home here at Brandeis,” stated Gamsby.

The lecture itself lasted approximately 45 minutes, and questions were asked for an additional half hour. Eiland focused heavily on analysis of Benjamin’s work and what it said about Benjamin as an individual.

During the questions, however, Benjamin was discussed in the context of the Holocaust and the implications of being a Jewish intellectual at the time. Aneil Tripathy, a post-doc at Brandeis, described Benjamin as the

photos from internet source

howard eiland Former MIT professor spoke about Walter Benjamin’s work on Thursday.

“biggest hero of the Holocaust.”

Gamsby said, “Having Howard Eiland here filled in a lot of blanks for me. In particular, how someone like Benjamin could hold these contradic-

tory views on things. Howard mentioned how Benjamin had become the objects that he saw.” Yet while Eiland answered some of Gamsby’s questions, he provided Gamsby with

many to consider about Benjamin. “A great event like this can often make it so you have even more questions. I got a lot of food for thought. A lot of things to ponder,” Gamsby said.

walter benjamin Benjamin was a famous 20th century philosopher. He also served as a literary critic, social critic, translator, radio broadcaster and essayist.

Schaller, Gray discuss plans to improve campus sustainability SUSTAINABILITY, from page 1

finalized, Brandeis will publicize the position, which will hopefully draw qualified candidates for screening, said Bessendorf. This will be in tandem with active efforts by the university to find additional candidates.

The new sustainability manager

will also do significant work on projects and issues originally highlighted by students.

One of the most principal of these is the issue of campus infrastructure, specifically the inefficient use of energy by buildings and appliances at Brandeis. Past student-led initiatives have included the installation of water-saving shower heads and toilets in student housing and the promotion

of long-lasting LED lightbulbs across campus. “Brandeis does not need so many fancy new buildings,” Bessendorf said. “It is better in the long run to focus on more practical use of energy and funding.”

More than anything, Bessendorf hopes that the hiring of a sustainability manager will finally allow for significant progress to be made on campus. The desire for larger pushes in

this area has been echoed many times by other students, including a group of Brandeis students who traveled to New York City this September in order to attend mass climate marches.

“I think [the creation of the new position] shows that the administration is definitely taking the issue seriously,” said Bessendorf. “The work is never really over, but this is really encouraging.”

According to Schaller, the administration hopes to fill the position by the winter.

In the meantime, Gray encourages students to continue to bring complaints to the administration and make their voices heard. Bessendorf recommends contacting her with specific questions and encouraged students to attend meetings held by SEA and other activist groups.

J Street U explores occupation across the globe OCCUPATION, from page 1

on the outskirts of town, trying to skirt punishment.

After being interrogated by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and feigning Hebrew language ignorance, they were allowed to leave. Yet the story was in stark contrast to what Americans are used to. Ramallah is a city in the West Bank and the capital of Palestine, and with the occupation, the phrase “border patrol” has quite a different meaning as well.

Malomet’s story was one of many shared at this event that showed the individual effects occupation has on everyone who comes in contact with it.

There were countless other stories told of harsh treatment of Palestinians under military rule and of Israelis relocated from their homes. All the stories pointed to a much bigger picture.

The Educational Coordinators for J Street U Brandeis, Kober and Cooper Boyar ’17, followed Malomet. They gave a brief background on the his-

tory of the conflict, starting in 1947 with the formation of the state of Israel.

Currently, the West Bank is divided into three different zones. The A zone is controlled by the Palestinians, the B zone has joint control, and the C zone is controlled completely by Israel. The occupation topic centers mostly on the A zone but really is applicable to any area where locals are being controlled by an authority they did not elect. Occupation is fraught with misunderstanding and contradiction, and while the history provided some

context, there is a myriad of forces at hand.

Following the histories, the attendees split into four groups for more personalized discussion.

Each group was given a specific topic, and here, the audience divided itself by personal preference.

The discussion topics were “Is Gaza Occupied?” “The West Bank Under International Law,” “Occupation and Everyday Life” and “The Government’s Role in Occupation.” Attendees participated in the topic in which they were most interested.

Malomet finished the event by reminding the gathered students of the bigger picture and what is at stake.

“Reflecting on ‘What is occupation?’ is not only important for the present,” he said, “but how that meaning can apply to the future resolution of the conflict.”

J Street U Brandeis meets every Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Schwartz Hall.

At the next meeting, the group will focus on its newest initiative: a fundraiser for water sanitation projects in Gaza and southern Israel. All are welcome to attend.

ARTS, ETC.

October 31, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot 4

Run the Jewels puts out a satisfying sophomore effort

By Jess Linde Editor

Way back in May 2012, Atlanta hip-hop agitator Killer Mike released “R.A.P. Music,” his sixth album, to significant critical acclaim.

The album was entirely produced by Brooklyn underground rap legend El-P, and this connection introduced Mike to hipsters and new popularity.

Later that same month, El-P released “Cancer 4 Cure,” his third album to similar acclaim, with Killer Mike as a featured guest. Both albums were fantastic, and Killer Mike and El-P toured extensively with one another for the next year, becoming indie hiphop’s new favorite bromance.

In early 2013, Mike and El-P announced the formation of Run the Jewels, a bona fide rap duo, and released their self-titled debut album that same year. It brought out the best in both artists by merging El-P’s aggressive production style and Killer Mike’s equally-aggressive delivery in perfect harmony. And now they’ve released their follow up, the aptly-titled “Run the Jewels 2,” a great album that shows the duo’s maturation while still exemplifying everything that made their first record great.

Killer Mike immediately sets the album’s mood with the opening track, “Jeopardy” by shouting for El-P to start the beat, before launching into his usual angry flow over a menacing, bass-heavy beat. “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” is just as tough, bringing in El-P and Mike’s signature hatred of law enforcement and conjuring action movie images with lyrics like “he hangin’ out the window/I hold the wheel/there’s one black, one white/ we shoot to kill.” The fourth song, and my personal favorite, is “Close Your Eyes,” featuring Rage Against the Ma-

photos from internet source

run the jewels Rap artists release memorable new album

chine frontman Zack de la Rocha on a surprisingly great verse.

Generally, “Run the Jewels 2” is an example of two extremely talented artists working at the top of their game. The album is just under 40 minutes, and each song flows into the next without becoming boring.

From the burning synths of “All My Life” and “Lie, Cheat Steal,” to the intense and frankly amazing drumming by Blink-182’s Travis Barker on

“All Due Respect,” El-P’s production never lets up.

Of course, neither does his or Mike’s rapping, which draws on themes as diverse as religion, disillusionment with American politics and Pan-Africanism. Every song gets the point that these two guys are pissed off at more or less everything, and are not afraid to show it, often violently, it would seem. It would be inappropriate to say that Run the Jewels is a group out to

save the art of hip-hop or start an artistic revolution. Rather, they are on a slash-and-burn quest to destroy the culture of complacency and corporatism that the world revolves around.

If you conform to that category, you probably will dislike “Run the Jewels 2.”

At the same time, the only way to find out if do subscribe to this culture is to listen to the album, which you should do because it is awesome.

El-P and Killer Mike even released it for free online, so get “Run the Jewels 2.” I am a dedicated hip-hop listener, and this year has been decidedly lacking in noteworthy releases, especially when compared to last year, which had the first “Run the Jewels” and Kanye West’s “Yeezus.” Thankfully, “Run the Jewels 2” unstuck me from this rut, and delivered one of the most impeccably crafted and performed albums of any genre this year.

Rose Art Museum hosts successful diaspora event

By Lisa Petrie Staff

On Friday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m., the Rose Art Museum hosted a Diaspora event with artist Mark Bradford and lawyer Anita Hill. The event was created because the Rose now houses some of Bradford’s work, and is part of the Art, Blackness and Diaspora series.

A few minutes before 2 p.m., the museum was already packed. Undergrads, grad students, faculty and friends were milling around the first floor chatting as everyone settled in.

As the staff of the Rose prepared for the talk to begin, chairs were set up in every possible nook and cranny, including the landing of the staircase.

An excited buzz passed through the crowd as we waited to hear from the artist whose collection fills the top floor of the Rose.

Mark Bradford is an AfricanAmerican artist from Los Angeles known for his abstract pieces. The pieces showcased in the Rose are all collages made to look like paintings.

Bradford explained that he purposely twisted and molded the paper to resemble oil paintings.

At the beginning of the talk, the director of the Rose, Christopher Bedford, introduced both Bradford and Hill. As he eloquently said, having Mark Bradford is a “one in 100 million” experience, and adding Anita to that makes it a “one in a billion experience.”

Bradford and Hill’s conversation flowed from there with relatively little comment on the part of Bedford.

Hill mostly asked Bradford questions,

which he answered to the best of his abilities.

The two were acquaintances, and had a friendly, and frankly hysterical, rapport that had the audience laughing and hanging on their every word.

Bradford is a friendly, humble and wise artist whose main goals are to incite social change and make a positive impact on the world. Hill added onto his humble answers by bragging for him about his artistic accomplishments and community service.

Bradford made interesting and highly relevant connections between his life as a young hairdresser and his life as an artist. He professed that he hates making people look “heroic,” but he learned a lot about dignity from the women he met in his mother’s shop. He attributes the way he dealt with the indignities he faced and still faces now as an AfricanAmerican homosexual man to the women of the salon, and how they handled hardship with grace and humor. He also confessed that the way he makes his collages look like paintings through the whittling and molding of paper is similar to how he used to process hair in the salon and make it look like something else.

When asked what his message would be to other people interested in social justice, Bradford suggested that we make ourselves more vulnerable. He explained that in his own life he would step out of his expertise and collaborate with other experts in order to get a dose of humility, but also to give the other person a sense of purpose. He also suggested searching out organizations that need your specific brand of help, because he believes that there is an organization

like that for everyone that is willing to “open the conversation.” Lastly, he said in regards to the established art world that they should come out of their “empirical tower” because pop culture has a lot of ideas and people that can lend a new life to art.

Christopher Bedford ended the talk by asking both Bradford and Hill what made them individuals. Both of them had very different, but equally powerful responses. Hill answered that her individuality came from her unique view of the law as needing to be more human and less reliant on abstract Supreme Court legislature. Bradford took longer to answer, and spoke very thoughtfully about the topic. He very

wisely explained that he knew from a very young age that “the collective” was not always supportive. He suggests that he grew up without a biological lineage or a permanent home, so he was very comfortable being an individual. He also suggested that since he was subject to group hate from such a young age, and because he knew that hate came from those who were under informed, he had learned to be forgiving.

This allowed him to practice whatever he believed because he did not care about universal opinions. Hill added some final comments after the crowd had absorbed this message, saying that although the collec-

mark bradford Artist and Anita Hill discuss inspirations at Rose Art Museum

tive may not accept her views of law, that is all right, because as long as you never forget and are proud of yourself, that is all that really matters.

Overall, this event was spectacularly successful both in the huge number of people it attracted and in the salient points Hill and Bradford were able to express. Their interactions were able to incite laughter, understanding and enthusiasm in the crowd and Bradford’s humility and honesty left a lasting impact on everyone. Mark Bradford proved to be a wise and humble person, and those interested in the topics discussed in this discussion should certainly check out his work in the Rose.

photos from internet source

October 31, 2014

ARTS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

The Cutting Board: Prime Deli vs. Prospect Cafe

By Stephen Zoulalian Special to the Hoot

Every once in a while, your stomach may be growling for the type of food that Sodexo just can’t provide.

Last week, I decided to venture into Waltham and determine once and for all which place was truly better— Prime Deli or Prospect Cafe. I did not order take out from these restaurants so I can’t attest to how quickly they deliver. It’s probably safe to bet that Prime Deli would be a little quicker, as it is much closer to campus. I ordered from the specialty sandwich menu at both restaurants, also purchasing a drink and a side.

The Prime Deli is located on 580 South Street in the same strip mall as the Village Market. It is about a five minute walk from the center of campus, so in other words, it’s close.

I went there a little past noon on a Thursday and the place was packed with locals and a few fellow Brandeis students. I was a little overwhelmed at first by the number of choices I had before me. The menu had over 29 spe-

cialty sandwich options on top of an already exhausting list of classic subs and rollups. My hunger was getting the best of me, and I could not tackle the insurmountable task of deciding on what to eat alone. I decided to ask the cashier what she recommended.

As we went back and forth discussing the different options, I could feel the anger of the other people in line growing. They must have all been “regulars,” because there is no way a Prime Deli virgin would have been able to make up their mind so quickly. I finally decided on the Scharff Attack Sandwich. It was a hot corned beef and pastrami sandwich that had swiss cheese, Russian dressing and coleslaw between two toasted pieces of dark rye. It also came with side, and I added on a drink to my order.

The total was a little more than $13.

As I waited, I took in the atmosphere of the Prime Deli. The Brandeis shirts on the wall were a nice touch. It gave off the vibe of trying to connect the Waltham community to our university over the shared experience of food. A very bold goal

voice male All male a capella group performed in Lori Theater at Springold.

Semester Scares By Katherine Selector

for a little local restaurant, but a nice touch nonetheless. The wait was the worst part of my experience at the Prime Deli. It took over 15 minutes for them make my lunch.

Because of that wait, I was a little angry going into the oh-so-vital first bite. The meat was piled moderately high and it felt right in my hands.

The sandwich was properly crafted, meaning I would not have to use a whole tree’s worth of napkins cleaning up sauce leakage. The meat and cheese were savory, the Russian dressing provided a necessary tang, and the slaw added some sweetness to the mix. The bread was well toasted, although it wasn’t particularly special.

This sandwich was more concerned about what was on the inside than its exterior shell. My side of curly fries were good, but they were probably just prepackaged and cooked in the deep fryer. The sandwich overall was very good, and the insides more than made up for the basic bread.

The Prospect Cafe is located on 137 Prospect Street and is about a half mile walk from campus. It has three

photos by marian siljeholm/the hoot

or four parking spaces out front, which always seem to be taken. The vibe of this place was immediately different from Prime. I was the only one in the restaurant. I went around noon again, but this time on a Tuesday. I was confused as to whether I was in the right place, because they didn’t have a big blackboard menu, which I searched for until the cashier handed me a takeout menu to look through. I asked for the cashier’s recommendation here as well, and he happily replied by saying the number eight, a grilled chicken BLT sandwich with avocado and ranch, was the most popular. I ordered that as well as a side of curly fries that were not included and a drink. My total came to just over $15.

I sat and waited in this empty restaurant and wondered how they were surviving. Maybe they make most of their business through delivery. My food came out very quickly, in un-

der 10 minutes. This time around the best part of the meal was the bread.

It was fresh-baked Scali bread, lightly toasted and very generous in size.

The avocado was ripe and and all of the other fillings were good, but the ranch sauce was just too much. The sourness of the dressing overpowered the rest of the sandwich, leaving that flavor as the only thing I could taste.

The curly fries were probably ordered from the same wholesale company that Prime orders from, because they tasted the same.

My experience at Prospect Cafe was definitely worse than at the Prime Deli. The food at both places were good, but the little things added up in the favor of the Prime Deli. The food quality, the turnaround time between placing an order and receiving the food, as well as the accessibility of the restaurant were all factors in my decision. I have decided that the Prime Deli deserves our hard-earned cash.

Plz Take Care of Me By Linjie Xu

October 31, 2014

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ARTS

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Walter W. Naumburg Prof. of Composition premieres fifth symphony

By Michelle Kim Editor

David Rakowski, the Walter W. Naumburg Professor of Composition at Brandeis, had his fifth symphony premiered by the New England Philharmonic Orchestra on Oct. 25. Inspired by dance, body movement and ballet, the symphony began as a multitude of short pieces and gradually became an entire four-movement symphony.

“I liked working with the dancers, and I liked seeing how they thought my music could be danced to,” he said in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot. “In the years following, a few choreographers made their own dances out of excerpts of [recordings of] the music for that piece.”

“Dance Episodes,” Rakowski’s symphony, will be performed at the Tsai Performance Center in the New England Philharmonic’s opening show for this year’s season. The performance will be the world premiere of “Dance Episodes.”

Rakowski grew up playing trombone in high school and participating in community bands in St. Albans, VT. He was even the keyboard player in a “mediocre rock band” called The Silver Finger, which, according to Rakowski, was represented by aluminum foil on their concert posters. “I discovered some great music playing in all-state and all-New England bands, and some far out stuff on Time-Life records that made me want to become a composer,” he said.

Rakowski holds a bachelor’s degree in composition from New England Conservatory and as well as a master’s and a doctorate from Princeton University, where he studied with Milton Babbitt, a “far-out” modernist Rakowski had idolized since high school. Before coming to Brandeis, Rakowski taught at Stanford University and Columbia University.

In 1997, Rakowski wrote a children’s ballet—a short, 20-minute piece on a story by a poet, with a small ensemble, and a cast of a few adults and maybe a dozen children.

For a while, he had been thinking of writing a full-length ballet. “I have been thinking for some while that it would be nice to write a full-length ballet at some point. What inspired the symphony was thinking of music in terms of movement and how it could be danced to, and relatedly, how several dance movements could be related in one piece,” he said.

The process behind composing this symphony began with thinking about zephyrs, which are small bursts of wind that disturb a musical texture and wondering what that would mean for orchestral music. According to Rakowski, he settled on a trilled note in the middle and things bustling around it as the overarching metaphor, and expansions and contractions of musical figures around it through time. Eventually for other movements, he thought of characters: a movement of dancers wearing grotesque masks; a movement of sad dancers dancing alone, then in pairs, in trios and in quartet; and a movement built around a very simple rock

and roll figure.

Rakowski has been the New England Philharmonic’s composer-inresidence for four years. “I try to make programming suggestions to the music director,” he disclosed. “I

also write for the orchestra whatever I want, and when I do, I get a very modest payment.” He is also a twotime finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in music and has had his compositions performed internationally.

photo from internet source

david rakowski Brandeis professor’s fifth symphony premiered by New England Philhar-

monic Orchestra

Brooklyn-based artist premieres latex art at Women’s Studies Research Center

By Clayre Benzadon Staff

Just as the name suggests, “Big Bounce,” the Women’s Studies Research Center’s (WSRC) art event, displays innovative work that has recently grown in leaps and bounds— using latex as a medium of focus for artwork. With Brooklyn-based artist Leeza Meksin’s site-specific installation outside of the WSRC building, we can see how this elastic material helps viewers expand upon their perspective of what art really is.

Outside the gallery is a quote written by Curator Susan Metrican, which poetically explains the meaning behind Meksin’s work: “Our associations with spandex are as attached to the body as our own skin.

Bathing suits, workout clothes, bras, club wear, superhero suits. We fill the

material with ourselves,” she wrote.

Clothes are part of our identity, as they give off an aura of someone’s personality, and people’s first impressions are judged about the clothes we wear. Not only that, but clothes provide a protective shelter that, in a way, help us shape and crystallize our identities.

Meksin describes her works of latex as “an expressive, elastic and mutable application. Printed in an infinite variety of patterns, responsive to polymers, paints and other materials, my use of spandex seeks to explore the intersection of painting, sculpture, architecture, design and fashion.”

Many of her works displayed inside the building contain canvases covered in the spandex, with neon colors, polka dots, circles, ropes and floral designs. The works seem to symbolize a juxtaposition between

the constrictive styles of art, represented with the chains, metal wires, nets and chords. She takes an innovative twist with her pieces in the loose styles of the elastic material sprawled across the piece and the holes in the artwork, which symbolize the escape that her artwork takes in breaking away from the artistic conventions.

In one of her compositions, Meksin traps ropes in a screen of latex, but this creates a paradox: By trapping the ropes (the restrictions), expressive freedom is achieved.

Another structure is covered with fabrics cut in floral designs. At the top is a metal structure, with chains coming down from it that look as though they are trapping the floating letters that are spread out across the piece. Again, we see this contrast of the message in the piece. Meksin conveys the freedom of expression through this artwork by making pub-

lic the issue of the hindering aspect of creative expression that traditional forms of art impose upon artists.

As the rest of the quote explaining Meksin’s works goes on to say: “Weighed down with sandbags, cinched and pulled in all directions, we become aware of the verbs tucked in to a generous visual experience.”

She specifically refers to the outdoor structure of neon pink colors of spandex attached across the massive exterior of the WSRC building.

The bold colors convey the message of the adventurous and daring style that Meksin takes with this interesting idea of putting such bright colors to call out attention the building in relation to the rest of the boring brick ones. This piques curiosity in students, especially for those who don’t even know that this structure exists on campus.

The “weighed down sandbags,

cinched and pulled in all directions” again go back to the concept of “flashing dichotomies” that are a prevalent theme through Meksin’s pieces. Even though the structure is weighed down, it still is pulled in all directions, which again demonstrates an oxymoron—if a structure is weighed down, there is no way that it is able to be moved around at all.

This goes to show the deeper metaphoric implications of the piece.

Maybe it’s not that the artwork is literally moving in all directions but is rather shifting toward different courses in its deviating style in relation to the conventional. Perhaps it’s also demonstrating the artist’s message reflecting the fact that like the transformations in the artwork; as Metrician states, “The artist shows awareness of our constantly shifting attitudes about our bodies, spaces and identities.”

Brandeis Film Collective releases Halloween short film

By Sabrina Pond

Special to the Hoot

On Halloween Eve, Brandeis Film Collective launched its first short film of the year, a production titled “Too Close to Be Home.” The film featured two up-and-coming firstyear actors, Keturah Walker and Jordyn Seri, both of whom made it to the first showing and described their first experience acting. There was an aura of excitement for all those involved in the making of the production; some contributors had worked until the very last moment to make the film as close to perfect as physically possible.

Played in none other than Castle Commons, the short production follows the lives of two college students on the Brandeis campus. “Too Close to Home” has a Halloween twist because one of the girls on campus, Nichole, receives very eerie, alarming text messages from someone that she does not know. The person messaging her says that she “looked good in red” and also mentions her

name over the course of many text messages. As the film progresses, it becomes apparent that the so-called texter was in fact following Nichole.

This realization was compounded when Nichole found her room unlocked and discovered photographs tucked into her desk. The images were taken of her from afar while she went about her daily life. As the camera closed in on the images— Nichole jogging and walking around campus—it was terrifying to her to think that she was being stalked. Jordyn Seri’s performance of Nichole, at times piercing and easy to connect to, helped to drive home the sensation of true fear in a situation where she had absolutely no control.

As the storyline unfolds, Nichole finds it more and more difficult to suppress her heart-racing terror and anxiety. She makes an attempt to reach the campus police, but like any character from a horror movie, decides that this was an unnecessary move. After all, if you thought that someone was stalking you and posed a threat to your well-being, why on

‘too close to home’ Brandeis Film Collective screens self-produced Halloween film

earth would you go to the police to get help? It just makes too much sense, and really takes the fun out of horror movies.

A good combination of suspenseful music and sharp cinematography

unveiled the end-of-the-show kicker (but we won’t spoil it for you). The Film Collective was ultimately very successful in piecing all parts of the short film together; the end result was both a fun and festive film.

photo from internet source

The Brandeis Film Collective looks for new members and actors with all levels of experience. Their next big production might be Easter themed, though they are looking to the Brandeis community for ideas.

7 FEATURES.

The Brandeis Hoot

FEATURES

October 31, 2014

Popov ’16 completes a half-marathon and a dream

By Dana Trismen editor

On Sunday, Oct. 12, Brandeis student Stanislav (Stasik) Popov ’16 completed his first Boston Athletic Association half-marathon. Popov finished 1,802th out of 6,211 people. His finish time was 1:52:5.

“I just focused on getting through one mile at a time and just tried to take my mind off of running and just enjoy my music,” Popov said, in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot this week.

However, a completed marathon is not the only thing Popov has to be proud of. Upon entering Brandeis and finishing his freshman year, Popov had a drastic change in perspective. Upset

about his weight and health, he decided that he would do whatever it took to get into shape. Since then, Popov has lost over 120 pounds.

“I started running in April of 2012,” he said. “I used to play sports in middle school and earlier, but then I became lazy and fat for most of high school.”

“I wanted to get in shape to feel more fit and attractive,” said Popov. Additionally, running a marathon was another long-term goal.

With the half-marathon already under his belt, he has even bigger dreams for the future.

“I might try to run the full Boston Marathon at some point in the future if I feel up to it, but for now, I’m just gonna stick to running around Waltham,” he said. He also offered advice for fellow Brandeis

students. “Running is definitely an easy way to burn calories and stress, and everyone should find some time to do it,” he said.

For his official marathon statistics, Popov reached the five-mile checkpoint in 42 minutes and 12 seconds. He reached the 10-mile mark in 1:24:40. A half-marathon is 13.109 miles total. The Boston Athletic Association also hosts the Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. Distance Medley, the B.A.A. 5K, the B.A.A. Invitational Mile and the B.A.A. 10K. In addition to running and exercising, Popov enjoys playing computer games. He is a chemistry and math major. “Algebra 100A was my favorite class, and my favorite professor was Ira Gessel,” he said. His hometown is Wayland, Massachusetts.

photo courtesy stasik popov

MARATHON Stasik ran his first Boston Athletic Association half marathon this year and finished 1,802th out of 6,211 people.

photo from internet source

COMMITMENT While Popov recently completed a half-marthon, his goal is to complete the full Boston Marathon course, as depicted above.

SPORTS

October 31, 2014

SPORTS 8

Men’s soccer celebrates senior night goal fest

By Curtis Zunyu He Staff

The joy of the senior night electrified Gordon Field as the Judges triumphantly rolled over the Mount Ida Mustangs by the largest score of the regular season—5 to 0. The Judges rose to third place in Division III of the NSCAA with a record of 15-1, tying the teams from 1982 and 1985 with the best start in campaign history for men’s soccer. However, these numbers and records didn’t reflect the significance of this game for both the senior players and fans. To this year’s graduating class, the last regular season home game in their college career served as a precious memory.

The team completely shook off the shadow of losing two games in a row in the UAA Conference last year against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans and Emory Eagles, when they tenaciously out toughed both of them by 1 to 0 in the homecoming weekend and climbed to the number 1 seed in the conference. When being asked about the team’s performance in this season, one of the senior players, Tyler Savonen ’15 was truly satisfied: “I couldn’t be happier with the team up to this point. I knew from the work that we put in as a team this offseason that this year was going to be special … Our aim for this year’s NCAA Division III tournament is simple: a National Championship.”

This confidence in the team completely filled up the 5 to 0 victory on

photo by sharon cai/the hoot

senior night The men’s soccer team celebrated senior night monday with a 5-0 win against Mount Ida

college.

Monday night, along with the best presentation of the team’s high-pressure defense, fast transition in counterattacks and mesmerizing personal performances. It was the extreme focus on defense that brought the Judges the first goal around 18 minutes into the game, when midfielder Andrew Bennie ’15 caught the turnover from the Mustangs’ defense and punished their mistake. The game was his first match as a starter for this season and Bennie perfectly nailed his mission by scoring his first goal of the year. “What’s special about this team this year is that we are 34 guys

strong, so even when starting players have picked up injuries, there are 4-5 guys in line, competing just as hard,” said Savonen.

The opportunity to get into the game energized the players coming off the bench. Chris Bradley ’15 notched two unassisted goals by himself ,and Zach Viera ’17 tried his best to pass through four or five defenders deftly to put on a crossover show. Defender Tyler Graham ’17 never halted in the game as he also participated in the offense apart from his defensive job, and several of his passes in the left wing posed a great threat to the

photo by sharon cai/the hoot

opponent. The positive team dynamic of a healthy competition among all the players flowed amazingly through the Judges.

As the last home game of regular season was turned into a memory, nostalgia set in, “… without the memories on and off Gordon Field alongside these guys for the past four years, I would never amount to the person that I am today. I owe everything to this team,” said Savonen. Once again, Savonen used another personal goal on Monday night to rise up as the team’s top scorer this season. After the other forward Michael Soboff ’15

was injured, Savonen stepped up to carry the team forward as he scored the game winner against the Emory Eagles in the second half. “Obviously having Soboff on the field helps the team in every aspect and before his injury he was lethal going forward … gaining Soboff back for the final stretch of the season will definitely bolster our offense, and I have a feeling our front line will find the back of the net a great deal,” said Savonen.

It’s true that Soboff still has plenty of time to come back into action since there are three games left in the regular season for the Judges. However, the upcoming road trip to Washington University, New York University and University of Chicago will not be easy. WUSTL successfully held off the Judges’ offense in a 0-0 tied game last season at Gordon Field, and NYU has a 7-1 record for home games this season. Without the lovely fans and the affirming Jury on home turf, the Judges are now facing another test before the NCAA Division III tournament.

photos by sharon cai/the hoot

looking ahead The Judge’s have three games left in the regular season, all away against tough competitors.

Judges volleyball triumphs over Lasell

By Sarah Jousset editor

After a 13-game losing streak, Brandeis women’s volleyball started to turn things around with a sweep of Lasell College on Tuesday night, Oct. 28. The Judges defeated the local rival 3-0 in a quick game at home. The win brings the Judges to a record of 6-20, while Lasell fell to 6-26.

The Judges didn’t let Lasell in, keeping a comfortable lead in all three sets with final scores of 25-18, 25-13, and 25-13. The Judges started off strong, and held that energy through each set. In the first two sets the Judges jumped ahead with leads of 9-2 in the first start and 10-0 in the second set. The Judges let the competitor in toward the end of the first two sets, allowing them to close the gap to 7 in

photo from internet source

breaking the streak The Judges broke their 13 game losing streak with a sweep of Lasell

on Tuesday

the first set and 12 in the second set.

The comfortable leads and injuries allowed many players to get time.

However, the Judges couldn’t keep up the energy they had so diligently started with. In the third set, Lasell took an early lead of 5-2. It wasn’t until outside hitter Jessie Moore ’18 served

eight points in a row that the Judges managed to get ahead of Lasell. With Moore’s stunning serving, Brandeis got the lead it needed and sealed the deal. Adding to Moore’s streak were four kills, two by Jessica Kaufman ’17 and two by Shemira Pennyman ’15 to help Brandeis ensure the win.

The team kept together a strong, balanced offensive attack. Right-side hitter Summer Koop ’16 led them with seven kills against Lasell’s haphazard defense. Pennyman, Moore and middle blocker Maddie Engeler ’17 each helped their team with six kills. While Koop held the team high, Engeler was the most consistent with a .750 hitting percentage for the match. At the base of the Judges’ offense was setter Julie Kim ’18, who turned out an impressive 23 assists and four service aces during Tuesday night’s game. The team as a whole had a season high of .272, meaning 32 kills, 10 errors, and 81 total attacks.

The 10 attack errors were a season low for the Judges.

Engeler also helped her team with three blocks, two of which were solo, while Koop also contributed to

the tight Brandeis defense with two blocks, one solo. Libero Elsie Bernaiche ’15 was the defensive core for the Judges. Bernaiche had a matchhigh 12 digs, keeping Lasell’s offense at bay.

By the numbers, Lasell produced a good game, just not good enough to beat the Judges. Lasell’s Meredith Eagan ’18 had six kills, while Kathy Cameron ’15 and Odina Ellis ’18 each had five kills. Setter Taylor Tiezzi ’18 had 13 assists during the match, and libero Cassandra Stout ’17 recorded seven digs.

The Brandeis women’s volleyball team plays again Saturday, Nov. 1 at home against Babson at 12 p.m. and Eastern Connecticut State at 4 p.m.

The four seniors will be honored before the final game against ECSU at 4 p.m.

9 The Brandeis Hoot

WEEK IN PHOTOS

October 31, 2014

photos by vardges tserunyan/the hoot

Advertisement Did you know that the United States ranks 131 out of 184 countries for prematurity? Did you know that there are racial/ethnic disparities in the babies who are being born premature? Do you want to learn about solutions?

On November 11th from 12:00-1:00 pm in the SCC Multipurpose Room, March of Dimes will be hosting “Perspectives on Prematurity.� The event will feature three panelists, Dr. Alexis Travis, Professor Lindsay Rosenfeld, and Lisa McElaney, who will each speak about their personal experiences with prematurity and their involvement in the effort to improve prematurity outcomes.

Light refreshments will be served!

EDITORIALS

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editor-in-Chief Dana Trismen Senior Managing Editor Victoria Aronson Managing Editors Theresa Gaffney Andrew Elmers News Editors Emily Belowich Jess Linde Senior Copy Editors Mia Edelstein Julie Landy Deputy Features Editor Nathan Benjamin Deputy Arts Editor Michelle Kim Deputy Sports Editor Sarah Jousset Senior Layout Editor Sasha Ruiz Graphics Editor Linjie Xu

Volume 11 • Issue 22 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

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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, Andrew Parks, 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 MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information.

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

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October 31, 2014

Student activitsm continues to be admirable

B

randeis students are known for being very vocal in their complaints about the university.

From dining services to the mailroom, students have created a dialogue around the improvements they feel are necessary. However, this semester, many students are raising the bar—in regard to the administration’s lack of attention to cases of sexual misconduct on campus. The Brandeis Hoot has already shown support for these concerns and would like to continue to praise Brandeis students for not giving up in their fight for justice. Sexual assault is not equivalent to a long mailroom line and demands more action and significant change. Brandeis students cannot be silenced, and we support that.

The latest movement was the “Carry That Weight Day of Action” on Wednesday, Oct. 29. This event was created in support of Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz, who is carrying her mattress around Columbia’s campus for as long as her accused assailant continues to attend the university. Students across the country made a unified statement by carrying mattresses and pillows around their campuses to showcase their support.

Brandeis student activists created a Brandeis-specific Facebook event,

which was highlighted in an email sent out by Director of Athletics and Assistant Vice President for Health and Wellness Sheryl Sousa ’90. Students were encouraged to participate and, if not, to respect the students who were.

Far too often, powerful messages and ideas on campus are not heard due to a lack of outreach or support. The “Carry That Weight Day of Action,” however, was brought to the mind of every student, faculty and staff member as they watched mattresses travel the campus throughout the day.

Just after 1 p.m. this Wednesday, a host of Brandeis students marched from the Rabb Steps to the BernsteinMarcus Administration Center and pushed their way into a Board of Trustees meeting in progress. Angela Acevedo ’16, a member of Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence, spoke to the board about what students want to see from administration.

“We all think that we can be doing so much more to help support survivors, to help them carry the weight of burden of what it means to be a survivor,” Acevedo said in a video of her speech posted to the Facebook event.

“And we’re here to ask you all for your support.” This kind of consistent bravery to speak up must be commended.

We at The Hoot praise the event as a statement by the collective student

body as we continue to make our voices heard. On-campus sexual violence and its mishandling by the administration is a problem that needs to be continually brought up by students until it is properly addressed by the administration. This is true even if it means disrupting an art exhibition or a meeting of the Board of Trustees (to which some administrators and other members of the community have reacted negatively). But the fact that such action was needed to be taken so far points to a lack of a substantive response from the Brandeis administration.

In past editorials, news pieces and opinion articles, The Hoot has called on the administration to work with students in order to make Brandeis a safer and more inclusive place.

Brandeis’ values of social justice makes this even more imperative. There is no excuse for sexual assault and violence, nor is there an excuse to downplay an issue that affects the community the administration exists to nurture, guide and protect. The Brandeis administration has made good first steps toward addressing the problem, but as student actions continue to show and student voices continue to demand, more must be done. It simply must, for the sake of creating a university environment of which we can all be proud.

October 31, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot

NEWS

11

Kennedy School prof. reflects on Ukraine crisis

By Liya Wizevich Staff

On Tuesday, Oct. 30, Dr. Karl Kaiser of the Kennedy School of Government spoke at the “The Ukraine Crisis: Implications for German Foreign Policy, the European Union and Transatlantic Relations.” The event was sponsored by the Center for German and European Studies, the Brandeis International Journal and the International and Global Studies Program in the Faculty Club Lounge.

Kaiser is an adjunct professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and director of the Transatlantic Relations program at Harvard University. He has taught at the University of Bonn, Johns Hopkins University, Saarbruecken University, the University of Cologne, Hebrew University and Harvard University.

The event began with an introduction by Professor Sabine von Mering, the director of the Center for European and German Studies at Brandeis, who discussed a modern, post-war Germany.

“It is interesting how much the idea of a strong Germany has changed,” said von Mering. “Now, Europe is almost clamoring for a strong Germany.”

Next, Lucy Goodheart (IGS), introduced Kaiser, describing his “deep commitment to the study of the transatlantic trade,” and his biography that “reads like an intimidating who’s who

crisis in the ukraine Dr. Karl Kaiser discusses implications of the Ukraine crisis.

of foreign policy.”

After the glowing introductions by the Brandeis faculty, Kaiser began his talk. He started by explaining how the “Ukraine crisis hit us not completely unexpectedly, but with many unexpected dimensions,” and he then analyzed where the world stands in terms of the transatlantic relationship, NATO, EU and Germany, because of this crisis.

“The post-Cold War system has come to an end. We are new entering

a new era” and should not assume the Ukraine crisis is over, argued Kaiser.

Military action can still escalate.

He detailed the severity of the Ukraine crisis. His first point was that, for the first time, a whole part of a country was annexed by trained Russian troops.

The second point Kaiser made was that this intervention was in another country, by military force and unmarked vehicles, and military artillery came to support so-called local

photo from internet source

rebels. In a post-Cold War world, this was considered unthinkable. Kaiser’s third point was that Russia claimed a right of intervention to protect the rights of Russians living outside of the border, which is an ethnically based idea of expansionism. Kaiser pointed out that over half of all states in world are multi-ethnic, which could lead to a disaster if this was an acceptable reason for intervention.

“Imagine Africa, with its enormous number of ethnicities having

governments that have that right.

Imagine what would happen to Africa,” he said. “Latvia and Estonia have large Russian population, and the question remains: What might happen to them?”

Kaiser then discussed a solution to the crisis. Memories of previous wars for many people renders a new war out of the question. The alternative to war, Kaiser argued, is sanctions.

Sanctions, however, also hurt the parties that impose the sanctions. He spoke about how we no longer have the Russia of the past, of the Cold War period. He described Russia as an “authoritarian regime run by old KGB and Soviet elites supported by the oligarchs.”

Although Putin has violated many international laws, European policy in the long run is unthinkable without a good relationship with Russia, Kaiser said. He concluded by saying that though there are still enormous problems and the world does not know what will happen in Ukraine, the world must come back to a situation where Russia can cooperate with the Western powers.

The event concluded with Kaiser taking questions from the audience. The next event hosted by the Brandeis International Journal and the International and Global Studies Program will be Nov. 13, when a panel of experts will speak on the rise of insurgency across the world. Topics to be covered include the Russian Separatists in Ukraine, Boko Haram and ISIS.

Journalist Foreman advocates more attention for chronic pain

By Emily Belowich Editor

On Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 28 in the Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC), a group of senior scientists, lecturers and students gathered to listen to nationally syndicated medical journalist Judy Foreman. She delivered a lecture titled “Chronic Pain in America: How are We Managing?”

Foreman focused the talk on her recent book, “A Nation in Pain: Healing Our Biggest Health Problem.”

Foreman, a former affiliated scholar of the WSRC, was a staff writer at The Boston Globe for 23 years, where she wrote a weekly health sense column for The Globe’s Health & Science section.

She has also done freelance work for The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The Dallas Morning News and many others, and was a guest reporter for The Times of London for six months. She has appeared on WBUR and has been the host of a weekly call-in webcast on health issues for Healthtalk.com Foreman said she became interested in the chronic pain topic about five years ago when she started suffering from severe neck pain. She said the pain interrupted even the smallest of tasks, such as picking up a pencil after having dropped it on the floor.

In addition to suffering, she was also

curious as to why the pain existed and why it became so excruciating.

“Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such of such damage,” she stated, the definition defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Over the course of the book, which took five years to complete, she interviewed more than 200 scientists, neuroscientists, doctors, patients, lawyers and bureaucrats. The key finding throughout these interviews was that “chronic pain is still incredibly misunderstood and maltreated in this country,” according to Foreman.

Foreman went on to explain a few statistics that matched what she found in her interviews. She said that, statistically speaking, more people suffer from chronic pain than heart disease, diabetes, cancer and AIDS put together.

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that there are 100 million American adults living with chronic pain, but an estimated 10 to 30 percent have such severe pain that “their lives are basically wrecked because they are disabled by the pain.”

Foreman also points out that the “100 million” is an incorrect figure, as this does not include children, people in the military or people in nursing homes. There are major financial im-

plications for this as well, and in the same IOM report, the estimated costs for chronic pain in America each year range from $560 to $635 billion. Yet Foreman points out that the “Feds do not fund it and there is no institute on pain research or pain.”

She explained the psychological effects that chronic pain has on the American population. She mentioned that the suicide rate for people with chronic pain is twice what it is for people without chronic pain. Over the course of her interviews, Foreman met a patient in Salt Lake City who had unrelenting headaches, but everywhere he went he was considered to be a “drug seeker.” His doctors had him so convinced he was a drug abuser that he wound up in the psychiatric ward of a hospital.

“No one took his pain seriously,” said Foreman. “Finally, he went to the emergency room where they diagnosed two brain aneurysms. But nobody worked him up, and everyone assumed he was a drug seeker, and that is more common than not.”

Foreman went on to explain a basic schematic of pain, showing a slide of a peripheral stimulus traveling through various types of nerve fibers, up through the spinal cord where it gets transferred to other nerve fibers, and then heading off onto multiple areas of the brain.

“Pain is not just a sensory input

to the brain,” Foreman explained.

“It also hits emotional centers of the brain. There’s no way to have severe pain and not have an emotional reaction to it.”

Many doctors offered insight on chronic pain in Foreman’s book, and she shared some of their thoughts in her talk. She cited Dr. Clifford Woolf, a major geneticist based out of Boston Children’s Hospital, and his thoughts in regard to how his field thinks about chronic pain.

“There’s been a shift in our thinking away from pain as only a sensory experience,” he said. “Chronic pain is not just a symptom; it is a disease of the nervous system.”

Dr. Elliot Krane, a pediatric anesthesiologist at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital of Stanford University, gave a TEDTalk on the mystery of chronic pain. Krane stated that “pain is a disease.” He used an example of one of his patients, a 16-year-old girl who fell during a dance practice and sprained her wrist. Three months after she came to his clinic with the sprain, her arm was discolored and her muscles were frozen and paralyzed.

The pain had spread from her wrist down to her fingertips and all the way up to her shoulders. She was suffering from “allodynia,” the act of feeling more pain than is actually there— through something as simple as mere

touch.

“How can the nervous system misinterpret an innocent sensation, like the touch of a hand, and turn it into a malevolent sensation, like the touch of a flame?” asked Krane.

Foreman spoke to this issue, stating that what scientists have found is that chronic pain comes from the contribution of nerve cells, which come from the nervous system, and glial cells, which come from the immune system. This is important, as she points out, because the current chronic pain drugs are targeted toward the nerves. However, there are currently new drugs being tested to target the immune system.

Lastly, Foreman highlighted that there is not enough time in medical schools devoted to the understanding and learning of chronic pain. She stated that only four medical schools require students to take a course on the subject, and professors of various medical schools have admitted to her that when they do teach students about chronic pain it is “limited, variable and often fragmentary.”

Foreman believes that pain management is fundamental human right, and in order to see change, there needs to be a growing amount of activism.

“The failure to treat pain better, not to cure it, is tantamount to torture by omission,” she said.

Investment Club places third in statewide conference

By Joon Park Staff

The Brandeis Investment Club (BIC) placed as one of the three finalists in the Seventh Undergraduate Investment Conference on Oct. 17, at the University of Michigan. The conference was composed of 21 colleges, including two Ivy League schools.

Kenneth A. Buckfire, the president

and co-founder of Miller Buckfire & Co., opened the conference with a keynote address. After his speech, time was provided for networking among different campuses. On the next day, all through the morning, the first round of stock pitch competitions began with three colleges competing to move on to the next round. Each group was judged inde-

pendently in three separate rooms.

Brandeis competed against Emory and Virginia Tech.The BIC team consisted of President Cameron Fen ’15, Vice President of Finance Marshall Chang ’16, Vice President of Equity Jeffery Cherkin ’16 and Analyst Sunjun Lee ’15. Fen led the preparation and research for the competition.

The rest of his team came up with a

unique way to pitch Third Federal Saving and Loan’s stock, a mutual holding company, currently buying back enormous shares of its stocks.

The BIC team was chosen as one of the three schools that went on to the final round. There, they competed against the University of Florida and winner University of Texas at Austin.

BIC holds weekly training sessions

where students study texts, generally from autobiographical books on investment and analyses of certain companies’ financial values.

Chang said that On Nov. 11, the club will host presenter Tony Dotson from BellMark Partners, and Professor Michael McKay (IBS) will join the club on Nov. 18 for a speech, Chang said.

OPINIONS

October 31, 2014

Eliana’s Advice

Help with staying ahead in class

By Eliana Sinoff Staff

Dear Eliana, I went to a party the other weekend and met this girl. We exchanged numbers, but in my drunken stupor, I never wrote her name in the contact, so I really don’t know who she is.

We’ve been texting, and I’ve been able to refrain from having to mentioning her name ever, but I would like to get to know her more. And knowing her name would be a good start. Should I just flat out ask her what her name is? Do I risk her getting upset about it and never talking to me again? Or is there some other way I can figure out her name without her finding out I never knew it in the first place?

-Sloppy

photo from internet source

Dear Sloppy, Well that’s awkward, isn’t it? You definitely could tell her the truth about being too drunk to remember that minor detail. It’s probably the easier path. However, if you have been texting for a while already, it might be a little late to do that. If you think it seems kind of weird to ask her at this point, it’s very possible that a friend remembers her from the party, or that someone you know has met her. Try asking around and see if someone knows her. Go through people’s Facebook profiles and see if she pops up in any pictures. Another option is to ask her how her name is spelled and hope it’s not a name like Sue. If it is, tell her you meant her last name and hope that one’s not something like Smith. Or as a last resort, come up with a cute nickname for her and call her that for the rest of your relationship.

-Eliana

New Christie-Cuomo policy is rash, unhelpful

By Zach Phil Schwartz Staff

In a world at crisis over how to contain and reverse the exponentially growing Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, one would hope that the American media would try its best to cover it. Contrary to that belief, our media is busy reporting to death the situation that Governors Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo of New Jersey and New York, respectively, have stirred.

Their policy of forcefully quarantining anyone that has been in contact with an Ebola patient that arrives at Newark-Liberty or John F. Kennedy International Airports is a rash one seasoned with just a hint of fear mongering without any scientific backing. Although the policy means well, if it is not amended or reversed, it will backfire and conjure situations the governors are hoping to avoid.

These measures were taken not just with public health in mind; they had political motive. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that public support for this policy could be high, as the public obviously doesn’t want to catch Ebola, and it just so happens that Governor Cuomo is campaigning for re-election in next week’s election. However, as a New Yorker who doesn’t cry himself to sleep every night in pure fear of Ebola, I believe that the measures taken underscores an uninformed crop of politicians going overboard in the name of public safety and stirring both media and public panic.

We must remember that there is a certain epidemiology to Ebola that dictates that those who are infected but asymptomatic are virtually unable to spread the virus, as the to-be patient is not shedding the virus. The New York and Dallas metropolitan areas can rest easy because of this. So, even if a person recently arrived from any of the afflicted countries (most ravaged are

photo from internet source

See EBOLA page 15

Physical education an unnecessary requirement

By Monique J Menezes Staff

Badminton, basketball, volleyball—all words that I associate with gym class. I don’t know about you, but I was not a fan of gym class in high school or middle school. I think the fun of gym class ended for me in the elementary years.

If there wasn’t a giant rainbow parachute, there wasn’t anything to look forward to.

As a Brandeis student, there is a general education requirement of two physical education classes. Overall, the school does a good job giving a variety of options, some of which include basketball and volleyball. Nevertheless, there is also the choice of ballroom dance, yoga, weight lifting, tennis, power walking, golf, fencing and it goes on and on. Despite the wide selection, many Brandeisians, myself included, have no desire to extend their gym class experience into their higher education.

Fortunately, for those who want a less physical alternative to fulfilling this requirement, the school also offers first-year and senior-year experience courses. These classes are in a setting where students get to speak about issues or skills pertaining to healthy living. Honestly, this is a lot more appealing option than that of a class that consists of sweating and probably rushing to a later class still sweaty.

In college, we actually have an acceptable “excuse” to get out of gym. The first-year experience courses in particular focuses on the skills necessary to navigate university life. Issues like roommates, sleeping and all-around healthy choices in the environment of a college campus are discussed. In the high stress land of higher education, such a class does not sound like a bad idea, especially for first-years who are on their own for the first time. So the class, in theory, has merits. The truth, however, is that the class is only seen as a way out of weekly scheduled exercise.

Dear Eliana, So I failed a midterm, and it was in a required course for my (intended) major. Now, I’m worried that I won’t pass the class and would need to either take it again or just pick a new major, which I’ve already started thinking about. I haven’t declared anything yet, but I’m really into HSSP and don’t particularly like quitting things.

But this is a foundational course, so I think this experience will be repeated. What do you think? Should I give up so easily, or try again next semester?

-Failing

photo from internet source

See ADVICE, page 13

The Brandeis Hoot 12

photo from internet source

See PHYS ED, page 14

October 31, 2014

OPINIONS 13

The Brandeis Hoot

How to speak up in class

I, too, am Brandeis

By Jamie Wong Staff

The phrase “I, Too, Am Harvard” might ring a bell if you have a Tumblr account or keep up with Buzzfeed. In March 2014, a student at Harvard University created a collection of photos to illustrate the personal experiences of black students at Harvard University. The messages may be accounts only of their specific lives, but they resonated with minorities in higher education all across the nation.

Some examples of captions that fall under “I, Too, Am Harvard” include: “Can you read?”

“Don’t you wish you were white like the rest of us?” “You’re dressed like you might shoot me right now—such a thug.” “You’re lucky to be black … so easy to get into college!”

Students and faculty often dismiss the accounts of racism on campuses because they don’t seem to be “bad enough.” Blatant racism is heralded as the only signifier of a bad moral character; people are expected to condemn those who say, “I hate [insert racial minority here],” but anything more subtle or nuanced is gifted with ambiguity. Intentions suddenly come into play and the character and emotions of a person of color is put into question. We’re declared too sensitive, too aware, overthinking it or shoved into the box labeled “Brandeis Social Justice Warrior” to be made the butt of the next joke.

As a Brandeis student, it’s clear that many students and the administration try to take a progressive approach to racism. Students want to be allies—there’s no doubt in that. The administration strives towards social justice. But does the discourse on campus actually include students of color? Are we past shallow approvals of diversity and basic agreements about how See RACISM, page 15

ADVICE, from page 12

Dear Failing, Do not give up too quickly. Firstly, failing one midterm does not necessarily mean you failed the class. If you talk to your professor and work hard the rest of the semester, you might still be able to pass. If you did in fact fail completely, talk to your academic advisor and see what your options are. If HSSP is something you’re really interested in, it’s worth it to work for the major.

You could also start working on another major as a backup. Do what you can to get back on track, but at the same time, don’t let it hold you back from pursuing something else that might turn out to be a better fit for you. You can do this!

-Eliana Dear Eliana, I’m taking this anthropology class on gender because it fit into the rest of my schedule and I really like the professor. The problem is the class is made mostly of women and, being a guy, I’m a little nervous speaking up in class on somewhat sensitive topics. I’ve been able to participate now and then, but I’m worried that I might say the wrong thing because I don’t know what the right thing to say is sometimes. I’m worried this will upset the rest of the class and everyone will judge me on something I’m not too familiar with. How can I get over this fear? And how can I frame my questions and comments in a way that won’t offend anyone?

-Frazzled i, too, am harvard An online campaign highlighting personal experiences of

photo from internet source

black students at Harvard

Feel free to express identity

By Oreoluwa Oloruntoba Special to the Hoot

Recently, a case arose where a woman was convicted and ridiculed for placing a Mexican flag representing her heritage on her front lawn. A political activist walking by her house confronted and interrogated her through the window and said, “We live in America! You can move to Mexico if you want to wave your Mexican flag.” Keep in mind that this woman of Mexican heritage had also placed an American flag on the same lawn directly opposite the Mexican flag; it represented her appreciating both parts of her identity. Constitutional law grants us freedom of expression. It seems as though in our society, the foundation of “freedom” is not something that is always established. No individual should have to deal with the fear of judgment as a result of representing their culture through symbolic ethnicity. My fear lies in the appearance of a world where race and ethnicity continue to control how we think and relate to each other.

America has historically been a country composed of immigrants from around the world.

People have taken pride in the fact that they can be part of their established ethnic identity while being an American at the same time. When will we know when we have reached a utopian world where everyone is accepted for who they are despite their physical and racial features, cultural foundation and ethnic origin? The answer to this question is left in the hands of the future leaders of tomorrow. We must change what occurs within our domestic environment before we begin to effect change in the rest of the world. Everyone must generate a desire to create a society based on the equilibrium of all political, social and economic aspects of life.

We have to wake up to these injustices and realize that we are an evolving society. Our overarching social goal as a country should be focused on creating a safe environment where every individual has the right to his or her own expression and identity. Although America has surpassed other countries in providing its citizens genuine freedom, we should still continue to desire to promote an equal and safe environment.

Expecting to solve conflicts such as war and religious persecution won’t be a possibility if we

photo from internet source

photo from internet source

still let race and ethnicity affect our relationships. The person who confronted this woman defended herself by claiming she was not racist but simply a patriot. A person cannot simply forget the place where they were born or strip themselves of their identity under the claim of patriotism. A lack of ethnic acceptance of others will keep our society from significantly progressing at great rates because if the color of someone’s skin or their language dominates their character, then racial tension and conflict will persist.

If barriers of national identity control how we relate and communicate, then we will never see what it means to dwell in a place where everyone is an integral part of society. I believe that life should always be about how we can improve ourselves or help the next person improve. We have to accept the fact that people come from

different ethnic backgrounds but that does not take away from their personality. I believe we should let people express themselves as long as they cause no physical harm to other members of society. We have to understand that as a population we must join together in unity, under the notion that we are all human beings. In unity, we can overcome any issue that presents itself.

Once we discover the meaning of life and how liberty is something everyone is guaranteed, then we may start to approach the ideal utopian society. If you want to openly express your identity, whether it is race, sex or ethnicity, do it! We as a people must learn to appreciate our differences. What would the world be like If everyone was exactly the same? Let’s take on a new perspective and see that in our differences, we are all special in many different ways.

Dear Frazzled, The trick is good judgment. If you have a comment about a sensitive topic, think about it first from the perspective of the opposite side, and then decide if it is going to offend someone (this works for controversial topics other than gender as well). If it is, don’t say it. Keep in mind that in your case, you are offering a unique perspective. In a class full of women, you can add some views that they might not have thought about. You can also ask questions and learn about the sensitive topics so that you can be informed in the future. If you are still worried, talk to the professor and see what she thinks about this. She probably doesn’t want one of her students being afraid to talk in class. You seem like a decent person who doesn’t want to offend people, so you probably won’t. But it’s always smart think before you speak.

-Eliana Dear Readers, If you can’t already tell, this is an advice column, and I’m here to help you with any questions that you might have! If you want more exciting questions, send them in, and I will do my best to answer them. Whether it’s relationships, social problems or just life in general—send them here. I can’t wait to start hearing about everyone’s problems. Send questions to elianasadvice@gmail.com. Thanks!

-Eliana

14 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 31, 2014

Steps on climbing the career ladder

photo from internet source

By Nabi Menai Staff

A well-known mantra for college students these days is, “Do what you love and happiness will follow.” At first, this is a reassuring sentiment and it has semblances of truth to it. It is also a fact, however, that the world, and particularly the marketplace, is changing at an unprecedented rate. There are skills that are more in demand and will become increasingly more in demand in the workforce. Every now and then The New York Times or a magazine such as Forbes publishes an article relating to this. The articles usually consist of the bleak

employment prospects for recent graduates, and then tries to reassure the reader in some subtle way that the world will always need philosophers and the like to tackle the most difficult queries of our time. While these are great sources for information, they unfortunately are overlooked by the average student who is far too busy. Nonetheless, it is crucial for everyone to be informed about what lies ahead and moreover what the status quo is.

The aim of higher education is often a point of debate. Many argue that the point of obtaining an education is to learn. Others point to the importance of specializing

in a field that is currently thriving and secure. What happens all too often, though, is that when one adopts one of these views, the other side is neglected. The inherent problem in doing this is that you lose valuable information.

Without such information you risk losing critical insight into the world, how the world is changing and most importantly, where it is headed. You then run the risk of making uniformed decisions about your future. But there is a very simple remedy to this problem—that is, being proactive and taking advantage of the opportunities you currently have.

One of the most important as-

pects of making decisions is to have a goal or a set of goals. This is not easy, but it is possible and often very useful. At first, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Perhaps you have many different conflicting interests or maybe you are persuaded to follow something that you are not passionate about. This is obviously a complex and long process, but it will be sped up by making a genuine effort to garner as much information as you can about everything in a particular field or profession. If your dream is to be a physicist or environmental lawyer, there are steps that are obvious such as going to medical school or law school, and

there are also steps that are not so definite. For example, what are the most important factors in applying? How crucial is getting work experience? How are the employment prospects for this field? The answers to many of these and questions similar to these are out there. The Hiatt Career Center has many of them and is always there to help. Similarly, the Internet has an abundant supply of resources that you can take advantage of.

There are career fairs and visits by employers and graduate schools every week. On top of that there are plenty of opportunities to talk individually with professionals that are hosted by a specific department that are great for finding out more about what it is you may potentially do in the future. It is equally important to remember as well that none of this should preclude you enjoying your time in whatever you are doing. It is better to always be as informed and well-connected as possible, but these necessary steps need to be coupled with the true purpose of education: broadening your mind as much as you can.

It may seem premature to start worrying about the future, but by staying informed, being proactive and exploring, you are not worrying. Instead you are gaining valuable experience for yourself. In essence, you are preparing yourself for the real world. When that long-awaited time comes to walk the stage, you want to be confident and optimistic. No one wants to be panicking. By taking the requisite steps over the years, it will only prove beneficial. All too often, though, people and peers don’t stress this enough. The resources are vast and interminable.

As daunting as some of them may seem, they are there to help.

Finding inefficiencies in univ. requirements PHYS ED, from page 12

ing experiences, but do not yet possess the context necessary to have some of Possible valuable discussion aside, these discussions. Next, and this may the first-year experience class seems not be the case for everyone, most to have other drawbacks. First, it is a first-years have not just yet decided class of entirely first-years. First-years upon a concrete direction. Countless are at the beginning stages of acquir- students change their mind or spec-

ify what interest they will pursue in their college career during their first year. Thus, first-year seminars may be nothing more than a good place to get some first-years talking about college life.

The concept of seminars may have

me scratching my head, but more importantly, I question the point of these physical education requirements. So in order to accomplish this, general requirements consist of at least one class in each school, a quantitative reasoning course, a writing intensive

photo from internet source

course and a foreign language, among others. A comprehensive perspective is crucial in true pursuit to higher education, but how does one’s ability to throw a ball or run a half-mile fit into that?

This isn’t a question of the importance of being physically active, but one of the mandate made by the school that its students integrate it in their routine. Exercise is a lifestyle choice. Students come to Brandeis with academic goals. So these gym classes and even the less physically straining alternatives just seem out of place because they lack any utter academic purpose.

Physical education courses do not count toward majors or contribute anything of vital importance to students’ education. Instead of taking a class that students are interested in, they’re making room in their schedule for basketball or volleyball. They are rushing up the Rabb Steps from Gosman. There are enough varsity, club and intramural sports along with dance troupes, group fitness classes like hula hooping and so much more on campus that I believe students have adequate avenues to an active lifestyle, if that’s what they choose, without mandatory gym classes.

Brandeis offers a wide variety of physical education classes. There seems to be something for everyone, even those who don’t want to get sweaty. Nevertheless, with the idea that students are here to expand their minds, maybe they should not be a part of the list of things a student needs to graduate.

October 31, 2014

OPINIONS15

The Brandeis Hoot

No need to brush off microaggressions RACISM, from page 13

racism is bad?

This is the question that we all should be asking ourselves. It is one thing to declare ourselves as racially aware and informed, and another to support and empower students of color. The way “I, Too, Am Harvard” succeeds is how it addresses the nuances of microaggressions and how it starts an honest dialogue without well-meaning, but misinformed, allies or devil’s advocates asking if it’s really racism or if it really matters.

According to “Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice,” as seen in “The American Psychologist,” racial microaggressions are “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative racial slights and insults towards people of color.” Some know of microaggression theory, or have heard of the phrase in passing, but most people of color are familiar through firsthand experience.

We’re used to brushing microaggressions off. I’m not speaking for the entire community nor for any individual—the point of this is to emphasize how dismissed our voices are.

We all have different experiences and pasts; we’re from a plethora of places, all with unique backgrounds and our own views. But we share connections and experiences that we should have the freedom to voice. We all have freedom of speech, but it’s more than that.

We have the right to feel comfortable in the environment we’re in, the right to engage and participate in discussions of race without being delegitimated or silenced, the right to feel as if we are a part of this community and we have a place here.

Take the vandalization of the sil-

photo by linjie xu/the hoot

houettes placed around campus by the Brandeis Immigration Education Initiative (BIEI) in honor of Immigration Awareness Week. We can see a range of reactions all entrenched in racist beliefs. There are the extremes—those who vandalized the silhouettes and actively silenced BIEI

and the students who connected with the message they sent out. But we also see ignorance in those who say the accounts on the silhouettes weren’t impartial enough, or that it isn’t important enough to make an emotional impact, and so on, people playing judge without realizing their power.

Or even in bystanders who dismissed the silhouettes and stayed willfully unaware of an important voice in our Brandeis community.

Ultimately, I believe anger without any goal or mission in mind is not an agenda any of these activist groups on campus are trying to pursue. But

to deny the emotion, frustration and personal investment we, people of color, have in our lives, our futures, our families and our identities, is to dismiss racism and silence our voices. I say do more than listen—start awareness, start taking action, start empowering.

Ebola not as harmful in U.S. as media speculates EBOLA, from page 12

Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea) is incubating the virus, this person cannot spread it to anyone. Even after becoming symptomatic, this person will be gravely ill, and unless anyone (who isn’t a health professional) is ignorant enough to come into contact with the expelled infectious fluids, it will be hard for anyone to catch it.

Therefore, there doesn’t have to be quarantine for everyone that had contact with Ebola patients in West Africa. Until they develop symptoms, they aren’t a threat to the public and when they do become symptomatic, they will seek proper medical attention.

Remember, a vast majority of those coming here from afflicted countries are healthcare workers, heroes that know what they’re doing. As long as the Dallas scenario (where proper precautions to protect medical staff weren’t put in place) doesn’t play out, everything should be fine.

Twenty-one days is a long time to sit around in quarantine and wait for something to happen, and since those quarantined are not a threat to the public until they become symptomatic, the mandatory quarantine is unnecessary.

Moreover, the mandatory 21-day quarantine is essentially akin to imprisonment for nothing. Kaci Hickox, a nurse who had been in Sierra Leone helping Ebola patients, was quarantined upon arrival at Newark-Liberty International Airport in New Jersey with a “fever” that wasn’t actually a fever. She explains how in her disgrun-

tled state the forehead thermometer registered a false fever. Her oral temperature was normal. For days she had been kept against her will, asymptomatic, in an isolated tent at the decree of Governor Christie. Only after several negative Ebola tests did he let the nurse return home to Maine to serve her 21-day quarantine. Chris Christie, in his defense, still maintains she had a fever, the state acted according to the protocols and he won’t change them.

To paraphrase Hickox, Christie isn’t a doctor, nor does he know anything about Ebola. Therefore, he shouldn’t be entitled to make such a case. Although she has been released back home to Maine, she is still under state ordered mandatory quarantine and continues to defy it.

Policies like that enacted by Christie and Cuomo, and more recently Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel can overemphasize the threat of Ebola in the United States and cause unnecessary panic like what we saw with the suspected Ebola case right here in the Boston metro area.

Recently, a man who had recently traveled to West Africa walked into a Braintree medical facility with minor Ebola-like symptoms and caused a fuss that included an evacuation of the facility, the Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. Ebola was later ruled out at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, but only after rampant media speculation. The media is so quick to jump on these situations that the public follows suit and panics, even though from the start the possibility of Ebola in the Braintree patient was incredibly small.

photo by katherine selector/the hoot

So why should Brandeis students care? Because Brandeis is handling it right. Our health center’s policy as outlined in an Aug. 20, 2014 statement recommends the CDC’s policy for universities having students coming from West Africa within the past 21 days. The Brandeis Health Center recommends those who have come from the afflicted region to reach out to the clinic and have a brief meeting with the staff in regards to their contact with Ebola patients in the region. After this, the Health Center may monitor the student for the 21-day incubation period, and will take appropriate action should the improbable happen.

By no means will the university imprison you in a mandatory quarantine when you return from this region of

Africa. Have no fear, Brandeis staffs the Health Center with doctors, not clones of Chris Christie.

Brandeis’ way, perhaps toned up to require the mandatory observation of those who have traveled to the region and/or have been in contact with Ebola patients, is the best way to halt the spread of the disease in the United States given the virus’ virtual inability to spread while the infected person is asymptomatic. In fact, Florida Governor Rick Scott recently signed an order doing just this.

In the United States, where the healthcare system is able to handle the pickup and treatment of Ebola patients once they do become symptomatic, the risk to the public when this strategy is enacted correctly, when

all precautions are taken, is next to nothing. The positive here is that obstructions to personal freedoms aren’t taken away with unnecessary quarantines, and without these controversial quarantines, the media can turn their cameras to where attention is actually needed, to West Africa; where the virus continues to rampage and destroy those living in nations with real corruption and real problems.

Impose the mandatory observation period nationally get some peace and order to the American Ebola response system; and then help those that actually need our help. Help Africa by stopping Ebola in Africa, or the result will be a real pandemic that will really threaten the people of the United States of America.

ARTS, ETC.

16 The Brandeis Hoot

October 31, 2014

Dave Coulier cuts it out for Fall Fest

By Andrew Elmers Editor

In conjunction with Fall Fest and Parents’ Weekend, Student Activities put on their customary event to entertain parents and relieve students of begrudgingly leading them around campus. Last year’s event featured comedian Judah Friedlander, and to continue with the comedian theme, Dave Coulier performed hijinks for the crowd in the Shapiro Gym in Gosman this year. Most famous for his portrayal of Uncle Joey Gladstone on the late ’80s, early ’90s smash hit “Full House,” Coulier has always been a steady stand-up performer also known for his impersonation skills.

Sandra Luo ’15, on-campus programming coordinator for Fall Fest, thanked the crowd for coming out and introduced the opening act, Prashanth Venkataramanujam. A fellow stand-up performer out of Los Angeles, Prashanth provided high energy and good dialogue with the audience. While a bit too reliant on jokes revolving around how crazy something is, he understood his role and got the audience loose and ready to laugh. Most of his jokes over his 25-minute set won the crowd, especially his observation about how many different countries have gained their independence from England.

The other jokes, while original, mostly revolved around stereotypes and toilet humor, subjects that have been covered to death.

Immediately after finishing his set, Prashanth then introduced the crowd to the main attraction, Dave Coulier. As he came out on stage, the entire crowd of roughly 400 people lit up as they realized that childhood idol Uncle Joey was on stage in person. His facial expressions and voice brought up old memories of Ranger Joe, guiding the Tanner girls through life. Coulier didn’t depend on these memories though; as soon as he got into his act, he was just as successful as a stand-up comedian.

Starting out with topical references to Brandeis, with an impression of Justice Brandeis, and the hysteria over Ebola, Coulier quickly got into referencing his role on “Full House.”

Mildly self-deprecating when talking about his blonde mullet on the show and his catch phrase “cut it out,” Coulier provided the audience with what they most wanted to hear—stories about “Full House.” While never getting too much into it, Coulier got it out of the way so he can get into his original stuff that was actually pretty good. He had a good stage presence, always seeming to straddle the mic and stand like a hobby horse to get closer to the audience, and worked the crowd by altering his voice during a bit about cockpits. Here, Coulier wondered what he would say over the intercom if he was a commercial airline pilot, and wound up doing a spot-on Spongebob and Patrick Star.

There were few low-points during his set, the most notable being when he tried to make a joke about how could Arabic men find women attractive when they completely cover their bodies. A tough joke to land at a very liberal place like Brandeis, he mentioned that the political stuff wasn’t going to work. Though just a few moments later, in the midst of a Matthew McConaughey impression, he brought the crowd’s attention to the fact that Bill Clinton and McConaughey sound extremely similar, and this political joke stuck.

Probably the most memorable mo-

ment of the set were when Coulier directly interacted with the audience, improvising jokes along the way.

Early on in his performance, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel arrived with his wife and son to their reserved seats in the front row. Noticeably late to the performance, Coulier began mocking the vice president, asking him if he thought he was more important than everyone else by having specially reserved seats and walking in late. Not realizing who exactly this was, Coulier then asked the crowd if he was actually someone important and whether or not he should be saying these things. A bit later on, an audience member had to get up to

use the bathroom. Noticing someone leaving during his set, Coulier called her out. He had been in the middle of a Bane impression, so he naturally told this girl, visibly embarrassed, that there was no pooping during his show. Playing around with her and her friends sitting with her, Coulier spieled about the difference between a poop walk and a pee walk. Completely made up on the spot, Coulier really exerted his comedic prowess and flexibility in this exchange.

Eventually he got around to talking more about his other work in the entertainment industry as a, as he puts it, professional copy-cat. Coulier has done professional work dubbing over other comics’ voices, including Chris

Rock and Robin Williams. Also during this portion of the set, he talked more about his personal life, including his interactions with his father and son, and of his interactions with neighbors, one of whom is Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was odd to hear him talk so candidly about drugs and alcohol after growing up with him on “Full House,” but by no means is he on par with “Full House” cast member Bob Saget’s stand-up, which is crude to say the least.

Coulier finished up his set a little oddly by playing harmonica. A very skilled harmonica player, he played a solo for what seemed like a solid five minutes. Disjointed with the rest of the performance, his harmonica per-

formance was simply boring. Though he did have a plan for it, as it led to his final bit, “harmoni-thoughts.” Here, he basically reads out tweets while playing his harmonica in between.

Some cheesy puns and clever lines, Coulier’s “harmoni-thoughts” showcased how much material comedians have that they can’t really use in fully thought-out bits. Finding a way to incorporate them into his act speaks to just how innovative Coulier is.

Dave Coulier then ended his hourlong set rather quickly, telling the mostly student audience “you’re the future, do well,” just as Uncle Joey would say. A nostalgic night for most, everyone seemed to be leaving Gosman with a smile on their face.

photos by andrew elmer/the hoot

uncle joey Dave Coulier impresses with stand-up performance