The Brandeis Hoot 10/03/2014

Volume 11 Number 18

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

BIEI’s silhouettes vandalized across campus

By Victoria Aronson Editor

In honor of Immigration Awareness Week, silhouettes were placed across campus to signify the struggles undocumented immigrants face trying to secure a chance at higher education. However, after the weekend,

only two of the silhouettes were left standing in one piece. The rest were vandalized, some destroyed beyond the point of recognition, by unknown members of the Brandeis community.

Yasmin Yousof ’15, co-leader of the Brandeis Immigration Education Initiative (BIEI) along with Margaret Much-Hichos ’15, stated, “The sud-

photo by marian sileholm/the hoot

biei Brandeis Immigration Education Initiative club put up shadow silloutes in order to raise

awareness this week on campus.

den backlash and the destruction of the silhouettes was unanticipated.

We don’t believe this is the true candor of Brandeisians, and we believe in Brandeis’ mantra of social justice.”

At the sight of the vandalized silhouettes, Much-Hichos revealed, “When the shadow people were destroyed a part of me felt really hurt.”

The silhouettes were part of a larger initiative designed to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue concerning immigration and higher education. In the past, BIEI has worked with administration to ensure Brandeis is, as Yousof phrases it, “undocumented-friendly,” meaning admissions would not reject prospective students solely on the basis of their citizenship status.

However, this year, the club sought to focus more of its attention on fostering student dialogue.

Designed to engage the Brandeis community, the silhouettes featured quotes regarding issues of identity, race and immigration from conversations with students.

“While we are aware that some of the quotes were, to say the least, conspicuous and maybe even provoking to some, the end goal was to post all over campus real conversations from real students about real issues,” Yousof explained.

See BIEI, page 8

October 3, 2014

PCC offers new services and counselors

By Dana Trismen Editor

The Psychological Counseling Center at Brandeis (also referred to as the PCC or Mailman) has recently undergone a series of progressive changes, including hiring multiple new staff members and creating new group programs. Mailman is the physical building that houses the PCC. “[These group programs have] been created through a collaboration of all the PCC staff to better address the needs of the Brandeis students. Groups are often the most effective method to treat the types of concerns that university students face and have been found to be more enriching for some people than individual therapy,” stated Joy von Steiger, senior associate director and clinical director of the PCC. To better address the needs of the student body, six psychologists and social workers have come on to work as clinical staff at the center, while enrollment begins for six new group and meditation classes. The new offerings include a “DBT Group: Gaining Control over Out-of-Control Emotions,” a “Living in Eating Disorder Recovery Group” and a “Drop-in Meditation in the Peace Room.”

“Groups offer the opportunity to learn about yourself from listening to

others, help you think about things in a new way, learn about yourself as you notice things you have in common, and as you relate more honestly and directly with others, you learn to be more accepting of yourself. Groups can also provide an opportunity for interpersonal experimentation,” said von Steiger.

Some groups require meeting with a counselor beforehand, while others are simply drop-in. Either way, one fact remains the same: The services are free. For individual sessions at the PCC, the first 12 visits for each student are not charged. These new group sessions do not use the 12 allotted sessions, and no cost is billed to student insurance.

“I appreciate the services [the PCC] provides the student body, especially the sessions free of charge, since I believe economic barriers are a huge issue in health care access,” said Victoria Aronson ’15, managing editor of The Brandeis Hoot.

In addition to the new group sessions, the PCC has grown in other ways. One great change was the hiring of the new clinical director (von Steiger), according to Michael LaFarr, the executive director of health and See PCC, page 2

Brandeis fills gaps in health and wellness policies

By Ethan Berceli Staff

Brandeis’ newly implemented health and wellness initiatives were created to improve deficiencies in specifically lacking areas and have been welcomed by students and faculty as a positive step in increasing emotional and physical support to the Brandeis community.

Andrew Flagel, senior vice president for students and enrollment, announced the changes in an email to the student body on Aug. 21. The new initiatives will provide six main areas of improved service: expanded graduate student services, improved appointment scheduling, new insurance services, billing and electronic records management, increased personnel expertise in targeted areas and a new Rape Crisis Center in addition to expanding sexual assault services and prevention. While these changes are a progressive improvement to the old system, the vast majority of students will not notice many differences in their health care services.

Diana Denning, the nurse manager and administrative director at the Brandeis Health Center, outlined the minimal changes students will

Inside this issue:

undergo.

“The only change students may see is that they should bring their health insurance information with them as you would do at any doctor’s office,” Denning said, and went on to highlight the efficiency of the new system.

“More of the appointments will be done on a rolling schedule.”

The changes were inspired by the Hodgkins Beckley report, a critical review conducted by an external consulting agency, which was finished on Oct. 14 of last year. These changes are aligned with the university’s goals set forth in the Brandeis Strategic Plan for “facilitating health living through a community health approach that integrates health and recreation services and organizations across campus.”

The university selected Hodgkins Beckley Consulting, which specializes in higher education health care management, to review its administrative systems for the Brandeis Health Center (HC) and Psychological Counseling Center (PCC).

Recommendations for improvements from the report were mainly structural and organizational, and specific praise was given to the “dediSee HEALTH CENTER, page 3

News: Students stage protest against Sodexo Arts, Etc.: “The Equalizer” breaks action mold Opinion: Finding comfort through religion Sports: Men’s soccer tops Wheaton and Tufts Editorial: Admin can be willing to improve

Page 8 Page 5 Page 14 Page 11 Page 10

photo by marian sileholm/the hoot

president The President of The Republic of Ghana spoke at Brandeis on Monday.

Community gathers to listen to Ghanaian President

By Emily Belowich Editor

On Monday afternoon, the Carl J. Shapiro Theater was fully packed as the Brandeis community gathered to listen to John D. Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, deliver a speech titled “The Promise of Africa.” In his speech, Mahama not only spoke about past and current growth for the country, but also about the development of Africa as

a continent and the increasing need for international support to help sustain these new development achievements.

Mahama has been involved in Ghanaian politics for more than 15 years, serving as President of Ghana since July 2012. He made history when he became the first Ghanaian leader to have been born after his nation gained its independence from the British in 1957. He is widely acclaimed on both a national and an international level for not only his “natural charisma” but

also for serving in all levels of Ghanaian political office.

University President Fred Lawrence offered opening remarks about Mahama’s important presence in Ghana and on the global stage.

“We are honored to have with us here today the President of Ghana but someone beyond that,” Lawrence said.

“President Mahama is someone who See PRESIDENT, page 2

Posner unpopular

Letter to Sodexo

Arts, etc.: Page 5

Editorial: Page 10

Singer Mike Posner plays to a raucous and rocking crowd as part of Fall Concert Series.

Brandeis Labor Coalition urges food service provider to treat employees with more sympathy.

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

October 3, 2014

PCC strives to meet student needs From PCC, page 1

wellness at the PCC. LaFarr mentioned further advancements, such as how the PCC “fully implemented a secure electronic medical record which helps clinicians keep better records and speeds the information gathering process for students … We expanded (and continue to) the PCC website to be more user friendly. Our website now includes a brief profile of all therapists.”

The PCC website claims that 20 percent of Brandeis students use the counseling center each year, and indeed many students are satisfied with their services.

“I would and often do recommend the PCC to friends, but I always emphasize the importance of students taking an active and proactive role in their care,” said Nicole Cardona ’15.

Some of her personal experiences at

the PCC she described as “extremely positive.”

Other students are quick to point out problems with the center. Aronson recalled her frustrations over waiting for an appointment with a PCC counselor. “I believe students should be able to walk in the door and have someone to talk to. If you’re going through a crisis, it might be hard enough to take the initiative to ask for help. Does postponing that conversation for an appointment a week later truly help?” she said.

Another student, Ryn Flaherty ’15, reported feeling unhappy with the counselors at the center. “I went to the PCC with specific needs: PTSD and anxiety. My previous therapist had been doing CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) with me, and I said that when I asked them to match me with a person. I was paired with someone who was only qualified for talk therapy, and told me straight off that she

Controversial listserv exposed

By Emily Belowich editor

In mid-September, Brandeis made national news regarding thousands of newly uncovered emails from a faculty listserv on topics ranging from Israeli politics to the decision to rescind Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s invitation to receive an honorary degree at commencement last spring.

The listserv, entitled “Concerned,” was founded in 2002 by faculty members “out of concern about possible war with Iraq.”

There are 92 subscribers, which are made up of mostly faculty and some students and also include some professors from outside the university.

Professor Gordon Fellman (SOC), co-creator of the listserv, said that since then it has grown to people posting articles regarding education, the Middle East, war, politics and art.

“We made the decision in the beginning to open it up to anyone who wanted to join us,” said Fellman.

“It’s meant to be an informative listserv, and that’s what it’s been.”

Fellman said that there are no specific guidelines to what people can post, although it is considered to be a progressive listserv.

“Fox News loves sensationalism.

That’s what they do,” said Fellman.

“On one or two occasions, one or two professors say something that they shouldn’t, and they want to make a novel out of it.”

Daniel Mael ’15, president of the Brandeis Republicans and a writer for TruthRevolt and the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, was the first and only student to gain access to the archives of the listserv.

He has made TV appearances on Fox News, Sun News and The BBC and his writing has appeared in FoxNews.com, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, TownHall, The Jerusalem Post, NewsMax, The Times of Israel and The Jewish Press among others publications.

In July, Mael was featured on Sun News to discuss the chain of emails.

“What has emerged is a stream of anti-Semitic bigotry that is being exchanged between professors,” said Mael in his interview.

Mael published some of the contents of the listserv on Breitbart.com, a conservative news and opinions website, questioning a “narrow agenda of the professoriate.”

He wrote that “members of the list-

serv move beyond disdain for American politicians and into outright anti-Israel rhetoric.”

Mael thinks that students may have difficulty learning in a setting that has a professor with the kind of strong opinions on Israel that Fellman shared with the listserv.

“I don’t know how any person, Jewish or not, that opposes bigotry, could ever step into a class of his ever again,” said Mael in his interview with Sun News Network.

Fellman said that this progress of events has been “blown out of proportion” and that there is an underlying issue at hand. He said that there is a conflation of criticizing Israel with criticizing Israeli politics.

“I want to emphasize that this is criticism of Israeli politics and practices, not Israel,” Fellman said.

Fellman went on to talk about the issue of civility and free speech.

“There’s been a shift here at Brandeis from the substance of the issue to the civility of the discourse,” Fellman said. “People have a right to say what they want to say and no one should be penalized for that. That is something that should be accepted.”

Fellman spoke about the donor base at Brandeis and how it might be affecting this issue at hand.

“What’s happening at a lot of universities, and Brandeis is not exempt from this, is that people who donate to the university may feel concerned about this and start setting mandates,” Fellman said.

“We are so grateful to our donors, from providing scholarships to buildings, but there is not one consensus on Israel.

Brandeis is funded by Jews in a larger community, but views on Israeli politics run all the way from the far right to the far left. ” In the last issue of The Hoot, the English Department wrote an op-ed supporting the “principle of scholarly free speech and free inquiry.” The department asks President Lawrence to publicly support professors in their right to freedom of speech.

“We hope you will swiftly and publicly clarify the right of professors to express opinions and explore ideas without fear of reprisal,” the op-ed states.

“And that you will make a public statement—not just orally to the faculty, but in a form that will reach the wider Brandeis community and beyond—that defends Brandeis faculty members when they are attacked for expressing their views.”

wasn’t qualified to do CBT,” Flaherty said in an interview with The Hoot.

He added that the PCC schedules were restrictive and that he ended up seeking help outside of the university.

“I stopped going after the first bad match because I had heard such bad things about other PCC therapists that I was afraid to try again. I went a while without any consistent, easy-tocommute-to therapist, but I tried to see my old therapist from high school once a month in person. Eventually I found one in Harvard Square who I now see weekly,” he said.

Cardona argued for more campuswide awareness about the fact that students can indeed switch counselors. “Many negative or neutral experiences arise from students not feeling comfortable with or connected to their clinicians. While PCC policy encourages students to try new clinicians in cases like these, in practice I think students often do not know this

is an option or feel awkward asking to try someone else,” she said.

In regards to scheduling and wait time for appointments, LaFarr said, “Students who come to the PCC asking to be seen are scheduled for an intake appointment within the same week. Most are seen in two to three days. I am unaware of any case of a student not getting an intake appointment within five business days. While the average wait for an intake appointment in the greater community can range from two to six weeks, we are proud to be able to see students in a matter of days.”

Von Steiger stated, “If there are any questions or concerns about the services and delivery of services at the counseling center, please contact me, Dr. von Steiger, directly at 781736-3782.” The center has already responded to some student concerns, stated Cardona.

“Last year, student feedback sug-

gested that the PCC needed to be more transparent with how billing works, so Associate Director Dr. Michael LaFarr held a training for staff that addressed this, emphasizing the importance of reminding students when they’ve reached their 11th free session (out of 12 all students are offered annually),” she said.

The PCC also continuously strives to help overcome the stigmas surrounding mental health and counseling every day. “We are pleased that the stigma against counseling seems to be diminishing nationwide,” said LaFarr. “We have record numbers of students coming to the PCC seeking treatment. For those who are concerned about privacy, rest assured we take privacy seriously and follow strict confidentiality laws.”

However, the stigma on campus may still linger. “Overall campuswide opinion of the PCC is very poor,” said Flaherty.

Ghana pres. speaks out From PRESIDENT, page 1

has already distinguished himself as a major figure in West Africa and really, globally, with the issues and challenges that face his country and region and in many ways face our planet.”

Lawrence also spoke about the importance of having Mahama on the Brandeis campus.

“He is particularly welcome on this campus because besides being a great public figure and political leader, he is a scholar and an academic,” Lawrence said. “He has already played an instrumental role in helping this country and the region face challenges of public health, challenges of sustainability and challenges of environmental development and has played a major role in building bridges for Ghana in the region and throughout the world.”

Mahama was welcomed by the Brandeis Ghanaian Drumming and Dance Ensemble, which he said made him feel “just like he was in Ghana.”

He began his speech by defining the “Promise of Africa” and noted that its history of having rich, natural resources has proved the continent’s dedication to the expansion of trade, improvement in technology, energy production, education reform and telecommunications.

“When we speak of promise, Africa’s promise to itself and Africa’s promise to the world, we speak then about Africa’s greatest resource, and that’s its people,” Mahama said. “The continent has been counted as a place of tremendous potential, a place with limitless untapped possibilities.”

Mahama used three anecdotes to dispel the stereotypes that Ghana, and its neighboring countries, are not up to date with technological innovations and that the continent is not capable of being an international leader in economic development. He remarked that many African countries hold the world’s fastest growing economies, and that the world’s mental image of Africa is one of the many challenges the continent has had to face since the colonial era.

“It is important that we not only acknowledge this problem of misconception that has plagued Africa but that we also examine the distortion of our past,” Mahama said. “In no place is this distortion more evident than in the erroneous belief that only in recent times has Africa spoken collectively from a position of strength in the global economic dialogue. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

photos by marian siljeholm/ the brandeis hoot

president mahama spoke to a crowd of brandeis students

Mahama spoke of long distance trade as being an important development in West Africa since the time of kingdoms and empires on the continent in the 5th century through to the 16th century.

“The study of those kingdoms refused that their strength, as with all other kingdoms and empires in the world was reliant on three crucial pillars of development: the expansion of agricultural production, the invention or improvement of technology and the expansion of trade,” he said.

Mahama also touched on the current crisis of the Ebola epidemic.

“Once again, with Africa being actively engaged with and by the world, we will not be alone in our attempts to overcome these challenges,” he said.

“We cannot be left alone.”

Lastly, he spoke of “Africa Rising,” a phenomenon of economic and developmental growth, political stability and social progress and the ways it captures the hope and promise of Africa. “Africa Rising” is also the name of a non-profit organization started by Kweku Mandela-Amuah and Ndaba Mandela, grandsons of the late Nelson Mandela, who spoke

to the Brandeis community in February as the keynote address of ’DEIS Impact week.

The talk was sponsored by the Heller School for Social Policy and Management’s Sustainable International Development (SID) program as part of SID’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. Joseph Kweku Assan, an assistant professor of political economy of sustainable development at the Heller School and a native of Ghana, was the point of contact that initiated the reaching out to Mahama’s office.

Prior to the talk, Mahama joined Lawrence, Lisa Lynch, dean of the Heller School, and Eric Chasalow, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The luncheon also included Ghanaian students, as well as faculty members and administrators from Heller and the International Business School.

In addition to his visit to the Brandeis campus, Mahama has just recently addressed the United Nations General Assembly, delivered a lecture at Harvard University, met with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and addressed the Ghanaian Community in Worcester.

October 3, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot

NEWS

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Brandeis updates health center From HEALTH CENTER, page 1

cated and skilled professionals” who comprise both the HCand the PCC. The specific concerns of the report were a lack of management structure and efficiency in both centers, inadequate health care access for graduate students, outdated insurance billing, record management and general services and underperformance in the service model of the PCC. The new health and wellness initiatives set to rectify these recently highlighted flaws.

Denning said the new improvements place Brandeis on a more even level with other comparable universities.

“The restructuring of Brandeis’ health services, counseling, athletic services and preventative services as an administrative unit is a common way that universities organize these services,” she said.

The new Health and Wellness Division will be headed up by Sheryl Sousa ’90, director of athletics and newly promoted assistant vice president for health and wellness. Sousa appointed Dr. Michael LaFarr to be the execu-

tive director of health and wellness, and he will direct the PCC and HC as well as contribute in a leadership role to Brandeis’ new comprehensive health and wellness model.

Brandeis will continue its successful partnership with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

The university is fortunate that its involvement in the new initiatives eased the transitional process.

The implementation of billing and electronic records is a complex change of several systems of operations, and because BIDMC uses these processes already, it was able to offer its services to Brandeis to help with the switch.

Flagel commented that the shift in insurance coverage was negotiated through an insurance broker who helped the university select the best coverage, while adhering to state standards for academic institutions.

He believes it has been generally well received.

“The resulting insurance coverage is very similar to that which was provided to students last year, although we were able to bring undergraduate rates down slightly,” Flagel said.

While the Hodgkins Beckley report

Code of Conduct updates

By Emily Smith Staff

In an email sent out to all students last Friday, Sept. 26, Andrew Flagel, senior vice president for students and enrollment, alerted students to updates to both the Office of Student Rights and Community Standards and the Office of Sexual Assault and Prevention. The changes, which included the new Code of Conduct and the transition in director of the Office of Student Rights and Community Standards, come at a time when concerns about the handling of sexual assault have become more pressing.

The university’s Code of Conduct, Rights and Responsibilities has been updated for the 2014-2015 school year. Included in the new version are definitions of consent and the statement that “policies regarding sexual misconduct emphasize sexual sovereignty, personal accountability, as well as recognition of the impact of one’s behavior on others. All members of our community have the right to be free from sexual misconduct.”

Flagel wrote in an email to The Brandeis Hoot about the specific mechanisms of creating this type of change. “Changing a community requires a wide variety of efforts, of which the Code of Conduct document is just one,” Flagel wrote. “I feel the updated Code of Conduct makes the process and outcomes more transparent.” He also wrote about what the implications might be from of the updated version of the Code of Conduct. “I don’t believe the changes in sanctions are likely to change any decisions, but the updated version makes very clear that students found responsible of non-consensual intercourse involving physical force, threat or purposeful incapacitation will be removed from Brandeis,” wrote Flagel. The Office of Prevention Services will be appointing an interim director to take the place of Sheila McMahon, who is taking a temporary academic leave to finish her doctoral program.

McMahon began working at Brandeis in Nov. 2013 and will be returning to the Office of Prevention Services on Dec. 15. During the interim period, Flagel announced, Lisa Hardej will be available to meet with students in McMahon’s absence. Hardej is currently a class-based academic advisor in Academic Services, and holds a master’s degree in counseling.

“We continue to search actively for an appropriately experienced and credentialed interim appointment for Sheila’s position,” wrote Flagel in a university-wide email. “In the mean time we will use a team approach— utilizing point people for the different areas of responsibility—to ensure uninterrupted services.”

Another effort by the university to prevent sexual assault and help students who have been sexually assaulted is the addition of the Rape Crisis Center (RCC). Though a Sept.

4 Boston Globe article falsely claimed that the RCC has already opened, the center is predicted to open by the end of the semester and will be studentrun. The University hired Dr. Kristin Huang to give advice to the Rape Crisis Center volunteers as well as working as a clinical staff member in the Psychological Counseling Center (PCC).

Flagel’s email to students included a reminder about the Bystander Intervention Program at the University.

The Bystander Intervention Program is run by Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence (B.SASV) and aims to train students to intervene in potentially dangerous situations. 50 Brandeis students received bystander intervention training in the spring of 2014. Brandeis is currently under investigation by the federal government for noncompliance with Title IX, a law that requires that students be able to receive educations free of sexual harassment. The university, along with 75 other colleges and universities, is being investigated by the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education (OCR). Sexual assault is becoming a pressing issue for the nation as supported by the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault created in January. President Fred Lawrence stated his opinion in a letter to The Brandeis Hoot on Sept. 11.

“Let me be clear—compliance with Title IX is a necessity, but it is by no means sufficient. Brandeis must and will be a leader in combating sexual violence,” wrote Lawrence. The new initiatives and policies will continue to be implemented as the academic year progresses. Information about the RCC, bystander intervention training and the Office of Prevention Services can be found on the university’s website.

provided externally generated professional information on the status of the health and wellness programs at Brandeis, the new initiatives were not implemented without the input of the Brandeis community.

The Student Health Advisory Committee is made up of members and students selected by the Student Union who review the operation of the Health Center, its relationship with the students, faculty and staff, the insurance plans and the concerns of students. The group meets with the HC during the academic year and advises and assists with ideas, goals and feedback on program development and evaluation.

Kathryn Semerau ’17 believes the student body is lucky the report picked up on the deficiencies in the old system that were only exposed after its publication specifically with the recent Title IX investigation into a sexual assault case here at Brandeis.

“There’s been a lot of allegations about the mishandling of sexual assault cases recently, and I think this is a good but necessary move by the university to correct these past errors,” she said. “I think the response is a testament to the success of student

activism, but I also think the university is trying to save face.”

Having started last November, the Office of the Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist, Sheila McMahon, has been relocated to Usdan to allow accessibility and discretion, although she is on academic leave this semesterr. McMahon will help manage and advise the newly established student-run Rape Crisis Center, also located in Usdan. Additionally, the administration has created a new website for the Office of Prevention Services with two new resource guides available to the student body, and last spring the University of New Hampshire’s renowned “Bringing in the Bystander” program trained nearly 50 students in bystander intervention training.

Another promising and necessary change in the new initiatives is the expansion of all health services to graduate students.

Before this latest implementation, graduate students at Brandeis did not receive the equivalent health and wellness services, such as health care and counseling, as undergraduates.

The student health fee, mandatory for undergraduates, was merely optional

before the new initiative. If graduate students did not pay the fee, they would have only had access to the immunization services within the health services department. For all other services they would be charged.

Rob Trenk ’15 believes access for graduate students to health and wellness services should be the same as for undergraduates.

“Graduate students are a part of Brandeis just as undergraduate students are,” he said. “Social justice demands their inclusion.”

With the new changes, the health fee is mandatory for graduate students as well, providing comprehensive coverage for their health care needs. The policy places graduate and undergraduate students on an equal level for health care.

Brandeis has the ability to meet the healthcare needs of all its students, including graduate students, as many of its graduate schools have been recently increasing in size.

A detailed report on the health and wellness initiatives can be found on the announcements page on the Office of the Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment on the Brandeis website.

Immigration awareness panel discusses acceptance

By Hannah Stewart Staff

On Monday evening in the Mandel atrium, as part of Immigration Awareness week, the Brandeis Labor Coalition (BLC), the Brandeis Immigration Education Initiative (BIEI) and the Caribbean Cultural Club (CCC) co-sponsored a discussion panel on education. The panel was led by Dean of Students Jamele Adams, Marina Offner, a representative from admissions who was born in Brazil and is currently a permanent U.S. resident, and Katherine Lobo, an adjunct professor who teaches education courses. BIEI, as the primary sponsor of the evening’s activities, has been working to make the Brandeis admissions process blind to the legal status of its applications.

“I guess I’d hope for students to be more aware of other people’s situations in their own country; that there are immigrants in other countries like the U.S. who are just trying to get access to education,” said Jeremy Moxey ’17, president of the CCC. They were met with success last semester when Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel made a statement announcing that Brandeis would now consider undocumented students on an equal basis as American citizens and permanent

residents. This year, BIEI is striving to change the mindset of the student population by hosting educational and informative events in order to raise awareness of the discrimination that immigrants and the children of immigrants face.

“We spend so much time and effort working with admissions,” Yasmin Yousof ’15, the president of BIEI, commented. “We wanted to get away from that and have more interactions with the actual Brandeis community.”

Within minutes of the opening of the panel, the formalized setting of the rows of chairs transformed into a circle, in which all three discussion leaders sat amongst the audience and encouraged students to ask questions. The atmosphere allowed for one question to flow right into the next. Students turned to one another as they shared their own personal stories, experiences and even fears in order to help convey the magnitude of the problems faced by immigrants.

When the conversation looked at combatting the hateful attitudes toward immigrants, students analyzed how Irish and Italian immigrants were once nearly demonized and are now accepted in society.

“My fear is that it would take another group to … take the pressure and the attacks and put it on another group,” the student stated. Adams

responded about the importance of educating students on these issues. “I think that how we get to the bottom of that is, again, through education,” said Adams. “If we infuse into education the contributions of other people, it’ll change the way we see them. Ignorance is only bad when you choose to be ignorant.” Lobo contributed an anecdote of how one of her younger Mexican ESL students would respond to discrimination by proudly stating, “Well, we invented chocolate milk!”

After the quiet chuckles in the room died down, the panel continued to reinforce the idea that education and learning about others is the best way to create change, not just in the classroom, but outside it, as well. Lobo reflected upon some of the conversations held within her Belmont public school classroom.

“Being respectful and engaging each other in discussion changes the climate of the space and that was the most amazing opportunity,” said Lobo. After the panel ended, students lingered in the atrium, discussing ideas that had been brought up earlier. Yousof invited everyone to attend Immigration Awareness Week’s final event, the Dream Monologue, on Friday evening, Oct. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Students will perform their own work that they had created around the theme of their own experiences.

Catherine Mann to leave Brandeis IBS

By Carter Kunkle Staff

Catherine Mann, a professor at the International Business School (IBS) at Brandeis since 2006, is leaving her position to work for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEDC) as its Chief Economist.

She will be the first American to hold the title at the institution, which was founded to help post-war Europe make effective use of the Marshall Plan.

Mann will depart for the position in October to take over for Pier Carlo Padoan who left in February to become Italy’s Finance Minister.

Mann has had a prolific career, which includes work with think tanks and policy institutions in Washington, D.C., including the Peterson In-

stitute for International Economics, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers at the White House and the World Bank.

Currently, she is researching capital flows, international trade and the dollar. She is the author of two books and several articles in the Review of International Economics.

Mann calls the IBS, a school of 500 students that was founded in 1994, an “international environment” and a place for “lively debate, questioning economic theories and passion for learning.” “IBS doubled in size,” said Mann of her time as a professor.

The school “has expanded its programs to include the undergraduate business major and B.A./M.B.A., but the infrastructure stayed the same.

IBS is a leader at the university in using IT in the classroom.”

Prateek Singh, a second year M.B.A. student at IBS who is currently enrolled in Mann’s Global Economic Environment (GEE) course, said she “makes complex stuff easy [to understand] when she teaches it.” Singh referred to Mann as “the brightest jewel in Brandeis IBS” due to his positive interactions with her.

Because of Mann’s open-door policy, students like Singh are able to engage her in “intellectually stimulating discussions on [the] world economy.”

Mann’s former GEE student René D. Sánchez Flores called the course “very dynamic with debates every class.”

Because of the class’ liveliness and Mann’s tendency to share her opinion on topics of debate Flores says it was a, “pleasure … taking a class with her.”

Singh and Sanchez both concurred that Mann will be dearly missed at IBS.

October 3, 2014

ARTS 4

The Brandeis Hoot

Talk sheds light on ‘Wuthering Heights’ themes At 5 p.m. on Oct. 2, former Ida May and William J Eggers, Jr., Chair in English at UC Berkeley, Catherine Gallagher held a discussion about “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, dedicated to a friend and colleague. “Wuthering Heights” was originally regarded with great ambivalence and distaste due to its unyielding intensity. It was influenced

by Gothic literature, which valued mystery and fear, holding dear the concept of revenge. However, Brontë’s work is thought to transcend this genre with her nuanced and thoughtful approach to writing but also with her unapologetically morose and ardent plot.

Gallagher was introduced by Professor John Plotz, the chair of the Brandeis English Department, who then opened the floor to Gallagher.

She introduced the topic of her talk by discussing the evolution of the revenge novel. She stated that many 19th-century novels had been motivated by revenge. Revenge tragedy had actually become a distinct genre in film, but took a long time to become a subcategory of literature due to mixed perceptions of the notion of revenge throughout history. She then defined the plot of revenge in literature as a scheme in which the revenger not only sets the plot in motion and moves it along throughout the duration of the novel, but in which the protagonist is the revenger. Throughout the years, revenge

has been considered a type of wild, instinctively attractive justification of wrongdoing: an ancient form of justice. Renaissance writers sought to suppress this as they only recognized the tragedy in revenge plots.

Revenge plots of the Victorian Era are rife with mysteries, secrets and relationships kept in the dark. An example that Gallagher provided the audience with was Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations,” and how readers are not familiar with her wedding tragedy until nearly the end of the novel. Gallagher’s main points of her discussion revolved around temporal variations throughout the novel and revenge versus repair. She illustrated the first point by explaining how the story is narrated starting almost at the end of the story, when “Wuthering Heights” is established, which swathes the entire remainder of the plotline in mystery. This feeds into the central conflicts of the protagonist’s, Heathcliff, revenge and ultimately how his plot to ruin the lives of those who made his life miserable backfired and repaired the story, giving an otherwise melancholy and tragic story a happy ending. Gallagher also briefly discussed issues of legitimacy, patriarchy and control.

This event was held in the Mandel Reading Room. Some downfalls of the presentation were the small size of the room, which normally could not accommodate all of the viewers.

Additional chairs had to be brought into the room from other parts of the building, and even then a couple

people had to stand in the back or sit on the floor. Additionally, Gallagher had a tendency to speak quietly and mumble slightly at the end of her sentences, making it hard to hear everything she had to say. The presentation was in more of an essay format that was read to the guests, rather than a more interactive presentation that provided flexibility—it would be understandable if some people felt as if they had been in an essay reading rather than a literature discussion.

Finally, her complex vocabulary and copious utilization of advanced terminology made many parts of her discussion hard to understand for the average student—one would most likely have to be an English major, writer or English faculty member to understand some of the more nuanced points of her discussion.

Gallagher started teaching at Berkeley in 1980. Her teaching and research interests are mainly the British novel and the history of culture in the 18th and 19th centuries. She has received several prestigious awards and fellowships, proving her phenomenal success and contributions to the world of literature and education. Gallagher is a Guggenheim fellow and the co-chair of the editorial board of the journal “Representations,” and has authored many books including “The Making of the Modern Body: Sexuality and Society in the Nineteenth Century,” “The Royal Slave” and the MLA award-winning “Nobody’s Story.” She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

be with me always Gallagher facilitates discussion on

photo from internet source

classic novel

Univ Press publishes children’s books about High Holy Days With the passing of Rosh Hashanah and the approach of Yom Kippur, four new children’s books have come out. Written about both holidays, “Apple Days: A Rosh Hashanah Story” by Allison Sarnoff Soffe, “Rabbi Benjamin’s Buttons” by Alice B. McGinty, “Goldie Takes a Stand: Golda Meir’s First Crusade” by Barbara Krasner and “The Days Between: Blessings, Poems, and Directions of the Heart for the Jewish High Holiday Season” by Marcia Falk were recently released.

“Apple Days” depicts the story of a young child and her mother sharing the love of picking fresh apples and then cooking for Rosh Hashanah.

This book also portrays the importance of not only celebrating Rosh Hashanah with a Jewish community but also having kids grow up in an ethnically diverse Hebrew school.

In this book, the school’s rabbi is a woman, which is not common among other books for Jewish preschoolers.

“Rabbi Benjamin’s Buttons” is a light-hearted tale that talks about Rabbi Benjamin, who is well-liked in his community. His congregants regularly spoil him with all kinds of food during the holidays. In this book, they make him a special bright yellow vest that is decorated with Jewish holiday symbols. However, after the rabbi visits the sukkahs of different families, one of the vest buttons pops off. He then realizes that he has to slim down, so during the summer he decides to garden and

hikes every day. Eventually, he loses so much weight that the vest begins to sag and looks terrible on him. In the end, the story concludes happily, with the congregants creating a new vest for Rabbi Benjamini for the upcoming New Year.

The third book, “Goldie Takes a Stand,” talks about Israeli political figures. This new release is a great way for children to learn about the early life of Golda Meir, the fourth prime minister of Israel and its first female prime minister. After realizing that there is a lot that could be improved in her community, Meir decides to fix it using the American Young Sister’s Society, which is an organization that she herself was president of. The society involves a group of Jewish immigrant girls, all of whom raise money to help provide textbooks for needy school children.

“The Days Between” was published

by Brandeis University Press as part of the HBI series, which publishes a range of books by and about women in diverse contexts and time periods. The Brandeis University Press is a member of the University Press of New England, which publishes in a variety of scholarly and general interest fields. It has released poetry books, from “A Poetics of Trauma”

by Ilana Szobel to “Woody on Rye”

by Vincent Brook, all of which cover American Jewish history and culture books on Israeli studies and social issues concerning gender, culture, religion and law.

“The Days Between” is a series of reflections, readings, blessings and prayers for each day from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. The purpose of this book is to create a

a new kind of children’s book Brandeis Univeristy Press publishes new picture books to teach kids

photo from internet source

about the High Holy Days

new perspective on Jewish liturgy by interpreting and recreating it from a non-hierarchical perspective.

In most of the author, Falk’s, works, such as “The Book of Blessings,” she intends on revealing the deep frustrations with the patriarchal focus on traditional prayer. However, she also creates a whole new outlook of spiritual meaning in her poems. For example, she recasts Kol Nidrei (“All

Vows”), a declaration terminating all oaths and vows from this Yom Kippur to the next, as “a different kind of preparation for the prayer”: “may their grip be loosened/ that we be present of mind and heart/ to the urgency of the hour.” In this poem, Falk interprets the prayer as an opportunity for people to let go of unfulfilling promises as well as open up prayer with a whole different per-

spective and create a new meaning to a traditional prayer.

Falk’s timeless truths and insights aim to reach out not just to Jewish people but to everyone because she believes that many people, regardless of beliefs, face the same universal struggles of life. She also wants to make sure that that her works touch people and enrich their paths through life.

October 3, 2014

ARTS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

Posner disappoints After months of preparation this summer, Brandeis Student Events released the performers of Fall 2014’s concert series, the first part of which fell on Sept. 20 and featured none other than Mike Posner. A prominent graduate of Duke University, to many, the artist’s name is very familiar. Posner reached his claim to fame in 2010, with his release of multiple Billboard top 10 singles within the year. These hits include none other than “Cooler Than Me,” “Please Don’t Go” and, of course, “Bow Chicka Wow Wow.” However, to others, the release of Posner as a performer for the concert series was a surprise, as it was not long after the fame he earned in 2010 that he seemingly dropped off the radar. That is, until he decided to resurface for the Brandeis student population.

Logistically, the event could definitely be considered a success, and there was no reason for it not to have been. The concert had been sold out for weeks, and Brandeis Student Events members as well as volunteers had been preparing until the day of. On Sept. 20, every director of Student Events was present at Levin Ballroom at 10:30 a.m., and worked

cooler than you Mike Posner takes and disappoints Brandeis.

to finalize all details until the show began that night at 7. The stage lighting assembly was impressive, with a variety of colors, levels of intensity and directions being shone throughout. The sound system similarly was well suited for its environment as the music seemed to effortlessly play music that was both very clear and was being synchronized well. The com-

bination of both, in a setting such as Levin Ballroom, left little potential for disappointment. A potential that Mike Posner managed to achieve.

The letdown began not long after the opening act had completed its set. The very crowded audience was filled with excited students waiting for the main act of the show to go on. This waiting then continued for

photo from internet source

what amounted to an hour, leaving the crowd restless and, largely, very frustrated. When Posner finally decided to grace the audience with his presence, his set list was, as would be predicted of an artist who has barely produced much music in four years, largely expected.

While performing a combination of three of his most well known songs

alongside his less successful pieces, the issue did not lie with the music itself. Instead, a quick look around the audience clarified the fact that Posner’s attitude and delivery failed to excite, with the detachment that originated in the intermission surviving throughout. The biggest disappointment, however, originated in Posner’s inability to continue his performance for a more extended period of time.

From beginning to end, Posner’s act held a duration of no more than an hour and a half, leaving the audience confused as to his leaving of the stage at 10:30 p.m.

When asked about the selection of Posner as performer, Christian Romero of Student Events stated, “While we may not pick an artist that appeals to everybody, we try to pick artists who will create a very fun atmosphere. We believe[d] that Mike Posner [was] an artist that [had] the stage presence and charisma that would bring a high quality production to Brandeis.” For the price of $5, despite the disappointment that was delivered, the quality of the production made it definitely worth it.

With Magic! due to perform at the final part of Brandeis’s Fall 2014 concert series, after Posner’s performance, Magic! should not have many difficulties surpassing expectations.

‘The Equalizer’ is unfortunately uneven At some point, probably after the massive success of the Christopher Nolan “Batman” trilogy, Hollywood decided that action movies weren’t allowed to be fun anymore. Radical concepts like humor suddenly disappeared, and every hero had to be a permanently scowling exsomething-or-other out for revenge.

Gone was the time of the wisecracking everyman, and in came the era of stone-faced, buff, white guys.

Take, for example, this summer’s American reboot of the “Godzilla” franchise, which took a series about guys in rubber monster suits kicking each other, and played it straight.

Godzilla was a minor character compared to a story about a generic buff white guy trying to make it home to his wife, who appeared maybe twice.

Similarly, 2013’s “Man of Steel” took Superman, darkened his color palette, and forced America to watch the world’s first superhero frown his way through two hours of Christ allegory.

So when I sat down to see “The Equalizer,” I didn’t expect much more than Denzel Washington frowning his way through two hours of grit

and gore. Imagine my surprise when the film, Washington’s second collaboration with director Antoine Fuqua (who directed Washington’s Oscarwinning performance in “Training Day”), was not that at all. Rather, it is a return to the classic action films of the 1970s and ’80s.

Washington plays Robert McCall, an aging Boston warehouse worker well-liked by co-workers and with an appreciation for classic American literature. McCall strikes up a friendship with Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young call girl. When Teri is put in the hospital by a pimp, McCall kills her bosses. With his passion for action reignited, he starts protecting the innocent on the regular. Unfortunately, sadistic Russian mobster Teddy (Marton Csokas) is sent to clean up the situation, and McCall’s vigilantism leads Teddy straight to him, as well as his loved ones.

“The Equalizer” immediately shines above Fuqua’s previous action film, the frowny “Olympus Has Fallen,” by having Denzel Washington as its lead. Despite the fact that he plays what is essentially the same character in every movie these days, Washington’s undeniable charisma make McCall an instantly likable character.

Though McCall is left underdevel-

oped by the goofy screenplay, Denzel Washington brings a level of grit to the role that is authentic and compelling.

Nevertheless, the film falls into the same traps that so many current action movies do, with an overly complicated plot and ridiculous dialogue that is supposed to somehow be threatening. The screenwriter is a clear fan of 1974 gun-nut fantasy “Death Wish,” creating side characters, mostly women who die horribly in full view, as props for us to root for the hero. The film is so convinced that the audience needs multiple reasons not be on the side of the Russian mafia, that we spend at least four or five long scenes with Teddy beating people up.

Overall, the film is too long, but this would have been forgivable if the story was not so thin. We never learn about McCall’s cool-guy past besides vague mentions from his old boss (Melissa Leo, in a bizarre cameo).

And though the action scenes are fun and varied, it’s all wrapped up in about two minutes when the film suddenly becomes a mix between “Home Alone” and the “Dead Rising” video game. Chloë Moretz disappears about half an hour into the story never to be heard from again,

and the film takes far too long for the hero and the villain to even meet each other. Even then, if you’re not distracted by Marton Csokas’ accent changing from scene to scene, “The Equalizer” goes on random tangents that further improve McCall as a Batman-like figure on the streets of South Boston.

Despite all these, “The Equalizer” is worth seeing. Despite the grim script, Antoine Fuqua seemed to be having a good time making

it, and the cinematography and direction were stylish enough to keep me guessing. Washington is great, clearly channelling his best action role, John Creasy in “Man on Fire,” a movie I like so much my viewing of “The Equalizer” was probably biased going in. If the story had cut the fat and trusted that the audience knows that the Russian mob is bad, and that protecting the innocent is good, “The Equalizer” could have been great. As it stands, it’s just fine.

photo from internet source

not good but not bad The movie leaves audience unimpressed.

October 3, 2014

ARTS 6

The Brandeis Hoot

‘Mindy Project’ retains unique strength in third season Finally back for its third season, “The Mindy Project” took no time jumping right into the lives of the show’s most anticipated couple.

At the end of season two, fans saw Dr. Mindy Lahiri (played by Mindy Kaling herself) and Dr. Danny Castellano (Chris Messina) finally hooking up on top of the Empire State Building. Anyone who has watched the show definitely saw this coming, but that didn’t make it any less exciting. Now three episodes into the latest season, the main story arc seems to revolve around this relationship, and just how different the personalities of Mindy and Danny truly are.

Previous seasons have been criticized for being haphazard with plot lines, so it is difficult to gauge where this season will be going, or even if we’ll see any improvements compared to the last two. Primarily a comedy, the show does prove to be entertaining, though the humor itself is nothing special. What makes “The Mindy Project” important is the fact that it was created by and is primarily written by a woman of color, a rarity in the entertainment industry. Being the first female writing staff member for “The Office” at age 24, Mindy Kaling is no amateur when it comes to comedy. She is also both an Emmy-nominated writer and

it’s so weird IThe Mindy Project returns for third season

producer, and a New York Times best-selling author. While this does not mean we need to give her show credit simply for existing, it’s vital to recognize why these facts set the show apart.

Also being a self-described “chubby girl,” some would expect Kaling to use her show as a way to paint herself as the underdog, as a smart, successful woman who still thinks she isn’t enough because she can’t live up to society’s beauty standards. However, while Kaling’s character does indeed have insecurities, body image is not

photo from internet source

really one of them. She is stereotypical in the sense that she can be a little vain and boy-obsessed, but there is no “Hairspray”-esque trope of the fat girl getting the hot guy, which is rather refreshing.

Men don’t want to be with her just because they eventually look past her lack of a stick thin body to her surprisingly captivating personality (because only stereotypically pretty people can be interesting, right?); as Dr. Lahiri put it herself, she’s “a hot, smart woman with an ass that doesn’t quit,” and she owns that.

She may be a little too pop-culture obsessed, and yeah, she believes her life could be a rom-com movie, but just because these are stereotypically feminine characteristics, does not mean they are flaws. Along with being an expert on reality TV, she is also a Princeton graduate and the only woman partner at a highly successful OB/GYN office, showing us that intelligence and the enjoyment of seemingly trivial things don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

I digress, there are much funnier and more put-together shows

out there, and while “The Mindy Project” is probably not a show that will change your life or have you obsessing over the characters, it has its merits. Kaling and Messina have great chemistry, and though some of the humor delivered by other supporting characters (including Ike Barinholtz as a weird, ex-con nurse, Ed Weeks as an attention loving British doctor and Adam Pally as an ex-frat boy doctor) seems a little forced, there are still plenty of laughable moments. The show airs Tuesday nights at 9:30 on Fox.

Time to wake up, Green Day If you’ve been on Facebook in the past few days, you’ve probably noticed a new event that’s been getting a lot of attention on campus. This event was called Green Day and was hosted

by Hannah Brooks ’16, Alex Brenner ’15, Ryan Kacani ’15 and Nicholas Galinski ’15. The event page has a picture of the band Green Day in front of a green background.

The event description reads, “This is the day when September ends.

When it comes around, celebrate by wearing green, tweeting at John and Hank Green, petting your frogs, supporting the environment, making money, eating salad, mowing the lawn, and listening to Green Day. Basically just do anything and everything you can that can be described as ‘green.’ We want the world painted green. No matter where you are, you can get in on the fun! This isn’t just for Americans, idiot! Help us by participating in this completely random, unofficial spirit day - don’t make us walk alone. At one twenty-one (1:21) guys, throw up your arms into the sky.

This is the dawning of the rest of our lives, on this holiday. So know your enemy, give me Novocain, and have the tiiiiime of your life, everybody.”

I had the chance to interview Brooks and Brenner on Monday evening to talk about their witty and creative spirit day. When I first asked Brooks for an interview, she responded “It’s all a joke. I just made a Facebook event for [fun] and giggles.”

I reassured her I knew it was a joke, and we set up a time to meet. The answers I got from them were equally as hilarious and random as the spirit

feeling green Brooks’ 16 and Brenner ‘15 flash a smile

day itself.

Brooks and Brenner first came up with the idea last year when Brooks had tried to start a pajama day event on April 2nd—only 10 people participated. That’s when they decided to do a spirit day that they would give an absurd amount of notice for, so that more people would participate.

Brooks wanted to do a color spirit day, but according to Brooks “red is an angry color” and “blue looks sad,” so she decided on green. The group made a Facebook event immediately.

After this point, Green Day references and hilarious misunderstandings

photo by hannah brooks/the hoot

started to flood the group.

Facebook friends were confused about the event being called Green Day, so Brooks and Brenner decided to make the day related to the band Green Day. They decided to make the event on Oct. 1 because “that’s when September ends,” just like the Green Day song. The official Facebook time of the event, 1:21 pm, was chosen because of the song “21 Guns.”

I also asked them about the impressive guest count on their event, which was over 500 by Tuesday night.

They both laughed and explained to me that most of the attendees were

waking up September finally ended.

their friends, but some of them were people from other countries that thought that the event was a Green Day concert. They said that people from Spain, India and Myanmar had messaged them about tickets. “I don’t know how they found it,” Brooks commented, “but they’re really happy about it!”

Brooks never expected the event to get so much publicity, she said. “We wanted to see how many people we could get to dress up for us!” Brenner said he hopes it will happen next year.

“It’ll be in your assignment notebooks!” Brooks joked.

photo from internet source

On the actual day of the event I was pleasantly surprised to see a large number of students walking around in green. Some people even went all out with neon green accessories and leggings. Many participants posted their Green Day selfies on the Facebook event wall, showcasing their spirit. Overall, I would say that Green Day was a pretty good success. It’s great to know that a couple of students can make something like this happen at Brandeis.

“If you missed out this year,” said Brenner, “make sure you confirm for next year’s event!”

7 FEATURES.

The Brandeis Hoot

October 3, 2014

Enhancing your Brandeis experience: The Student Union Campus life could be likened to a theater, and the people we meet here to actors on a stage, each playing individual roles on campus through student organizations, social groups or campus events. But behind the curtains in a production is always the stagehand who carefully orchestrates the scenes created. The stagehand of your life at Brandeis is the Brandeis Student Union, a group of undergraduate students that works the ropes of this campus. The Union aims to advocate student interests and provides extensive support for student life. The members are dedicated to enhancing your Brandeis experience; their wide jurisdiction ranges from adjusting dining plans, recognizing clubs and organizations and empowering students with a voice.

The Student Union’s membership is comprised of undergraduate students who are elected to represent the student body each semester. To give a brief overview of its structure, there are four separate branches of the Union: the Executive Office, the Union Senate, the Union Judiciary and the Union Finance Board, each serving its own respective function.

In April 2014, the 2014-2015 Executive Office elections were held, which was the first step toward new goals for Fall 2014. The chairs of the Executive Office are as follows: Student Union President Sneha Walia ’15, Vice President Sofía Mühlmann ’16, Secretary Charlotte Franco ’15 and Treasurer Andrew Miller ’16.

The Union Senate ratifies the Union budget for the duration of the semester and, as the gatekeeper for student clubs and organizations, approves on-campus recognized and chartered student organizations.

Other specialized positions are offered in the Union to ensure that the

unique values the school upholds are advocated for on campus. Founded upon the Campus Sustainability Initiative, the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board funds and advises undergraduate projects that promote environmental sustainability on campus. Still fresh in our memory is the introduction of 100 dual-flush toilets in five campus buildings, one of the most recent projects that this program funded. The establishment of the Gender and Sexuality Coordinator position and the Gender and Sexuality Center was approved last spring. Walia stresses that it is essential to encourage communication and collaboration between “all of our branches and truly working like a team of leaders” in a previous interview with BrandeisNOW. One of the main focuses of the Student Union is to ensure that students’ perspectives are reflected in administrative decisions, such as dining systems and transportation.

Last year’s Union has taken various measures to increase the students’ ability to influence dining operations. The Union distributed student surveys to evaluate their current satisfaction with the dining administration. Students’ needs were met with change. Members of the Senate Dining Committee worked closely with Sodexo last spring to revise meal plans and facilities. Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks have been added to campus, Louis’ Deli in Usdan and Peet’s Coffee in the Science Center were launched, and the Stein and Lower Usdan were renovated for the fall semester.

The new “student-focused Student Union” has shown an increased interest in improving dining services, even addressing it as one of Student Union’s main initiatives. Walia, in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot following her election as president, promised to ensure that this year’s Union “lives up to its goal of being an advocate for students and a

photo courtesy of internet source

STUDENTS The Union aims to advocate for student interests and to provide extensive support for student life.

connection between students and administrators.” Since her inauguration, she has again expressed this commitment but through practical measures. On Sept. 15, the Union held a student forum to follow up the recent dining changes, where students raised their concerns about the services that they have encountered upon returning to campus.

Their concerns were taken into consideration and filtered through the Union to Sodexo, facilities and the administration, according to BrandeisNOW. “We try to make sure student voices are involved in conversations about topics related to students by bringing what we hear about student concerns to administration and working on actionable solutions,” stated Walia.

As the Union is a body that repre-

photo courtesy of internet source

MEMBERSHIP The Student Union’s membership is comprised of undergraduate students who are elected to represent the student body each semester.

sents the students, it is essential for the Union to “be aware of the needs on campus,” which includes addressing the needs from different demographics on campus and creating an inclusive environment. “The Union is currently in the process of getting all Union members trained in bystander intervention, and will be having a forum with representatives from the ICC at our upcoming allUnion meeting to discuss our connection to the ICC and work being done related to diversity,” said Walia.

To further marginalize the gap between the administration and the students, the Union proposed the Community Enhancement Fund through the Constitutional Review Task Force last April. Through this $250,000 fund, students can submit to the Union new and innovative project ideas on how to improve the school facilities. According to the Student Union Website, installing new lights for Gosman Field and smoking gazebos in residential quads are a few examples. These ideas are then carefully contemplated upon the basis of the criteria on whether the project is necessary, beneficial and practical. The fund will widen the doors for new changes but will become another important agent in enhancing the democratic nature of the school facilitation.

While the Student Union has been making visible differences on student life, it remains behind the curtains for the most part, or more accurately, in Room 301 of the SCC. People question what exactly the Student Union does, and Walia

wants to give answers. She hopes to increase the transparency of its inner-workings and strengthen the connection between it and the students. It is taking measures to inform students about initiatives of the Union and campus in general. This semester, the Executive Office promises to publish a comprehensive list of their initiatives for the school year in a newsletter. Carrying on the spirit of last year’s roundtable discussions with the administration, the Union will hold open forums where students can stay updated on various campus issues in the future.

As far as where the Union is at a month into the semester, Walia explained that although the Union is not yet a full unit, “[appointed Union members] are getting settled into their committees and ready to go. The Union will set up their university committees next week now that things are set on our end, for example.” When asked which upcoming projects she is most excited for, she replied, “’DEIS Impact, which we cosponsor, is near and dear to my heart and the committee there is amazing so I’m excited about that as a participant.”

It is true that the Union is a powerhouse on campus, holding the purse strings of the Student Activities Fee and harnessing power over various school operations; but a more representative picture of the Union would be to say that the Union is a group of passionate individuals who simply want to stand with the student body and make Brandeis a more enjoyable place.

photo courtesy of online source

SPONSORSHIP The weeklong “Festival of Social Justice,” is cosponsored by the Student Union, and features dozens of events throughout the week.

8 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

October 3, 2012

Students protest univ meal options A group of students entered Upper Usdan on Monday, Sept. 22 and began hanging signs near Louis’ Deli in order to express dissatisfaction with Sodexo, the food service provider for Brandeis. The group also set up two tables outside Usdan, where passing students were asked to sign a petition to Sodexo and the Brandeis administration, and next to the Deli’s entrance, where students could write complaints on sticky notes. They were then placed on the Usdan wall next to the student-made posters.

Posters addressed multiple issues, including the mandate from Brandeis starting in the fall of 2015 that will require all residential students to have meal plans. Also posted were printouts of student posts on the Sodexo Fan Club Facebook page. The page, created by Arya Boudaie ’17, invites Brandeis students to write sarcastically positive posts about Sodexo and its services.

The protest was organized by Samantha Rockey ’17, who said in an interview that she had been inspired by multiple conversations with Sasha Ruiz ’17 (layout editor at The Brandeis Hoot) to make a public event. “Sasha was an Orientation Leader, and she told me how a group of OLs told Sodexo that they were unhappy with the situation,” Rockey said. “She also said that she wanted to hear from the rest of the student body, and I started brainstorming to myself.”

Rockey also said that she considered a live protest “an unrealistic pipe dream,” until she saw the popularity of the Sodexo Fan Club group. She then contacted Boudaie, as well as the Student Union, and began to plan the protest. “We want the administration and Sodexo to deal directly with students,” Rockey said. “It doesn’t make

protesting sodexo Students organize protest against new meal plans.

sense for them to decide how we use dining services without our input.”

Boudaie echoed these sentiments, adding concerns about paying for meal plans in the future on top of rising university costs, including tuition. “[Dining hall] hours barely let people use all the meals they’re forced to have,” Boudaie said in an interview. “[Sodexo] also keeps changing meal equivalencies, which makes things even harder for new students.”

The protest seemed to be going as planned, with many passing students stopping to write messages or sign the petition. Student Union President Sneha Walia ’15 stopped by and talked

with Rockey about plans to present the sticky notes to the administration.

The protest remained relatively uneventful until the arrival of Brandeis Vice President for Operation Jim Gray, who had a conversation with Rockey about the major issues at the protest.

“We have been well aware of the students’ concerns about dining services,” said Gray in an email to The Hoot addressing the protest. “We share many of them—and we have been working to address them.”

Gray also pointed to new additions to dining halls, such as improved quality of fruits and beverages, as well

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

as the “My Zone” feature, designed to cater to various food allergies, as evidence of progress. “It is important to have context to understand the genesis of our current dining and food services program” Gray said.

“Brandeis began a major shift three years ago when we reviewed our dining contract, which was coming up for renewal.” At that time, students were actively involved, and representatives from the student body had meetings with the administration on the topic.

According to Gray, the meal and points system replaced by Sodexo had received so much negative feedback that all new features and improve-

ments were made under the assumption of moving away from it. Mandatory meal plans “[were] part of the contract and will ensure the system can function,” Gray added.

In the meantime, the administration recognizes that all systems have imperfections, and will continue to work with students on creating satisfying options for the Brandeis community. Rockey, Boudaie and others do not currently have plans for more protests, but told The Hoot that they are planning to work with the Student Union, as well as groups such as the Brandeis Labor Coalition, to progress their goals.

Campus NARAL kicks-off semester organizing On Wednesday, Oct. 1 students gathered in Mandel for the first Brandeis University Students for NARAL meeting of the year.

NARAL, a political organization focused on reproductive rights, has chapters at five different universities in Massachusetts including Brandeis.

Brandeis NARAL campus organizer, Ari Keigan ’18, described NARAL as “the political arm of the pro-choice movement.” She continued to explain that NARAL is a non-profit that uses the political process to “guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices.” This club has

recently gained traction and members at Brandeis.

Unlike similar organizations, NARAL is unique in that it does not associate with a political party. Rather, it is an independent organization that hopes to focus solely on reproductive justice.

As Hailey Magee ’15, a full-time employee of NARAL as a political organizer, said, “I initially got involved with NARAL—and continue to be involved two years later—because bodily autonomy and access to reproductive health services are basic human rights that all people deserve.”

During the kick-off meeting on Wednesday, a lot of time was spent discussing goals for the year. Although the organization has had a presence on Brandeis’ campus in the

past, it now has a revamped executive board. Thus, there are high hopes for progress this year.

Over the next month, the club will be spending a significant amount of time campaigning for endorsed candidates in preparation for the upcoming election.

There will be opportunities for students to participate in phone banks and encourage other members of the Brandeis community to register and vote in their state’s elections.

While there is a focus on campaigning on a national level, especially with the Nov. 4 elections coming up, the Brandeis NARAL chapter was excited to announce its spring campaign to get the Brandies administration to adopt the Reproductive Bill of Rights.

“This is a 10-point plan that outlines

the ideal, reproductively-just campus,” Keigan explained. Magee stated, “Personally, I’m really thrilled about the Bill of Rights initiative. No campus is perfectly ‘just’ when it comes to reproductive health access, and as a social justice university, Brandeis has the opportunity to be a game changer and leader among its peer universities nationwide by signing onto the Bill of Rights in full.”

In addition to the Reproductive Bill of Rights, NARAL club members are hoping to increase their presence on the Brandeis campus and increase education about reproductive health issues. “For example,” as Keigan elaborated, “I have talked to several students who are on the university’s health care plan that are unsure of the reproductive options that are available

to them. We hope to make these options more transparent.” Magee further stated, “Each campus campaign will be student-driven, based on what the student body wants as a whole.”

The club hopes to receive input from the community and work to make reproductive health resources available to all students.

Over the next year, Brandeis NARAL will be having meetings every Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Mandel G10.

Keigan, hoping to open the club up to anyone interested in the subject, invites everyone to the meetings to learn more about NARAL and have productive discussion about the issues.

To learn more about Brandeis NARAL events, visit the Facebook page, Brandeis University Students for NARAL, or join the listserv.

Comparative humanities master’s now joint degree option There is a new opportunity for Brandeis students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in the humanities. The Master of the Arts in Comparative Studies (MACH) is a program in its second year at Brandeis. This year is the first time it will be offered with a combined B.A./M.A. track.

The program crosses linguistic, cultural and disciplinary boundaries.

MACH was designed by Professor David Powelstock (RUS/COML) and other humanities faculty.

They created the program to ap-

peal to students with an interest in the humanities, regardless of their future career plans. This program is designed to be different from other humanities masters’ degrees.

The program crosses linguistic, cultural and disciplinary boundaries to create an opportunity to learn from all of the distinguished faculty at Brandeis.

Upon admission to MACH, students will work with their new faculty advisor to develop an individualized curriculum specific to their interests.

“Students will take eight courses over the course of the year including two specialized MACH graduate seminars, an independent research tutorial

with a faculty advisor and five additional courses chosen in conjunction with program advisors.

Students work to complete an original capstone project. In May, students present their projects at a festive symposium,” said Powelstock, head of the program. B.A./M.A. students are able to apply to have two upper-level humanities courses taken as undergraduates count toward their eight-course M.A. requirement.

This would allow them to take only six courses their final year, “allowing the students more time to devote to capstone research,” Powelstock said.

Because of its flexibility, MACH appeals to a variety of students. Many

students are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in the humanities, but according to Powelstock, “would like to develop a clearer direction of inquiry or improve their skills and credentials.”

Other students are interested in careers in management of museums or art institutions, where additional training and knowledge is valuable and many times required.

Educators and students interested in pursuing a career in education will find that this program increases the number of topics they are qualified to teach.

Special opportunities are available for current juniors and seniors at Brandeis. Application fees are waived

for students and alumni. Usually a requirement for graduate school admission, the GRE score is waived for those who would like to pursue the B.A./M.A. option.

Powelstock said the department “already knows our students well enough through their work at Brandeis,” and thus it is not necessary to have more information when reviewing applications. Each Brandeis student admitted to MACH will receive a $10,000 alumni scholarship.

Applications for seniors interested in applying to the B.A./M.A. track are due Nov. 15, 2014. Juniors interested in applying are encouraged to apply by spring 2015.

October 3, 2012

ARTS, ETC 9

The Brandeis Hoot

Silhouttes inspire dialogue

Much-Hichos elaborated, stating, “These shadow people represent those who are impacted with being or knowing someone undocumented. These quotes were all said by real people.

We wanted the students to understand the real thoughts that come through people’s heads and the real issues they deal with.”

Despite the silhouettes being torn down, BIEI is continuing to offer events to bring attention to these issues.

Yousof stressed the implications this incident has on campus, stating, “Our community must be willing to have conversations about topics which often are overlooked, and can be, for some, new territory. Immigration, immigration reform and the lives of immigrants needs to be part of our daily conversations.”

BIEI will be placing the rest of the silhouettes back around campus, as photo from internet source Yousof explained, “in the hopes that immigration awareness silhouttes vandalized those who defamed the original ones, and really anyone else, will be willing goals, and what we hope to accom- Immigration Awareness Week.”

For more information regarding to have a conversation about BIEI, our plish both from our university and

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

Immigration Awareness Week, please ness panel discusses acceptance” in see the article “Immigration aware- this issue of The Brandeis Hoot.

Brandeis study links stress to weight gain Christine McInnis, a current graduate student at Brandeis University, recently authored a paper about a study she conducted on the relationship between stress and obesity. It was published in “Brain, Behavior, and Immunity,” which is the official journal of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS).

McInnis is in her third year in Brandeis’s Department of Neuroscience and has been working on this study since May 2013. She was interested in the relationship between obesity and inflammation, and was drawn to this study because she liked the research that was being done on actual people.

The overall focus of the lab is on stress and how being overweight may exacerbate it. Particularly, McInnis was wondering, “If we expose you to

the same stressor two days in a row, are you any less stressed out on the second day?” The stressor they used in this study was called the “Trier Social Stress Test.” Participants would enter a small room for a “job interview” where two people from the laboratory dressed in white lab coats would be sitting at a table, with a camera behind them, facing the participants.

They would be instructed to give a five-minute speech about their personality and what made them good for this job. Before the participants began, however, they would be told that the people conducting the interview were trained to evaluate them, watching their body language and various other evaluative aspects to make the participant feel very judged and intimidated.

During the participants’ speeches the “interviewers” were not allowed to smile, nod or give the participants any sign of approval. After the participants finished, they would be asked

to count backward from a number by increments of another number. After the test, the participants remain there for about two hours, so as to measure their bodies’ response to the stressor over time. The participants would then be subjected to the same test the following day, and the results from both days are collected and studied.

The study proved that there is, indeed, a relationship between stress and being overweight. McInnis focused on the body’s level of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), which is secreted by T cells and macrophages to stimulate an immune response.

She discovered that on the second day, the IL-6 increase for leaner people was the same magnitude as the first day, but more overweight and obese people had responses that were twice as large on the second day (as compared to the first day). The main finding was that the latter group had an exaggerated response to repeated

exposure to the stressor, as a result of having more body fat.

The excess fat stimulates the immune system in a damaging way, which heightens inflammatory levels and causes many diseases such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Adding stress to that situation makes it even more dangerous.

McInnis hopes that people pay attention to this study and realize that being overweight and being stressed are interrelated and can have very harmful results.

All of the research was done on the Brandeis campus. McInnis stated that she enjoyed working with Professor Nicholas Rohleder (PSYC), the leading investigator of this study. “He’s very straightforward and relatable,” said McInnis. “He listens to me; if I come up with an idea, and it’s based in science and affordable he says, ‘OK, sure’!”

Rohleder’s main goal for this study

was “to understand how stress can make people sick, or how lifelong stress can reduce overall lifespan, or healthy lifespan.” In addition to what McInnis focused on, other points tested

by Rohleder’s team are more psychological (for example how people tend to reflect or show self-compassion).

“This study and the results are so great because they show how psychological factors like being stressed interact with a biomedical factor (how much fat do you store in your body) to lead to an unhealthy outcome,” said Rohleder.

Having completed this study, McInnis still has many questions, and is eagerly looking forward to finding the answers. However, for stressed college students, she has one piece of advice: “Exercise, absolutely exercise!” Not only does exercise relieve stress, it also helps improve the body’s immune system. It amends all bodily systems that get disrupted.

Junior’s lab work has potential for groundbreaking advances Pooja Gupta ’16 is one of three Brandeis undergraduate students working alongside Professor John Lisman ’66 on a project seeking to discover how to erase a memory and to delineate the chemical processes involved in the retention of long-term memory. In an exclusive interview with The Brandeis Hoot, Gupta discussed the project, her experiences in the lab, as well as her personal aspirations in the medical and scientific worlds.

In the spring of her first year, Gupta applied to several labs, eager to begin research. She secured an interview with Lisman, though at the time, he did not have a position available. Gupta, however, stayed in contact with Lisman and when she touched base with him in the fall of her sophomore year, he had a project in mind.

Memory is caused by long-term potentiation (LTP), the process by which the hippocampus, a major component of our brains, converts short-term memory to long-term memory. The university’s study seeks to confirm the brain chemicals involved in this process and to better comprehend how a breakdown of this construct will affect memory.

Current research suggests that the enzyme, Calcium/Calmodulin-de-

pendent protein kinase II (CaMKII), plays a significant role in memory.

CaMKII interacts with an ion channel called the NMDA Receptor. This reaction strengthens LTP, which thereby strengthens memory. Research has shown, however, that when this process does not run smoothly, memory is sabotaged.

The research team at Brandeis is working with the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) to study how it may impact this construct. HSV is a transient virus that interacts with the CaMKII, making it unable to bind with the NMDA and, furthermore, unable to strengthen LTP. After 10 days, the virus goes away and, hopefully, does not affect any other aspects of the brain.

Gupta explained the main goal of her study.

“We want to justify that CaMKII is the memory protein by proving that we can erase a memory,” said Gupta.

“Our way to prove this is by doing behavioral testing with adult male rats.”

The team plans to inject the rats with HSV and observe how it impacts their long-term memory. They will inject various other viruses as controls and extremes in order to be sure that CaMKII is the true memory protein.

There is, however, an important first step before the aforementioned observations can take place.

“Before we can erase a memory, we have to instill a memory,” Gupta

explained.

In the lab, the team places rats on a rotating platform with a shock zone and series of markings on the wall. As the platform spins, the rats must figure out where they are, based on their memory of the wall patterns, in order to avoid the shock zone.

After the virus is inserted, the rats should forget the patterns and are shocked. This would prove that the inability of the CaMKII to interact with the NMDARs is the root of memory loss.

Currently, the project is in the early stages. Gupta and the others are working to train the memories of the rats.

They are also practicing the injection of chemicals into the rat brain using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) in place of the real virus. The GFP indicator allows them to see whether or not they are injecting into the right area of the brain.

The project is, however, in need of funding in order to advance further. Lisman is currently writing a grant proposal, incorporating results provided by Gupta and the other students, which, if approved will allow the project to take a major leap forward and begin the testing of the actual viruses. Gupta spoke about the stress of constantly trying to convey why the study is important and where it could lead in order to make these requests for funding, knowing that

arguments will not always be well received and requests will not always be accepted.

Gupta is double majoring in neuroscience and biology. She has always been interested in science, but a turning point came when she took A.P. Psychology in high school.

The class piqued her interest in the inner workings of the human brain, and she became fascinated in the reasons behind its behaviors on a chemical level. And after taking her first neuroscience class at Brandeis, she knew she wanted it to be her major.

Gupta chose to study biology to provide her with a solid foundation of all the sciences and to prepare her for research. Over time, however, Gupta has come to find that she is more interested in pursuing a career in a medicine than in research. She plans to go to medical school after graduation and begin working in a hospital.

“I think I might want to be a neurologist or a psychologist, so I can work with people with brain traumas,” she said.

Despite the realization that her future does not lie in the lab, Gupta has enjoyed her time spent on the project.

“The lab is a really good environment to be in,” said Gupta, explaining that although at first she felt shy around her partners in the lab, they

now they get along and mesh very well together.

For Gupta, the most rewarding part of the work has been attaining results, specifically favorable ones.

A huge smile flashes across her face as she describes the joy of finding a rat that could successfully avoid the shock zone on the platform. “We got one rat that was just so good and he remembered [the patterns] perfectly,” she said.

The research team is now using this training method for other rats moving forward. Gupta mentioned that the majority of the rats are performing better now than at the beginning of the summer.

“Right now, it’s a lot of trial and error,” said Gupta. “I’ve come to understand that research is a very long process that requires a lot of patience.”

If successful, the project has the potential to incur strong advances in health science. Studies have shown that decreased LTP can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, addiction, Angelman Syndrome and cell death during stroke.

As the project builds a new understanding of the components and reactions involved in memory making, the world seeks to gain a wealth of information applicable to these diseases.

If students are able to learn how and why they come about, we are one step closer to finding cures.

EDITORIALS

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editor-in-Chief Dana Trismen Senior Managing Editor Victoria Aronson

October 3, 2014

Univ. must continue to lead in mental health

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 18 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

I

n the news section of this week’s Hoot, readers can find two articles about the ways in which the university is seeking to improve its health services, in both the realm of mental health and the realm of insurance and bureaucracy. The Hoot commends the university’s efforts to improve student life, but we do so while recognizing that these actions would not have come about without significant action on the part of the Brandeis student body. Without pressure from students, we can only speculate on the speed and effectiveness that Brandeis would have pursued in making these improvements.

This relates to an issue The Hoot has

written on often, that of asking the administration to be more willing to meet Brandeis students halfway on issues that affect them significantly. As the articles “Brandeis fills gaps in health and wellness policies” and “PCC offers new services and counselors” show, students involved with the processes feel that they had to work unreasonably hard to make important gains. Again, we at The Hoot commend the university for making these changes at all, as other universities and colleges often ignore similar concerns.

However, we also urge the university to make such improvements consistently and not only when there is on-campus controversy or outcry. We

understand and sympathize with the fact that Brandeis has to please many groups of people, including donors and the board of trustees. But if Brandeis is truly dedicated to its students, it must continue to invest in them, even if students experience complex health issues, physical, mental or financial. Again, as we have argued before, Brandeis should be a safe space for students to learn and grow as individuals and community members. The students of Brandeis have made this argument time and time again, and based on the administration’s actions and greater willingness to collaborate, its members recognize this desire. We only ask that they are not afraid to act on it.

STAFF

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

Sodexo management must respect employees

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

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

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

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

Dear Sodexo General Manager Shawn Monaghan and Sodexo Management, We, the Brandeis Labor Coalition (BLC), are a group of Brandeis students concerned with the treatment of Sodexo workers on the Brandeis campus. It has come to our attention that the managerial staff actively disrespects workers through public and private intimidation, coercion to do tasks not formally stated in their job classification, paternalistic treatment and decreasing worker hours without prior notice. Managers often bully workers who are most vulnerable. This includes immigrant workers who may not be comfortable communicating in English, accessing support resources within the union or confronting the bureaucratic management infrastructure in order to air their grievances. Workers fear retaliation for speaking out.

Even if workers address abuses with management, their grievances are not acknowledged. Sodexo is required to respond to grievances filed by workers within five days.

However, there is a backlog of grievances dating back to April, which clearly communicates that Sodexo is not invested in working with or supporting their employees. This creates a hostile environment where workers are devalued and their legitimate concerns are ignored. By refusing to address the grievances of the workers, higher management enforces a climate of fear for workers and allows abuses to escalate. This unchecked injustice is unacceptable, is immoral

and violates the union contract.

Compared to last semester, 288 hours of work per week was cut this semester, which has affected more than 40 Sodexo employees. These cuts were often done without the knowledge of workers, leading to increased stress for those struggling to support themselves and their families. Understaffing forces workers to juggle multiple jobs at once without rest.

In some cases, this increased stress has escalated to mental and physical harm.

Students who witness the vile treatment of workers have complained through social media, through email and in person. In light of these deplorable experiences that Sodexo workers have gone through, both seen and unseen, we demand that Sodexo management: 1) Show an active willingness to cooperate with workers.

2) Honor the union contract. This specifically includes responding to workers’ grievances within a five-day period, restoring workers who work above 32 hours to a full 40-hour work week and to stop pressuring workers to do jobs that are not in their job classifications (e.g. forcing cashiers to take out trash, restock and do other jobs specific to ‘GS II’ workers).

3) Treat workers with respect and dignity.

4) Address concerns regarding the rights of new workers who are on probation as well as non-union workers. Remain transparent on work classifications, guarantee proper job training and communicate with new

employees about their working place preferences.

5) Prioritize giving hours to good union jobs over hiring temp workers.

BLC will continue to watch how Sodexo treats their workers, beginning with the grievance meeting taking place this upcoming Monday, Oct. 6. We will be in contact with Sodexo workers and union shop stewards to ensure that these issues are addressed.

Signed, Brandeis Labor Coalition: Aaron Goodwin Andrew Nguyen Ava Blustein Cecile Afable Chris Powloka Clifton Masdea David Miller Elizabeth Chalfin Gabriel Sullivan Guy Mika Gwen Berumen Jacklyn Long Julia Blumenthal Julia Dougherty Maddie Stroik Marisa Budlong Max Close Mitchell Mankin Noah Coolidge Tamar Lyssy Yijie Zou

SPORTS

October 3, 2014

SPORTS 11

Undefeated Men’s Soccer Improves to 9-0

By Curtis Zunyu He Staff,

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, as the countdown raced through seconds, the soccer ball was kicked from the Judges’ side far toward the Wheaton Lyons’ side. This moment was another triumph in a series of wins, bringing the Brandeis men’s soccer team to a 9-0 record. Although the early regional dominance from the Judges can be seen nearly every season before the UAA matches (seven wins in a row in 2013, eight wins in a row in 2012), this impeccable record has finally shown how the Judges players have surpassed their limits in every aspect of the game.

On Sept. 20, during an impressive first half against the Tufts Jumbos, Brandeis seemed to shake off the shadowy memory of how the Jumbos forced the Judges to end a sevengame winning streak last year. Here, rising star Josh Ocel ’17 presented another crucial performance. He initiated two well-placed long passes from the corner to finally pierce the Jumbos’ defense. He also created two lethal late goals.

“The new formation allows me to get forward more frequently and be more effective on the counter attack.

With two defensive center midfielders behind me, I am confident that we will get the job done defensively, giving myself and the forwards time on the ball allowing us to attack more effectively as a unit,” said Ocel.

A similar scenario happened again on Tuesday against the Wheaton Lyons. This time, Evan Jastremski ’17 snatched a chance from the right wing to accurately locate Michael

photos by marian siljeholm/the hoot

undefeated Brandeis Men’s Soccer extends streak to nine straight wins, moving to #4.

Soboff ’15 among three opponent defenders. Soboff used another late goal to drag the number-one New England team down.

Ocel and Jastremski are both highly prospective sophomore players on the team, along with Zach Vierra ’17 and Mike Lynch ’17, who are performing outstandingly as well. “Mike Lynch, Zach Vierra and Evan Jastremski have all been playing a lot at the wing position, and all three of them have been the key to our success,” Ocel said. At this point, this “sophomore squad” has notched seven goals and 12 assists in total to become the most pivotal force in the midfield. “I think our class has had a lot of success because we all have a year under our belt and we all knew we would have to step up and play a bigger role with the team this year,” Ocel said. This personal breakthrough from these players may

have contributed greatly to the team’s current sweeping performance toward the UAA games.

However, the impenetrable defense of the Judges should not be overlooked, especially in the victory over Wheaton. The Lyons are known as one of the best offensive teams throughout New England, with a previous average of 3.4 goals per game.

The Lyons were held off massively, and were only able to land one shot on goal to challenge the Judges’ goalie Joe Graffy ’15. Defender Conor Lanahan ’16 played a significant role in the back field to shut down the overall taller players from the Jumbos.

Lanahan intercepted several threatening passes both in the air and on the ground. The seemingly fierce attack seemed pointless, as the ball was never able to penetrate the middle.

In fact, it has already been almost a

month since the Judges lost a goal to the opposing team.

The emphasis on defense is tied to another key factor of the Judges’ success this season—physicality. During the game against Wheaton, the Judges committed 22 fouls in total on the opponent players. “We try not to play dirty and commit bad fouls, but physicality is a big part of game, especially in the midfield,” said Ocel.

After Tuesday night, the Judges have averaged two more fouls than opponent teams in every game they played, showing their strong pressure on the offensive. While Ocel viewed physicality as a big part of the game, Soboff described the conflict to be “the beautiful thing about the big rivalry … I guess it goes back for a long time, our coach versus their coach, and we know a lot of the boys on their team, so it’s always going to be like that.”

The players will face other old rivals, as they are about to enter the second phase of games: the long-awaited University Athletic Association matches. Case Western Reserve University play at Brandeis on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. Despite a mediocre record so far from the next opponent, Ocel and the team have never underestimated any team they are facing. “ … We take the season one game at a time, so our season right now is Case Western, another very strong opponent,” said Ocel. On the road to reach the 1985 record of a 15-game winning streak, every single game will certainly become more challenging and demanding for the Judges. But with a perfect 9-0 record, the rise of the sophomore squad and the tenacious defense and brisk counterattack, the Judges are a threat to others as well.

Men’s Soccer Beats Tufts, 2-0

By Sarah Jousset Editor

The Jury came out to support the Judges Saturday night, Sept. 27 as people lined the fence of Gordon Field. The energy of the fans fed the players’ spirits as the Judges fought a tight game with the Tufts Jumbos, in a battle of undefeated teams.

The first half ended scoreless after a vicious battle, resulting from missed calls and aggressive play by Tufts with 18 fouls compared to the Judges’ seven. The Jumbos outshot the Judges in the first half 7-0. However, Brandeis’ defense was tough, holding strong so their offense could get the job done in the second half. Joe Graffy ’15 made three saves in the first half, keeping the game scoreless. A highlight for Graffy came 44 minutes into the game, when he dove to rob Tufts’ Joe Santos of a goal.

Brandeis’ offense finally came to life early in the second half when Josh Ocel ’17 got a shot off from 20 yards away, only to be tipped over the crossbar by the Jumbos’ goalie, Scott Greenwood ’17. Michael Soboff ’15 made another attempt at a goal at the 68th minute. He hit the post on a cross, then shot just wide.

The Judges finally surpassed their opponent in the 79th minute. After being awarded a second corner kick in just a few minutes, Ocel pushed the ball into the box, where it was deflected by a defender, only to be controlled

by Soboff. Soboff passed the ball back through the crowd for his second as-

setting records Women’s soccer beat Smith College

tuesday, improving their record to 9-1-0. This 9th consecutive win ties a previous school record. . rivals Brandeis faces excessive aggresision from rival

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

Tufts

sist of the season, to Robbie Lynch ’15, who proceeded to score the Judges’ first goal of the night, as well as his first collegiate goal.

The Jumbos threatened to make it interesting when Tufts’ Tal Smith ’16 shot, only to be deflected by Graffy.

Then Brandeis’ Tyler Savonen ’15 made an attempt at a goal, but his shot hit the post and rolled across the goalmouth before being swept away.

The Judges added some padding to their lead and secured the win with 2:28 left to go in the game. Conor Lanahan ’16 played a long ball from a defensive teammate and passed the ball to Zach Vieira ’17. Vieira worked past one defender and chipped past

the Jumbos’ charging defender for the Judges’ second goal of the game, and Vieira’s fourth of the season.

Brandeis’ goalie, Graffy, finished with five saves in his 12th career shutout, while Brandeis finished with eight shots versus Tufts’ 12. However, the Judges outshot the Jumbos 8-5 in the second half. The win moved the Judges to 7-0 in the season, leaving the Jumbos 5-1. This win for Brandeis over Tufts avenged their only nonconference loss during the regular season since 2011.

The fifth-ranked Brandeis men’s soccer team will play at home on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. against Case Western Reserve University.

for the win Brandeis Women’s Soccer beat Smith Col-

lege 5-0 in Tuesday’s game. .

photo by vardges tserunyan/the hoot

IMPRESSIONS

October 3, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot 12

Swimming with the student loan sharks

By Simon Diamond Cramer Special to the Hoot

I’m from a very unhappy medium in the middle class. As an electrician, my mom made just enough money to disqualify me for a Pell Grant, but nowhere near enough to fill the gap between scholarships and tuition at Brandeis University. The “solution” was $50,000 in loans.

The first monthly payment on my Perkins Loan hit just after I moved to New York, and was equal to roughly all my money. The kicker was that I received the bill several days after it was due. I had just moved, and their confusion as to my whereabouts was perfectly reasonable. It was still terrifying, but nothing seemed amiss.

The obvious solution would be to get in touch with Campus Partners, the company in charge of the loan, to explain my situation and get everything squared away. That should be easy enough, if only Campus Partners answered their phones.

Or after taking half an hour to answer their phones, they didn’t hang up. Or if their phone operators weren’t specifically instructed to obscure and omit relevant information, even when specifically and repeatedly asked. Or if they made it possible to get in touch with someone with any authority. Or if they had an email address, or any other way to get in touch with them online.

After several days of calling Campus Partners despite their determined resistance, I learned that I could submit a forbearance request

photo from internet source

in paper. No electronic documents were allowed, even though an electronic document would be far quicker and easier for everyone. Apparently, Campus Partners was only willing to process urgent legal documents in the least efficient form possible,

which seemed to match their “delay and ignore” M.O. just fine.

Putting together this forbearance application took time. It required documentation of income, which is hard to pull together when you’ve just moved twice in a single month

and commute four hours per day. It also required a printer, which I didn’t have at the time.

It took a few weeks to put this form together, but just as I was about to send it—while at the post office, just before I sealed the envelope—

Brandeis Student Financial Services called me and told me I could submit it electronically, straight to them.

When I mentioned Campus Partners’ behavior with me, they were con See LOANS, page 14

Torrenting provides alternative in both protest and entertainment

By Andrew Elmers Editor

One of the great joys of living in this modern age is simply how many different avenues there are to access music, movies or television. Netflix and Hulu provide mainstream content to audiences for a very fair rate, be it through an actual paid subscription or being forced to sit through the same 30-second ads throughout an episode of “Modern Family.”

Some networks make their programs available to stream right on their website—usually still requiring you to watch their advertisements—but never before has it been so easy to find what you are looking for in terms of movies or TV. Many musicians are beginning to understand the changes in their industry and are beginning to offer their records as free downloads. Most noticeably, U2 released their latest album for free over iTunes.

Yet there is another way to extract entertainment from the Internet, one that involves no payment at all. One of the most popular, though illegal, methods of attaining entertainment without spending money is through peer-to-peer file sharing or a variation of it, such as torrenting. A pretty complicated process that boils down to users downloading files straight from other connected computers over the Internet, torrenting has really forced the entertainment industry’s hand. Starting back with Napster and now with BitTorrent, peer-to-peer file sharing sites have effectively altered the way the music, film and television industries release their content.

While it is illegal, the amount of

people who torrent is simply too numerous for much action to be taken against the perpetrators. The actual numbers are hard to find. A Stanford University report from 2004 estimated that 70 million people participate in file sharing, and this is to date still one of the most recent reports released. Yet even this statistic proves the magnitude of the problem. Institutions, such as Brandeis, are also obligated by federal law to make sure they curtail illegal peer-to-peer file sharing on their networks and keep watch over anyone who might be breaking the law.

When the issue first arose in 2007, the administration responded with a letter from then Vice President and Vice Provost for Libraries and Technology Services Perry Hanson to the community. In this letter, Hanson warned against the dangers the university faced from copyright violation—which is the main issue with peer-to-peer file sharing—and the actions the university would be taking to stop it. Additionally, LTS offers a more detailed account of the policies surrounding peer-to-peer file sharing. Yet these policies were most recently updated in September 2012.

And while the laws and regulations might not have changed since then, the methods and ease people have to access these files has changed.

With so much data being accessed across the Internet on campus nowadays, it is difficult for LTS to be able to keep up with their plan of stopping torrenters by surveying the amount of bandwidth being used by individual computers on the networks.

While more pronounced file sharers might face problems if they abuse the network and share gross amounts of files, the casual user would be able to

get away with downloading a movie or album each night.

However, just because you would be able to get away with something or could get away with something does not exactly mean you should—if you believe in the sanctity of the law and that the creators should receive compensation for their work. But if you enjoy some civil disobedience, then by all means go ahead and torrent.

Certainly Brad Pitt or Edward Norton aren’t going to suffer if you torrent

“Fight Club” one night, and the film studio wouldn’t either. The real target here, though, would be the school and LTS. By dodging their awareness and torrenting files, explicitly disregarding the school’s policy, students can send the message that they will not simply follow every requirement the administration puts forth.

The most use students can get out of file sharing is downloading textbooks and other course materials, which could include films required

for class. Instead of dealing with viewing films on Latte or spending extra money for books on top of tuition and fees, students can access the required materials cheaply and without much cause for alarm. Even though the policies are in place to limit illegal downloading, it still occurs excessively and not much can stop it past shutting down the entire network. And that would then create a much bigger issue than just dealing with copyright laws.

photo from internet source

October 3, 2014

ARTS, ETC 13

The Brandeis Hoot

Adults clean up their messes

By Carolyn Rogers Special to the Hoot

We have all heard the cliche, “With great power, comes great responsibility,” but I feel that most of the time people fail to understand what it really means. For Spiderman, it means using his powers to catch the bad guys. But real people are not Spiderman, and they do not have super powers. In reality, this lesson means that, as adults, we have to claim accountability for own actions and respect the people around us.

Case in point: I am generally not a very clean person. I don’t own a vacuum. I don’t wipe down surfaces all that often. But when I find myself in a public place, I take that seriously.

This is not my personal space to sully as I please. This is a shared space that other people also use. I know that if I were to walk into a classroom containing a filthy carpet and sticky desks, I would be pretty grossed out.

I have immense respect for public, shared spaces, so I make extra effort to clean up after myself. What right do I have to let my personal mess negatively affect someone else?

It has recently come to my attention that this is not how everyone views public space. I am a first-year, living on my own for the first time. I am sharing my dorm hallway with 30 other first-years, most of whom are also living on their own for the first time. They are all very nice, and most of them whom I have seen are quite clean. But there are some—I don’t know which ones—who have made a habit of leaving huge clumps of their hair in the bathroom showers.

The hair sticks to the walls and clogs the drains, making the showers— the very place we go to get clean—

seem at best unpleasant and at worst downright repulsive.

And it’s not just in the showers that I see the sanctity of public space violated. It’s the water that’s left on the sink counters. It’s the dryer lint traps that people leave full. It’s the crumbcovered tables in the dining halls, complete with the used napkins from the previous occupants. It’s the litter often found on the ground all over campus despite many convenient trash and recycle bins.

What I don’t understand is this notion that we are not responsible for our own messes, that we are somehow not obligated to clean up after ourselves. We are no longer small children with our parents following us around and picking up our toys.

We are supposedly young adults deemed by the federal government and our culture as a whole as capable of making political decisions, giving consent (under other safe circumstances, of course), signing legally binding documents and taking our fate into our own hands with waivers. In return for these freedoms and privileges, we are required to pay taxes, to support ourselves financially and to follow the laws created by our representative government and face the consequences of breaking them.

It works the same way here on a smaller scale. We are free of our parents’ constant nagging now—nobody will tell us to eat our vegetables or brush our teeth before bed. That means that we have to now make our own dietary and hygiene decisions, and if they are bad ones, then we have to deal with the consequences.

The core of my problem is not that these people are untidy and sometimes even dirty. If they lived alone

and they were the only ones to use their showers, then they would be free to leave as much hair on the drain as they wish. My problem is that their carelessness is affecting me.

Their lazy hygiene decisions have a negative impact on my life. If I want

to feel clean after my shower, I now find myself in the position of having to clean up not only my own hair, but other people’s hair.

Everyday people are not superheroes with special abilities or special obligations. But we do have the pow-

er to make our own decisions, and with that power comes its own kind of responsibility. It is not spectacular and it is not glamorous. Our responsibility is not to keep a city safe—it’s to clean up our own hair in the public bathroom.

photo by Katherine Selector /the hoot

Technological connection more resembles detachment

photo from internet source

By Tristan Ramirez de Haro Special to the Hoot

Last semester, as I was scrolling through my Facebook wall, I came across a video that claimed it was going to change my life forever. I

thought it was another catchy prompt title aimed at wasting five minutes of my life. I clicked, however, urged by a very skeptical curiosity and the addicting force of technology. It was that force of technology— that force that constantly urges you to check for

social updates and other new information, that sticks you to your Facebook page and makes you skim over countless photos, videos, comments or links as a remedy to boredom, that makes checking your phone for texts a necessity to feel “connected.” The

force of technology dominates the behavior of many of us today. However, the video I watched was worth every second; it was called “Look Up,” and it encouraged disengaging from technology. The video should be shown as an educational tool in

schools and universities, for it makes a strong ethical remark about today’s life in relation to technology.

Technology as most things in life, has its uses and its perils. Social media, video chatting and instant messaging are extremely useful methods of communication. The problem is when we cease to use them as extremely useful communication tools and they instead become sources of attraction that control you and your behavior more than you control them. Detrimental consequences arise when these forces cause you to interact predominantly through technology.

Technology is devaluing physical human contact. As the video wisely claims, the technology that is theoretically making us all more interconnected is on many occasions actually doing the contrary; it is pulling us apart. Not only are we primarily communicating through a screen more than through physical conversation, but also the actual physical encounters that people are having are in increasing amounts being undermined. As people divide their attention between many others at the same time, conversations become less substantial. The quantity of our conversations is therefore having a negative effect on their quality. If you sit down to talk to someone, you are more likely to have a more interesting conversation with that person if other virtual conversations are avoided.

For me at least, it is very annoying to have conversations with people who check their phone every minute.

The effect of communicative technology today is not only about having worse conversations. There are See FACEBOOK, page 15

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

October 3, 2014

Univ needs better third-party loaners LOANS, from page 12

cerned, and said they’d look into it.

Brandeis also told me it might be a good idea to consolidate my loans, which I intrigued me. Campus Partners had left out the fact that I could mash my Perkins Loan together with my Stafford Loan, whose monthly payments were based on my income, so I wouldn’t have to pay extra money each month. In short, I’d be home free, at least in the short term.

After sending out the forbearance application and the loan consolidation request, I felt a weight lift off my chest, followed immediately by a sense of suspicion. If Brandeis could accept the form electronically at a moment’s notice, why did Campus

Partners then need a hardcopy and several weeks to process it? But it wasn’t my problem to fix; my forms were in, and I thought I was set.

About three weeks later, I got another letter from Campus Partners.

Looking at the envelope, I nodded.

This would be the confirmation that they had received and processed my documents. Still nodding, still smiling, I tore open the envelope to find a final demand letter. This letter threatened to send my loan to a collections agency if I didn’t pay up now.

After freaking out for 10 minutes, I contacted Campus Partners to check if they’d received the form I sent two weeks ago. They said they hadn’t. I then called my mom, Student Financial Services and my boss, looking for some sort of way out of

photo from internet source

this. I also contacted an old mentor of mine, who mentioned that student loan servicers have a shady reputation and that this one seemed shadier than most.

That put me on edge. Since they’d started sending me letters in May, Campus Partners’ correspondence had been continually late. Feeling a bit sick, I took a closer look at the letter, and more importantly, at its envelope. The letter was dated July 12, but postmarked July 23. For some reason, Campus Partners delayed urgent correspondence by 11 days, and deliberately sending my loan into collections seemed the only motive for doing so.

In the past three months, I’ve seen Campus Partners make themselves difficult to contact, obscure relevant information, deceive both me and Brandeis University, fail to acknowledge receipt of forms and send forms late to prevent me from responding.

I was lucky. When I spoke to Brandeis again, I learned they’d already pushed through their forms, and I was in the clear. But what if I weren’t? What if someone else, dealing with this company, hadn’t kept hammering at their phones for weeks on end? What if their forms got stuck in the mail? What if Brandeis hadn’t picked the exact right moment to call? I don’t want to think of that.

And frankly, I shouldn’t have to. If our education and our livelihoods depend on the good faith and credit of student loan servicers, it is Brandeis’ responsibility to ensure that we can rely on them. It is unconscionable that this university deals with a company that deceives and robs those students it should aid and protect.

Brandeis needs to vet its student loan servicers carefully and actively monitor their behavior to prevent this sort of abuse.

Campus Partners is a loan shark.

You shouldn’t have to deal with them, and Brandeis University shouldn’t make you.

Fresh thoughts found through Interfaith Chaplaincy

By Michael Wang Staff

Religion has been a pretty hot topic of discussion for the past few thousands of years. Some people think it’s unnecessary, others consider it to be the most important aspect of their lives, while others dance about a fine line of spiritual indecision. But whether it’s through friends, active practice, intellectual curiosity or otherwise, the idea of greater powers existing and giving existence a stronger semblance of order and purpose will

rarely fail to bounce around at least a little in even the most apathetic individual’s head.

Being a guy who attends this school, I’ve had my share of curiosities regarding theologies, whether they’re of the Catholic, Muslim, Atheist, Jewish or other persuasion. One day, I sat down with a friend at lunch and wound up in a Bible study group connected to the Interfaith Chaplaincy. It wasn’t exactly the kind of extracurricular I was expecting to pick up this semester, but I’d be damned if I were to pass up the chance to discuss a bunch of stuff surrounding a subject

photo from internet source

I have essentially no background in that affects such a disproportionately large portion of the world.

Here I ought to let the reader know that, although I literally spend my Friday nights talking about Jesus now, I’m not actually Christian. Instead, I’m a Buddhist by virtue of my semi-exotic, Asian parents, baptized by a monk on a mountain in Taiwan while I was still a baby. Though I’m not that orthodox of a Buddhist, I recite my mantras, avoid killing things, go out of my way to help people out.

Basically, I follow a number of basic moral tenets and also believe in life-

after-death. Other people have put me under the weirdly labeled category of “humanism,” since I invariably answer “yes” whenever someone asks that extremely vague, metaphysically ambiguous question of whether people are naturally good.

When I first entered the old building, the first thing I noticed was just how eerily nostalgic the general feel of the place was. It was reminiscent of a Chinese school I used to frequent—but now rarely visit—down to the group choral sessions and awkward ice-breakers. Maybe the fact that the Chinese Bible Church of

photo from internet source

Greater Boston (CBCGB) is, in fact, also a Chinese school had something to do with it. But the reason I actually like going to the CBCGB is because it offers such a different intellectual environment from the secular one I’m used to here at school. I don’t know about how most people’s social lives are, but in my personal experience, it seems that one is much more likely to encounter arguments against the existence of any celestial entities rather than those for them.

As a result, much of what I hear is really quite fresh, strings of induction and logic I’d never really anticipated hearing in my lifetime. These people have come to the conclusion that God has feelings and they can strive to interpret just what exactly God is asking of them. I remember one particular instance where it was explained it’s basically assumed that humans were naturally sinful and unable to make their own way in life without proper celestial guidance. This so happens to literally be the exact opposite of what I believe in—that people are naturally good and that things will get better over time by default because the arc of human morality “bends toward justice,” or at least something similar. At times the contrast between the morals and teachings espoused at the CBCGB can be palpable, and it’s exciting to have a bit of exposure to such radically different ideas from what I’m accustomed to.

All in all, I have to say I’ve been pretty satisfied with the CBCGB and the ICF these past few weeks. It’s never exactly a bad thing to learn about other peoples’ beliefs.

October 3, 2014

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The Brandeis Hoot

Think of the children; preserve the humanity

By Samuel G. Scudere-Weiss Special to the Hoot

Recently, I attended a Black Keys concert at the TD Garden in Boston. This concert reminded me of two things: one, how much I love the Black Keys, and two, the significance of humanity.

It is easy to go through our daily lives, living from moment to moment and forgetting to perceive the world around us in different ways. As someone who wishes to improve the world, occasionally I find myself only thinking about what is wrong instead of why I wish to make it better. But the reason is simply this: Humanity deserves a chance. Sure, we might have our flaws, with war, violence and hatred to just name a few. However, we also provide something which, as of yet, we have not found anywhere else in the known universe. This tangible evidence is what we study of our past civilizations and what will be studied of our own. It is the art, the music, the film and the photography that truly define us as a species. There is something magical about a band of four men with instruments being able to bring together well over 15,000 people into the same place. We do this not out of a sense of obligation, but for pure, blissful enjoyment. What else could be more human?

This is why we must work to save our planet. We are not killing all life on earth, just the life that is necessary for our survival, which is the most important thing to consider. We work to save the environment, not because we see it as more important than human progress, but because it is an essential factor to human progress. Without it we would have no food, no water, no shelter and no air. To ignore that our actions perpetuate a dangerous change in climate is like ignoring the check engine light in a vehicle. Yes, you can probably drive for a while

photo by Linjie Xu/ the hoot

and be fine, but at some point you have to fix the car, and if you wait too long, the car may be broken beyond repair. Let us not play this game with our only planet because, if we do, we will eventually lose.

There is, however, still hope. We can change our ways. It will require a paradigm shift in the American viewpoint on the environment and resource usage. This idea is both daunting and frightening, and it leads

to questions such as, “Why should I care?” and “If we’re enjoying life now, isn’t it OK?” To answer the first question is simple: One should care because we all share the same planet, with the same resources and the same limits. So even if your bad environmental practices don’t affect you directly, they will still at some point affect your children or grandchildren.

Assuming you care about how your offspring fare, this issue should be one

that hits very close to home. And the answer to the second is the answer to the first. If anyone is so selfish that they truly don’t care about the effects they have on future generations, then they should seriously rethink their life choices. Humanity is a beautiful thing. Every last one of us has breathed the same air and drank the same water as all of those who came before. We are the universe observing itself, so let us liberate those ob-

servations. See the world as it is, not how we wish it to be. Let us change the way we live now to make sure that we as a species can live in the future.

Future generations should be able to go to their equivalent of a Black Keys concert. They should be able to enjoy their art, watch their films. They should be able to fall in love, go to school, observe their world and have their own children. They should be able to be human.

Technology is useful but not necessary FACEBOOK, from page 13

serious consequences that psychologists, sociologists and other professionals have shown. The absence of physical relationships has been psychologically proven to make people more prone to feelings of depression.

The more you decide to replace those quality physical relationships with a quantity of relationships, including virtual ones, the less emotionally fulfilled you are probably going to end up feeling.

This ties in with another phenomenon of social media and virtual communication: the false sense of socialization that they produce.

When you look at your hundreds of friends on Facebook, followers on Twitter, likes on Instagram and dozens of texts a day, you can get the illusion of extreme social behavior. In the long term, however, you should realize how preferable it is for your emotional fulfillment to replace virtual socialization with physical people.

Another interesting study that I recently encountered in my psych class talks about the negative consequences of multitasking while exercising.

As a consequence of the domination that technology has over our behavior, it is common to see people that work out checking emails, texting and watching videos. Neuroscientists contend, however, that it is much healthier to exercise without concentrating on information, because this allows the brain to process more efficiently and form new memories

from information retrieved beforehand. The constant need to intake information therefore goes against the nature of our brains.

I encourage you to stare away in

thought more and fill less of your time with technology.

When you feel that attraction to virtual sociality, stop and think: Is it really what I want to do right now out

of everything that I could be doing, out of all the new feelings, the new pleasures, the old pleasures, the new experiences and the old good experiences that I could be having?

The answer depends after all on one’s view of life. How do we want to spend the miniscule amount of time that we have on this world? Is it worth it for you to look up?

photo from internet source

October 3, 2014

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The Brandeis Hoot

Lichtman to be featured in upcoming exhibit at Swarthmore College

By Michelle Kim Editor

This coming November, Susan Lichtman, associate professor of Fine Arts, will be a featured artist at Swarthmore College’s List Gallery.

She partnered with fellow artist Catherine Kehoe, who has been a visiting artist at Swarthmore College, Salve Regina University, Rhode Island College, Colby College, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Indiana University, Boston University School of Visual Arts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Kehoe also teaches painting and drawing at the Massachusetts College of Art Design. She has taught various painting workshops in the United States as well as in Italy for a program of the Jerusalem Studio School.

Lichtman and Kehoe’s exhibition is named “Tone Poems and Shape Notes,” which will showcase their brushwork, geometric design and well-coordinated color. “We were paired up by the curator of the List Gallery at Swarthmore. She thought our work would complement each other. I had only met Catherine once, but I was a huge fan of her work. She has a great website called Powers of Observation all about perceptual painting. Coincidentally, I

had invited her last year to teach a workshop this upcoming January at Brandeis about drawing and painting the head,” explained Lichtman, “I will be showing recent large oil paintings and small gouaches. These are domestic interiors with figures, which are loosely based on my house, family and friends.”

“I started drawing in high school, went to Brown University where I was a studio art major, and then went to Yale where I received my M.F.A. in painting. I have always painted domestic interiors, though the paintings have changed quite a bit over the years,” said Lichtman.

A distinguished artist, Lichtman has exhibited her work at Galleria ISA, Montecastello di Vibio, PG Italy, Dartmouth College, Amherst College, Cornell University, Sarah Doyle Gallery and Brown University. She has also been regularly presented at Lenore Gray Gallery in Providence, Rhode Island and Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia.

Lichtman’s works have been reviewed in varied publications including Providence Journal, The New Art Examiner, American Artist, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Boston Globe. She is also the winner of the Lewis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award, the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award from the Ameri-

can Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and faculty grants from Brandeis University.

The exhibition will showcase the artistic complementation of Kehoe and Lichtman. “Catherine came up

with the title of the exhibition. She paints portraits and still life, and is primarily interested in the role of ‘shape’ in a painting language. She feels my paintings are more about ‘tone.’ I use a compressed tonal pal-

ette—limited in both hue and value.

This allows me to evoke a specific quality of light, a time of day or season.”

The exhibit runs Nov. 6 through Dec. 6.

tone poems and shape notes Professor Lichtman and Catherine Kehoe’s exhibition will be at Swarth-

photo from internet source

more College this November.

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

photos by marian siljeholm/the hoot

consentual sex fair SSIS hosted an event outside the ICC last week.

photos by vardges tserunyan/the hoot