Volume 13 Issue 15
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.” www.brandeishoot.com
Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.
September 9, 2016
Student Union welcomes new members By Abigail Gardener, Elianna Spitzer and Hannah Schuster, editors
photo by daniel kang/the hoot
high school musical!
“It’s the start of something new!” But it’s not because the 24-Hour Musical is a famous Brandeis tradition. This year, students put on a production of Disney’s High School Musical. See ARTS p. 8
Search narrows for Chief Diversity Officer By Elianna Spitzer and Hannah Schuster editors
Brandeis is implementing new diversity training sessions and continuing the search for a Chief Diversity Officer, according to an email to the student body on Aug. 29. These changes arose from demands made by students and faculty in the Ford Hall movement last year. The CDO will be responsible for centralizing diversity efforts across campus departments, developing training programs and having a “strong presence” on campus as they take concrete steps to improve the university, according to the job posting for the CDO. “This, of course, includes working with many across the campus to reach the goals of the Implementation Plan for Diversity and Inclusion,” said President Ron Liebowitz in an email to The Brandeis Hoot. Across the country, colleges have hired 75 chief diversity officers in about 18 months, according to Archie Ervin, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. The search committee at Brandeis evaluated 56 candidates, interviewed seven in person and
invited the final four to campus. The committee is composed of faculty, administrators, a member of the Board of Trustees as well as two undergraduate students and two graduate students. The candidates will meet with interested students throughout September. They will talk about his or her background, “but the bulk of the time will be devoted to questions from the audience,” according to a campus-wide email from Kid Godsoe, the associate provost for Academic Affairs. All the candidates have prior experience as a CDO, and the candidates have also “given talks, published books, worked on the university level, directed centers for diversity in different areas, etc.,” said Danni Tang ’19, a member of the search committee, “They’re versatile people, having worked in departments from Admissions to Student Affairs to Title IX investigations to consulting work to formal university CDO roles.” Each member was responsible for a different question, according to Tang. They wanted to know how applicants would work with members of the Brandeis community, from students to Trustees. “[W]e asked about the experience our candidates had with
There was a discrepancy in number of candidates and voter turnout across the races in Fall Student Union elections, with results released early this morning. There were 10 candidates running for Class of 2020 Senator, six for Massell Quad Senator, but only one student each running for the positions of Ridgewood Quad Senator, Ziv Quad Senator, Castle Quad Senator and Three-Semester Allocations Board member. There were no candidates running in the elections for Foster Mods, Charles River/567 South Street and Off-Campus Senator. Voter turnout in the first-year races was higher than most of the
By Abigail Gardener editor
Twenty students are enrolled in “The Asian American Experience” this semester, an American Studies course that brings to light the role of Asian-Americans in this country’s history. The course is taught by adjunct lecturer Patrick Chung, a Ph.D. from Brown University. The course, which is the first Asian-American Studies course to be offered at Brandeis in five years, comes as a result of many efforts put forth last year by the Brandeis Asian-American Task Force (BAATF). After a “Day of Action Rally” in December and negotiations with administrators,
the school formed a committee to pursue the establishment of an Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Studies program at Brandeis. Brandeis announced the creation of the course in March. “We imagined an introductory course being offered this semester and it became concrete reality through student activism and all who’ve supported this movement for Asian-American studies,” BAATF posted in a Facebook statement on March 23. Chung was impressed with the manner in which this course was brought to Brandeis. “One of the things that really attracted me to this was the activism students had in something that I wasn’t very active with when I was an under-
See UPDATES, page 3
News: Election results—no reading required. Opinion: Don’t let first-years overextend Arts: 24-Hour Musical entertains Brandeis Features: Work, work, work, work study Editorial: Univ. overlooks role of Ford Hall
See ELECTIONS, page 2
‘The Asian American Experience’ takes root at Brandeis
grad,” Chung said. “It’s something that I wish I had done more of, and I think it’s really impressive that we’re able to accomplish so much.” The hope of the class is to examine “the political, economic, social and contemporary issues related to Asians in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century to the present,” according to the course description on the University Registrar. The syllabus for the course emphasizes class participation and discussion. Assignments include two response papers in which students are expected to analyze a primary source or film and discuss how that source relates to See AAPPI, page 2
photo by matt kowalyk/the hoot
town hall Brandeis students dicussed the new Asian American Experience course at a Town Hall last April, announcing that Patrick
Chung had been selected as the professor.
Inside this issue:
other races. There were 397 firstyears who voted for their class senator. 212 Massell residents and 159 North residents voted for their quad senator. There are approximately 840 students in the first-year class. More first-year students voted in this election than in the previous year. In 2015, 248 first-years voted, more than 100 fewer than this year. Tal Richtman and Samantha Barrett were elected Class of 2020 Senators with 136 for Richtman and 48 for Barrett. Aaron Finkel received 65 of 198 total votes cast. In contrast to the Massell Quad race, there were two students who ran for North Quad Senator. Jacob (Jack) Rubenstein won 69 out
JustArts Page 2 JustArts activates faculty Page 12 and staff creativity Page 8 Page 4 ARTS: Page 11 Page 7
Cheerleading club These students are Brandeis’ biggest fans.
FEATURES: Page 4
NEWS
2 The Brandeis Hoot
September 9, 2016
Many write-in candidates in Fall SU election Michelle Jimenez ’18 was the only student on the ballot for Ziv Quad Senator and was elected with 42 out of a total 80 votes. Tomi Molokwu ’18 received approximately half that many votes as a write-in candidate. There were 12 votes for abstain in the Ziv Quad race. Jose Castellanos ’18 (a columnist for The Brandeis Hoot), was the only candidate for Ridgewood Senator and won with 28 out of 40 votes. There was no official candidate for the position of Foster Mods Senator. Ari Matz ’17 won the race with five write-in votes. However, Mod Cat garnered seven votes, technically winning the race. There were also no candidates for Charles River/567; Gaby Schwartz ’18 received six votes in the election, but abstain had 51.1
ELECTION from page 1
of 135. Amy-Claire Dauphin ’19 was elected Racial Minority A-Board member, with 56.12 percent of 278 votes. Alex Mitchell ’17 and Abigail Zeamer ’19 were elected to A-Board for two semesters, with Zeamer taking 38.66 percent of the 763 votes and Mitchell taking 43.77 percent. Andrews Figueroa ’19 ran uncontested for Three-Semester A-Board. He won 70.25 percent of the 773 total votes. Of the students who voted, 27.94 percent chose to abstain (meaning vote of no confidence). Three students were running for Village Quad Senator, and Charlotte Lang ’19 was elected with 50 percent of the 46 total votes cast.
AAPI from page 1
percent of the vote. According to the Student Union constitution, this means Schwartz would not win the seat because abstain had the majority. In the race for Off-Campus Senator with no official candidates, abstain had 41 percent of the vote, but this is not a majority and Nick Love ’17 was elected with seven write-in votes. Julien Tremblay ’19 was elected Rosenthal Quad Senator with 26 out of 58 votes. Vince Lauffer ’19 came in second by only two votes, getting 24 out of 58. Elijah Sinclair ’19 was elected East Quad Senator. Other write-in candidates included: Frank Ocean, A Responsible Person, 5G Fish, Gradcat and Harambe. Mod Cat was also spelled: Mod Cat, MOD CAT and Modcat.
See more results online.
graphic by allison plotnik/the hoot
Students to present on little-known Asian-American narratives
larger themes discussed in class. The course will culminate in final group presentations, the objective of which is to “uncover a ‘hidden history’ of Asian America,” according to the syllabus. “Either present an ‘Asian-American’ narrative of a widely known historical event … or a little known event involving Asian-Americans that you believe needs to be told.” Chung, who is finishing his Ph.D. in History at Brown Uni-
versity, wants to emphasize the “hidden history” of Asian-Americans in this course to “contest the commonly held assumption that Asian-American history is at the ‘margins’ of American history,” the syllabus states. For example, most people might not think that Asian-Americans played a role in the Boston Tea Party. “Most people don’t think about the tea and where did the tea come from generally—Asia,” Chung said. “The Boston Tea Party is a really good way to get into the large role that Asia and the
China trade played in the American Revolution and early colonial America, so that’d be one of the examples that Asia and trade with Asia played a role in history that’s been underappreciated.” Students enrolled in the course are also enthusiastic about how it has started off. The class has only met four times since classes began, but Chung mused, “I’ve been really impressed by the engagement of the students. A large number of students have been active in the move for expanding Asian-American studies here …
I’ve been trying to devote a lot of time to getting their perspectives.” There is much excitement surrounding the course, considering the substantial efforts made to make the course available to students and the hope that it will lead to more Asian-American Studies courses and an AAPI minor. “If this class does well, hopefully more courses will come about and grow into a minor,” suggested Danni Tang ’19, a member of BAATF and the Committee to Establish AAPI Studies at Brandeis. “I hoped that this class would
be a place where students (Asian-American students especially) can have a space to come learn about our histories, bounce ideas off each other, share our experiences,” said Tang. “The end goal, for me, is to have the knowledge and conversations we need to form our own opinions about who we are and what we want as AAPIs and to share that with non-AAPI students.” The class will satisfy both Oral Communication and Social Science requirements. It meets twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
BRIEF: Two-alarm fire on Highland St. displaces 11 By Ryan Spencer staff
The Waltham Fire Department was called to 53 Highland Street on Monday, Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. following reports of heavy smoke. The two-alarm fire displaced 11 people, but no one was inside the house by the time firefighters arrived, according to a report in The Waltham News Tribune.
Approximately 30 Waltham firefighters and four Newton firefighters tended to the flames and the scene was cleared at 4:32 p.m., according to The Waltham News Tribune. The fire started outside before moving into the house, Waltham Fire Lt. Scott Perry told The Tribune. The causes of the fire are still unconfirmed, and damages are estimated at $100,000. “I was driving to class when
I noticed a ton of traffic and police cars ahead. I saw huge clouds of thick smoke coming up from a house,” said Stephanie Heimler ’17. “I immediately thought of my friends who live on Highland Street and messaged them immediately to make sure they were okay. The smoke was so thick, I could smell it from campus and needed to close my window in the Mods.”
The Brandeis Hoot is looking for writers, copy editors and photographers ! No experience necessary! Email eic@thebrandeishoot.com for more information.
photo by karen caldwell/the hoot
September 9, 2016
The Brandeis Hoot
IN THE SENATE: SEPT. 4, 2016 • • • • • • • • • • • •
• •
•
• •
• •
Senate opens with club recognition procedure: Entrepreneurship Senate opens with club recognition procedure: Entrepreneurship Club, which will provide advisorship with teachers within Brandeis regarding start-ups. Senate voted in favor of recognizing the Entrepreneurship Club, which will follow up with Executive Senator Hannah Brown ’19 and with the Club Support Committee when it forms. Senate discussed de-recognition of the Jubilee Project Club. Outgoing members requested it be de-recognized and disbanded. Senate voted in favor. Brandeis Global Brigades had requested to update the constitution and was required to meet with the Senate, but no club representative was in attendance. A motion was introduced to postpone the constitutional issue until a representative of Global Brigades was available. Vice President Paul Sindberg ’18 gave an update on student communications. He is looking for a Senate representative to the Allocations Board, as well as those interested in committee chairmanships. There will be a Bystander Intervention Training session at the Student Union retreat. He then discussed budget cuts to the Student Union, but assured that the Senate still has enough for a safe operating budget. The Union requested $50,000 but received $40,000. Senator Reports: Brown met with Brandeis Dining to discuss changes, and some of the changes were made with Senate consultation, including the Dunkin’ move, Louis’ Deli’s move to where the sushi stand is and the move of the sushi to the C-Store. Will also be looking into the issues with Lower and how changes affect students. Senator-at-Large Nathan Greess ’19 expressed concern about the happenings over the past week with Public Safety citations and pondered a discussion with University President Ron Liebowitz. Class of 2017 Senator Gwen Fraser explained some of the projects she got a jumpstart on during the summer, including a possible webinar emceed by Vice President of Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, with involvement from the Student Union. Also made mention to an FAQ guide for seniors asking a lot of questions. Class of 2017 Senator Ryan Tracy discussed Club Sports policies, including one regarding having a duplicate club that exists in varsity form. He wanted to take a look at the rule and evaluate it. Sindberg mentioned that the policy ties into Title IX, which dictates that there needs to be a an equitable amount of sports for men and women that are university sanctioned. The meeting adjourned after 36 minutes.
Univ. works to increase students, faculty, staff of color
UPDATES from page 1
Title IX, their thoughts on the national rise of campus activism around diversity, and frameworks to attract more diverse student, faculty, and staff who will stay for the long-run,” said Tang. “Other committee members will have different thoughts on this, but for me, the most interesting question to hear an answer to was what the candidate would have done if they were CDO during Ford Hall 2015 last year. It showcased their leadership styles and their approaches to creating relationships and listening to students.” The committee narrowed the pool of candidates based on what Tang referred to as the “Brandeis Fit,” and how they would translate their experience to serve this school. Their answers revealed how their skills and leadership styles may or may not be a match for our campus, according to Tang. Brandeis has also been implementing new training. There are two mandatory diversity and inclusion training components on campus: a title IX online program and an orientation session for new faculty members, run by Prof. Harleen Singh (GRAL/SAS/ WMGS), according to an email from Provost Lisa Lynch. Staff and faculty respectively now have the the option of attending three diversity and inclusion training workshops in the fall semester. The faculty trainings will focus on building an inclusive classroom environment while staff trainings will promote understanding and prevention of instances of bias, according to Lynch. “These are not mandatory sessions but there has been great interest thus far by staff and faculty,” wrote Lynch in an email to The Hoot. The Heller School for Social Policy and Management conducted two half-day trainings over the summer with an attendance of over 50 individuals, including faculty, administrative staff and program directors, according to Lynch. The workshops “focused on how the Heller School can be
more intentional and effective in providing a welcoming environment for our diverse community,” she wrote. A new program from the Provost’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering (DEIS) Committee and the Dean of Arts and Sciences secures funding for departmental events that promote diversity and inclusion. “Over the summer, departments applied for this funding and projects range from how to create more inclusive class content to having notable speakers to campus,” said Daniel Bergstresser, associate professor at the Brandeis International Business School and member of the DEIS Committee in an email to The Hoot. Eleven projects were selected and funded. The committee has been discussing the search for a CDO and trainings and has “surveyed departments about courses and the degree to which each department has courses that address issues of diversity,” wrote Bergstresser. The university is reexamining its general education requirements this year as part of its decennial reaccreditation process, and a Task Force on General Education is also examining ways to incorporate “requirements that address issues of race, equity and inclusion,” according to Susan Birren, the dean of Arts and Sciences. The university is also creating a mentoring program for junior faculty and will be implemented in the College of Arts and Science, the Heller School and the International Business School this fall. The diversity of the student body is increasing, according to Liebowitz. This year, “Students who self-identified as Hispanic or Latino increased by 10 percent over the previous year, while students who self-identified as black or African-American increased by 20 percent,” he announced. Of the 844 first-years, 19 percent identify as nonresident alien, 13 percent of students identify as Asian, five percent identify as black and nine percent identify as
NEWS 3
Hispanic, according to data from Jennifer Walker, the dean of Admissions. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences also unveiled a new scholarship for graduate students: the Diversity, Excellence and Inclusion Scholarship, or DEIS Scholarship. This year’s students are African-American, Hispanic and first-generation college students studying topics ranging from classics to history to musicology. They receive tuition plus a $10,000 stipend, according to a Brandeis webpage. In regard to recruitment of staff, Salah M. Hassan, a scholar who specializes in “contemporary African and African-diaspora art and culture,” has been recruited to teach at Brandeis this year, serving as the Madeleine Hass Russell Visiting Professor in African and Afro-American Studies (AAAS). Hassan is also a professor at Cornell University, and after this year, he will join the Brandeis AAAS and Fine Arts faculty, “holding appointments at Brandeis and Cornell.” Hassan is a founder and editor of “Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art,” and has written additional books and articles in this field, according to a Brandeis biography. The journal, published twice annually, seeks to bring attention to contemporary African and diaspora arts, something that is neglected in other mainstream art publications, according to the Nka website. He has curated exhibits around the world and received grants from organizations such as the Andy Warhol Foundation. Hassan will give a lecture at Brandeis this November titled Contemporary African Art as a Paradox: Is “Afropolitan” the Answer? as part of the Art, Race, Activism series that brought musician and activist KRS-One to campus last fall. The DEIS committee has also created “a sub-committee on staff excellence” to focus on recruitment, training and retention, according to Bergstresser.
Brandeis expands community councils to all quads By Samantha Lauring staff
For the first time, all residential quads have a community council—a group of students who plan programming for the residents and represent the quad in talks with the Department of Community Living (DCL). The idea of community councils has evolved over the past few years. In 2014, students in the first-year hall Deroy implemented a residential government, and last year the university created one council for each of the freshman quads, North and Massell.
The purpose of the Community Council program is to provide communication and advocacy efforts in the residential quads to improve community living, according to a document from DCL. The councils will have several positions, each with its own set of responsibilities. The president will plan all council activities, coordinate biweekly meetings with the Area Coordinator and oversee council meetings. Responsibilities of the vice president for administration will be to fill in for the president in their absence, take minutes at meetings and understand funding requests.
photo by nathan taber/the hoot
Tasks of the vice president for community engagement include organizing community activities and communicating with Community Advisors (CAs) about programming. The vice president for recognition organizes a service project per year, among other responsibilities. Last year, when the university unveiled the program for firstyear quads, the organization of the council included a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, as well as a representative from each of the four residence halls in the quad. “The general purpose of Community Council was to make sure first-year voices were heard,” said former Massell Quad treasurer Emily Koleske ’19. The councils had weekly meetings, in which the council members discussed how to improve community life and better communicate information to their residents, according to Koleske. She also said that serving on the council allowed her to meet people she would not have met otherwise. “Our main focus was to create a sense of community in the quad through social events throughout
photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot
the year,” Koleske explained. “One event we had was Massell Munchies, which was an event where residents could come and talk and enjoy free food during finals week.” Last fall, the North Quad council organized a free-throw contest with recycling bin baskets to promote sustainability, according to a November 2015 Brandeis Hoot article. Students won candy and got LED light bulbs and frisbees made from recycled material. “The purpose of Community Council is to get individual resi-
dents to be active and participate in the community, which is something meaningful,” remarked Paulina Kuzmin ’17, a CA in North Quad’s Reitman Hall. “It’s nice seeing residents go to hall events.” Kuzmin stated that CAs can only do so much, and Community Council members are another resource for residents to utilize. “Community Council members build community and educate residents on resources available to them. They are a way to connect to a smaller community within Brandeis,” Kuzmin said.
4 The Brandeis Hoot
FEATURES
Student Financial Services: a look into work-study
By Zach Cihlar staff
Students frequently associate Student Financial Services (SFS) with the overwhelming tuition bill they get every semester. SFS, located on the second floor of Usdan Student Center, however, deals with a wide variety of exactly what the name suggests: financial services. One such program is work-study. Work-study is a financial aid program that allows recipients to earn money through employment. Kristyn Burke, the assistant director of student employment, has much to do with acquainting students with the work-study program. “Federal Work-Study helps support part-time jobs for students with financial need, making it possible for them to earn money to help pay education expenses,” Burke said. The program receives its funding in the form of a yearly stipend from the federal government, which is supplemented by the student employment budget funded by the university. A student qualifies for a specific allotment of those funds, unique to their financial situation. Each year, the student must reapply for financial aid in order to be con-
sidered for work-study. The allotment they are given may vary on the need demonstrated each year. After filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and meeting federal eligibility requirements, “Awards are calculated in the student’s financial aid package by the Office of Student Financial Services,” Burke said. After the student receives their package, it is their prerogative to find the kind of work that best fits their need or desire. There is a lot of variation in this part of the process, according to Burke, who finds that students range from a “very aggressive” approach to a more relaxed job search. Work-study students have two options when looking for employment. They can choose between an on-campus job within a Brandeis department or an off-campus position by partnering with a non-profit organization. These jobs are easily accessible to students through the SFS website under a tab designated “Job Opportunities.” The student employment office of SFS reserves on-campus positions for work study employment until Oct. 1, explained Burke. “This is to ensure that the students who have financial need are given earliest priority for jobs.
In other words, it’s a way for us to make sure that the paid jobs go to the students who really need them first.” On-campus jobs, however, are limited and not guaranteed for every work-study student. The responsibility for securing a position on campus if the recipient desires one is up to the student, warned Burke. When considering a job either on or off campus, Burke advises work-study students to work not only with SFS but also with Hiatt Career Center. She encourages her advisees to consider how their work-study position can be tailored into their future goals for post-undergraduate employment. Once the work-study student secures employment, they are paid on an hourly basis according to their job. When the student applies for work-study, the program calculates a maximum amount they can be awarded via workstudy based on their determined financial need, usually around $3,000, explained Burke. After $3,000, work-study income is no longer considered strictly workstudy and is reported as regular income. A common misconception of the work-study program is that the money a student receives from working is credited to their
September 9, 2016
photo courtesy office of student financial services
tuition. “Students are expected to use those funds for educational expenses. Work-study earnings are intended to help with dayto-day costs of being a student, not necessarily to cover tuition,” Burke said. The flexibility of money received from work-study grants students the opportunity to use their earnings toward needs specific to each individual. Because the money student workers make goes directly to the student, and they may choose to spend it as they wish, Burke clarified that if the student does not attain a job after being eligible for work-study, they do not have to pay anything back to the uni-
versity or SFS. “If they don’t get a job then they just don’t earn the wages.” Furthermore, if a student declines to use the work-study program they were eligible for in one year, this does not affect their eligibility for the program in future years. Though SFS deals with the ugly business of tuition payments, it is also responsible for helpful financial aid programs such as work-study. In many situations, the work-study program allows financial-need students to attend college without the stressful financial burdens of increasingly pricey educational expenses.
Cheerleading Club supports and competes
By Albert Reiss editor
For Brandeisians who frequent basketball games, the Cheerleading Club is hard to miss. President Caleb Dafilou ’17 described the group as a “small, co-ed team that attends both on-campus varsity basketball games and annual competitions.” In fact the club’s non-discrimination clause prevents any form of discrimination, including gender discrimination. Since 2014, the club has had a male athlete on the roster. In addition to traveling with the basketball teams, the cheerleaders engage in other activities, like competing in cheerleading competitions and charity work. Some of this charity work, Dafilou noted, includes “raising money for
cancer research” and outreach to local youth. While the team previously has entered one competition a year, Dafilou hopes that this year the team will participate in three or four. “We could not be more excited!” Dalou said. One initiative that may better facilitate an increase in competition is greater “connection between other schools,” according to Dafilou. Not only will this help with networking for the team, but it can also be an opportunity for the Brandeis club to improve its overall quality. In the past, issues such as poor coaching and a low membership base have hindered the club’s performance. Now, however, the team has nearly 30 members and better coaches. Jordyn Seri ’17, co-president, also notes that “The most important thing we work on is team bonding and trust between
photos courtesy caleb dafilou
team members.” Interestingly enough, the team members of the Brandeis Cheerleading Club hold a diverse variety of experience with cheerleading. While some have been cheerleading since high school, there are members who have joined with little to no experience.
As a matter of fact, Caleb had his start in gymnastics and only started cheerleading upon coming to Brandeis. For many of the members, the cheerleading squad is more than just a team. For Reena Corvil ’17, co-president of the team, among its more redeeming aspects is the
fact that team members “look out for each other,” ensuring a strong community. Seri added that the team is the perfect choice for any students, regardless of experience, looking for a “fun club that will also kick your butt if you do the work for it.”
What is the most important environmental issue in this election, and how do you hope to see the next president address it? Leading up to the 2016 presidential election, conservative and democratic Brandeis students will be prompted with a weekly question. Below are their responses. By Aaron Birnbaum a brandeis democrat
Climate change is the most important environmental issue of the 2016 election. Climate change is real and caused by humans, and it’s happening right now. The science is settled: These are indisputable facts. There are some in the political world who claim that they know better than the experts and don’t believe humans have anything to do with climate change. You may hear them say that this is just one phase in a cycle. While yes, there are have been colder and warmer eras in human history, there is always a cause of some sort. The only one that fits the current warming of the earth is the in-
crease in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. We need to take bold and decisive action as a nation and as an international community to stop climate change and minimize its effects, and we need to do it yesterday. The next president must do everything in their power to this effect. This includes: • Stopping the expansion of fracking and construction of oil pipelines • Ending subsidies for fossil fuel companies • Strengthening pollution and energy-use standards • Greatly increasing the production and use of renewable energy
•
Funding research that will make renewable energy less expensive and more efficient • Implementing a carbon tax for emissions • Phasing out coal mining while protecting and improving the economies of the regions that have been affected by the shrinking of that industry These are just a few examples of domestic policy initiatives the next president should take on climate change. There is also much that can and must be done with the cooperation of international partners. A large step was taken in that regard this past week as the United States and China jointly agreed to ratify the Paris Agreement. And now the next president should continue in this vein.
By Albert Reiss
a brandeis conservative
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton each hold distinct views on the environment in their campaigns for the upcoming election. However, while many liberals in the media would like to focus on “climate-change,” not enough coverage is devoted to the economic consequences of these views. Hillary Clinton characterizes coal and natural gas as nefarious energy sources that must inevitably be replaced by renewables. Yet, her myopic view fails to recognize the fate of millions of Americans who depend on coal and natural gas for energy, as well as occupations. In contrast, Donald Trump advocates for the potential economic prosperity that comes with keeping natural resources. His avid dedication to keeping these
resources for energy and jobs will maintain economic stability for the U.S. The future president should strive to complete the Keystone XL pipeline. This energy project will help to lower oil prices and be a significant source of economic activity, due to the large construction costs associated with building it. However, this does not mean that investments in renewable energies are without use. The ideal solution proves to be an energy platform that takes into account the interests of both parties in the debate. By investing in both nonrenewable and renewable sources of energy, the majority of Americans will have even more abundant sources of energy. Both coal and gas, as well as renewables, can be sources of energy security and lead to a broadened economic future for the U.S.
September 9, 2016
The Brandeis Hoot
The student work-study experience
Lily Elderkin
Abigail Tatnall
By Ally Gelber
special to the hoot
Abigail Tatnall ’20 is a firstyear at Brandeis with an interest in majoring in psychology and linguistics. Being a college first-year comes with an already jam-packed schedule filled with classes, clubs, sports and friends. A work-study job is the cherry on top of a mountain of stress for many of those participating in the program. Tatnall began her search for jobs to work during her first year, but her experience in the work-study program so far has
By Charlotte Aaron editor
HSSP and biology or neuroscience double major, member of the varsity volleyball team, active participant in her off-campus church and devoted Waltham Group volunteer—this student scholar, Grace Krumpack ’19, finds peace in her work-study job at the info booth in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC). “This has been a really awesome getaway,” said Krumpack. With such a busy schedule, Krumpack has felt her work-study has helped
been nothing but arduous and unreciprocated effort. “Over the summer, I sent out a couple of resumes and never heard anything back,” Tatnall lamented. Since August, Tatnall has sent out a slew of resumes and still has not received any good or bad news—just radio silence. “I haven’t heard anything back, and since then have submitted eight additional resumes through the Hiatt Career Center and still have not received responses,” she said. A work-study job sounds like an ideal financial solution for students during their first year, but one must not forget that many jobs are not available to first-
years with little job experience. Most work-study jobs go to the upperclassmen, which can create a competitive atmosphere. “There are so many jobs with experience needed that one can’t have as a [first-year],” said Tatnall. At this point in the semester, Tatnall plans to continue sending out more resumes each week to jobs that open up. If she does not hear back from anyone by the time jobs are available to other students in October, Tatnall will devise a more intense approach to obtaining one. “I am mainly looking for anything that pays,” she stressed.
her balance school work with all her other co-curricular activities she tackles. “Even though I’m busier, it makes me stay on top of my work,” insisted Krumpack. After her first year on campus, Krumpack knew she wanted to take advantage of work-study and get a job for the upcoming year. “I wanted to support myself more. My parents have given me a lot … and have done so much for me to get me where I am. I want to be able to support myself and give back to them in any way that I can,” she said. Krumpack had no trouble getting an on-campus job. After
browsing available jobs online, she applied for the Campus Center Team last spring and was able to secure the info booth job for the fall. Much to Krumpack’s surprise, the community she has found in her job has been the most rewarding component. “We are so diverse,” Krumpack explained. “I think I’ve met AAAS majors, econ majors, WGS majors, English majors.” In just three weeks, Krumpack feels she has grown close to her co-workers and cannot imagine being on campus without them and their support.
Grace Krumpack
Genna Karp By Ally Gelber
special to the hoot
It comes as no surprise that college can be extremely expensive. Oftentimes, the cost of college tuition and fees is the sole deciding factor of whether or not a student may attend the school. However, for those torn between schools over the cost, a workstudy program is an advantageous approach to enrollment. Genna Karp ’18, a pre-medicine student, is a participant in the work-study program and recalls having a distinctive experience when she first began her jobs. Karp works part time as a
lifeguard and in a Brandeis biology lab, two polar opposite fields of interest. She is extremely fascinated by how treatments work and how the health care system can be better-suited to help people. However, sometimes it can be difficult to find a job that corresponds efficiently with school, and Karp found it arduous to obtain one when she first started at Brandeis. Her first experience, evidently, was a bumpy road. “I was very frustrated and hated my workstudy. I was not making anywhere near the money that I had been awarded and I had so much trou-
FEATURES 5
ble finding a job in the first place,” says Karp. Gradually, her experience evened out and she gained more flexibility, yet the program as an entity remained wholly “unsupportive.” In terms of giving advice to those who are interested in a work-study, “doing work-study through the financial aid office is helpful in any way in terms of getting a job,” she says. Nevertheless, Karp commends the experience with which the program has provided her, because it allows students to make a little extra cash while doing the things on campus that truly inspire them.
By Katarina Weessies staff
There are many interesting work-study opportunities at Brandeis University, a particularly noteworthy one offered at the Lemberg Children’s Center. Lemberg is a daytime childcare and early education center that serves young children, toddlers and infants. Brandeis students with work-study have the opportunity to be a teaching assistant (TA) for Lemberg staff. TAs are typically assigned to a specific age group and then interact with and help supervise the children in that age group. Lily Elderkin, a junior at Brandeis, has been a TA at Lemberg since her freshman year. She currently works with children who are three years old or younger. Elderkin says that she learned about Lemberg from her freshman year roommate and immediately knew that she wanted to work there. “I have always worked well with kids, and I enjoy the opportunity to unplug from the stresses of the world by interacting with young, happy kids,” she says. Elderkin describes herself as “grateful” for the work-study
program because of the financial help it provides, though having a work-study job does further strain her already hectic schedule. Elderkin works eight hours a week at Lemberg, takes four classes—not including her gym class—and has two leadership roles on campus. Like many Brandeis students, Elderkin works hard to juggle all of her responsibilities. She explains that she manages her time by packing her weekdays with “as many meetings as possible” and being “flexible with scheduling.” The extra responsibility of the work-study job requires her to prioritize her commitments and consider which of her responsibilities are most important to her. Despite the extensive time commitment, Elderkin loves working at Lemberg. She says that her favorite thing about her job is “the kids.” She adds that “eventually, the kids will remember you and get excited when they see you at the beginning of the day. After a while, you even develop inside jokes with the older kids.” The children at Lemberg provide Elderkin with a fun and exciting outlet to relax and interact with others—they are what make her long hours of work worthwhile.
“To aquire wisdom, one must observe.” Curious about something on campus? Want to research, write, work on a team and meet new people? Features is for you. Give a hoot, join The Hoot. No experience necessary. Email cj18@brandeis.edu for more information.
Deborah Bial’s Posse
By Angela Mendez special to the hoot
On December 16, 2013, my parents shook me awake from a nap. They handed me the phone and I groggily grabbed it. “Hello?” I answered. “Is this Angela Mendez?” “Yes, this is she.” “Hello! We are currently calling from the Posse Foundation, and we are happy to announce you have been selected to become a Posse Scholar at Brandeis University!” No words came out of my mouth. I stood there speechless for a good 30 seconds. “Hello?” the representative from Posse said. I finally was able to find words and yelled excitedly, “Oh my god! I got in! Mami, lo hice! Me dieron la beca!” Translated, I said, “Mami, I did it! I got the scholarship!” My mom and dad could not believe it. They stood there cry-
ing, tears of happiness streaming down their faces. They called my brothers to come. I was a senior in high school and with that phone call, my hopes of attending college turn into a reality. The Posse Foundation is a national non-profit organization that started in 1989 because of a single student who said, “I would have never dropped out of college if I had my posse with me.” The president and founder of the organization, Deborah Bial, became inspired after hearing this. She thought that this idea of having a posse, a support network, could potentially help many students get through the hardships of college. Fast forward to today and the Posse Foundation has identified, recruited and trained 6,993 public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership qualities to become Posse Scholars. These students have been able to receive yearly full tuition, leadership-based scholar-
ships in a Posse’s partner college or university for their undergraduate careers. Brandeis University is amazingly a Posse partner university. Currently, Brandeis University has 80 Posse Scholars on campus. These students come from two different sites, Posse Atlanta and Posse New York. They major in a wide range of departments, including the sciences, humanities and arts. Posse Scholars help revolutionize the campus by being active, always striving to do their best and having incredible work ethics. On Aug. 24, Bial paid a special visit to Brandeis. She is a class of 1987 alumna from Brandeis and wanted to take the time to meet the current Posse Scholars on campus. This is very special of her because not many presidents of organizations meet one-on-one with the people they help. A small reception was held in the Faculty Club with lemonade and cookies. Though the event
photo courtesy office of student financial services
was located in a fancy spot on campus, the event was structured in a posse style because in the end, it felt like a family get-together. Everyone in the room sat in a circle and comfortably spoke to one another. Some recalled getting the famous Posse call, a special moment for all Posse Scholars in which they were notified that they received a scholarship to attend college. Bial also made sure to not only give scholarly advice, but also to get Posse upperclassmen to give
advice on the Brandeis life and community. She asked scholars to mention their favorite professors for the first-years. While many names were mentioned, the first were those of professors Rebecca Torrey (MATH), Derron Wallace (SOC) and Susan Dibble (TA). Posse Scholars seemed to have a lot of respect for the Brandeis staff. To finish off the meeting with Bial, everyone took a group picture to remember the wonderful meeting and event.
SPORTS
6 SPORTS
September 9, 2016
Volleyball starts with Ws
photo courtesy mike broglio
By Sarah Jousset editor
The Brandeis Women’s volleyball team started this season with a win in the 2016 Brandeis Invi-
tational, after a tough 2015. For their season opener, the Judges played Smith College on Friday, Sept. 2. The Judges beat Smith at home 3-0, with set scores of 2517, 25-16 and 25-15. Brandeis saw contributions
from every player, with Zara Platt ’19 and Emma Bartlett ’20 with seven kills each, while Jessie Moore ’18 was close behind with six kills. Platt’s all-around offensive statistics led the team; she finished with no errors in 11 attacks and a .636 hitting percentage. Moore led the Judges in points scored with nine, coming from three service aces in addition to her six kills. Marlee Nork ’19 and Leah Pearlman ’19 split time setting, logging 11 assists each. The defensive base for the Judges was Yvette Cho ’19 who led the team with nine digs, while Nork contributed eight and Moore seven. Jessica Kaufman ’17 added to the defensive effort with three blocks. The women’s volleyball team was back in action Saturday, Sept. 3 for two more games in the 2016 Brandeis Invitational. The Judges played Rhode Island College and Wellesley, splitting the double header.
The Judges started the day with a 3-0 win against Rhode Island College, earning set scores of 2521, 25-16 and 25-17. The Judges offered another balanced performance with six players contributing between five and eights kills, with Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19, Platt and Bartlett leading the team with eight kills each. Pearlman and Nork split the game again in setting, Pearlman earning 20 assists in her fifth career match, while Nork contributed 16 assists. Grace Krumpack ’19 gave the Judges an added edge with three service aces. As a team the Judges accumulated a total hitting average of .229. The Judges put up a solid defensive effort as Krumpack had a high of 12 digs for the game. Cho was the libero for the game against RIC with 11 digs. The Judges finished the invitational with a 3-1 loss against Wellesley to end with a 2-1 record for the start of the season.
The Judges lost the first set and came back in the second with a 25-15 win over Wellesley, but lost in the next two sets to complete the game.The final set which sealed the deal for the Judges saw Brandeis fall behind 10-0 before coming back within four points. Krumpack contributed a solid effort despite the loss, with her third career double-double. Krumpack logged 11 kills and 11 digs. Bartlett was not far behind with seven kills, while Decker-Jacoby registered five. The rest of the team made up the 10 remaining kills. Nork set for the game, with 15 assists and three service aces. The libero, Cho, recorded 14 digs for a personal season high. Cho’s outstanding performance, exhibited by her 34 digs and five service aces over three games during the tournament, earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team.
#9 Brandeis men’s soccer outscores #6 Haverford By Zach Cihlar staff
Brandeis men’s soccer kicked off their season hosting the Brandeis Invitational this weekend. The Judges faced off against two teams, John Carroll University, located in Cleveland, OH, and Haverford College, hailing from the Pennsylvania town of their namesake. Brandeis earned both wins over the weekend and begins their season with a 2-0 record. “I think we have a really strong and talented team, but I am most impressed with the heart that the boys showed this weekend,” captain Kyle Robinson ’17 said of the team he leads. The Judges first took on John Carroll on Saturday, Sept. 3, ending in a 3-1 win over the visiting team. Captain Josh Ocel ’17 contributed to all three goals in the game, scoring the first off a free kick in the ninth minute of the game. The John Carroll team then
tied the game in the 33rd minute with a header off the free kick of a rookie player from their team. The tie-breaking goal came in the 51st minute off of a corner kick from Ocel, which would find the head of Patrick Flahive ’18. The final Judges goal resulted from a penalty kick after a John Carroll foul directed at Ocel in the 63rd minute. The following day found the Judges scheduled to play sixthranked Haverford College. Haverford finalized their 2015 season with an appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division 3 national tournament, concluding that season with an 18-4 record, including a win against the first ranked team at the time, Franklin & Marshall College. The Judges stole the upset win in 33rd minute. Brandon Miskin ’18 clinched the game-winning goal off an assist from captain Zach Vieira ’17 to achieve Miskin’s second career goal. The game remained tight throughout the second half, and the Brandeis defense remained strong, only allowing one shot on
goal throughout the entire half. “There were a lot of times that the team could’ve broken defensively, but we didn’t,” Robinson said. Judges goalkeeper Ben Woodhouse ’18 made four saves throughout the game to secure the team’s lead. He remained steady through an onslaught of 15 unsuccessful Haverford corner kicks. Just as the game ended, the team was already looking forward to the next game, according to Robinson, who reported that after the game, “the general mood of the team was focused on pushing forward into the season.” The win was “a great day for the program,” Robinson said, but much of the team expected the win. “It definitely gives us confidence, but we know from past experience that anything could happen, so we must stay in the now and take each game as if it is our last.” The following games find Brandeis men’s soccer on the road. The Judges faced off against Nichols College on Wednesday, Sept. 7 in Dudley, MA, a team
photo courtesy jan volk
Brandeis defeated in a 1-0 win last season. This week’s game resulted in a 4-2 win for the Judges, advancing their record to 3-0. The Judges have an upcoming away game against Babson Col-
lege, a team that tested Brandeis in the 2015 season, forcing a double overtime that would eventually result in a 1-0 win for the Judges. The game is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10.
Women’s soccer wins three straight
photo courtesy lewis glass
By Shea Decker-Jacoby staff
On Sept. 1, the Brandeis women’s soccer team faced off against
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in their season opener at home. The Judges are ranked 13th in the Division III national poll by the National Soccer Coaches Association of
American. The Judges started off strong with Sam Volpe ’19 assisting Lea McDaniel ’17 with a goal, which was the only goal in the entire game. This was McDaniel’s 11th Brandeis career goal and fifth game winning goal. It was Volpe’s first collegiate assist. The past two times the Brandeis soccer team has faced off against MIT, the games were hosted by MIT and turned out with a split record 1-1. The Judges came out strong by outshooting MIT in the first half of the game 14-5. The team’s starting goalie, Alexis Grossman ’17, saved MIT’s best shot on goal in the 80th minute, when she made a one-handed stop off the shot of engineer Allie Werner. Brandeis improves to 23-9-3 all-time against MIT and starts off their season with a 1-0 record. On Sept 4, the women’s team
took the field again in a home game against Lasell College. The Judges came out really strong and scored in the 26th minute. All-American Michaela Friedman ’17 lofted the ball in the 18 yard box as forward McDaniel outran the defenders to poke the ball in the back of the net. In the second half, Haliana Burhans ’18 crossed the ball from the right flank on a lead to midfielder Jessica Morana ’17 to blast the ball in the wide open net for her first collegiate goal. Brandeis outshot Lasell 137. Judges goalie Grossman had two stops to record for her second-straight shutout and the 13th for her career, making her the fourth goalie achieve the shutout record. Brandeis now has an 11-1 record against Lasell and has won five match-ups in a row, with four of the matches decided by one
goal. The Brandeis women’s soccer team faced Bridgewater State University and took the game 1-0. McDaniel scored the only goal of the game in the first 14 minutes. This was her third in the season, which all have been game-winning goals. Brandeis almost made the score 2-0 in the first half when Sasha Sunday ’19 was stopped by the BSU midfielder from eight yards out. The Judges had the 21-5 shot advantage along with a 15-1 advantage in corner kicks. Grossman made two saves to record her 12th save of the season. The Judges will travel to Regis College for their next game on September 8. The Judges start the season off really strong with a 3-0 record, and the jury can’t wait to see what they do next!
EDITORIALS
September 9, 2016
“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.” Editors-in-Chief Mia Edelstein Julie Landy Managing Editor Allison Plotnik Senior Copy Editor Sarah Terrazano News Editor Hannah Schuster Deputy News Editors Abigail Gardener Elianna Spitzer Arts Editor Sabrina Pond Opinions Editor Zach Phil Schwartz Features Editor Charlotte Aaron
Univ. should fully commit to diversity and inclusion efforts
A
fter spending the summer interviewing candidates for the position of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), the search committee, with the aid of the search firm Witt/Kieffer, has chosen four finalists to meet with the Brandeis community in the first three weeks of September. Brandeis students are encouraged to attend these meetings to evaluate the candidates and ask questions. Feedback will be gathered after each session to gauge the community’s opinions on each candidate. Student input is crucial and beneficial in the CDO search. Not only are student interests inherently tied to the administration’s impact on campus life, but the search for a CDO would not even have begun without student vocalization last year. Yet in the job post for the CDO on
Photo Editor Karen Caldwell Layout Editor Lisa Petrie Editors-at-Large Matt Kowalyk Emily Sorkin Smith
Volume 13 • Issue 15 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma
Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman
STAFF
Rachel Bossuk, Sharon Cai, José Castellanos, Zach Cihlar, Shea Decker-Jacoby, Amanda Ehrmann, Andrew Elmers, Zachary Gordon, Max Gould, Emma Gutman, Sophia He, Alana Hodson, Daniel Kang, Emma Kahn, Naomi Klickstein, Adam Lamper, Samantha Lauring, Monique J Menezes, Santiago Montoya, Ryan Spencer, Hannah Stewart, Lily Wageman, Michael Wang, Katarina Weessies
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.
CONNECT phone • (781) 330-0051 e-mail • eic@thebrandeishoot.com online • brandeishoot.com twitter • twitter.com/thebrandeishoot facebook • facebook.com/thebrandeishoot
ADVERTISE Advertising in The Brandeis Hoot helps spread your message to our readers across the Brandeis campus, in the Waltham community and beyond through our website. All campus organizations receive a 25 percent discount off our regular prices. We also design basic ads for campus organizations free of charge. To reserve your space in the paper, contact us by phone at (781) 330-0051 or by e-mail at ads@thebrandeishoot.com.
GIVE A HOOT, JOIN THE HOOT!
Writers, editors, photographers and graphic artists wanted to join The Brandeis Hoot, your weekly community newspaper. To learn more, send us an e-mail at join@thebrandeishoot.com, or visit our website http://brandeishoot.com/join.
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.
executive search firm Witt/Kieffer’s website, Ford Hall—the protest that opened dialogue about appointing a CDO—is not even mentioned. The students involved in Ford Hall applied the pressure to the university to make our institution more diverse and inclusive; they initiated the labor of finding a CDO and making the Brandeis campus representative of all members. But in reading any informational emails or documents about the CDO search, including the official job posting, it is easy to think that the Brandeis administration sprang into action of its own volition. The Plan for Diversity and Inclusion also requires all faculty members to attend two diversity training programs: a Title IX training and an orientation for new
faculty members. However, the three other diversity and inclusion workshops throughout the fall semester are optional for faculty and staff. In order to make the university’s diversity efforts as impactful as possible, all training sessions should be mandatory. Hiring a CDO is an extremely important step for the university’s efforts to become more representative, as are training programs to orient employees to Brandeis’ changing visions of diversity and inclusion. If the university is truly determined to be more inclusive, it should cite the labor of the Ford Hall movement rather than appropriate its ideas and mandate all employee training sessions in order to fully commit to its Plan for Diversity and Inclusion.
It’s not about you
Deputy Features Editor Albert Reiss Sports Editor Sarah Jousset
The Brandeis Hoot 7
By Naomi Klickstein staff
Across 1. Places to get a latte 6. Datum (abbr..) 10. Own 14. Bix Beiderbecke song (with “In”) 15. Ink? 16. Yeast’s yum 17. Clique 18. Certain woodwind 19. Argentine actress Espósito 20. *Back and forth 22. Foreign 23. Water at times 24. Mercury and neon 26. Items shown at a bar 29. Strike 31. Buddy 32. e.g. Bullwinkle 34. The sun and moon 37. Strawberry and apricot, perhaps 41. Nomads 42. Abbr. for geologists 43. Polynesian island 44. Seder tradition 45. Help 46. Ben Grimm’s alter ego 47. Babble 49. Joaquin Phoenix sci-fi
51. Brief expressions of gratitude 52. Mufasa’s downfall 57. Afflict 59. French geologist Jules 60. *One down under 65. Ellie Mae ticker symbol 66. “Just about” 67. Dawdle 68. Sheltered 69. Bathtub company 70. Snail alternative? 71. Certain wines 72. Like some canines 73. Daughter of King Acrisius Down 1. Li’l Abner creator Al 2. Singer-songwriter Tori 3. Sink a line 4. French assignment 5. Bad odors 6. Important sign 7. Where you can find 24-across 8. Coral island 9. Repeated, a fly 10. *Word of celebration 11. “Encore!” 12. Type of key 13. Some Irish girls? 21. “It’s Always Sunny” character 22. Celebrity Reddit outlet 25. Short releases 26. Abbr. indicating integrity 27. Despair’s partner 28. Lizard branded drink 30. Human incubator
33. *Movie snacks 35. Whiskey variety 36. Rubber ducky locale 38. Friend in Israel 39. Repeated twice, Billy Idol song 40. Droops 43. Layered 45. Honest prez. 48. Chimp or gorilla 50. Word with dog or wig 52. “_____ Madness, “ long running play 53. Word on Spanish clothing, perhaps 54. Was in pain 55. “Donnie _____” 56. Massachusetts county 58. Not a priest 61. Loyalist 62. Afghanistan neighbor 63. Diva’s solo 64. Deaf activist DiMarco 66. Bozo
8 The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS, ETC.
September 9, 2016
24-Hour Musical shows there is more to performance than quality By Adam Lamper staff
As perhaps the most anticipated event for first-years, transfer students and returning students alike, Brandeis’ annual 24-Hour Musical remains one of the university’s most fun-filled performances for its 12th year running. As many students had predicted, although it was not revealed until 8 p.m. the day prior to the performance (hence 24-Hour Musical), this year’s theme was the pop sensation, modern-day “Grease” knockoff, “High School Musical.” Adapted from the movie of the same name, the play had a few key differences (albeit minor ones) from the version many of us know verse-for-verse. Even so, it still felt as if you were a kid again watching it for the first time, or rather that you were watching the actors perform it for the first time. Aside from the wave of nostalgia, however, this performance was unpolished—but then again is that not the point? Likely designed as a means to introduce first-years to Brandeis’ theater culture, as they make up the majority of the cast, 24-Hour Musical introduces the idea that the quality of the final production always comes second to having a good time with a supportive community. Though the performance lacked seriousness and professionalism, as is expected given only one day to rehearse, the over 180 volunteers and actors that contributed to the project show that there’s more to performing than the audiences’ perception of its quality. Unlike most forms of comedy (although the plays, as written, are not considered under this genre), the humor of the 24-Hour Musical lies not in the witty lines of the playwright, but rather in the faults of the actors, technical and stage-related issues and other unforeseen problems that arise. Though not everyone’s type of humor, it is painfully clear that more people express interest in the event than there is room. Due to the limited seating within the SCC Theater and the inadequate accommodations provided in the atrium, this problem remains evident each and every year. As of this performance, it is still necessary to arrive at the ticketline between 45 minutes to an hour before they go on sale to secure a seat within the theater itself, and another 45 minutes before the house opens just to get a seat that is not on the floor or stairs of the theater. The accommodations for those who did not receive tickets are in for an even worse fate, as there is only enough seating for a small classroom’s worth of peo-
photos by adam lamper/the hoot
ple, there is poor audio, and to top it all off the screen is no larger than a typical flag. If a wider reach for the program is wanted, it is imperative that these accommodation issues are addressed in future productions. Though usually focused on poor acting performances, there were a few surprises in the halfway-decent turnout of many aspects of the play, most notably the coordinated choreography of Rachael Schindler ’19 and Keturah Walk-
er ’18. From a musical perspective, one star, playing the role of everyone’s favorite mathlete Gabriella Montez, managed to steal the show with her enchanting vocals and unexpected professionalism. Karina Wen ’20 wowed the audience not just intermittently with each song as Gabriella, but continued to portray the character in a manner more consistent with weeks of rehearsal. In terms of acting, there were two actors other than Wen who truly imbued
the spirit of their character, likely because of the over-emotive personalities of their characters in the movie. Caroline Kriesen ’20 (Sharpay) and Julia Brown ’19 (Ms. Darbus) most definitely stole the show with their overthe-top, exciting and hilarious stage presence. All in all the performance, despite its inconveniences, was amazing for those who actually got tickets, and presumably exponentially more fun to those who actually got to perform in the play.
This couldn’t have been possible without president and producer, Gabby Lamm ’17, whose welcoming introduction highlighted all the effort that went into this production, and whose own efforts made this performance possible. Though it will be taken over by a successor next year, it is still certain that 2017’s performance will contain just as many laughs and will be the best way to kick off the 2016-17 theater season right.
September 9, 2016
ARTS 9
The Brandeis Hoot
The Keys to feeling comfortable in your own own skin By Angela Mendez staff
What started off as a metaphor has now grown to be a truly powerful movement embraced by many. Alicia Keys’ #nomakeup movement has sparked important conversations about societal beauty standards and the obligation people feel to uphold these standards. This movement has inspired numerous people to not only have pride in their natural beauty but also in who they are as people. It all began a few months ago when Alicia Keys was having a photo-shoot for her new album cover. Her photographer Paola exclaimed, “I have to shoot you right now, like this! The music is raw and real, and these photos have to be too!” Keys automatically felt shocked and insecure.
photo from metro.co.uk
She was not “photo-shoot ready.” Paola ignored her insecurity and started to take pictures. As time progressed, Keys stated, “A
bunch of invisible magic [started] circulating. And I swear it is the strongest, most empowered, most free and most honestly beautiful
photo from glamour.com
photo from makers.com
that I have ever felt.” She later realized that she does not “want to cover up anymore.” Keys wants to be as real and transparent as she can be. For many people, this is absolutely terrifying and nerve-wracking. What if society does not accept you? What if your personality is rejected and considered “abnormal”? Questions such as these are the main reasons why so many people are insecure and hide behind masks, appearances and personalities that are simply not them. Keys’ realness and defiance of societal norms of beauty are simply phenomenal and admirable. Alicia Keys is now nationally inspiring others in her #nomakeup campaign movement. Women and men of all ages are embracing this ideology and are posting selfies on Instagram without makeup. They hold pride in their natural beauty and who they are as peo-
ple. Although Keys’ commitment to no makeup has been going on for quite a while, her movement has recently begun to grow and gain national attention. This was aided by her silent but powerful statement when she went to MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs) without an ounce of makeup. Alongside other famous celebrities who most likely spent hours on hair and makeup, Keys’ lack of makeup was a decision that did not go ignored. Many people questioned her choice and even criticized her, but the majority supported Keys’ bold and self-empowering decision. Her actions exceed that of her own personhood, positively impacting people across the nation who look to pop culture for inspiration.
photo from hellobeautiful.com
Pine and Foster saddle up in American Western ‘Hell or High Water’ By Zachary Sosland special to the hoot
“Hell or High Water” is a modern American western starring Chris Pine and Ben Foster as Texan brothers who decide to rob the banks that are trying to take their family’s ranch while a near-retired policeman (Jeff Bridges) and his Native-American partner (Gil Birmingham) track them down. Many film fans such as myself consider this summer to be quite a disappointing one in terms of the big blockbusters such as “Jason Bourne” and “Suicide Squad,” compared to the smaller films such as “Captain Fantastic” and “Don’t Breathe”—most of which
its detailed rural landscapes and is one of, if not the best, looking films I’ve seen this year. In fact, the scenes where the main characters are on the road and only music is playing in the background go together like peanut butter and jelly. Speaking of which, I appreciated the use of country music despite not being a huge fan of the genre, as well as Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s notably southern score. Similarly, the performances were stunning. Pine and Foster have excellent on-screen chemistry, and both actors truly become their characters. Although I haven’t seen much of Pine’s work outside of his “Star Trek” movies, his performance
photo from wideopencountry.com
are receiving positive feedback from critics and film fans alike— and I would like to say that we can add “Hell or High Water” to the latter bunch. First off, the film works on a technical level. While not as visually stunning as, say, “Drive,” the lighting and cinematography of “Hell or High Water” brings out
as the film’s cautious younger brother is the best one I’ve seen so far. Additionally, I’ve seen even less of Foster’s work, and I can happily say that he delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as the crazy older brother of Pine’s character that will go down as one to remember. Jeff Bridges is also terrific as the old, wise-cracking
photo from kpbs.org
Texas Ranger, which I can also consider Oscar-worthy, sharing some well-written back-andforth between his polar-opposite partner, Gil Birmingham, who appeared in various televisions shows such as “House of Cards” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” before appearing in “Hell or High Water.” Finally, the film is remarkably directed. Those who are looking for a fast-paced popcorn flick will have to look somewhere else because this film takes its time in developing both the characters and the world, so that when the stakes got higher I was on the edge of my seat. This is all thanks to the excellent direction of David Mackenzie, and I’m sure that people will search into his previous films after seeing this one. “Hell or High Water” includes several themes and messages about gray morality that are excellently implied in its last 30 or so minutes and give the viewers some food for thought that will last them long after they leave the theater. Overall, I’m happy to say that this film transitions us out of the
lackluster summer movie season and into the promising fall season. From the technicality to the performances to the direction, I’m hopeful that “Hell or High Water” will gain more momentum as this
year’s award season nears closer and closer, but only time will tell whether that actually happens. Anyone who either plans on seeing this film or lives near a theater showing it will not regret their decision to do so.
photo from theplaylist.net
10 ARTS
September 9, 2016
CAST minor harnesses the full range of human capacity
By Santiago Montoya staff
When it comes to narrowing down majors and minors, Brandeis University offers a variety of options. Some of them are uniquely designed here at Brandeis, such as the HSSP program (Health: Science, Society and Policy) or minors such as Peace, Conflict and Coexistence Studies and Social Justice and Social Policy. The Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation (CAST) minor is no different. According to the Brandeis website, CAST is in the “[B]orderland between human suffering and human possibility.” The minor seeks to engage students in the “exploration of the stories, the people, the actions and the artworks that animate the boundary.” In other words, students deal with theory and practice through the distinct forms within the arts, such as music, theater, visual arts, literature, storytelling, architecture, conceptual art and folk expressions. And it becomes a synthesis, combining the arts with social change. Students minoring in CAST
learn different theories of change that link creative engagement with strategic thinking. Furthermore, the students gain insight on how movements for economic, racial, gender and environmental justice, in addition to finding new ways to transform violent conflict, can all be done incorporating the arts and cultural work. And because art is a universal language, this can apply anywhere in the world. To minor in CAST, students must take the core course, Introduction to Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation. They then take four additional courses that include one in the humanities, social sciences and creative arts. In the end, students must also have a capstone experience. Beyond academics, the CAST department is highly involved on campus. Last September, there was a series of events that marked the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was called, Now as Then: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest. This included events such as a songwriting workshop led by Jane Sapp, a joint presentation
about the history of voting rights since 1965 and a performance of the play “Selma ’65.” During Brandeis’ annual ’DEIS Impact, there was a CAST-sponsored performance by Germaine Ingram called “Freedom Underfoot” with original songs and dances that she combined with text from slave narratives, diaries, women’s autobiographies and letters. The performance was about the final year of the Civil War in Atlanta, GA. Jennifer Largaespada ’17, the undergraduate assistant for CAST, said that there are several exciting events coming up this year. The distinguished African American cultural worker and pianist Jane Sapp will be in residency at Brandeis from Sept. 12 to Nov. 18. LaShawn Simmons ’18 will be co-hosting a series of salons “where they will invite members of the Brandeis community to share creative works and engage in dialogues about how art can contribute social change.” On Thursday, Sept. 29, Daniel Bryan, the resident director of Rehearsing Change: Empower-
photo from brandeis.edu
photo from musicunitesus.info
ing Locally, Educating Globally (based in Ecuador), and students from American and Brown Universities will present “short Theater for Social Change pieces developed with their counterparts in the Amazon and Quito,” according to Bryan. These performances will address racism, symbolic and systemic gender violence and “the tension between cultural identity and natural resources extraction.” Bryan will also lead a Theater for Social Change workshop following the performances. During mid-autumn, from Oct. 13 to Nov. 16, a Turkish administrator from Istanbul, Eylem Erturk, and a CEC ArtsLink Fellow will also be in residence at Brandeis, hosted by the program in Peacebuilding and the Arts and the Rose Art Museum. “She is an impassioned and alienated arts manager whose primary focus is on programs that use artistic production in visual arts and multimedia to bolster cultural diversity, and broaden cultural rights, participation and dialogue,” Largaespada said. During Erturk’s time at Brandeis, she will participate in classes, sa-
lons and programs of the CAST minor, as well as events at the Rose. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Erturk, will present her current program, titled “BAK: Revealing the City through Memory.” Finally, on Tuesday, Nov. 8, the intro course of CAST will collaborate with the Rose, “conducting a Design Lab that will bring students, faculty, and relevant outside partners into conversation about how to begin addressing the challenges of cultural heritage preservation in Aleppo, Syria.” When asked what would she tell somebody who is thinking about pursuing a CAST minor, Largaespada said, “A minor in CAST is perfect for anyone who feels as though the most pressing global challenges of our time, whether that be climate change or widening social inequality, need responses that harness the full range of our human capacity. By appealing directly to our senses and guiding us into new ways of seeing, the arts are uniquely positioned to encourage us to imagine a range of possibilities that would otherwise be obscured. Become part of the exploration!”
photo from brandeis.edu
Co-founders revive Brandeis’ love for sauerkraut and lederhosen
By Brianna Cummings staff
Brandeis has over 200 clubs, ranging from archery to debate, but one that people may not be aware of is German Club. German Club is a student group dedicated to promoting awareness about German culture. The club was recently founded by seniors Kristen Foaksman and Gilberto Calderin in the fall of 2015. Foaksman and Calderin have known each other since their first year and have bonded over their goal to create German Club. “We met through our OL group. That is when we realized that we
were both interested in German culture,” said Foaksman, the German Club’s president. Although it sounds interesting, German Club is not a novel idea. Brandeis has had a German Club that existed for years before becoming dormant in the past few years. “There was a German Club but it phased out, so we decided to revive it,” said Calderin, the publicist. “It was easier to bring back an already existing club, rather than create a new one. In order to take part in German Club, one does not have to be German or even take German courses; they just have to be
open to learning about German culture.” Both of the co-founders have a deep love of German culture. Calderin recently studied abroad in Germany’s capital city, Berlin. In addition to studying the city’s history and the rise and fall of the Berlin wall, Calderin also studied minorities in Berlin. Calderin says he would love to discuss this topic within the club. “I am interested in helping debunk German stereotypes. I also would like to talk about the role Germany plays in the European economy and the situation in Germany with the refugee crisis,” said Calderin. Kristen says her interest in
photo from inspiredluxuryescapes.com
photo courtesy kristen foaksman
German developed long before coming to Brandeis. “My mom is German but I also just find the language interesting. I find language interesting in general,” said Foaksman, who is a Linguistics major. The club does not have a weekly schedule set in place, but the E-board will schedule meetings once or twice a month. Each meeting will be dedicated to teaching students about German culture. “We are planning a cooking night and a movie night, and educating people on German culture by showing movies and baking German goods,” said Foaksman. “We want people to enjoy the German way of life without leaving campus.” However, the German Club
does have an event planned that will take place off-campus. In honor of Oktoberfest, the German Club plans on attending an annual Oktoberfest event in Cambridge in early October. Buses will take students to and from the event. German Club is always open to new members and is very receptive to new ideas. “We have open positions for our E-board,” said Calderin. “We have a lot of big plans, including crossovers with other clubs,” said Foaksman, who is also the president of Russian Club. If students are interested, they can follow the club’s Facebook page or contact either of the co-founders about involvement in the club.
September 9, 2016
The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS
11
De La Soul attempts to make long lasting music with new album By Sanin Dosa
special to the hoot
Twelve years after the release of their last album, De La Soul has managed to reach the top of the rap billboard with the killer beats from their new album, “and the Anonymous Nobody.” Released on Aug. 26, the album was funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised over half a million dollars. Nowadays, it is not too common to hear music from a trio in the rap/hip-hop world. Though they originated from a different era in hip hop, the 1980s and 1990s, De La Soul is an amazing trio that still exists today. You might recognize them from the song “Me, Myself, and I” in which they rap to a sample of “(Not Just) Knee Deep” by Funkadelic. What mark are they trying to
make in the music world today? With their new album, it seems that they attempt to improve their quality of music with each successive album. All throughout this album the master emcees and DJ that make up the group (Posdnuos,Trugoy the Dove and Pasemaster Mase) present meaningful and poetic lyrics. The group tells stories describing what pain is, their experiences with love and other interactions with women, the problems with today’s youth and more. One of the most interesting components of this album is that some of the songs don’t sound like they are sung. If you listen closely, they sound more like poems that are recited over an instrumental background. This allows for the exquisite wordplay that De La Soul are known to provide. The album features a handful
of well-known artists, such as Estelle, Snoop Dogg, 2 Chainz, Usher, Damon Albarn from Gorillaz and Little Dragon. The featured artists add diversity of sound to the album, which is very different from their other work because it is not strictly rap. In contrast to past albums, this one showcases R&B, rock and alternative rhythms infused with rap. The album was not intended to top all the other albums that have come out recently. As presented in the album, De La Soul view the new music artists are producing today negatively. Based on the content in their songs and skits or interludes, De La Soul wants to inspire artists of all genres to challenge themselves and start producing material that is long lasting. The first track, “Genesis,” talks about love and when we love things the most. Here, the group
photo from thedailybeast.com
By Ben Benson
photo from wearedelasoul.com
may be making a reference to the poor quality of music that is released today and that people shouldn’t lose their love for music because of it. “Genesis” also features a female artist, Jill Scott. To open the album with a female singer was a great choice. Scott does the amazing job of providing a soothing tone that fits with this track. The tone presented is one of a mother explaining to her son when one should start loving someone or something. In the
last skit “You Go Dave” someone named Dave Goldbatt thanks De La Soul for giving him good music, something he had not been able to find. The last song, “Exodus,” is the most important of all. Toward the end, the group explains their motive for this album. They describe themselves not as the heroes who save music but as people who contribute to the inspiration of producing music that is more creative, challenging and that has longevity.
All staff encouraged to submit to JustArts
special to the hoot
With the hopes of getting a glimpse into the minds of Brandeis faculty and staff, the JustArts exhibition is currently seeking submissions for the fall 2016 show. Founded by Acting Director of the Office of the Arts Ingrid Schorr in 2009, the biannual exhibit welcomes all forms of art. “Some of the highlights have been unexpected forms of art like comic books, an embroidered chuppah, a model ‘art car,’ handmade glass,” Schorr said. She looks forward to seeing what the Brandeis community thinks about in their spare time and how they interpret it artistically. Past submissions in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 shows have included paintings, photography, jewelry, textile, drawings and videos. Schorr chose to display the pieces in Dreitzer Gallery in Sp-
photo from brandeis.edu
ingold Theater because “it’s the largest exhibition space on campus except for the Rose, which shows only work by professional artists.” Planning for the exhibit began over the summer with a call to artists, budgetary work, social media and planning the opening
reception. It takes the planning committee, which includes staff from Library and Technology Services (LTS), the Office of Communications, the Department of Fine Arts and the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences about four months to put JustArts together.
Past participants in the exhibition have included staff from LTS, the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, athletics, enrollment, the National Center for Jewish Film, as well as academic departments like theater arts, psychology and biology, with the largest cohorts from
LTS and biology. Because the arts faculty often exhibits their work at a professional level, they tend not to submit entries to JustArts. Schorr said she hopes to receive entries from facilities and dining services staff this year since those departments have been underrepresented in previous JustArts exhibitions. 2014’s JustArts included paintings by theater professor Susan Dibble, who created her art alongside her production, “Shoes On, Shoes Off,” performed at Brandeis last semester. Also featured were paintings of pueblo pottery by psychology professor Mick Watson and photography by Hiatt Career Center Marketing Director Monika Bach Schroeder. The application deadline for JustArts 2016 is Wednesday, Oct. 5. Submissions must be original work, preferably created within the past five years. Applicants may submit up to five works in any media.
comic by l. a. bonte
12 The Brandeis Hoot
OPINIONS
LTS surpasses previous expectations
photo from pcworld.org
By Kevin Healey
special to the hoot
While waiting on help for a laptop issue this week at the technology help desk, I was reminded of my past interactions with technological help here at Brandeis. Two years ago, I wrote an opinion piece for The Brandeis Hoot about my experience working with Library and Technology (LTS) services to fix a technical issue I had been experiencing and the help (or lack thereof ) they offered me. At the time, I felt that LTS was doing a poor job of responding to student needs, and that their customer service was a major roadblock for students to access electronic resources, especially those who had less experience
with technology in the past. I remembered swearing off ever going to the technology help desk and declaring that I would solve every problem I had on my own (which sounded great two years ago, but a tad hyperbolic last week when I couldn’t access any of my assignments). The help I received last week, however, left my opinion of LTS significantly changed, and I feel the need to revise my comments from two years ago. To preface any comments about LTS, I need to first acknowledge my general lack of technological skills; while I’m competent editing word documents or performing other computer-based tasks, I don’t have the knowledge necessary to solve many computer issues
on my own. As such, I can only speak from the experience of an average computer user asking for advice in a realm outside my expertise. However, I think this is an important perspective to keep in mind, given how many students at Brandeis don’t possess advanced computer skills. While I’ve been lucky to have access to electronic devices for most of my adolescence, the rate of access to a computer is far higher among upper socioeconomic classes. Due to historic injustices, this also creates racial barriers to technological access. If we, as a community, claim to care about social justice and inclusion, we thus cannot assume that students will all have the technological skills we might expect are common among millennials today. In fact, there are likely many students on campus who have weaker computer skills than I do and are more likely to depend on resources like the technology help desk for assistance. As such, I wanted to share my story as an update to my earlier comments about the help desk and its impacts on our campus community. In contrast to my prior visit, the story of my most recent trip to the technology help desk was pretty dull. I was See LTS, page 14
September 9, 2016
Stop pressuring first-years into overextension
photo from printingreviewed.co.uk
By José A. Castellanos columnist
It’s a cycle seen every year without fail at Brandeis: First-years come to campus and are almost immediately bombarded from all sides by hundreds of fliers and Facebook posts advertising the different merits of joining the debate team, the crew team or the Wine and Cheese Club, on top of all the organizations promoting the various majors and courses of study available at Brandeis. This is most evident at the biannual Activities Fair, where a student who just wants to join an a cappella group suddenly finds themselves signed onto the listserv of 38 distinct clubs. As a result, it is not uncommon for the first-year
class to begin overloading itself with both academic pursuits and campus organizations. This is, in part, due to expectation. One of the dead horses that is most often beat is the joke that Brandeis students are somehow incapable of simply taking on a single major. Everyone double or triple majors, and probably has various minors as well. Overall, this expectation can be detrimental, as first-years may feel as if they are somehow inferior to their peers if they do not commit themselves to everything in sight or if they don’t take on five or six classes every semester. Simply put, there is too much pressure put on the first-year class, which See OVEREXTENSION, page 14
Reduced-cost emergency contraception should be available to students on weekends By Katarina Weessies columnist
Content Warning: Sexual assault and its psychological effects are discussed in this article. In America, women’s and reproductive health is in an uncertain state. Abortion clinics close and reopen without warning, birth control prices shift rapidly and sex education is at best problematic and at worst nonexistent. Fortunately, Brandeis provides a safe haven from most threats to reproductive health. Free condoms are regularly given out at events and birth control is extremely cheap or free on Brandeis health insurance plans. Groups like SSIS provide sex positive education and advice to people of all genders and sexual orientations. That being said, Brandeis’ protections for reproductive health are not perfect. Brandeis’ Health Center provides Plan B Emergency Contraception, or the “morning after” pill, to students at a reduced cost. This is fantastic, considering the fact that over-the-counter Plan B can cost up to $55, which is five hours’ worth of wages from most on-campus jobs. The issue is that the reduced-cost Plan B is only available during the Health Center’s business hours. Most
Brandeis students know that the Health Center’s 9-6, Monday through Friday business hours can be frustrating for students with a full class schedule. However, students usually find ways to pick up their prescriptions or make doctor’s appointments without too much hassle. But the morning after pill is different. To be fully effective, Plan B must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. It is at its most effective when taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. Given when parties happen, it’s safe to assume that most unprotected or unplanned sex at Brandeis happens over the weekend. This means that Brandeis students who have unprotected sex (or whose birth control fails) have to wait until the next Monday to receive Plan B at an affordable cost. For students who have unprotected sex on Friday, this comes very close to the 72 hour mark. Even though Plan B taken on Monday will most likely stop an unplanned pregnancy, the sheer anxiety of having to wait to take the pill will probably cause many Brandeis students to shell out the $55 for the drug store version, if they have the money on hand. When discussing emergency contraception, especially in a university setting, it is essential to acknowledge the significant pos-
photo from bustle.com
sibility of sexual assault. Plan B is a very common means by which rape survivors avoid unplanned pregnancy. Receiving medical and mental health treatment as a sexual assault survivor is almost always incredibly stressful and traumatic. Forcing sexual assault survivors to either wait to take the morning after pill or pay a ridiculous price for it adds to that stress. Lack of access to affordable emergency contraception causes rape survivors to face the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy
for an extended and unnecessary period of time. Providing a means by which rape victims can receive Plan B shortly after their assault helps ease some of the stress and trauma of sexual assault. Especially when Brandeis students are raped by other students or assaulted on the Brandeis campus, the school has a moral responsibility to make their treatment and recovery as easy as possible. In Massachusetts, Plan B is available over-the-counter. The ease of access to full price Plan
B makes it feasible for Brandeis to solve its imperfect emergency contraception system. It might be possible for an office or organization besides the Health Center to provide it on weekends. If that isn’t doable, Brandeis could provide financial compensation to students who buy full price Plan B at the drugstore. Either of these options would greatly ease the distress of Brandeis students who are sexually assaulted, have unprotected sex or whose birth control fails.
September 9, 2016
The Brandeis Hoot
OPINIONS
13
Additional microwaves would increase lunchtime quality of life By Mia Edelstein editor
Any weekday around noon, Usdan is filled with lines. Lines for Lower, Currito, the Deli wind through Usdan, but there is one less conspicuous though still irritating line—that for the microwave. Toward the back of Upper is a microwave used by students who make their own meals but still want to eat in a common dining area or simply want food that isn’t cold. At peak meal times, particularly during lunch, the line is many people deep and we patiently wait just to heat up our food. Adding another microwave would drastically improve the situation. There are so many reasons why students make their own meals, and because many of them can be attributed to university policies, we should hold Brandeis accountable and ask for another microwave to alleviate wait times that their policies have essentially created. Each year, more people are forced to move off campus because of the growing class sizes and the stagnant number of residence halls. Additionally, there are the people who move off campus because campus housing is expensive and only getting more costly each year. With expensive meals plans being mandatory for all on-campus residents regardless of whether their housing op-
tion has a kitchen, students are also moving off campus specifically to avoid having to purchase a meal plan. And then there’s the entire segment of upperclassmen that prepares their lunches in campus suites that have kitchens. This large and growing portion of students cooks most if not all of their meals. This year, as Brandeis has made significant cuts in dining hours and options, making our own food has become even more appealing. So more people than ever are bringing meals to campus to heat up, yet we are still stuck with one microwave. Adding another microwave makes sense and wouldn’t be that hard. In fact, there’s a table right next to the Upper microwave that would be perfectly suited for the second microwave. Running a university is expensive, but buying a microwave isn’t, so please spare a few of our dollars for that. The university could even find one on the Free and For Sale Facebook page. In contrast to the common 70-person line for Lower, having five people waiting for the microwave doesn’t sound significant. But when you realize that the people waiting for Lower just need to be swiped in (which takes just a few seconds) while the people waiting for the microwave all need to wait, generally, a couple of minutes per person ahead of
add a second microwave
photo by candace ng/the hoot
The left table would fit another microwave perfectly and contribute to reducing wait times.
them, it does become a big deal. Add another microwave, and you cut the wait time in half for everyone. Though I may be pushing my luck, I’d also like to request the return of the microwave to the SCC. There had been one there a few years ago when Einstein’s sold microwavable meals, but it disappeared. Just because Einstein’s no
longer sells Cup Noodles doesn’t mean that students stopped having microwave needs. Because of the reading room on the first two floors and other nooks in the SCC conducive to homework, we spend long periods of time in the building, including meal times. We would appreciate being able to warm up the meals we pack in anticipation of sitting in the same
place for hours on end. Remember when President Lawrence boasted that this university is supposed to prepare us for the real world and not coddle us? Well, that’s what preparing my own food and not relying on a dining hall is, so I’d appreciate if Brandeis walks the walk and commits to wanting to prepare us for the outside world.
Restore the Oxford comma to The Brandeis Hoot By Jack Fox
special to the hoot
We invited Brandeis’ heroes, Christopher Columbus and Joseph Stalin, to our time travel party. At this point you’re probably confused. In fact, you may be thinking something like, “Wait! Those aren’t Brandeis’ heroes. We don’t like those people at all. They are bad people.” Well, you’re right. They are bad people, and the reason for your very understandable confusion is not an error in understanding on your part, or even a very disappointing mistake on the part of the party organizers. The fault lies with The Brandeis Hoot’s editors, who for some mys-
terious reason refuse to use the Oxford comma. I know that it might seem a little snobbish to quibble about grammar, but this isn’t as meaningless as a dangling participle or whatever pointless syntactical rule your second grade teacher bribed you into memorizing. The Oxford comma, which is a comma added before the word ‘and’ at the end of a list, is technically optional but pragmatically critical. In the previous example, an Oxford comma would have made it clear that “Brandeis’ heroes” are a separate category from Christopher Columbus and Joseph Stalin, rather than leaving it unclear whether Columbus and Uncle Joe are just people who happened to be invited along with our heroes.
There are a few well-known historical blunders related to this seemingly minor issue. Sky News, a popular news outlet, committed a rather amusing gaffe in 2013 by tweeting the following headlines in a single sentence: “World leaders at Mandela tribute, Obama-Castro handshake and same-sex marriage date set.” Are Barack Obama and Fidel Castro getting married? Is this because of their handshake? Just how good was this mysterious handshake? The people may never know. The Times, another popular purveyor of news, is quoted in one of its issues as containing the sentences, “By train, plane and sedan chair, Peter Ustinov retraces a journey made by Mark Twain a century ago. The highlights of his glob-
al tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a dildo collector.” I am certain that no one intended to describe Nelson Mandela as a dildo collector, but what is the average reader to do when confronted with such a sentence but fall into hysterics? Among those who think about this kind of thing for a living, the ruling has always been clear. The Chicago Manual of Style is quite firm on its position that the Oxford comma is necessary, and it is difficult to find a more definitive ruleset for writing than that. Their chosen example, “She took a photo of her parents, the president and the vice president,” is a more sensible sample of just how the lack of an Oxford comma can
confuse readers. I’d love to put in a corrected version that includes the Oxford comma for clarity, but unfortunately The Hoot’s policy is to remove all Oxford commas without exception. The fact that most of these examples are silly is, ultimately, irrelevant—all that really matters is that every newspaper has a solemn responsibility to provide clarity to its readers. The Hoot is no exception to that rule. At this point its refusal to use the Oxford comma just seems foolish, and so I call on both our readers and The Hoot’s editors to change their minds and restore this grammatical lynchpin to its proper place in our newspapers.
Unhelpful renovations keep East windows closed
By Sarah Terrazano editor
It is said that when a door closes, a window opens. Unless you live in East. Due to renovations made over the summer, a large number of the windows in East dorms can no longer be opened by the students living there. Moving into my Hassenfeld residence hall a few weeks ago, I was shocked to discover that even though my room had a wide window overlooking the quad, it could not be opened. The window spans the entire wall, but it is not possible to open any part of it. The only option to circulate outside air into the room is through a lower pseudo-window, a panel below the real window
that swings forward a few inches to reveal an old screen. I say panel because it is not actually glass, so you can’t see through it, but it has a screen behind it. The East windows were “renovated” over the summer because there have been problems in the past with screens falling out of windows. But instead of installing better screens, the windows were just replaced without screens so that this issue would never occur again. The first problem is that these lower screened panels barely open and let any air into the room. They swing open horizontally, already a poor angle for circulation because the air just hits the inside of the opened panel. And, at least in the singles, they cannot open far before hitting a desk or headboard.
The new windows have made living in East almost unbearable for these first few, very warm weeks. With temperatures reaching upwards of 90 degrees outside, it is even hotter inside residence halls. In small rooms with the doors closed all day, the heat is trapped inside and makes the dorms feel like a sauna. And since the windows do not open, there is little chance to let air into the room to help cool it off, as the screened panels provide minimal circulation. Fans are helpful but oftentimes they simply blow around the same stuffy air. It is a terrible feeling to want to purposely stay out somewhere on campus later than you’d prefer because you dread the thought of going back to an overheated room. After a long day, a dorm
should be a place to relax and feel comfortable. But when putting the fan on the highest setting and drinking cold water still leaves you sweating while just sitting in a desk chair, there is little motivation to spend any unnecessary time in your room. On especially hot nights, even sleeping in a dorm room is stifling. It seems that the Department of Community Living now has other priorities for East dorms. All East residents recently received an email from DCL that bathroom signs throughout the quad are being moved and/or stolen, and that while all the signs are being replaced now, students will be charged for the damages if the problem continues. While this is an important issue, it is frustrating that students were immedi-
ately threatened to be billed for moving bathroom signs when our safety was not wholly considered in the window renovations. In terms of student safety, preventing the windows from opening is not an improvement. Perhaps in the winter, the new windows will prevent cold drafts, keeping rooms warm and heating costs lower. But in the hot summer weather, a lack of window screens in easily-overheated rooms is an unsafe measure for students. The best-case scenario would, of course, be air conditioning. This is unlikely perhaps due to high expenses or the age of the building. So if the next best option is opening a window to cool off a room, all dorms should have functioning windows.
14 OPINIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
September 9, 2016
LTS moving in right direction LTS, from page 12
having wifi connection issues, the worker took my laptop, pressed a few buttons, changed a few settings and fixed it (see, I told you I’m not exactly great at troubleshooting). And to be honest, I was incredibly happy how dull my meeting was. Anyone working in customer service knows that some jobs are just never going to be happy—from waiting in line at the DMV to being on hold with your bank, there are some things you never have to do unless something in your life has gone wrong. The technology help desk is much the same way, as they only see people
with broken or malfunctioning electronic devices; while some laptops can be fixed, some just can’t. The ideal, then, shouldn’t be to make the technology help desk a hip and happening party, but to instead minimize any anxiety that students might feel. In that regard, my visit to the help desk was perfect: short and to the point, while remaining friendly as well. I felt comfortable sharing my problems and was certain that, if possible, they would be fixed. Two years ago, I declared that “I [was] certainly unwilling to head to the help desk if I [thought] I [could] figure” out my computer problems on my own. As it turns out, I couldn’t, and I’m glad that I got
the chance to publicly revise my opinion of this major part of Brandeis life. Of course, it would be irresponsible to claim that one encounter with any Brandeis department would be the same as any other, and I can’t say for certain that every student will get as strong service as I did. Some of the reforms I’ve highlighted previously, such as ensuring the university educates students about technology in addition to solving problems, have gone noticeably unsolved. Yet despite these reservations, I’m personally excited in the direction LTS has been moving in the last two years and am excited to see where they go in the two years I have left here at Brandeis.
photo from twitter.com
First-years: Relax OVEREXTENSION, from page 12
leads to a perennial overextension and overwhelming. It’s difficult for one to not submit to external forces, though. Human beings are naturally social creatures with a desire to impress others and adapt to the environment around them. hen this environment begins to overwhelm us, however, we need to tune out those external voices and influences and learn to focus primarily on a routine of self-care, rather than a habit of trying to earn the same number of degrees as your roommate, or feeling that you have to be the very best in debate club. But it is counterproductive to criticize first-years for overcommitting, as we do not always
know the circumstances that lead to this action. Rather than criticize first-years for wanting to be involved in a menagerie of activities or engage in as many academic pursuits as possible, we need to promote the idea that it is okay to take your time in figuring out what courses you want to take, or what clubs you want to be involved in. It’s uncommon for any student, even at Brandeis, to know exactly what they want to pursue before they get to campus and actually stick with that major for all four years. For example, a student who arrives with an interest in computer science may someday instead choose to study environmental studies or politics. It’s okay to not know what you want to do with your life right off the bat because that’s the purpose of the first few semesters of
college. It’s a time to understand yourself better both as an academic and as an individual, and to delve into different areas of study to figure out exactly what it is that you want to do. And as far as clubs and organizations go, I would frankly be a hypocrite if I advocated against them, because to many, such as myself, they represent an escape from the normal throes of academia, but they should never take priority over a routine of self-care. Overextension is an unfortunate side-effect of the first few semesters of college, so it’s understandable that many students may fall into it. We need to understand, however, that it can be detrimental to new students to pressure them into joining everything on campus.
club fair
Don’t read this; did you vote?
By Zach Phil Schwartz editor
On March 11, 2016, The Brandeis Hoot’s Editorial Board published an editorial titled “Don’t read this, go vote!” to pre-emptively spur more students into voting, instead of characteristically panning low turnout after the fact. According to an article in The Hoot in the following issue, “1,053 out of a total 3,610 undergraduates voted for president. By comparison, 890 students voted in the first round of last year’s spring elections.” In the first round of spring elections that took place back in March, David Herbstritt ’17 won the Student Union Presidency by two votes—479 to 477—over now-Senator Christian Nuñez ’18. Even though the 1,053 voting students represent a respectable increase in voter turnout, the article from the March 18 issue of The Hoot put turnout at a lackluster 30 percent, although the number more accurately hovers around 29 percent. In my view, this kind of turnout is simply unacceptable. When we as a student body are given the opportunity to elect representatives who, once in power, have the ability to help enact substantial change, we need to jump on that opportunity with zeal. There is too much at stake to not
vote at all, especially when all it takes is literally a minute of your time at the computer screen or on the phone in the palm of your hand. With this kind of accessibility, someone unfamiliar with Brandeis’ undergraduate voting tendencies would be astounded that barely 30 percent of a group well over 3,500 students took a minute of their time to vote. The issues with attention to the Union go far deeper. If you look at today’s elections, you’ll notice that numerous quads do not have anyone officially listed on the ballot for them, especially upperclassman quads. Mod Cat is a perennial write-in candidate for some of them, although a movement to write-in and elect the deceasedturned-meme gorilla Harambe to Ziv Quad’s senate seat has picked up steam in recent days. While we see joke candidacies time and time again, “abstain” is the most popular choice, causing elections to be recast in less politically zealous quads (at least when it comes to campus politics), which again tend to be those of the upperclassmen. The Union, campus media (including The Hoot) and many others continue on and on in attempts to show that voting is important and directly impacts each and every student, unfortunately to little or no avail. The phenomenon of people not
paying attention to the activities of their Union spurred a social experiment of mine into action. I had five friends write in my name for the Village Quad Senator election today, and I got five votes. In the Village, a quad that can house 220 students (according to DCL), 46 people voted. With this little experiment I garnered 10.87 percent of the votes. Five votes should not be able to account for over one-tenth of votes cast. It is quite apparent that people do not value what the Union does. This is where I must say that, although many believe the contrary, Brandeis’ undergraduate Student Union is extremely important. The Senate is extremely important, as is the Executive Board, the Allocations Board, the Treasury and the Judiciary. Every committee is significant, and each and every one of our elected student representatives is doing important work for you. The issues that we deal with on a daily basis are intrinsically tied to the work of the Student Union. Of much focus at the beginning of this semester has been the recent changes to campus dining hours and offerings. Many are not happy about it. I wrote about this issue and general frustration over what Brandeis Dining has been doing in last week’s issue of The Hoot, but make no mistake, the Union
photo by adam lamper/the hoot
At the annual club fair, new students can sign up for over 250 clubs.
is at least trying to make the situation better (albeit somewhat cryptically). Don’t believe me? They released a statement on September 1 to their Facebook page which said that, “This morning, Student Union leaders met with the Brandeis Sodexo team to discuss the recent campus dining changes. Student Union President David Herbstritt, Executive Communications Director Maxwell Byer, Executive Senator Hannah Brown and Class of 2019 Senator and Senate Dining Committee Chair Kate Kesselman were joined by Sodexo General Manager Andy Allen, Operations Director Stan Park, District Executive Chef David LaFleur and Dietitian Karen Jew. All sides consider the conversation to have been a productive dialogue. During the meeting, the Student Union officials shared student concerns, and the Sodexo team shared the reasoning, data and impacts of the dining changes. Maxwell Byer shared results of the independent dining survey he sent out with Jacob Edelman, the Executive Director of Academic Involvement. Led by the Senate Dining Committee, we stay committed to advocating for the needs and concerns of the student body and monitoring the state of campus dining. We look forward to future conversations with the Sodexo team on enhancing the
campus dining experience.” Please also keep in mind that this kind of information is available on the Union’s Facebook page, which has barely more than 830 likes. Out of the total of 3,610 undergraduates enrolled as of last semester, barely 23 percent of students are in the loop of the dayto-day activities of their student representatives. For comparison, that number is less than the percentage of Brandeis undergraduates that like The Hoot or The Justice on Facebook. The latter exceeds the Union in that category by over 1,000 likes. If you believe the Union is not useful, fine. If you don’t vote but are fully knowledgeable as to the functions and overall importance of our elected student organization, I don’t agree with you, but fine. If you choose not to vote because you believe that the Union does not do anything to help you or is somehow not accountable to the student body, I highly recommend that instead of ignoring the process, you run for a position and make the difference for your peers that you think the Union should be doing. Rates of voter turnout for Brandeis undergraduate elections have been unacceptable, and it’s up to you to hold both the Union and yourself accountable through participation in the process.
September 9, 2016
The Brandeis Hoot
ADVERTISEMENT 15
16 The Brandeis Hoot
THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS
24-hour musical Students enjoy themselves while producing their version of “High School Musical� in just 24 hours!
highland st. fire
photo by karen caldwell/the hoot
Students host club gathering at the ICC.
photo by lisa petrie/the hoot
photo courtesy eliana bernstein
Firefighters work hard to douse flames on Monday.
photo by lisa petrie/the hoot
pan-asian night
September 9, 2016
photo courtesy lee wilson
photo by adam lamper/the hoot