The Brandeis Hoot - 2/7/14

Volume 11 Number 4

www.thebrandeishoot.com

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

February 7, 2014

Mandelas speak on African activism Another South St. accident

By Emily Belowich Editor

Levin Ballroom was fully packed on Wednesday evening, despite a snowstorm, as the Brandeis community gathered to listen to Kweku Mandela Amuah and Ndaba Mandela, grandsons of the late Nelson Mandela, deliver the keynote address of ’DEIS Impact week. The

event was sponsored by the Ruth First Lecture series in collaboration with the African and Afro-American Studies Department. In addition to a packed room of Brandeis students, faculty and staff, other attendees included Herman Hemingway ’53, the first black man to graduate from Brandeis, and Eliza and Judy Dushku, renowned social activists who delivered last year’s keynote address.

sends 3 to hospital

The Mandela grandsons are the co-founders of the Africa Rising Foundation, an organization they cofounded with a mission to publicize a positive image of Africa around the world. Kweku Mandela Amuah is a producer, director and social entrepreneur who has undertaken various film ventures in South Af-

By Emily Belowich Editor

Three Brandeis students were hit by a car on Sunday evening and were all seriously injured while crossing South Street on their way to a Super Bowl party. All students were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center immediately thereafter.

The students, who are all undergraduates, include an 18-year-old male, an 18-year-old female and a 22-year-old female. They were all at the crosswalk by the Foster Mods when the car struck them.

The driver of the car that struck the trio, a 42-year-old man from Belmont, was heading north on South Street when the crash occurred at 6:24 p.m., according to a Feb. 2 press release from the Waltham Police Department. The report also says that the driver was not impaired or under the influence of any substances at the time of the accident. There have been no charges and the case is currently under investigation.

Waltham police report that the 18-year-old woman was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived and remained hospitalized in “serious but stable condition,” while the other two students suffered head in-

See MANDELA, page 3

Rookie smashes distance record

photo by matt brondoli/the hoot

splash First-year Joanna Murphy broke the 1,000 yd freestyle record on Feb. 1. See more photos on pages 5 and 11.

Editor

By the time Sister Helen Prejean, renowned anti-death penalty activist and New York Times bestselling author, stepped back from the podium to take questions from the 50 or so people gathered in Levin Ballroom Thursday night, she was talking to a different audience. The event, presented by the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism and 12 other cosponsors as part of this year’s ’DEIS Impact festival, began with the trailer for “Dead Man Walking,” the Oscarwinning film based on Sister Prejean’s bestseller of the same name.

Schuster Institute founder Florence Graves then took the stand to introduce “perhaps the most famous nun in the United States” before Sister Prejean herself was given the microphone. At this point the crowd of students, faculty and guests had an idea of what they were in for. Not 20 minutes before, they had all feasted on the buffet of cookies, cider and other refreshments and were chatting with each other and holding brochures for the event. When Prejean was ready for questions an hour and a half later, the emotional weight and value of her story had been fully absorbed by

Inside this issue:

the crowd. Some were crying. Others simply sat in the silence and awe.

Prejean began her presentation by speaking her admiration for Brandeis as a university centered in social justice. “You drew me here because of what Brandeis is as a university,” Prejean said, telling the crowd that she still reads the famed Justice’s work for guidance in her activism. Prejean then went into her complete story, from growing up in the privileged suburbs of New Orleans as a Sunday School teacher to the writing of “Dead Man Walking” to today. She described how she first found social activism after “waking up to the Jesus that supported justice as well as just being nice” and learning from the poor black residents of the St. Thomas projects, where she lived.

One day in St. Thomas, Prejean was approached by the head of the local prison coalition to volunteer as a pen pal to death row inmates, and she agreed. After several letters with a specific prisoner, Prejean eventually visited, and “[I] saw in his eyes that he was just a human being.” It was after this meeting that Prejean became the spiritual advisor to several more inmates, including the Sonnier brothSee DEATH PENALTY, page 2

News: Turkey cooks up a ruckus in East Page 2 Arts, Etc.: Pluralism exhibit highlights diversity Page 7 Opinion: Student artwork could be better utilized Page 15 Sports: Women’s b-ball wins back-and-forth gamePage 5 Editorial: Accident could have been prevented Page 10

See ACCIDENT, page 4

Lunar New Year

Anti-death penalty activist stuns crowd

By Jess Linde

juries and were released from the hospital that evening.

South Street was closed for a few hours on Sunday evening outside the area of the Foster Mods but reopened after emergency personnel and police assessed the scene. The Escort Safety Service was also temporarily suspended, but reopened when the streets were cleared.

In an email sent out to the Brandeis community on Feb. 3, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan advised students to take precautions in pedestrian safety on the Brandeis campus.

He referred all other questions to the Waltham Police Department.

“We urge all community members to use caution when walking, cycling and driving on or adjacent to campus,” Callahan said. “Please use the overpass above South Street whenever possible. Please activate the crosswalk lights as a warning to motorists when using the crosswalk.”

This is not the first accident that has occurred on South Street involving pedestrian injuries. In 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, students have suffered minor and major injuries from drivers who were either speeding or did not see students crossing South Street.

photo by katie chin/the hoot

dragon Students of all cultures came to Levin Ballroom Saturday evening for a Lunar New Year

celebration organized by BC3.

Six new Segal Fellows welcomed

By Dana Trismen Editor

This week, the Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program announced the 2014 recipients of the Segal Fellowship, four undergraduates and two Masters in Public Policy (MPP) students. These students will be placed in a summer internship at an organization concerned with social justice and citizen leadership, and will also

receive a $3,500 to $5,000 stipend for their efforts.

After a rigorous application process, undergraduates Alex Thomson ’15, Gabby Zilkha ’16, Ameline Limorin ’16, Andrew Nguyen ’15 and MPP Students (at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management) Molly O’Donnell and Nicole Hart have been honored with the fellowship.

Zilkha reports feeling shocked when she heard she had been select-

ed. “I actually dropped the phone…I did not believe what I was seeing. It was a really, really, really happy feeling.”

Zilkha states that when she first heard about the fellowship, she realized it would be a wonderful opportunity to engage both her major in business and her love for social justice. “I was hitting a wall with what I See SEGAL, page 4

Lunar New Year wows

Fencing teams prevail

Arts, etc.: Page 8

Sports: Page 11

BC3 welcomed the Year of the Horse with a multitude of student performances and acts celebrating Chinese New Year.

Both women’s and men’s teams, led by Mattos and Berman, score victories over area schools at Northeast Conference meet.

news

2 The Brandeis Hoot

February 7, 2014

Public officials take steps for transparency in sexual assult reporting

By Charlie Romanow Staff

Sexual assault on college campuses was a common news topic in 2013. As we enter the second month of 2014, the issue is gaining more movement and traction in the minds of students, college administrators and public officials.

The United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights received 30 complaints alleging failures in how the school handled and reported sexual violence on campus last year. An increasing number of new cases and details of currently open or past cases are being released to the public each day. There have long been student activists fighting for increased transparency for the release of sexual crime-related statistics on campus, but only recently does it seem that governmental officials are heeding the calls of victims.

A group of 39 members of Congress sent a letter to the Department of Education on Jan. 29 asking for increased transparency, an important step in preventing future sexual assaults on campuses nationwide. The bipartisan group is asking the Office for Civil Rights to release information on which colleges are under or pending investigation of alleged failures in responding to sexual misconduct, as

well as which schools have reached resolution agreements or have been fined for past misconduct. They are also asking for it to be mandatory for colleges to post records of past incidents and investigations on the schools website.

Congress additionally asks that colleges be required to conduct exit surveys with graduating seniors, to determine how many students have been sexually assaulted or harassed while at school. This survey would provide a more transparent view of the epidemic and could serve as a tool to see how many cases go unreported. Presently, only the University of Montana is required to take part in these exit surveys as a result of an investigation that found inadequate services and responses to sexual assaults, including the mistreatment and mishandling of victims by campus police.

Democratic Representative from California Jackie Speier, a leader of the group that wrote the letter, stated, “It shouldn’t be a guessing game if the Department of Education has found a history of colleges and universities failing to respond to sexual violence.”

A week before the letter was sent, President Obama announced the formation of the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. The task force will not create any new laws but will be assigned

with making recommendations and finding ways to increase transparency.

It will judge how colleges can better prevent sexual assaults and serve the student population. The group will also make sure that schools are currently complying with laws regarding the handling of sexual assault cases.

The task force has 90 days to submit proposals and recommendations.

From then on, there will be an annual review of policies, procedures and progress. Members of the task force will include the Attorney General and Secretaries of the Interior, Health and Education, among others.

Although not all sexual assault victims are female and not all perpetrators are male, the majorities are, and President Obama noted that “men have to take more responsibility; men have to intervene.” He went on to say, “I want every young man in America to feel some strong peer pressure in terms of how they are supposed to behave and treat women.”

In a more local perspective, The Boston Globe completed a review of federal statistics among 22 of the metropolitan area’s largest campuses, which revealed that reports of forcible sex offenses rose by about 40 percent between 2008 and 2012, increasing to 113. Students from Amherst College and Emerson College represent two of the 30 schools at which complaints were filed with the Department of

Wayward turkey goes viral with students, social media

Education’s Office for Civil Rights last year. Harvard University has the highest number of sexual assaults in the area, with 38 in 2012, although this increase in reported crimes may not signify an increase in crimes but only in the number reported.

S. Daniel Carter, director of the 32 National Campus Safety Initiate said, “When we see sexual assault numbers increase, that hopefully means the barriers to reporting are finally beginning to be addressed, which means you are beginning the steps to solve

photo from internet source

jackie speier Californian Democratic Represenativive

Sister Prejean moves audience to tears DEATH PENALTY, from page 1

photo from internet source

By Theresa Gaffney Editor

Kayla Newby ’16 was simply sitting in her room doing homework last Thursday evening, when all of a sudden something smashed into her window. “Our shade was down, and I couldn’t tell what had caused the glass to shatter; my first thought was that it had been a bomb or something,” Newby wrote in an email to The Hoot.

A turkey flew into the window and got himself stuck on the fifth floor of the Hassenfeld building in East Quad.

Newby ran to get her neighbor to help figure out what happened. They opened the shade to see the large bird trapped. “We saw it, [and] we both screamed, startling it so much it flapped its wings until the glass broke enough to free it from the window

and it flew away,” wrote Newby.

The turkey was able to remove himself from the window, but the damage he left called for backup. “There was a lot of broken glass on the floor and on top of the heater next to the window.

Facilities showed up probably less than 20 minutes after the call. They were very prompt. They immediately removed the larger pieces of glass and vacuumed the floor. Then they ducttaped what was left of the window so it wouldn’t break anymore, and they taped a large sheet of plexiglass up over the window,” wrote Newby.

Newby and her roommate Tiffany Mei ’16 were able to sleep in their own room that night.

The two sophomores weren’t the only ones to catch the turkey’s miscalculation. A video taken by Max Zaslove ’16 captures the turkey’s entire

the problem.”

The Boston Globe reports that 88 percent of sexual crimes in college are not formally reported, and a report by the White House estimated that one in five women will experience a sexual assault in college. These findings are startling to students and the public, who see vastly different numbers self-reported by schools. This method of identifying the issue is only a beginning step toward solving the problem.

ers, who became the subjects of her book. “Culture says that [the death penalty] is just what we do,” said Prejean. “Some people are just bad and we need to kill them to exercise our laws, which are just. But how is it that 80 percent of these bad people are executed in the 10 southern states that practiced slavery?” It was soon after the book was released that Prejean received a call from Susan Sarandon, who went on to win an Oscar for her portrayal of Prejean in the “Dead Man Walking” film, directed

by Tim Robbins.

Prejean’s most effective story was that of the father of one of the Sonnier Brothers’ victims. Prejean told the audience how she had expected him to be angry with her for challenging the

seeking of the death penalty for the men who had murdered his only son.

However, the father joined Prejean in her fight against capital punishment, as “he’d seen that killing wouldn’t change anything.” She also brought up other examples of grieving parents who had felt pressure from district attorneys and communities to seek the death penalty to somehow “prove” that they had loved their children.

She also went into the stories of prison executioners who had suffered from depression because of their jobs.

She asked the audience, “What is it when you purposefully kill a completely defenseless person?” Prejean then took several questions from visibly affected students, encouraging them to find their own causes. “You have to walk to make your path,” Prejean concluded. “I know that y’all will do that and change our world for the better.”

flight and crash. In the course of the past week, this video has gone viral.

It has been featured on popular sites such as The Huffington Post, College Humor and Reddit. Zaslove’s YouTube video of the event has 322,790 views—a count that skyrocketed so high in the first few hours after being posted that YouTube couldn’t even give an exact number of views. Other accounts have re-posted the same video, but have not gotten nearly as many views. The closest competitor counts in at a little over 6,000 views, by an account called “wowie.”

Residents of East Quad stepped outside frequently to see the damage done to the window throughout the following days. While the real turkey was gone, the girls made a paper cutout of a turkey to stick on the window in its place. photo from internet source

February 7, 2014

Illuminating homelessness stereotypes

By Tzlil Levy

Special to the Hoot

On Monday, Feb. 3, Tatjana Meschede, senior lecturer at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, contributed her knowledge and experience of homelessness in the conference titled, “A Focus on Homelessness in Local Communities” for ’DEIS Impact.

Members of Habitat for Humanity and Hunger and Homelessness, active clubs under the Waltham Group, held the conference. Meschede prepared a presentation regarding the pressing concerns of homelessness.

Following, Meschede answered questions from the audience and then the audience broke into groups to explore the different misconceptions and stereotypes that surround homeless people, while groups discussed ways to get involved in their communities to help combat homelessness.

Three main concerns were found to be associated with homelessness.

The first focus inquired into why there are homeless people. The second aspect defined who they are. The third concept explored what policies the United States has passed to assist homeless people.

Homelessness occurs for many reasons, including an increase in housing expenses, reduction in social services, redevelopment and gentrification in major cities in the United States and deinstitutionalizing mental-health hospitals. Altering any of these four areas can impact many people in the country.

Although a large segment of individuals are homeless, many families are becoming homeless too. On any given night in the United States, about 250,000 people in families are homeless. Most of these families are young parents with young children, resulting in homeless youth. A large segment of homeless people are individuals under the age of 18 who lack parental, foster or institutional care.

Without an adult figure, these young children lack support and a safety net. Insufficient nourishment, lack of education and a lack of residence contribute to these families’ struggles. As Meschede mentioned, along with young adults and youth, there has also been an increase in elderly homeless people. Age is not the only factor. Government policies also have a large effect on the homeless.

Homelessness became recognized as a social issue during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. The McKinney-Ven-

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

to Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, signed by President Reagan, allocated funding to the direct service of homeless people. This bill provides homeless shelters with federal funds to help those in need, as well as to soup kitchens and food pantries. Though other bills have been passed, this particular bill paved the way for service. The most effective way to address homelessness involves housing. Providing homes and rehousing families as soon as they become homeless is the best approach for combatting homelessness. Moreover, providing homeless individuals with training for employment gives them an opportunity to search for and maintain a job. By having a job, individuals can bring home an income, which can assist them in paying monthly expenses.

During the presentation, Meschede brought in her first encounter with homelessness when she arrived to the United States from Germany. She realized that homelessness was a social issue although it was not widely discussed. The state of Massachusetts is a “right to shelter” state, meaning that everyone should have access to housing. Other states will give people experiencing homelessness bus tickets to go to a different state for guaranteed shelter.

After the presentation, the audience listened to a list of stereotypes read by Kateri Spear ’15, Habitat for Humanity coordinator. Some misconceptions are that homeless people are criminals, mentally ill, too lazy to work or became this way as a result of poor choices. Following, each audience member shared his or her interaction and contact with homelessness. Some shared anecdotes of their work with homelessness in Washington, D.C., New York and even in France.

While discussing this, groups also explored ways to combat the stereotypes associated with homeless people. They examined ways to reduce the negative impressions of homelessness. Individuals presented different opinions on how to make a difference in society in regards to this social problem. By acknowledging the homeless as human beings – giving spare change, food or a drink – society moves a step forward toward helping these individuals.

Perhaps the most important factor the audience took away is how essential it is for individuals to make their own contribution and help in any way possible to create a stronger community.

Mandelas have vision for Africa’s future MANDELA, from page 1

rica. Ndaba Mandela, his cousin, is a former senior political consultant at the Embassy of Japan in Pretoria, South Africa. Together they have also launched the Mandela Project, a social media site to honor the activism and spirit of their grandfather.

Mandela Amuah spoke first about the importance of youth becoming more involved in activism in fighting to end the imbalances of the world.

He said he views Brandeis at the heart of social change because of its commitment to this line of work.

“When I think about Brandeis, I think about the degree to which magic can really happen at an institution like this. You’re putting something that’s so unique [social justice] at the forefront of everything that you do,” Mandela Amuah said. “’DEIS Impact is the best of who we are and what we aspire to be.”

Mandela Amuah continued to speak about the weight that ideas have on social justice, but said that ideas alone will not put an end to inequalities around the world. He said that society is having difficulty achieving social justice because a key ingredient is missing: the intention.

He believes that these two concepts, innovative ideas and clear intentions, are the key to a more positive future in the world.

“An idea is the match that lights our souls on fire,” he said. “Ideas are one step in our search and thirst for social justice. For me, the idea of Africa Rising is just that. But without true intent, an idea is meaningless.”

Mandela Amuah’s vision for a more

kateri spear

photo from internet source

photo from internet source

ndaba mandela

positive future continued throughout the night as his cousin arrived at the podium to speak about the projects of Africa Rising.

“Discrimination is the enemy of social justice,” Mandela said. “I am proud to stand up and tell you that my agenda is the African people.”

Mandela said that the world continuously views Africa as a war-, dictator- and poverty-stricken area that constantly reinforces the African people’s inferiority complex.

He spoke about a campaign that he is embarking on called the “African Dream,” an effort that he hopes will bring together young people and educators to answer one question: What is the Africa that you want to see tomorrow?

“Let us use the very same tool that they use against us,” Mandela said.

“This is the tool that Africa Rising will use: to tell our own stories from our own point of view. We want to create the leaders of tomorrow. These are the leaders who will genuinely look after the interest of their own people.”

Mandela spoke about his passion for educating youth through the Africa Rising Resource Center, a place in which he hopes to give knowledge, expertise and mentorship to youth from rural villages to gain employment and start successful businesses.

He says the first tool is teaching these children how to use a computer, a resource that he says is far too often taken for granted.

“The average South African today finishes high school without even touching a computer,” Mandela said.

“This is a reflection of the Mandela legacy. We are continuing the legacy of the man who fought and gave up his life for freedom, not just for black people, but so people in his country could all be free and unite and have equal opportunities to go to school.”

Mandela recalled a story from a time when he brought an American artist to play the piano for his grandfather. As soon as the pianist started, his grandfather opened up a newspaper. Mandela claimed that at the end of the visit, his grandfather told him why he was not interested in the American pianist. He said he enjoyed meeting an American artist, but he encouraged his grandson to start getting to know his own African artists more. This, Mandela said, reaffirmed that the work he was doing with Africa Rising was on the right path.

Following the grandsons’ remarks, there was a question-and-answer session facilitated by Dr. Chad Williams, chairman of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies. Students asked questions on the progress of Africa Rising, as well as the Mandela grandsons’ opinions on the current political climate in South Africa.

Williams offered opening remarks about the Ruth First Lecture series and its importance to the Mandela legacy. The lecture was established in 1985 to recognize the work of Jewish social justice activism and the strug-

photo from internet source

gle for freedom and equality in South Africa. Ruth First was a member of the South African Communist Party and was committed to the overthrow of the nation’s apartheid regime. As a student at the University of Witwatersrand, she met Nelson Mandela there, a law student at the time, who interacted with radical students like First who came from a variety of races and backgrounds.

“It was experiences like his interactions with First that transformed him and sent him on the course of becoming arguably the greatest freedom fighter in modern history,” Williams said.

Andrew Flagel, senior vice president for students and enrollment, followed Williams’ remarks in speaking about the uniqueness of ’DEIS Impact week.

“As you know, universities have a lot of celebrations, festivals and conferences,” Flagel said. “But ’DEIS Impact is distinctive. It is universitysponsored, but student-organized. It encourages us to get more involved personally in the pursuit of social justice and all its forms.”

Flagel honored Jules Bernstein ’57 in his remarks, as being one of the “prime movers” behind ’DEIS Impact. Bernstein created the Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice, which supports Brandeis students in social justice-focused internships and promotes the issues of social justice that the former U.S. Supreme Court justice championed throughout his life. Bernstein developed his passion for social justice in his interactions with Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Brandeis campus.

Student Union President Ricky Rosen ’14 introduced the Mandela grandsons but first spoke about what makes Brandeis students stand out.

“What makes Brandeis students different is how unconventional we are,” Rosen said. “We embrace it, and we accept it. All of this stems from our university’s commitment to social justice.”

Rosen said that on other campuses, he imagines that students stand up for their beliefs, but he believes that no other campus takes action quite as promptly in the way Brandeis does.

“Other schools stand up for what they believe in, but at Brandeis, we don’t just stand for things. We move them, actively.”

In an exclusive interview with The Hoot, the Mandela grandsons gave one last thought to Brandeis students.

“Don’t ever give up. Follow your passion. You’re here at the epicenter of a place where you can change other people and change the world if you want. Believe in yourself,” they said.

“There’s no reason or rhyme to stop you.” ’DEIS Impact will conclude on Monday, Feb. 10 in Hassenfeld Conference Center at 5:30 p.m. with the third annual SoJust Leadership Forum, featuring Brandeis alumni who will share how social justice has been incorporated into their careers.

4 ADVERTISEMENTS

The Brandeis Hoot

Students struck in stable condition ACCIDENT, from page 1

February 7, 2014

BADASS sparks drone use debate

By Shayna Korol Staff

There are neon yellow signs next to the crosswalk at the Foster Mods that warn drivers in both directions to slow down, and pedestrians can push a button to set off flashing yellow lights when they are crossing.

These two-button activated blinking yellow traffic lights were installed by the city of Waltham in 2006, but Callahan says that drivers still need to take more precautions in this area, especially at night.

“All drivers should use extreme caution and stop for pedestrians, being particularly careful after dark.

Drivers should be particularly aware of pedestrians around van and shuttle stops. Cyclists should use lights and wear reflective clothing,” Callahan said.

It remains to be seen what precautions, if any, the school will take to prevent more pedestrian injuries.

Segal Fellows combine leadership with social justice SEGAL, from page 1

wanted to do for the summer and for the rest of my life when I got a bunch of emails about this program. After going to an information session and hearing Tam [the program manager at Brandeis] I knew I needed to apply,” she said. “Everything about the program was perfect. I felt like I was applying to a program that I had been preparing my whole life for.”

While Zilkha is not sure yet exactly what she wants to do with her summer internship, she knows she wants to work in the for-profit sector, perhaps as part of a socially responsible business.

For his internship, Thomson hopes to work on a political campaign or for a non-profit organization. He also wants to work on LGBTQ policy.

“I decided I wanted to be a part of the Segal program because of its commitment to forwarding Eli Segal’s passion for public service and citizen leadership. I aspire to go into public service and understood this program to be an opportunity for me to learn from other fellows and those participating in the Segal network on how to engage more deeply in opportunities that forward those goals,” he said.

In the past, Segal Fellows have held impactful internships at varying locations, such as the Center for Progressive Leadership, Human Rights Campaign, National Employment Law Project, National Women’s Law Center, Next Street Financial, People for the American Way, Special Olympics International, Teach for America and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Thomson also mentioned the intense application process, which involved four essays, two letters of recommendation and a final interview.

“Through Brandeis University and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, we receive incredible applicants and Fellows who we assist in making large-scale societal change,” said Mariel Lim, the director of the Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program.

She also stated, “We use our Segal Network to find impactful internships and before the internship be-

gins. Our staff reaches out to the Segal Fellow’s direct supervisor to ensure that our Segal Fellows will be engaged in meaningful projects.”

In mentioning the “Segal Network,” Lim highlights that the Segal Fellowship is not just about experiencing one important summer. “The Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program provides a multi-generational community that supports our Segal Fellows,” she said. “Once our newest Segal Fellows return from their summers, they are expected to act as ambassadors of the Program on campus, present to the Brandeis community about what they learned, and engage in our Network … we have opportunities to do community service together, lead program initiatives and connect at social gatherings and other events throughout the year.

There are now 69 Segal Fellows, ranging in age from 19 to over 40.

They live in 15 states and also abroad. “[They] are united by their dedication to citizen leadership and desire to support one another in their efforts to change the world,” said Lim. As they transition in the Segal Network, these 2014 recipients will receive help from many sources. “We also pair our Segal Fellows up with a personalized mentor, which we call a Segal coach. This coach meets

with their Segal Fellow in person four times during the summer and acts as a sounding board to help them develop personally and professionally,” Lim said.

The fellowship is named after Eli Segal, who graduated from Brandeis University in 1964. He received the Presidential Citizens Medal, as he developed AmeriCorps and Welfare-toWork programs. He also served under President Clinton and expanded the City Year initiative. “But he was most respected because of his dedication to supporting young people.

He mentored them, broadened their networks by making introductions and encouraged them every step of the way,” said Lim. “They wanted to extend his legacy by creating a program that carried on his life mission of empowering young people.”

The 2014 Fellows are looking forward to participating in this group of high-achieving individuals, perhaps for the rest of their lives. “It is a great honor and I know that I will have a responsibility to ensure that I play my part in expanding the network,” said Thomson.

“Our mantra is, ‘Once a Segal Fellow, always a Segal Fellow,’” Lim said.

The other undergraduate Segal Fellows were not available for comment.

Before the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society (BADASS) ’DEIS Impact debate began, Alyssa Adler ’16 stood in an aisle in Golding Auditorium, preparing to make her case. ’DEIS Impact is Brandeis’ annual festival of social justice, a concept on which the school was founded. BADASS got in on the action with “Debating For a More Just Future.” 2013’s public ’DEIS Impact debate concerned the benefits and drawbacks of affirmative action. This year, the topic was the United States’ use of drones overseas. The focus was on Pakistan.

Adler and David Altman ’15 took the position that drone strikes are immoral and unjustified, while Paige Lurie ’15 and Brad Burns ’15 argued that U.S. drone strikes were an effective and necessary method of maintaining national security.

BADASS debates are parliamentary. There are four debaters, two in favor and two against. The audience is encouraged to pound on whatever is at hand to show support for an argument.

Altman and Adler were the first to make their case. They claimed that drone strikes are immoral because they are a “blunt instrument,” indiscriminate in nature, which leads to overkill and collateral damage when civilians are used as human shields by terrorists. Terrorists, it follows, are not the group primarily hampered by drone strikes. Instead, innocent civilians are punished by the “lottery of birth,” not having chosen to be born into a besieged Pakistan.

Drone strikes, they went on, undermine Pakistani sovereignty and autonomy. Even though its government is not strictly an American ally, it was democratically elected, and the U.S. has not declared war on the nation of Pakistan. “Drone strikes perpetuate the notion that the only way terrorists can be effective is through terrorism,” said Altman, which was greeted by the pounding that took the place of applause. At this point Burns stood up, asking if the U.S. should simply do nothing in the face of insurgency.

He was dismissed and told to “see the third point” that immediately followed.

“Pakistani civilians just don’t like drone strikes,” Altman added, explaining that drone strikes create opposition to the United States, contributing to the image of America as an imperialist hegemony. He said that in effect, drone strikes undermine counterterrorism efforts.

Then the opposition took their chance to make their case and refute the claims of the other side. Lurie stressed that America should have

“American interests [and keep] interests of American civilians first. Pakistan has a right to sovereignty, but the U.S. needs to stop terrorism—and the U.S. does not have obligations to other nations’ sovereignty.” She claimed that drones are uniquely capable of stemming terrorism because drones can target more specifically and efficiently than other methods of war. She addressed the opposition by saying that terrorists still have incentives to use human shields, but drone strikes limit the scope of destruction.

Her argument was that better ways to use drones should be investigated, as opposed to dismissing their use outright.

Adler took her position at the podium and began her refutation immediately. “Do Americans consent to this? Drones have hidden costs of war. [The opposition] talks about how there are no alternatives—that’s problematic. Peaceful alternatives are always better, and the benefits of drone strikes exist only in the short-term, because drones amplify the voices of violent extremists,” and legitimize the ideas of the terrorists targeted by the drones in the first place, contributing to a vicious cycle. When drone strikes do take out insurgents, she added, they create a power vacuum and promote competition to fill it.

Drones don’t change the entire power structure, and in the long-term, they would need to be used even more to be effective.

Adler cleared her throat. “When war becomes easier, there’s always going to be more of it,” she said.

Drones have become a symbol for American foreign policy, Adler and Altman stressed, and as a result have led to greater American isolation in the realm of international opinion.

The team in favor of continued drone strikes argued that it is clear that the Pakistani government accepts drone strikes even if the people of Pakistan do not, and stressed that the U.S. was not looking to go to war with Pakistan.

“What are ‘alternative methods’?” asked Lurie. “If things are as bad as the opposition insists, the incentive to use them must not exist. There are huge checks against drone warfare, and…citizens are more likely to be in opposition to an American occupation of Pakistan—the only viable alternative.”

Throughout the night, there was rarely a lull, but the opposition stood up to make a point once in a while.

More often than not, they were waved away. While the structure of the rounds was more informal, there was clear passion on both sides. As one side spoke, the opposition would often shake their heads in their seats, mouthing “no” as points were fired off.

photos courtesy alex thomson and gabby zilkha

activism Segal Fellows Gabby Zilkha (left) and Alex Thomson (above) are two of four

undergraduates selected for the program

SPORTS

February 7, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot 5

Women’s basketball triumphs while men’s team falls

By Charlie Romanow Staff

The women’s basketball team won a close game on Friday in Cleveland against Case Western Reserve University. The final score was 63-58. The game featured eight ties and 11 lead changes.

The Spartans began with an early 9-2 lead, but the Judges responded with a 9-0 run that included three jump shots by guard Kasey Dean ’14.

The score was close for the remainder of the half. Brandeis led 21-20 with a minute remaining before Case’s Lauren Elkin made two free throws and Julie Mooney made a layup to go into the half with a 24-21 lead. Despite entering halftime on top, the Spartans made only four field goals to shoot 17.4 percent, supplemented by 15 converted free throws. Brandeis’ shooting suffered as well, making only 25 percent of first half field goals.

The teams were back and forth for the majority of the second half.

The team’s eventual final lead began with 3:27 remaining as forward/center Nicolina Vitale ’14 made a layup that was followed by two free throws by guard Paris Hodges ’17. Vitale, Hodges and guard Samantha Mancinelli ’16 each made another basket during the run before Case was able to score again nearly three minutes later. Leading 59-51 with 58 seconds remaining, the Judges were assured the victory. Mooney was able to score five points in the final eight seconds but it was not enough.

Guard Nicki Laskaris ’16 led the team with 15 points offof the bench while being on the floor for only 14 minutes. She shot 6-9 from the floor and 3-5 from three. Hodges had a career-high 14 points, all coming in the crucial second half, including making 7 of 11 from the free-throw line. She also tied for the game-high

lead with nine rebounds. Dean had 13 points and nine rebounds. Case’s Erin Reynolds led the game with 17 points while converting on 6 of 8 from the charity strip. Jessica McCoy had 11 points and led all with three blocks.

Brandeis rebounded from their poor first-half shooting performance to make 53.8 percent of shots in the second half. They gave themselves more shooting opportunities by outrebounding Case 23-12 in the second half and 51-32 in the contest.

The Judges outshot the Spartans 37.9 percent to 31 percent. The team’s one weak spot was in handling the ball, turning the ball over 19 times to Case’s 10. They were able to react on defense to these turnovers though as the home team led by only a narrow margin in points off of turnovers 1511.

Brandeis followed this game with a 58-55 win at Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday. At 10-8 overall and 4-3 in the University Athletic Association they mark season and conference win totals from a year ago. Case is 7-11 overall and 1-6 in the UAA. The Judges are tied for third in the conference with Emory University and the University of Chicago. In the conference, Washington University in St. Louis is ranked second in the nation, Emory is 20th and New York University is 24th. Brandeis has a difficult road in the coming month as they will face each of these ranked teams. They return to Waltham on a four-game win streak and will have rematches against this week’s opponents next weekend at home, against Case on Friday and Carnegie Mellon on Sunday.

The men’s basketball team lost a close game on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh to UAA opponent Carnegie Mellon University. The final score was 77-75. The heated two-point loss featured 11 ties and 18 lead changes.

The Tartans began strong with a 12-6 lead that featured nine points by Jack Serbin, which was just the beginning of his day. The Judges chipped their way back into the game, eventually leading 22-20. The back and forth contest would continue throughout the half until halftime which had the teams tied at 41. Brandeis had led by four with 1:32 left in the half, but two Carnegie Mellon layups evened the score. Serbin shot 7-9 in the first half including a trifecta of threepointers to have 17 points in the half.

Forward Ishmael Kalilou ’15 led the Judges with 10 points in the half on 5-7 shooting after coming off of the bench. Unfortunately, Kalilou was not able to lead the team in the second half, having no shot attempts in the second half.

The teams went back and forth to start the second half until Serbin pulled the Tartans away after a 64-63 deficit. Serbin made a lay-up followed by a pair of threes to claim the minimal lead permanently with about six minutes remaining. Guard Robinson Vilmont ’17 made two free throws with 1:40 left to come back within one. Asad Meghani missed a threepointer to allow Vilmont to grab a defensive rebound. Brandeis was not able to attempt a shot on this possession though as a turnover gave the Tartans possession and a two-point lead after Rob Mohen made his first of two free throws. The Judges gained possession back with 41 seconds left but did not get a shot attempt until there were only three seconds remaining. The final seconds featured three missed shots. Serbin blocked a layup by guard Gabriel Moton ’14 allowing an in-bound attempt that guard Ben Bartoldus ’14 could not tip in.

Moton and Bartoldus led Brandeis with 15 points apiece. Bartoldus was 6-11 from the floor while Moton reached his point mark by making a

photos from internet source

trio of three pointers, all in the second half. Kalilou and guard Colby Smith ’16 each had 11 points, a career-high for Smith. Smith and guard/forward Connor Arnold ’14 led the game with six rebounds each. Serbin, who averages 7.7 points per game this season, led the game with 29. He also had three blocks and five rebounds. He shot well from all areas of the floor, shooting 12-15 overall and 5-7 from beyond the arc. Mohen had 15 points and Carnegie Mellon’s Rashaun Riley had 13. Christian Manoli, the team’s lead scorer this year with 17.1 points per game on the season, did not score any points until midway through the second half on his 2-14 shooting day.

This was his first game of the year coming short of double digit points.

He led the game with six assists and tied the team leads with five rebounds

and three blocks.

Brandeis shot impressively in the first half at 55.2 percent but fell to 40.7 percent in the second. Overall, they outshot Carnegie Mellon 48.2 percent to 43.9 percent. Brandeis outrebounded the victors 39-31 but came short in points off turnovers, 29-9, a mark that gave all the advantage to the Tartans that was necessary to come out on top.

Brandeis falls to 9-9 overall and 1-6 in-conference, while Carnegie Mellon climbs to 10-8 overall and 3-4 in the UAA. The Judges lost to Case Western Reserve University on Friday 74-66. Brandeis is in last place in the conference. Washington University in St. Louis leads the conference at 7-0 and is ranked fourth in the country.

The Judges’ will face Case Western on Friday and Carnegie Mellon Sunday.

Men’s swim team wins first home meet

photos by matt brondoil/the hoot

6 The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS, ETC.

February 7, 2014

‘Queerlogues’ demonstrates Brandeis’ LGBT pride

By Rachel Dobkin Staff

Imagine a room full of warm, passionate, intelligent and funny individuals. Inject fierce dedication to social justice, human rights and LGBT pride, and that is the very essence of Queerologues. Queerologues was part of ’DEIS Impact and was put on by the Brandeis Queer Resource Center (QRC), which is a peer education and counseling outreach group on campus.

The third annual Queerologues

took place on Monday, Feb. 3 in the International Lounge in Usdan from 8-9:30 p.m. Consisting of nine acts, including poetry, monologues and an original song, this was a hilarious, meaningful and provocative event. Additionally, it was strongly emphasized that Queerologues was a safe, nonjudgmental space outside of which the identities of the performers would not be revealed. The event had a turnout that filled about half of International Lounge, but the spirited, passionate, funny and warm environment emanating from the audience and performers alike compensated

photo from internet source

for a full house. The program was prefaced with the idea that “social justice should be a verb that we do everyday,” highlighting the significance of the event to the LGBT community, the obstacles they have overcome in the recent past, and their lack of basic human rights.

Poems primarily composed the event, which were all well-written and well-performed. Some poems were about poignant issues such as gender identity, validity of self and other personal issues, while others had more whimsical influences, such as living on a farm. The first poem was extremely graphic and based off of a dream that the poet’s mother had male genitalia which led to her death.

The second poet is currently working on a poetry thesis and performed her poetry aloud for the first time at Queerologues. She read three poems, discussed the topic of each one and also shared with the audience some Hawaiian vernacular that was in the poems so that they would be better understood. She spoke about people who are queer, overweight, disabled or facing other issues that make them different from the status quo and how society tends to tell them that their issues are not real to cope with their discomfort. Her last two poems discussed gender and her two-year anniversary with her partner and were punctuated with beautiful imagery.

Two of the most memorable performances from the program were two monologues. The first talked about myriad issues that the queer community encounters, such as sex-

ual stigma, gender expectations and stereotypes, ignorance, assumptions that are made about LGBT individuals and a powerful yearning for not just tolerance, but acceptance. The performer was extremely animated and discussed personal occurrences that brought the monologue to life, such as attending church as a lesbian.

The second monologue emphasized something that is applicable to every individual regardless of sexual orientation and gender: taking risks in love. The speaker began by pondering her first childhood crush in third grade, and spoke about how she discovered her sexual orientation and personal difficulties and experiences that she has had in the department of romance. She addressed problems that many people cope with, such as separating sex from emotion, getting hurt and making oneself vulnerable, and ended with the sentiment that all experiences (even hurtful ones) are valuable.

Perhaps the best act of the event was an original song performed with a ukulele. The performer began by discussing the story behind the song: He had struggled with being queer and the challenges and relationships that accompanied it for a long time.

The best friend who had supported him throughout it all, and the beautiful chords and honest lyrics accentuated how meaningful that was. The performer created a song that was raw, emotional, and poetic. The lyrics were rife with imagery and feeling and when combined with masterful ukulele playing, would have been

enough to land a record deal right then and there.

Queerologues was an unforgettable event filled with very talented and genuine performers who discussed personal, sociological and political issues that are often glossed over by society, leaving the audience with the desire to go out and make the world a better and more tolerant place.

Queerologues began three years ago in response to the Vagina Monologues, following Male Monologues and Real Monologues (with professors), resolving the issue of the unheard voice of the Queer community.

“The main purpose of Queerologues is to offer a safe space for members of the Queer community to be themselves and to express themselves artistically,” said Robyn Lederer, a member of the QRC. “I’m thrilled that we had a great turnout, and I’m proud to see people coming to this event,” she said. Essentially, Queerologues is a haven for members and supporters of the LGBT community to be themselves, have fun and foster their creativity.

The QRC is a student-run organization that supports, educates and advocates for all members of the Brandeis community who identify with being lesbian, gay, under the transgender umbrella, asexual, queer, intersex, BDSM, King, Polyamory, in addition to allies. Services are also provided to counsel and educate about intersectionality, privilege and oppression, domestic violence, sexual assault, suicide prevention, self-harm and sexual health.

Slam poetry opens eyes to social justice and diversity

By Michelle Kim Editor

Just a few minutes after 9 p.m., Chums was packed for the Student Union Social Justice and Diversity Committee’s Poetry Slam. Crowd Control, one of Brandeis’ improv groups, had already begun their act, though it was difficult to hear them.

Chums was so crowded that I could barely shove my way into the coffee house. However, what I did hear made me wonder if they were attempting to be ironic or were acting racist. Seeing that the event was a poetry slam event to raise awareness about the impact of social justice and diversity on campus, I assumed that Crowd Control was being ironic.

Some of things the members of Crowd Control improvised made me think otherwise. One thing is for sure: Many of the Asians were not amused

by Crowd Control’s poor improv decisions.

I don’t know about anyone else, but on-the-spot decisions such as choosing to name a white student “Ching Wah” and speaking Japanese-sounding gibberish was not funny. And just for giggles, they even threw in something about Mexicans.

Now I don’t know if Crowd Control was being borderline racist in order to display the irony of stereotypes, but I know for a fact that if I, and other Asian students in the room, felt offended, there was something wrong with the performance.

Even if Crowd Control was trying to convey a message related to social justice and diversity, they were highly inconsiderate about it.

Crowd Control needs think carefully and choose to perform things that don’t require their non-Asian members yelling words in Chinese accents.

Despite a rather rough start to the night, the poets who came on stage to perform were mind-blowing. I had tears in my eyes by the time the last poet walked back into the audience.

One of the many standouts was Shannon Simpson ’17. She wrote about her dad, sexism and being Jamaican-Irish: “I grew up in a sexist house, born to be in the kitchen, pregnant and barefoot,” she said to the audience before she began her performance.

Simpson spoke with such feeling and sincerity that it was hard not to love her poem. Directing some of the lines to her father was the best thing about her poem.

She described that he “waited 18 years to pop open that door for me, to

meet the real me instead of dividing me up and loving the part of me you liked better.”

She was so overcome with emotion that she had to pause twice, but began again each time after hearing the audience snap their fingers in support.

The highlight of the night was Aalia Abdulahi ’17, who consequently won first place. In a dreamy but strong voice, she spoke about the love song of women, who have held the world in their arms despite the hardships of not only themselves, but also society.

Abdulahi’s poem was full of colorful and spectacular imagery: “I asked her, ‘What song did you sing when the Civil War came? The day your country set itself on fire, the day your henna turned into war paint, the sky cracked open and swallowed your nation whole?’ She said, ‘That was the day the Earth took refuge in my throat and created a lump too big to swallow. The day no melodies escaped from my tongue.’ She said, ‘When women stop singing is when you know you’ve lost the war.’”

slam poetry 19 poets performed to celebrate social justice and diversity.

I don’t know Abdulahi personally, but for some reason I was proud of her.

The night was a slamming success both socially and intellectually. I cannot recall the last time Chums was so crowded. Furthermore, the poets were so captivating that the sad snack table was left forgotten. Midyears got their first taste of the social justice awareness Brandeis is rightfully known for, while older students were wowed by yet another eye-opening campus event.

photo from internet source

February 7, 2014

ARTS, ETC. 7

The Brandeis Hoot

‘DEIS Impact event shows the importance of pluralism

By Ilana Cedarbaum staff Clayre Benzadon Special to the Hoot

Brandeis Pluralism Alliance sponsored an exhibit for ’DEIS Impact titled “Pluralism, Unity, Social Justice and the Arts: An Art Exhibition” from Feb. 1 through Feb. 5. The reception for the event was held in the SCC on Feb. 4. Brandeis Pluralism Alliance (BPA) is an organization on campus that promotes unity through sponsoring events and programs that promote partnerships and allow students to think about identity and community.

The event included five poets: Rawda Aljawhary ’14, Damiana Andonova ’15, Rachel LeWitt, Cory Massaro ’14 and Bronte Velez ’16. After their performances, the audience experienced something new with musician Theo Goetemann’s ’17 innovative song, “Arnold Palmer: Half Iced Tea & Half Lemonade,” which included all types of different sounds to reflect the diversity and cooperation required in any community.

BPA defines pluralism as “a social condition in which disparate religious, ethnic and racial groups are part of a common community.” At this exhibition, students and staff were able to illustrate their interpretations of this concept, through various media of art. BPA will award up to three prizes to recognize outstanding works of art that best capture these themes based on viewers’ votes.

Many artists chose to express their feelings on the topic through classic art forms such as drawing and painting. One such artwork was Hatice Beyza Guc’s ’17 drawing titled “Social Justice” in which a hand that resembles the Earth has the words “social justice,” “pluralism” and “unity” inscribed in it. The map-like design of the hand represents the world population, and the drawing overall empha-

photo from internet source

harmony The exhibit showed how social justice is not just about helping people. It’s also

about uniting people.

sizes the importance of the exhibit’s concepts on a universal and global level.

Across the room was Mary Santana’s ’16 drawing “Heart.” In the description of her drawing, the artist explains that her sketch of a human heart incorporates the themes of the exhibit.

“We all pray to different gods, dress in different clothing, have different salaries and ideologies, but everyone has a heart,” she wrote. “The heart is a complex muscle made of intertwined chambers, valves, arteries, openings and pumps but it beats to the same rhythm in all bodies.”

Michelle Oberman ’17 illustrated pluralism, unity and social justice by

portraying them in a specific situation and relating it to the more general concepts. In her piece titled “Peace in Any Language,” Oberman displays a pluralistic solution to conflicts in Israel by placing the word “peace” in Hebrew, Arabic and English on a landscape of Jerusalem. Oberman describes in her accompanying explanation, “The bottom line is that while the words for peace look different in the three languages, they all share a common meaning.”

As a viewer, Julia Goldberg ’17 commented on the incorporation of the three languages in this piece, which she felt really represented the general concept of pluralism. “I like how they’re all the same color in the

three different languages because it symbolizes how all the different cultures can come together and unite and be peaceful,” Goldberg said.

All the works of art were displayed on the walls of the small room, including the incredible paintings and drawings done by Guc, Jennifer Mandelbaum ’14, Oberman, Ashley Oelbaum ’16, Santana and Fei Xu ’16. I never realized how one small painting of a building, for instance, the depiction of Science Complex (which, as the name suggests, accurately models Brandeis’ science building) or the calligraphy of the Hebrew and Arabic letters in the painting “Peace in Any Language” could wonderfully capture the concept of social justice.

Other artists decided to demonstrate their interpretations through more unconventional methods, such as song, poetry and photography.

Goetemann wrote and performed a song called “Arnold Palmer: Half Iced Tea & Half Lemonade” to illustrate the coming together of various parts to make a whole. The song incorporates many different types of music and instruments, including Reggaeton drums, beatboxing and East Asian percussion. The song had everyone’s heads bobbing, as it contained many different exotic vibes and instruments, starting off with the tuni, part of the Indian culture, and then moving the rhythms with the tonbar, which then gives the music a tribal, zither-like tune. Goetemann explained that the song shows a coordination of obscure parts that each simultaneously “retain its distinctive element to the listener’s ear,” relating that to the concept of pluralism.

Multiple poems were included in the exhibition as well, including “First Drink,” a poem by LeWitt, which incorporates social justice by taking place after public drinking fountains were desegregated. LeWitt’s explana-

tion reads, “It forces us, in some ways, to imagine what social justice or civil rights feels like: cool, very much correct, and above all, beautiful.”

Some of the art was done in a more intimate manner, using personal experiences to inspire and create the art. A particularly personal piece was Damiana Andonova’s ’15 photograph, “Krasimir,” which was described as being a self-portrait of the artist and Krasimir, a Roma baby in a Bulgarian hospital who was born prematurely and had an infection. The artist met the baby while interning last summer and was reprimanded by the nurses for picking up the “Gypsy” baby. In Andonova’s moving description of the photograph, she writes, “I thought, how could racism and inequality be condoned by those whose hands were trained to help?” She also discusses her belief that every baby deserves a hero’s welcome and that social justice starts in the delivery room. “Holding Krasimir despite the odd looks of nurses for me was the only thing I could do to make him feel treated like a hero,” she explained.

These works of art, and the many more included in the exhibition, all portrayed a similar theme of pluralism, peace and justice in unique ways.

The coming together of the staff and students who produced these pieces of art to create a unified representation of these concepts represents pluralism in itself, which is exactly what BPA intended.

After viewing the artwork, Goldberg explained the impact that the exhibition had on how she views social justice. “I think it’s nice how social justice includes pluralism and unity because often we think of social justice in terms of just helping people,” she explained. “This exhibit shows us that coming together as one with all these different ideas can also be what social justice is all about.”

New Bombay Bicycle Club album almost impresses

By Shikha Chandarana Special to the Hoot

Bombay Bicycle Club, a Londonbased band, is known for their innovative indie music. Having produced three critically acclaimed albums in three years, their fourth album, which took three years to produce, had to meet high expectations. Although most indie critics like to pin the changing style of Bombay Bicycle Club’s sound to their status as a relatively new and inexperienced band, their new album “So Long, See You Tomorrow” has finally given them the chance to show how truly unique and experimental they are. Bombay Bicycle Club (BBC) is redefining their genre one album at a time.

The album begins with the song “Overdone.” Honestly, BBC couldn’t have started with a better song. “Overdone” further develops the band’s distinct sound. It has all the components of a classic Bombay Bicycle Club song: the mesmerizing vocals, the trancelike instrumentation and the clear-cut vocals of vocalists Jack Steadman and Rae Morris. The song has an extremely catching melody that stays with the

listener long after he or she has heard the song.

Following “Overdone” is “It’s Alright Now,” which also attempts to match the brilliance of the previous track, ultimately making it a foot-tapping and groovy number.

The strength of “So Long, See You Tomorrow” is the way BBC has incorporated world music successfully without having lost the goal of creating their own catchy rock music.

This is exemplified in “Feel,” a song that begins with a sample of a popular Bollywood song and then leads to an infectious Caribbean rhythm.

This mind-blowing fusion of different worlds while maintaining the BBC flavor shows the true genius of this evolving band.

Other songs such as “Luna” use Indian instruments like the tabla and certain African instruments. Luna is definitely one of the high points of the album. Although it is a departure from the usual BBC’s soft indie rock, the vocals of Rae Morris and Jack Steadman manage to add a lot emotion to this electro dance-inspired number. “Luna” manages to show the versatility that the band has always claimed to possess.

“Carry Me” had a promising start because of the use of irregular drumbeats and unusual chord changes.

However, it soon becomes cliche and repetitive due to the immense influence of dance pop music on it. If this was an attempt to explore the dance genre, it was slightly half-hearted on BCC’s side.

A complete contrast to this song is “Home by Now,” which is reminiscent of BBC’s earlier work in a good way.

It’s slow, emotional and rousing. The song manages to elicit a sentimental response because of its lyrics and the magical vocals of Lucy Rose.

Lucy Rose, who has frequently collaborated with the band and has been instrumental in their most popular songs including “Lights Out, Words Gone” and “Flaws” has given her voice to another beautiful ballad, “Eyes Off You.” Although the song doesn’t break any ground when it comes to style, it manages to be simple, melodic and memorable.

“So Long, See You Tomorrow” might not be BBC’s best album. It is, nevertheless, an album that tells us what kind of band they want to be. They don’t want to be put in one category; they’re naturally and con-

stantly evolving. Instead of recycling the same old style, BBC is striving to blend unexpected genres of music without losing their voice in the pro-

cess. The album manages to give listeners songs you want to both dance to and ruminate over, and sometimes it works. This time, it almost worked.

photo from internet source

so long, see you tomorrow The new album is fresh, but not consistent.

8 ADVERTISEMENT

The Brandeis Hoot

February 7, 2014

Lunar New Year performance draws large crowd

By Jess Linde Editor

Last Friday, the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection (BC3) hosted a celebration of the new Lunar New Year, welcoming the Year of the Horse with a host of student performances and showcases. Featuring nine parts and two videos celebrating the hard-working board members of BC3, the celebration drew laughs and cheers from the crowd of nearly 100 students gathered in Levin Ballroom.

After the introductory video, the celebration officially began with a traditional Chinese dragon line dance, performed by students from Boston-based Calvin Chin’s Martial Arts Academy. The dance was followed by a series of short martial

arts exhibitions by the students, after which the show was taken over by Brandeis students.

The first performance, titled “What Does the Handsome Say,” featured a group of students starting out with dances choreographed to traditional Chinese songs before launching into a parody of the YouTube hit “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say)” and other pop songs. Next up were two firstyear singing groups, featuring two duets each singing a popular ballad, accompanied by the swinging cell phones of the audience.

Two pianos and players took the stage next and dueled each other with classical pieces and improvisation. While the performance began with one pianist at each instrument, each player was eventually joined by a partner for a duet, creating a whirl-

wind of notes and amazing chemistry and musicianship. The first half of the celebration finished with a showcase of Chinese fashion’s past decade, with students modeling modern and traditional designs, as well as original mixes of the two.

When the crowd reformed following the intermission, three students, two vocalists and an acoustic guitarist, took the stage for the band performance. Though the full band was not present because of unspecified “flight problems,” the unplugged act wowed the audience with an intensely personal performance of a Chinese radio hit and an original song.

Next came two representatives from FotoDish, an app-based service designed around showing pictures of the most popular dishes from restaurants, so that customers can identify exactly what their food will look like before they order. The service’s representatives projected pictures of food from local Waltham restaurants and asked students to guess which restaurant each meal originated from. Successful guesses were rewarded with gift cards to to the chosen restaurants and other venues.

The show then turned its focus to a student-produced drama “Odysseus’ Comeback,” starring students in full costume and armed with all kinds of props. A parody story, the short play centered around the Greek hero’s return to his home after his odyssey around the world, only to find that a host of zany suitors are trying to kill him and steal his beautiful wife. Battling his way through pop-culture references, insult comedy and a rap battle, Odysseus and his family are reunited, but not before the audience was laughing.

BC3 ended the celebration with two musical acts. The first was a female student duet group that sang two Chinese ballads, fighting past bad microphones to deliver, nevertheless, a great performance. The final act was a series of well-choreographed dances to radio pop songs, both Chinese and Western, that culminated in the various smaller groups joining together for a grand finale. After BC3’s graduating senior members were honored with a heartfelt video, the spectacular show ended, and the very entertained audience enjoyed free Chinese food for dinner.

photos by katie chin/the hoot

celebrate Students celebrated Lunar New Year through various performances last Friday,

from singing Chinese ballads to a traditional dragon line dance.

‘Portraits of Purpose’ an inspiring exhibition

By Christa Caggiano Special to the Hoot

It seemed fitting that I visited “Portraits of Purpose” by photojournalist Don West, while the “Introduction to Jazz Improvisation” class met in the recital hall of Slosberg Music Center.

As I circled the room, the sounds of soulful jazz piano wove in and out of a fervent trumpet solo, perfectly capturing the spirit of the exhibit.

Jazz embodies an age filled with profound hope and change.

It is clear that this exhibit does the same.

The exhibit begins with wall text, written by the student curator, Daniela Dimitrova ’16. The text is candid and inspirational, providing a sense of unity to the exhibition that is dif-

ficult to achieve in a space as chaotic as Slosberg.

Most importantly, it directly asks the viewer questions, entrenching the exhibition in Visual Thinking Strategies, a new way of looking at art championed by the Rose Art Museum.

By doing this, this text makes the exhibition thought-provoking and meaningful. This exhibition is more than a series of images on a wall, but a pointed way of engaging the audience member with social justice.

There is no clear way to progress through the exhibition because there is no chronological order to the grouping of the photographs.

Instead, Dimitrova makes a bold decision to group the pictures in quartets. This is not simply an aesthetically pleasing choice. Rather, it is a decision that creates a dynamic of community, both among the figures

on the wall and between the photographs and the viewer. In a grouping of four notable black leaders, Mel King, Gail Snowden, James Baldwin and Paul Goodnight, there is clear interaction among the figures on the wall. Baldwin appears to stare at King, in pensive reflection.

It is interesting to consider what Baldwin could be thinking about.

Luckily, the wall text supplies us a possible answer, offering an inspiring quote from each of the four leaders.

Other, more informative text is provided, which, although well written, seems less powerful than the bolded quote emblazoned above it.

I found myself not particularly caring what each leader had accomplished.

Instead, I wondered what my generation could accomplish in response.

Some of the figures on the wall seemed to wonder this as well. Mel

King, depicted with a slight, mysterious smile, stares directly at the viewer. An expression of silent faith, it was a wise choice to put this particular photograph in the sightline of the viewer. This motivates a dreamy optimism, very much in the spirit of the entire ’DEIS Impact festival.

The groupings of four continued throughout the exhibition. Overall, this was an effective choice.

In the larger body of work, however, it became apparent this exhibition was forced to deal with a relative lack of racial diversity that impeded the conceptualization of change as a community.

I do not think this was a fault of the organizers of the exhibition but rather a result of the sort of photographs that Don West takes. Focusing on the Boston area, “Portraits of Purpose” are images of leaders, either residents of the city or mere visitors. They oc-

cupy a nebulous territory between a candid and a portrait. These photographs capture a moment in history, and sometimes, our history is not diverse, balanced or fair.

The show ends fittingly with a poster and sticky notes, encouraging viewers to answer the questions the wall text prompted at the beginning.

At the time I visited, a few people had added their answers. The responses were a little cheesy, but they were hopeful and proud. I felt a little silly adding my own sticky note, but I was glad I did. Once I stuck my sticky note to the page, and walked away, my voice mingled with all the other sanguine voices of my generation. Out of all the exhibitions this could have been done for, I was glad it was done for “Portraits of Purpose.” Art is a way of looking toward a better future, and this gesture mixed art and good intentions in the best possible way.

February 7, 2014

ARTS, ETC. 9

The Brandeis Hoot

‘A View from the Bridge’ examines societal problems

By Theresa Gaffney Editor

Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” is showing this weekend in Laurie Theater in Spingold, sponsored by Brandeis Theater Company.

As a part of this week’s ‘DEIS Impact festival, the show highlights social issues such as incest but, more prominently, homophobia.

“Only God can make justice,” the play’s narrator, Mr. Alfieri (Alex M. Jacobs MFA), tells the audience in the second act. Though words like “homophobic” or “gay” are never uttered, the play doesn’t shy away from these issues. A fiery performance from the cast brought gritty emotion and reality to the show.

Eddie and Beatrice, played by Jonathan Young MFA and Sara Schoch MFA, are a married couple who took in their orphaned niece, Catherine (Sarah Elizabeth Bedard MFA). Set in Brooklyn in the ’50s, the conflict arises when Beatrice’s relatives, Marco and Rudolpho, illegally immigrate to the U.S. and Catherine and Rudolpho begin to fall in love. Eddie’s strong affection for Catherine creates high tension in the household. Young and Schoch took command of the stage and demonstrated a broad emotional

range from screaming matches to more tender moments of tears.

Young embraced the particularly challenging task of humanizing the monster that is Eddie. By bringing a sense of honesty to every scene, the audience’s sympathy for the character grew. Young revealed vulnerability in Eddie. While his aggression toward his family was unsavory, there was hope that he could be turned around for a happy ending. Rather than hating him for his homophobic and incestuous motivations, the audience wished for his repentance but was only disappointed in the final scene when Eddie was persistent in his desires. Young’s

passionate delivery of every line gave the character true depth.

While the show’s main cast brought life to the stage, undergraduate students playing small roles as neighborhood residents gave the audience of “A View from the Bridge” a peek into what felt like a real niche community.

Jeffrey Maser ’15, Zachary Marlin ’16, Siddarth Mehra ’17, Samantha Browne-Walters ’15, Ryan Millis ’15, Miriam Esther Goldman ’14, Ben Lewin ’16, Andrew Hyde ’17, Victoria Deick ’17 and Deborah Trierweiler ’15 represented other neighbors, illegal immigrants (referred to throughout the show as “submarines”) and

immigration officers. The cast added a tangibility and believability to the script.

Another layer of tangibility was added with the intricate set. Only twice did the crew have to bring on furniture—each time one table and two chairs. The stage was transformed, giving the aura of a real place and home. Below, cobblestone street covered the ground and sidewalk lined the stage. Instead of a bulky door to represent the passages from outside to inside, a simple top of a doorframe hung above the stairs.

Inside the home, each detail was presented with actual objects. As Beatrice held one conversation with Eddie, we saw her take the tinsel off of the small Christmas tree, unplug the lights and individually wrap small ornaments and pack them away. Rather than leaving details like this to the imagination of the audience, the objects added to the realism of the set.

In the Laurie Theater, however, the square stage fit awkwardly. While every seat was not filled, entire sections of the audience would have had completely different experiences than sections on the other side of the room. From the left side, for example, the central view of a fire escape was nonexistent. Additionally, audience members not in the center often found themselves looking at actors’ behinds. For the most part, this was

a distraction; however there were instances where it contributed to how the audience sympathized with different characters. In addition, occasionally specific placement of the cast felt like an conscious directorial decision.

In the final fight scene, the members of the neighborhood were gathered around, yet close to the audience in doorways and entranceways to the theater, to make everyone feel like they were part of the community and at the fight. While audience members felt like they were part of the community, they sometimes felt as if they were the ones in back that were jumping up and down to see what was happening, with cast members blocking the view.

Another notable directorial decision was the music chosen. Intense, dramatic tones, reminiscent of a thriller’s movie trailer, crescendoed in the background during tense moments, often when the narrator was spotlighted to expand on events of the play. The dramatic mood set by the low sounds added to the gravity of the events. Though it was obvious in its purpose, the music perfectly spread tension throughout the theater.

Though set in the 1950s, “A View from the Bridge” addresses issues still relevant to society today. With shows every day over the weekend, it is a quality way to wrap up a week of critical thinking with ’DEIS Impact.

family drama “A View from the Bridge” shows an unusual family: Eddie, Beatrice and their orphaned niece Catherine. Eddie and Beatrice have taken care of Catherine for most of her life. The drama starts when Catherine wants to become more independent of her uncle Eddie. Eddie’s attachment to Catherine is a source of conflict in his relationship with her and in his marriage with Beatrice. Subtle references to their unhappy sex life leave the audience to fill in the gaps of what is (but more likely isn’t) happening. Catherine wishes to marry Rudolpho, who Eddie highly disapproves of.

Eddie becomes the main antagonist when he comes in conflict with Marco over calling immigration police.

“ ” Only God can make justice Mr. Alfieri, Alex M. Jacobs MFA

a view from the audience Arthur

Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” is showing in Spingold’s Laurie Theater from Thursday, Feb. 6 to Sunday, Feb. 9. Friday and Saturday will have shows at 8 pm. Saturday and Sunday will also have matinees showing at 2 pm.

Tickets are $20 for all performances. They are $15 for the Brandeis community and seniors, and $5 for students of Brandeis and other schools. The play features Brandeis graduate theater students, as well as few selected undergraduate students. The show is sponsored by Brandeis Theater Company.

photos courtesy mike lovett

EDITORIALS

10 The Brandeis Hoot

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Emily Stott Dana Trismen Andrew Elmers Opinion Editor Dani Chasin Sports Editor Theresa Gaffney Arts, Etc. Editor Mia Edelstein Copy Editor Julie Landy Copy Editor Jesse Zeng Photography Editor Jun Zhao Graphics Editor Katie Chin Online Editor Michelle Kim Deputy Arts Editor Jess Linde Deputy News Editor Emily Belowich Deputy News Editor Nate Rosenbloom Senior Editor

Volume 11 • Issue 4 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

staff

Shota Adamia, Zachary Bellis, Dor Cohen, Rachel Dobkin, Debra Edelman, Mia Edelstein, Roy Fan, Iona Feldman, Ben Fine, Evan Goldstein, Jaye Han, Maya Himelfarb, Eli Kaminsky, Josh Kelly, Shayna Korol, Joe Lanoie, Jess Linde, Vinh Nguyen, Alexandra Patch, Charlie Romanow, Sasha Ruiz, Emily Scharf, Eliana Sinoff, Naomi Soman, Diane Somlo, Sindhura Sonnathi, Jennifer Spencer, Alison Thvedt, Shreyas Warrier, Linjie Xu

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 • editor@thebrandeishoot.com online • thebrandeishoot.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://thebrandeishoot.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 subjected to editing.

I

February 7, 2014

Three serious injuries call for immediate need for improved crosswalk safety precautions

n the wake of an event that The Boston Globe hailed as “peril at Brandeis,” where terrified parents called their children as soon as hearing about the event on the news, The Hoot’s point of view on the car that struck three students crossing the street is simple: Brandeis should have addressed this problem long ago.

The Hoot wrote an editorial on the safety of students crossing South Street more than two years ago. Issued after a similar instance where a student was sent to the hospital after being struck by a car, the editorial suggested large warning signs indicating pedestrian crossings, speed bumps and improved lighting near the crosswalks.

The editorial stated that enough was enough, and it was time for Brandeis to make a change to improve campus safety. We wrote, “Our community can’t be naive. Crosswalk safety requires real

changes because the alternative is waiting for a more serious accident and by that time it will be too late.”

Over two years later, that accident has happened, but Brandeis still has not improved the situation.

In a “Pedestrian Safety Advisory” email sent out to students following the accident, Ed Callahan, director of public safety, urged students to be cautious.

“Please use the overpass above South Street whenever possible. Please activate the crosswalk lights as a warning to motorists when using the crosswalk,” the email stated.

While students need to be careful for their own safety, “not pressing the button” should not place the blame of the accident on students. It’s the driver’s responsibility—both legally and ethically—to not hit people simply trying to cross the street. Students should be sensible when crossing and driving nearby,

but pressing the button is not the only answer.

While Callahan’s email also advises that “drivers should be particularly aware of pedestrians around van and shuttle stops,” this is an email sent only to the Brandeis community. Other drivers from Waltham and surrounding areas may be ignorant of the large outflux of students who attempt to cross South St. each day.

Callahan suggests, “Cyclists should use lights and wear reflective clothing.”

But again, as The Hoot advised years ago, Brandeis needs to make an overhaul change that will improve visibility at student crossings.

We hope the advent of a very serious accident will cause Brandeis to finally wake up and make crossing safer and easier for all of us in the Brandeis community.

The following was published in the Dec. 9, 2011 issue of The Hoot:

students cross at the crosswalk and activate the pedestrian lights to warn drivers?

The answer: a precedent of haphazard safety measures and miscommunication with students.

We propose four changes that are sure to decrease the number and severity of accidents moving forward.

1. Increase the number and prominence of crosswalks. Currently, there are two: one near the commuter rail and one by Linsey Pool. There should be more large warning signs indicating pedestrian crossings, including at the main driveways into campus. Warning signs 50 feet and 100 feet before crosswalks should warn drivers that they are approaching a pedestrian crossing.

2. Install speed bumps. No, we don’t like them either, but the speeds of some cars on South Street are outrageous.

Speed bumps are proven to slow cars down and would help warn drivers of the densely populated zone they are entering.

3. Display permanent warning signs reminding pedestrians to use crosswalks on the sidewalks near South Street.

4. Improve lighting near crosswalks.

The crash that occurred last month happened in the evening in poor lighting.

Brighter lights would help drivers see pedestrians crossing the street.

Stationing police officers near the crosswalk has been a positive change, but we hope the administration will consider our proposals. We won’t pretend to have all the answers. But our community can’t be naive.

Crosswalk safety requires real changes because the alternative is waiting for a more serious accident and by that time it will be too late.

Another Brandeis student was transported to the hospital last month after getting hit while crossing South Street.

Enough is enough. Brandeis and Waltham ought to implement new procedures to ensure student and driver safety.

Last week, Police Chief Ed Callahan warned students via e-mail to use the designated crosswalk or pedestrian bridge when crossing South Street.

But that misses the point.

Why are drivers speeding down South Street in the first place? And why are so many students unable to look both ways before crossing the street?

And, for crying out loud, why don’t

sports

February 7, 2014

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Fencing teams rally with two successful meets

photos by matt brondoil/the hoot

By Charlie Romanow Staff

The fencing teams competed in the second round robin Northeast Conference Meet of the year at Boston College on Saturday, Jan. 25. Brown University, Boston College, Vassar College, Dartmouth College and Tufts University competed in both men’s and women’s competitions, while Smith College competed in only women’s events.

The men went 4-1 in the tournament, losing only to Brown, 18-9.

They lost their first match in all three weapons. The men’s team rebounded by losing only two squad matches the rest of the day. They defeated their

other competitors easily 20-7, 22-5, 19-8 and 18-6. They swept BC and Vassar across the weapons and demolished Tufts in foil 9-0. Noah Berman ’15 led the men with a 6-2 record in foil. Through the two conference meets, the juniors have been leading the way with Adam Mandel ’15 19-3 in saber and Jess Ochs-Willard ’15 17-6 in saber. They are tied with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for second in the Northeast Conference at 8-2, only behind Brown.

They stand at 10-5 for the year.

The women had a similar outing at 5-1, losing to Brown 16-11. This came after a decisive 25-2 win against Smith. They won in the foil against Brown 5-4 but lost in epee 4-5 and

saber 7-2. Their next round resulted in a narrow 14-13 victory against BC which came down to the final saber touch. They subsequently defeated Vassar 19-8, Dartmouth 18-9 and Tufts 21-6. They defeated Dartmouth in saber and Tufts in foil 9-0 in each.

Caroline Mattos ’16 was 13-2 in foil while Ashley Jean ’17 was 13-4 in saber. Through the two conference meets Mattos is 22-3, Vikki Nunley ’14 is 20-5 in foil, Jean is 25-5 and Nina Sayles ’17 is 22-5 in saber. They are second in the Northeast Conference at 10-2, four wins ahead of MIT and behind Brown. The squad is 13-6 on the year.

Both teams were in action Saturday, Feb. 1 in Waltham for the Eric

Sollee Invitational. Haverford College, Hunter College, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the Stevens Institute of Technology and New York University participated in the competition. The team went 4-1. The men lost only to NYU 15-12, in the final matchup of the day. Before the match against the Violets, the men had not lost any squad matches. They swiftly defeated Haverford 22-5, Hunter 21-6, NJIT 21-6 and Stevens 20-7.

The saber squad posted a perfect 9-0 against Haverford, as foil defeated Hunter 9-0 as well. Mandel went 111, Ochs-Willard was 8-3 and Berman was 10-2.

The women had a more successful meet, defeating all five schools and

losing a weapon only once, in the epee to Haverford. After the early squad loss, the epee squad defeated both Hunter and NJIT 9-0. Saber then defeated NYU 9-0. Overall, the Judges defeated Haverford 17-10, Hunter 225, NJIT 22-5, NYU 20-7 and Stevens 21-6. Mattos went undefeated at 110. She was complemented by Nunley who was 10-1, Deborah Abiri ’16 in saber at 9-2 and Gwendolyn Mowell ’16 in epee at 10-2.

The teams will be in action this weekend at the Duke Invitational against the University of North Carolina, Temple University, Johns Hopkins University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Duke University.

Swim team puts up a good fight against Clark

photos by matt brondoil/the hoot

opinion

12 The Brandeis Hoot

February 7, 2014

Sleep through lectures instead of seminars

photo from internet source

By Andrew Elmers Editor

It’s a fairly common occurrence most mornings here at Brandeis; in the midst of a thought-provoking, major-changing discussion on how the word “inspired” used to mean to have something blown into you in Chaucer’s time and it traces to the

term “respiratory,” such as the lungs, when you notice something. While you are trying your best to somehow make it to the end of class so you can go home and take a nap, the girl sitting across from you is asleep. Or her eyes are just closed trying to remember something from the reading last night.

She doesn’t have any make-up on

and you remember she walked in with a cup of coffee and a banana. Obviously she’s sleeping, and hopefully, she wasn’t mistakenly given decaf instead of regular. Trying not to seem too suspicious and get her busted, you look over to the professor, who is still rambling on with the seminar on the third stanza of the general prologue from The Canterbury Tales. He must

be aware that this girl is just passed out, and he must feel terrible about it; he doesn’t want to put anyone to sleep with his favorite Middle English verse. It’s Middle English verse, for crying out loud!

Everyone has fallen asleep in class, and the worst class to do so in is a seminar. Attendance is rarely mandatory for lectures, and the slides are

always posted on LATTE after class.

There is a reason why a classroom swells on exam day for a lecture. No one will wake up early to get to class if they can get the same material simply by finding the notes online.

Seminars, on the other hand, typically don’t have cool slideshows or a lax attendance policy. After three absences, you usually wind up failing the course, so people still show up if they only got four hours of sleep the night before.

The worst part of it all is that in order to get the most out of a seminar, you have to be involved with the seminar. Even just to pass, you have to be involved in the seminar, so signing into class just to fall back asleep won’t do much good. Plus, you probably have some sort of interest in taking the class, or else you wouldn’t have enrolled, so it might be intriguing to actually hear and discuss the subject matter, unless you enjoy hindering yourself.

Yet this happens each and every semester—a seminar scheduled for the first thing in the morning. A simple solution would be to make sure not to sign up for any classes before noon, but that leaves you limited in what classes you can take. That 9:30 class you are thinking of taking looks really appealing, plus the professor is simply the best, and you want to hear what he has to say on the subject of colonizing Cyprus, so you almost have to take it. Then you remember you will have to wake up by 8 a.m. in order to make it on time in a decent state, and you dread every Tuesday and Friday See SEMINARS, page 14

Univ offers more than happiness: a home

By Monique Menezes Special to the Hoot

Do you remember applying to college? There was so much involved: the tests, the essays, the actual filling out of applications. Everyone has their own story of how they got to college. It is easy to think back on the whole thing, but people sometimes forget how stressful it was, especially because of everything that followed the application process. After applying, there was waiting, not knowing what your future holds and where you will end up. Next, there were the actual results, where you were accepted, wait-listed or even rejected.

There were the options, that big decision of at what institution to receive your higher education. You made a decision, and for those of you reading this, that decision was Brandeis.

Nonetheless, making the decision was not the end. There was still the hassle of moving in, and moving in was just the beginning since you still barely knew anybody or where any of your classes would be. It goes on and on, and it did.

There was the stress of classes, getting involved and meeting people.

College, simply being here, is stressful. Even the process of getting here by car or plane was taxing on the nerves.

Nevertheless, remember some of the advice you got along the way: “Pick a place where you fit in.” “Enjoy it because it’ll fly by.” “Don’t forget that there’s more than just school.”

College is stressful, but people do enjoy it. Whether you like it or not, you spend at least eight months of your year here at Brandeis, a home away from home. You had to focus

rabb school of continuing education A historic house on campus.

on grades, essays and tests to be accepted, and you still have to focus on grades, essays and tests to remain here. But just because there is a lot of work does not mean you cannot enjoy the ride.

I set out to find out what made peo-

ple happy. I spoke to a variety of students: first-years, a couple of CA’s and other upperclassmen. I asked them why they were happy and what made them happy. When they answered me, I did not hear what I expected.

Instead, I heard what made Brandeis

photo from internet source

their home.

Walking out of recitation, one firstyear told me about how little things on a daily basis illustrate the larger support system on campus. She smiled at the menial gesture of sharing food, and she pulled her shoulders

back with a touch of confidence when spoke about how good it felt when a TA gave her a “good going.”

A CA talked about the community he had taken an avid interest in, See HAPPY, page 14

February 7, 2014

OPINION 13

The Brandeis Hoot

Different perspectives; how snow can inspire

By Emily Scharf Staff

When I came to Brandeis in the fall of 2012, there were a few things I was truly excited for: independence, new friends and seasons. Growing up in a fairly small suburb maybe 15 miles southwest of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, seasons were not something I had ever really experienced. I had been through hot weather, rainy weather, mildly not hot weather and a whole lot of humidity, but never fall or winter or even really spring. Trees don’t shed their leaves in Florida—imagine how funny our palm trees would look! Actually, there was one tree in my front yard one year that panicked during a strange two-day cold snap a few years back; it dropped all its leaves and then immediately started growing them back once the temperature was back in the 70s and 80s. So as a Florida kid, I was more than excited to see the beautiful colors of changing leaves throughout the later months of the year.

Yet as a college first-year, the thing I was most excited for was snow. More than just getting to wear a sweater every now and then, I was eager to see that beautiful white powder fall from the sky. In my mind, snow is much more wondrous and elegant than rain, even if it is a bit more problematic. The first snow last year was not the most eventful, but I remember running outside, eager to experience it at last. When we did have a major snowfall, I was downright gleeful every time. That much snow meant sledding, snowball fights, snow angels, jumping into piles of snow, hot cocoa and possibly the cancellation of class. The only cancellations we ever got in Florida were hurricane days. I

don’t know about anyone else in Florida, but I was not allowed to gleefully run outside during a hurricane, nor did I want to.

The first snow of the year, even if it isn’t much to see, is one of my favorite things. I love how much happiness can be achieved from that funny white precipitation. But I notice not everyone feels this way. A lot of people don’t like the snow at all—it’s a nuisance, a hazard or just plain too cold. Yes, snow is in fact all of those things. However, there are downsides and upsides to everything in life. We can choose to always look at the negatives or allow the positive side of it to shine through.

While snow makes for dangerous driving conditions, driving is already dangerous. So if conditions are bad, don’t drive. Massachusetts is blessed with far better public transportation than my hometown, and if snow makes driving dangerous, take advantage of public transportation!

Unfortunately, there’s no way to get around the necessary shoveling of driveways—which is probably why I will never move off-campus for as long as I go to school here in New England.

Aside from the few downsides, I think snow is wonderful. Snow makes a cold day feel a little bit warmer.

Maybe not externally, but it warms you up inside like a nice cup of hot cocoa. Snow gives all of us collegeaged people the opportunity to let out our inner children. Playing in the snow is such a joyful, albeit chilly, experience. I find the stresses of college life melting away as I pelt friends with snowballs or craft an exquisite snowman or snowwoman. I remember a day last semester, right after the Messiah Sing, when there was snow on the ground and I actually made a

graphic by linjie xu/the hoot

new friend while playing in the snow.

We ran across the great lawn without lifting our feet, pretending we were cross-country skiing and seeing who would win the race. In the midst of finals season, I cannot remember laughing harder than that at any given time.

For those who have seen Disney’s newest film “Frozen,” you’ll remem-

ber Olaf the snowman’s hilarious musical number “In Summer.” Olaf sings of how marvelous he thinks summer will be, excited to see what happens to snow when it gets warm in the summertime. I see myself as Olaf ’s opposite. I am someone who has essentially only experienced summer for the majority of life, and wants to see the exquisite things that happen when

water freezes. Just recently I marveled at the beauty of some icicles hanging off of a plant, awed by their beauty. My friend from Massachusetts was unimpressed, simply because she’s seen these things her whole life. I think we ought to rediscover the magnificence of winter. It’s time we all take a Floridian’s perspective and fall in love with this beautiful, albeit freezing, season.

Are midyears at a disadvantage?

By Naomi Soman Staff

As many of us are finally settling into our daily routines for the spring semester, midyear students are just finally adjusting to a whole new experience. Thrown into a new school in a new place with new friends in the middle of the year, these midyears are at a significant disadvantage compared to other first-years, and though it is financially advantageous for the university, it simply is not fair for these students who end up feeling like the extras.

Administration does not share its criteria for accepting students as midyears, but there is a general consensus on campus for what they are.

Even though orientation leaders will say otherwise, the truth is, they feel as if they are rejects. The assumption by some students on campus is that midyears went wrong in some way, shape or form in high school and that they earned lower grades or participated in fewer extracurricular activities. That is certainly not true, but it is definitely the general stereotype of midyears and is also shared by midyears. Moreover, when administration tries to affirm that midyears are somehow promoted and special, this only makes them seem like they are covering up a big lie.

Academically, midyears are at a terrible disadvantage if they want to major in one of the sciences. Science courses last an entire year, so by starting in January and graduating four

years later in December, midyears essentially lose 2 semesters. They cannot take a full year course starting in the middle, so for most, General Chemistry begins their second semester, not their first. While science majors already have to take many classes and labs, midyears have to fit all of these requirements into three years. This unfairly ruins the amount of freedom they have to play with their schedule as other first-years do.

Midyears don’t have the same luxury as first-years, who have more freedom to take classes they simply have an interest in.

This isn’t even the only issue, though, as midyears are just as disadvantaged socially as they are academically. By January, everyone has already formed their friend groups, and it is very hard to break into a clique.

Midyears often end up only making friends with other midyears, not simply because they want to, but because they do not have any other choice.

By joining athletics or becoming involved in the Jewish community, especially the Orthodox community, it can be easier to make friends because these tight-knit groups tend to spend a lot of time together and provide newcomers with a pre-formed set of welcoming friends. If the average midyear is not particularly interested in joining a club like this, they will end up without the same benefit as first-years. Midyears are also disadvantaged in terms of competitive clubs. A capella, dance groups and comedy troupes have few, if any, se-

graphic by katherine selector/the hoot

niors graduate in December, so they have fewer spots open for those who try out in the middle of the year.

Granted many non-midyears also try

out for competitive groups in January, but for midyears, this is their first chance.

Brandeis accepts students to enter

as midyears because so many more students study abroad in the spring than in the fall, thereby creating empty rooms in the Village. Financially, it makes perfect sense for the university because they do not want to lose money on empty rooms. However, if they solve the actual problem, they would not have to put midyears through the trouble of starting in the middle of the school year. Many students want to study in the spring simply because it’s the thing to do. If all of one’s friends are studying abroad in the spring, that student is not going to want to do differently and spend a whole semester alone while they see Facebook posts of their friends’ adventures through Europe.

If Brandeis offered incentives to study abroad in the fall and publicized this option more, eventually the number of students studying abroad for each semester would even out, thus swapping rooms would even out as well. This would eliminate the need for midyears to come in and fill them.

The university acceptance rate is already quite high, so it does not need to accept more students but rather be smarter about where to house the students it does have. Ultimately, midyears do not deserve to feel ostracized and have to crazily shift around their schedules. For a university built around social justice, we need to be careful not to intentionally or unintentionally exclude members of our own community.

14 OPINION

The Brandeis Hoot

February 7, 2014

Do professors need to put students to sleep?

SEMINARS, from page 12

the class meets, but you have to take enough classes to meet the requirement for the minor. What would make things a lot easier is if the majority of lectures were scheduled in the earlier part of the day while seminars were strictly in the afternoon and evening.

That way you can spend the whole day thinking, analyzing and dissecting the readings due that day and blow the professor away with a fantastic point.

The class would always be focused on a great discussion based on the issues the author points out and neglects to mention. Discussions would certainly always go through the end of class and more students will stick around and head to office hours to get more insight. If seminars could take place when the students are properly caffeinated and focused, the professor would never have to worry about a student falling asleep.

One of the hidden benefits from all of this is the fact that more lectures would take place in the morning. Some of the lecture halls feature stadium-style seating where the chairs are cushioned and would be delightful to fall asleep in. No one would feel ashamed about falling asleep in class if they are able to hide away from the professor toward the back of the room, sitting behind a few other students. And you know how it helps a fetus’ development in the womb by playing Mozart and other classical music? I’m sure some of the same factors are in play when you are being lectured while falling asleep. It might be interesting to have dreams about the invasion of Poland while retaining the information and catching up on sleep the same time. Either way, if the slides are posted online after class, then there is no point in showing up for class.

Now some would say that there is

photo from internet source

no excuse to not be fully awake for a 9:30 class. In the real world, you need to be at work by 9, and most even start before that. Bakers get up at 3 for you to have a fresh bagel and lox so that you can be even later to class.

But Brandeis doesn’t offer any baking

classes the last I checked, and college students are on a different schedule than the rest of society. If we can stay up past midnight in order to get work done, watch Netflix and look at pictures of cats, we can get the benefit of not having classes until 11 the next

morning.

If the registrar could offer one change for Fall 2014, it would be to schedule seminars later in the afternoon so that students can be active participants in the discussion and not just a sorry excuse for a zombie.

It would benefit students greatly if the rarely mandatory lectures were scheduled earlier than the seminars. As for science students, who primarily take lectures and suffer through material denser than lead, good luck trying to make an 8 a.m. lecture.

No longer strangers after first semester

photo from internet source

HAPPY, from page 12

how supportive and diverse it was.

He summarized his comments with a blunt statement, “People here are just nice.” Another first-year with a book in her lap spoke about how Brandeis was this place for experiencing and learning, where she did not have her parents. She described it as taking her first steps into the real world.

Taking those first steps can be scary, though, so it was no surprise that my most popular answer to why and what

makes you happy was friends.

Brandeis acts as our second home.

It is where we sleep, where we eat, where we are for a good part of the year. So, yes, our friends become our family, whom we talk to outside of class and whom we eat dinner with.

That is why, after speaking to both upperclassmen and first-years, I realized that the longer you are here, the “happier,” or more at home, you become.

Starting a second semester, you did not have to worry about buying things like a trash can or a new lamp; you

already had those things. Not everyone was a stranger when you walked back on campus after break; you already had some friends. I think it is fair to say the longer you are here, the more established you become in this second home. You learn to balance classes a little bit better, giving you enough time to join clubs, eat, spend time with friends and get some much needed sleep. You learn what days Upper Usdan is closed, so you can think of an alternate plan for dinner. You learn to live on your own, and that

“real world” you took a step into your first year just becomes the “world,” nothing new to really scare you. College starts out as this scary thing, an ominous, stress-filling shadow in your future. Then college becomes this real place that you exist within. You came for a reason, worked hard to get here for a reason, and four years can be a long time somewhere if you have no sense of home or community, no matter that reason.

I started with asking what made people here happy. Most of the stu-

dents looked at me a little confused, but they all answered. It was hearing their answers when I realized I was asking the wrong question. Happiness is possible in spite of all the stress at college, but it is the home you find here that I should have been interested in. Home is where you can find comfort, more of a contentedness instead of simply being happy. Now, I just wonder if I am going to get homesick over the long four months of the summer for my second home—for Brandeis.

February 7, 2014

OPINION 15

The Brandeis Hoot

More art can provide Brandeis with an identity

By Josh Kelly Staff

I stumbled upon a story about a life-like statue of a man dressed only in a pair of tighty whitey underwear that was recently erected on the Wellesley College campus. It has faced a fair bit of protest, with a number of students demanding that it be removed. To be honest, from looking at a picture of the statue, I can see why it would be met with so much distaste. It would certainly make someone walking to class feel a little odd if they were confronted by a bald, underwear-clad man with his eyes closed and arms stretched outward as if reaching for something. It would be particularly odd for this to take place at Wellesley—a women’s college. Nevertheless, learning about this statue got me thinking about how the Brandeis campus could greatly benefit from additional pieces of art and sculpture, though maybe wearing a bit more clothing.

Whether it be sculptures, fountains or murals, art adds character to a scene. When one looks up Brandeis online, one will likely find a picture of Usen Castle. The reason for this is clear: the Castle is easily the most distinctive building we’ve got. Most of the buildings on our campus could easily be located on other campuses, whether it be the library, the SCC or the Mandel Center for the Humanities. The Castle, however, proudly screams “Brandeis.” We could use more distinctive features.

There are a number of sites that would be perfect for something Brandeisian, like a 4-foot, bronze Pikachu statue holding a “Say No to Keystone Pipeline” sign, a mural of students sledding down the library hill on stolen trays from Sherman or a golden, ornate Manischewitz foun-

photo from internet source

tain (although the last one might get a little bit expensive). I recall visiting a friend at the University of Pennsylvania once and hearing him praise his school for having so many small pieces of art peppered throughout the campus. We should try to achieve a

similar standard. Having little pieces of art throughout Brandeis could be a relatively inexpensive way to create a general picture of the university that would not be easily replicated elsewhere.This image would stick out in the minds of not only students and

alumni, but also in prospective students’. People touring Brandeis would gain the type of deeper understanding of the school through seeing the types of art commissioned by the university or created by the student body, and get to know the community more

with a greater connection with something so intimate.

We already have this to a certain degree. In the past year there have been art projects integrated into nature such as an exhibit of scattered chairs wrapped around trees and trees with “scarves” on them. These were terrific and intriguing, yet I would like to see more permanent pieces of art. I do think that having students themselves create some of these new features is a good idea, as it would provide a direct view into the personalities and passions of people who actually go to Brandeis. Plus, it is an easy way to integrate a classroom grade into a permanent fixture of the school. If these art students are already going to make a sculpture for a project, might as well put it to good use in a way everyone can enjoy.

Creating a more distinctive campus through the use of artwork is not only good for being able to give people a clearer understanding of Brandeis today, but could also serve as a sort of “time capsule” for the future. While being able to tell a story about a university is great, it is only improved by still having the artifact from that time. For example, one of the famous episodes in Brandeis’s history is the occupation of Ford Hall. That story loses some of its flavor, though, due to the fact that the hall no longer exists. Having long-lasting pieces of art could give people in the future views of what Brandeis was like and what was important to the student body in years prior.

It does not need to be a man in his underwear—and in fact the reactions of many students at Wellesley suggest that maybe that wouldn’t be the best idea. Yet this campus could certainly use some more statues and other pieces of art from the artists who aren’t afraid to get weird in the quest to reflect the spirit of Brandeis.

Student Union elections: more info needed

“Vote For” posters of the candidates plastered around the dorms, and I’m sure they’re very timely. An effort has been made to get the word out about Elections for the Student Union student representatives, and it is earare rapidly approaching. Or at least nest enough to make me consider I think they are, because I’ve noticed learning how to go about casting my

By Shayna Korol Staff

ernment beyond the student council in seventh grade, and I accept that I may not be representative of the student body as a whole—but many of us are still having problems with New LATTE, so maybe this election process could be a bit more intuitive.

Aside from my utter confusion, I’m not really sure why I should vote.

Sure, there is always the spirit of the thing, and that is a wonderfully powerful impetus for some. On a more practical level, however, what does student government actually do?

They claim to advocate for the interests of the student body to the faculty and administration. That’s a noble goal, and whatever steps they take should be rendered transparent to the entire student body. Yet how effective is the petitioning or conferencing or whatever it is that they actually do?

How do student representatives get in touch with the people they are supposed to represent? Do they effect meaningful change on campus? An honest and thorough answer to that question can’t be conveyed in a simple poster just offering a name to vote for.

Getting back to the topic of posters, which are the start and end of my awareness and involvement with the Union, I have to wonder what the positions actually are and why the photo from internet source candidate is exactly qualified for this spot. Like rival chain restaurants next vote.

My ignorance of the political pro- to one another or two different gas cess is not the candidates’ fault, of stations across the road, I’m not sure course, but some effort should be what makes one product any different made to teach and encourage po- from the other. Candidates that simtential voters to actually vote. I have ply put a picture on a poster and tape never been involved in student gov- it to a frequented spot on campus just

to get their visibility up confuse me.

That’s a business strategy that makes some sense but is nonetheless disorienting.

If I do vote, and that’s very tentative, I’ll probably end up picking the candidates I’m most familiar with, people I’ve talked to in the past or had classes with. I might consider someone with a particularly impressive haircut for an important position. I freely admit that this is a poor way of coming to a decision, but it’s not as if my method is any different from that of most voters in local and national elections.

There must be a way to overcome voter apathy at Brandeis that isn’t a pep rally or two-line comment in a weekly email that often gets lost between spam. Maybe a meeting or event, such as an ice cream social sponsored by the Student Union that also functions as a debate, would work well. Some sort of bribe to get voters to attend might be the best way to go because there’s nothing more quintessentially political.

Since I have absolutely no idea what the Student Union advocates for or against, I suggest that they figure out a way to get first-years like me more acquainted with how they represent the students. Like how they would be the ones who talk with whoever sets tuition rates and could gently suggest that enough is enough. There are so many things on campus worthy of addressing. What I would like to know is what power the Student Union holds and what falls within their sphere of influence to change. And of course, how to actually go and vote.

February 7, 2014

this week in photos

The Brandeis Hoot 11

photos by emily stott/the hoot

flurries Students spent their day off due to the snow storm outside, building snowmen, making snow angels or sledding down the hill next to the library.

Snow Day