VOL 7, NO. 14
SEPTEMBER 24, 2010
B R A N D E I S U N I V E R S I T Y ' S C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R
Flasher visits Harlan Chapel for second time
Secured clubs gain, others make do with less
BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
BY NATHAN KOSKELLA Editor
Chartered clubs received 42 percent of requested funds from the Student Union Finance Board, a decrease from 68.7 percent last fall. Secured organizations, or those guaranteed to receive a certain baseline funding by the Union Constitution, meanwhile received an additional $55,000, according to Student Union Treasurer Akash Vadalia ’11. The additional funding for secured clubs is one of many reasons for the decrease in allocations to unsecured clubs. Vadalia said there are “at least five” reasons, “from the cost of the new website, [$10,000]; the fact that there are more clubs; they requested a larger amount of money than last year’s; and last year’s budget having to borrow from this year’s,” in addition to the secured organizations’ increases. This year, 30 additional clubs requested funds from the Student Union Finance Board, resulting in a 32 percent increase in total requests. More than 150 clubs requested $463,000 during the marathon period. Vadalia explained that the decrease in funding for unsecured clubs can, in part, be attributed to a financial error on the part of the board. “Last year, we assumed that clubs would spend about 80 percent of the money we had allocated,” which would allow for some funds to roll over into the Fall 2010 fund, Vadalia said. “But clubs spent almost 100 percent last year.” As a result, the Finance Board used funds for Fall 2010 to pay for club activities in the spring. Secured clubs, which must be approved by the student body in a vote in order to become financially secure, still appear before the F-board and use only their Constitutionally defined amount as a “baseline,” Vadalia said. (The Justice is an exception to See FUNDING, p. 4
THIS WEEK:
WA LT H A M , M A
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
FLASHER: A naked man has been seen twice in one month inside the empty Harlan Chapel.
Witnesses saw a naked man standing inside an empty Harlan Chapel for the second time in less than a month late Monday afternoon, Ed Callahan, director of university public safety said. In response to the incident, the university has added uniformed and plain-clothes patrol officers and activated electronic key card access to all three chapels on campus. The suspect was a “black male in his 20s with close-cropped hair” and matches the description of the suspect in a similar incident on Aug. 26, the first day of classes, according to a statement from Callahan. “Something like this should not happen outside or inside a place of worship,” Callahan said, explaining that the action was especially offensive due to the location where it occured. The man was standing without any clothes on inside the chapel
facing towards Loop Road and in the first incident, the witnesses notified authorities immediately. This week, the witnesses waited until Tuesday to inform campus police. “Our responsibility is to educate and inform of any suspicious occurrences that could impact the community,” Callahan said. The university has also informed the Waltham Police Department about the incident and is investigating it. Considering the similarities of both occurrences, Callahan said it is “possible that it’s the same individual.” Paul Bae ’13 told The Hoot he saw two individuals matching the description of the suspect walking outside on the sidewalk by the chapels, and that “they didn’t seem like people related to the school.” Bae could not recall whether See FLASHER, p. 6
Brandeis alumni document Costa Rican peace culture BY MORGANA RUSSINO Staff
Brandeis alumni Jonah Cohen ’10, Alex Epps ’10 and Ned Crowley ’10 screened their documentary film campus on Tuesday. “State of Peace” was filmed this past summer in Costa Rica after Crowley and Cohen were awarded a $10,000 grant from the Kathryn W. Davis Projects For Peace. Costa Rica has had universal health care and no standing army since 1948; it was also voted the happiest country in the world. But like any other country, Costa Ricans are confronted with problems of violence, according to the documentary. Because the country does not have the money to control the regulation of such things as drug trafficking, many citizens have decided to make a difference by advocating peace. “State of Peace” follows the peace movements throughout Costa Rica, primarily in schools. Rather than trying to end the country’s violence with more violence, Costa Ricans are educating their citizens about peace.
Cracking down on TV crime shows
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
Through funding given by the Rasur Foundation, peace education has made its way into the local schools. With peace education, children can practice peace with the goal of spreading it to other generations. After nearly three years of litigation, the country’s president, Oscar Arias, signed the Peace Education Law on Sept. 15, 2009, a large step towards teaching all Costa Ricans peace education.
Arts , page 10
However, children aren’t the only ones receiving it. In the Academy for Peace, teachers are also being trained on how to teach peace. Through the two-part method of coherence and connection, adults are also learning how they can make a difference through peace education. So far, 600 teachers have been trained in at least 17 different schools. Cohen, Epps and Crowley portrayed Costa Rica as a country full
One tall alumnus Impressions, page 15
of peaceful yet proactive people, eager to make a lasting change in their society. One teacher noted, “I wish peace was a fundamental subject.” Last year, only two Brandeis student projects were selected to receive the award. The other student, Shaina Gilbet ’10, traveled to Haiti to document Empowering Through Education (ETE), a summer camp that she founded herself.
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NEWS
September 24, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot 3
Univ spends millions on fire safety, no sprinklers in Castle building BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
Although the Schwartz Hall building in the Castle Residence Quad does not have fire sprinklers, the university has taken on extra efforts to install sprinklers in many buildings during the past 10 years, according to Waltham Fire Department Chief Richard Cardillo. Public Safety’s annual report last week incorrectly listed the number of sprinklers on campus, stating that buildings in the Charles River Residence Quad also do not have sprinklers. In fact, full sprinklers were installed during the summer as part of renovations to Charles River, after the report was completed, Ed Callahan, Director of Public Safety said. Callahan said that the report was likely finished in July, before the renovations to Charles River were completed. “Existing buildings come under the code with which they were built,” Cardillo said, explaining that all buildings still require fire alarms and smoke detection. Cardillo explained that because of the work Peter French, former executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Mark Collins, senior vice president of administration have supported during the past 10 years, many older buildings now have fire sprinklers. “The university made a great effort to sprinkle a lot of build-
BY LEAH FINKELMAN Staff
PHOTO BY Lien Phung/The Hoot
SOUND THE ALARM: While smoke detectors (pictured above) and fire alarms are required in every building, sprinklers are not.
ings,” Callahan said. “The University absolutely considers fire safety a priority,” Collins wrote in an e-mail to The Hoot. “Evidence of that can be seen in the fact that in the last seven or eight years, Brandeis has spent millions of dollars on fire alarm and sprinkler systems in our residence halls.” Sprinklers are not required inside Schwartz Hall because the building was built in 1928, when no code existed, Cardillo said. Cardillo acknowledged that “funding is becoming a problem” in equipping university buildings with sprinklers, but explained that the laws require places to install fire sprinklers for all square
footage in buildings, even unoccupied spaces and not just “life safety systems” for the rooms where people reside. Installing a sprinkler system as part of a “retrofit” would cost $1.1 million instead of installing sprinklers as part of a larger renovation, according to Collins. As part of the renovations to Charles Rivers’ four buildings, sprinklers cost 800,000 for the 351 beds. The Castle has 121 beds. Applying the laws to the university, Cardillo said, means that a thorough renovation of the Castle would need to be completed in order to install the sprinklers according to code. Scott Phillips ’13 said that “it
would be a little more reassuring” if there were sprinklers for all of the Castle. “Sprinklers will be installed in the Castle when the building is renovated. It is clearly an old facility, and designing and installing a sprinkler system is a very complex project,” Collins wrote in an e-mail to The Hoot. In 2004, the university installed a “state of the art fire alarm system,” Collins wrote. Explaining that many students are not concerned, Andrea Ortega ’13 said, “I think it’s because were college students and we’re stuck in that stigma that nothing bad would ever happen to us here.”
Students unite to help in Pakistan flood relief efforts BY JON OSTROWSKY Editor
Brandeis students are known for their commitment to helping those in need, so it needs little explanation that following a summer of disastrous floods in Pakistan, the student body is doing all they can to improve the lives of people on the other side of the world. Floods began in Pakistan and nearby countries on July 26, displacing 21 million people, according to a statement from Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11. In August, Anushka Aqil ’12 sent out an e-mail to her friends and people on-campus acquaintences collecting a motivated student response. Students have formed a relief effort in coordination with the Student Union to raise awareness and money for the victims of Pakistan’s floods, Acheampong wrote. The group called, Brandeis for Pakistan Flood Relief, is “working on various events to raise awareness and garner support” from the Brandeis community, Acheampong wrote. “Because of the lack of media attention, not a lot was happening,” Aqil, said, explaining the
BSF taking proposals
initial international response to the crisis. Aqil, who is Pakistani, said that the flooding has hit rural areas and villages severely and that many of the highly populated cities have not been effected directly from the floods the way that rural areas were. She said that one of the biggest problems in the relief effort is that Pakistan has domestic issues handling the response. “The government right now is not equipped to take care of the people,” Aqil said. Acheampong said that from the United Nations estimate of $460 million needed to respond to the floods, $148 million has already been donated. The group has several main events planned for the fall. Their kick off event is a large dinner on Sept. 28 inside Sherman Function Hall. Admission is $15 for the South Asian feast. Aqil hopes that 200 members of the Brandeis community will attend next week’s fundraiser. “We want this effort to be community-wide, in which everyone has a part in making a difference,” Acheampong wrote. “Everyone gives in their own individual talents,” Aqil said, commenting that the groups list serve contains 30 to 40 members.
In addition to the group’s goal of raising $25,000 to $30,000, Aqil and Acheampong explained the need to spread awareness about the floods. Although no organizations have been confirmed, the group is planning to donate at least part of the money to International Development Relief Fund (IDRF) and Plan International. IDRF works on emergency relief efforts across the globe and Plan International focuses on issues relating to children poverty. “It goes beyond the monetary … even spreading the word from one person to another causes a slippery slope of information” to make students aware about the floods, Acheampong said. There is also an educational panel of professors examining the flood’s effects on Pakistan’s future scheduled for Oct. 18, as well as a concert and a silent auction in November being organized by Union Vice President Shirel Guez ’12. The date for the auction will be set by next week, according to Aqil. On Oct. 4, there will be a henna event in Ridgewood Commons. The Greek Awareness Club is planning a week for Pakistan and Aqil is also organizing a penny drive in December to raise extra funds. “We’re going to try to give all
the inner-resources we can to help out,” Acheampong said. Aqil was grateful for the Union’s response. “Their man power is our saving grace right now,” Aqil said. Last semester, following the destruction of an earthquake that struck Haiti in January, students undertook a similar project, forming the Brandeis Haiti Relief Effort, and raising more than $30,000 for Partners in Health, Empowering Through Education (ETE) Camp and Hope for Haiti.
The Brandeis Sustainability Fund is now accepting grant proposals to make Brandeis more environmentally friendly. The Fund, new this year, was created last spring following a student body vote to increase each student’s semesterly Student Activities Fee by $7.50 in order to fund projects that will make Brandeis more ecofriendluy. The BSF is an effort, organized primarily by Students for Environmental Action (SEA), to give students the ability to write grants for funding on small projects that will make Brandeis more eco-friendly. “It’s the first semester, so it’s in the developing stages,” said Marissa Turesky ’13, an Environmental Studies major who organizes publicity for the BSF and helps applicants put together their proposals. Students interested in writing a proposal for a BSF grant can get help from the university’s Sustainability Coordinator, Janna Cohen-Rosenthal ’03, during her office hours this Tuesday at 3 p.m. “It’s a less intimidating and more informal way to ask for help,” Cohen-Rosenthal said, adding that she hopes students will show more interest this semester and next semester during the second grant cycle. Geneva Boyer ’14, who attended office hours, plans to submit a grant application. Her proposal to redesign the sprinkler system on campus was inspired by SEA’s vote to work on improving sustainable landscaping this year. If Boyer is awarded grant money, she will use it to revamp the sprinkler system so that spraying on sidewalks or during thunderstorms will not waste water. BSF grants are due to CohenRosenthal by Oct. 12, when a committee comprised of students and faculty will choose who will receive grant money.
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4 NEWS
The Brandeis Hoot
September24, 2010
Grad student wows crowds Students take a ‘STAND’ against genocide with piano compositions BY JOSH KELLY Special to The Hoot
Everyone at Brandeis has something they are passionate about. Everyone has their “thing” that clicks well with them, which they enjoy doing and which others enjoy watching them do. For some it is playing keeper in intramural Quidditch and for some it is painting a portrait of a beautiful landscape. For Sangwon Lee (GRAD), it is musical composition. The Italian Concorso Internationale recently awarded Lee an international composition award and scholarship. Lee, a Brandeis graduate student in the Composition and Theory program recently won an Italian-based international composition competition, the 2 Agosto. He also won the Alcide Cervi scholarship of 500 euros. Lee was born in 1979 in Daegu, South Korea and became interested in music at a very young age. While he does not remember exactly when he first became interested in music, he does recall his first composition, which he created when he was 14-years-old. The Concorso Internationale competition was created in order to commemorate a devastating terrorist attack perpetrated by neo-fascists on Aug. 2, 1980. Years after the bombing of the central train station in Bologna, Italy, which killed 85 people and injured 200, the government established Aug. 2 as a holiday to remember not just the victims of this attack, but all people harmed by terror. The competition is particularly for young composers, and the winner is granted the honor of
having his piece performed in the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna on Aug. 2. The title of Lee’s winning composition is “Chaconne for Piano and Orchestra.” Lee said that the piece alludes to chaconne, a technique utilized primarily in the Baroque era of musical composition, explaining that “the chaconne consists of two elements: a tenbar rhythmic pattern and a fortythree melodic line.” “ The chaconne theme [is] repeated by the orchestra 18 times with various methods. The 10-bar chaconne theme [is] overlapped with contrasting episodes of the piano,” he said, adding that eventually, “the piano part becomes more impassioned and leads to a point of dramatic emphasis played by the whole orchestra together with the soloist.” Lee finds it difficult to explain his composing process, but notes that there are three big steps: first thinking about
The piano part becomes more impassioned and leads to a point of dramatic emphasis played by the whole orchestra together with the soloist. - Sangwon Lee
instrumentation, then making a structure and finally composing. He certainly has a bright future in music and in fact has been revising a piano and violin piece which was awarded the Frederic Mompou International Award of Spain in 2008. Lee will be performing this piece at the New Music Brandeis Concert Saturday, Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Music Center.
F-board unable to meet all clubs’ requests FUNDS (from p. 1)
this understanding. The Union Constitution not only defines them as a secured organization, but also grants them a “Printing Fund,” and they apply directly to the university’s general budget analyst). “In total, secured clubs were allocated a total of $55,000 more,” F-board Chair Makensley Lordeus ’11 said, before listing: “the Justice’s additional $2,000;
SSIS receiving an additional $5,000; or Waltham Group’s additional $8,000.” “Waltham Group, for instance, received that for CORE checks,” Lordeus said, “and the university just told us how much that would be.” “There are many factors that play into our ability to sufficiently fund and please clubs this year,” Vadalia said. “We have appeals next week.”
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
STAND: The students above participate in the club STAND, which raises funds and awareness to combat genocide.
BY ALAN BLUM Staff
When searching for a club to join on campus, it is hard to find one with both a humanitarian agenda and an enjoyable experience. However, Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND), a student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network, offers students the opportunity to make a difference while still having fun. The mission of STAND is simple–prevent genocide and provide humanitarian aid. At Brandeis where Jewish students are brought up knowing the phrase “Never Again” in reference to the Holocaust, joining STAND provides students with the opportunity to take action against modern genocide. According to STAND Executiveboard member Adam Cohen ’12, STAND is out to make a “global difference at a community level.” During weekly meetings at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, members look at crises around the world and brainstorm how to address them. Among the methods used are fundraising, awareness education and community involvement. Last year, STAND hosted speaker Mohamed Yahya to talk about his experiences in Darfur. Yahya was a refugee who had escaped from Darfur and started the Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy. “He is the most inspirational man I’ve ever met. He talked about how everyone has the power to make a difference and change the world” STAND Eboard member Maddie Barr ’12
said. sell their goods in America is Yahya cast an overwhelming small. It’s made out of recycled presence last year as he spoke material and it’s just a beautiful of his experience in Darfur and system.” described Damanga. But he was STAND is trying to bring also thankful to be at Brandeis awareness back to campus about and speak to students willing to efforts going on in Uganda and help the cause. Sudan. “He kept on thanking us a lot “Sudan isn’t a hot topic anyfor being in STAND and try- more. There’s a lot of talk about ing to get ‘Darfur fatigue,’ the word the idea that no out,” said Sudan isn’t a hot topic one is talking E - b o a r d anymore. it anyThere’s a lot about m e m b e r, more since it Becca El- of talk about ‘Darfur fa- began long ago win ’12. there are tigue,’ the idea that no and As for more trendy u p c o m - one is talking about it issues to talk ing events said anymore because ... there about,” hosted by Kirsch. ThereS T A N D , are more trendy issues to fore, through a the club possible benefit talk about. will host concert, help a bar- Hannah Kirsch ’12 with Damanga beque on and continued the Great efforts with Lawn on Beads for Life Oct. 17, sales, STAND during Parents’ Weekend. The hopes to combat “Darfur famain goal is to raise money for tigue” and other cases of genoDarfur Stoves, which provide cide around the world. solar power stoves to people in “I joined STAND because refugee camps. I wanted to be involved with During the barbeque, the club something that happened to will also sell beaded jewelry do with activism. Aware of the from the organization Beads for “Darfur fatigue,” I wanted to Life, an organization situated in make sure I was keeping the Oregon that raises money for cause alive,” said Cohen. Ugandan women. Beads for Not only is STAND a way to Life provides an opportunity keep the cause alive, it is also for Ugandan women to support a way to meet new people who themselves and their villages by have the same desire to help. making beads out of recycled According to Barr, “It’s honestly paper. fun to work on an issue you care STAND E-board member about when the people are enHannah Kirsch ’12 said that joyable. As a club, we approach the beauty of this organization a serious topic, but we’re able to is that “even the likelihood of have fun with the people we’re Ugandan women being able to working with.”
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September 24, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
NEWS
5
Brandeis gets ‘Silly’ over new bracelets BY LEAH FINKELMAN Staff
As any camp counselor, teacher or parent can tell you, silly bands are a way of life for anyone younger than twelve. They have been used as a reward and punishment system and been banned in schools, but the fad doesn’t seem to be slowing down. “Silly bands are hot and trendy right now, so why not have Brandeis silly bands?” Sharon Rosenberg ’00, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, said. Alumni Relations is one of at least two Brandeis departments to make Brandeis-themed silly bands this year. The other, Admissions, plans to give the bracelets to prospective students during the Fall Preview days. With the help of Brad Akers ’95, owner of a promotional item and marketing company, Alumni Relations created silly bands shaped like Ollie the Owl and the letter B, while Admissions created sets to distribute that spell out “Brandeis 1948.” Rosenberg said that her department had ordered the silly bands primarily as promotional items. “It’s mostly about brand name recogni-
tion,” she said, adding that she wears a Brandeis t-shirt while exercising for the same reason. The bracelets are among several small items that Alumni Relations gives away throughout the year at more than 150 alumni events around the world. Because many of the events are family friendly, Rosenberg hopes that children of alumni will get them, wear them, trade them and spread the word about their parents’ alma mater. Luigi Solla, Associate Director of Admissions, said that the silly bands created for Fall Preview days and recruitment programs have already been sent to a few students who will not be able to attend, and have received positive feedback. “They seem to be excited about them … so I’m taking that as a sign that they’ll go over well at Preview Days,” Solla said. If feedback from current students, many of whom are wearing other silly bands, is any indication, prospective students and alumni will love the bracelets. “That’s such a great idea! They should sell them, I would definitely buy a pack,” Emalie Novick ’12 said after hearing about the bracelets.
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
PHOTO BY Leah Finkelman/The Hoot
GETTING SILLY: The fun-shaped rubber bands, also known as ‘silly bands’ featured above will be handed out at Brandeis recruitment events by the Department of Admissions.
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
6 NEWS
The Brandeis Hoot
Development committed to financial aid, despite admissions change BY ARIEL WITTENBERG Editor
University officials maintained this week that the Admission’s office’s move from need-blind admissions to needsensitive admissions was not a result of a university inability to secure donations for financial aid. “This change has nothing to do with us,” Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Nancy Winship said, adding that her Department of Development and Alumni Relations was not involved in the decision making process. “The major priority is to raise money for student financial aid, there is no change in that goal for us,” she said. Last weeks announcement that the university would begin considering some applicants’ financial need when debating whether to accept them suggested to some that the university’s development department was unable to fund financial aid. Indeed, Professor Steven Burg (POL), chair of the Brandeis faculty committed on admissions and financial aid, was quoted in the Sept. 3 issue of The Hoot saying “our aid funds have been inadequate.” But Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer wrote Thursday in an e-mail to The Hoot that “I believe that the university will be able to continue its long standing efforts of soliciting donations for student aid.”
“This is not a reflection of Development at all,” Winship said. “We had nothing to do with it.” Neither Winship nor Spencer believe that the decision to go from need-blind to needsensitive aid will effect the university’s future ability to secure donations. “I believe our alumni and donors will continue to understand and support the increased need for financial aid resources for high school students and their families,” Spencer wrote. “This issue of financing a college education and the ability of families to continue to be able to afford a private college education has been around for a while and will remain a tip issue for all colleges and universities.” Winship noted that Brandeis’ development department is “on the cutting edge” of using technology to secure donations. This spring, Brandeis received a Silver Award in the 2010 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards Program in the Creative Use of New Media category. The award was given specifically for Brandeis’ “Support our Students” viral marketing campaign. “Over the past 16 years that I’ve worked here we’ve been through other recessions and all kinds of difficulties and what I’ve tried to instill in my staff is we just have to get the job done,” Winship said. “It’s very important that we get the money we need for the operating budget and we will work as hard as we can. So far, we’ve been able to do that.”
Flasher makes second visit to chapel FLASHER (from p. 1)
he saw the two men on Monday or Tuesday late afternoon and emphasized that he did not know whether they were the suspects. After installing the electronic key system, the university activated it this week after the incident because it takes time to update the system and also because it wanted the chapels to be open for the religious holidays this past month, Callahan said. Esther Edwin ’13 said that she thought some people were overreacting to the incident, referencing rumors that she heard the man was streaking near the chapel. “People have blown it out of proportion,” Edwin said. “The
e-mails are causing too much hype.” “This is a really safe campus and Public Safety works hard to continue that,” said Andrew Gully, senior vice president of communications and external affairs. He said that the university informs the community of incidents like the one this week “so that people can assist Public Safety.” Harlan Chapel, the Protestant chapel, is one of three chapels on campus, including the Berlin Chapel (Jewish) and Bethlehem Chapel (Catholic). The Chapels are located across a field from the Rosenthal Residence Quad and the Massell Residence Quad.
September 24, 2010
Hats in the ring Senator for TYP - Terrell Gilkey
- Sydney Appelbaum - Albert Feldman
Senator for North Quad - Alexander Bernstein - Jesse Hart - Sam Liang - Sarah Park - Brianda Penafort - Shekeyla Caldwell
Senator for Castle - Miriam Halimi Senator for Ziv - Mark Levi - Scott Oglesby
Senator for Charles River: Senator for Massell Quad - Tae Wan Kim - David Clements - Josh Kelley Brandeis Sustainability - Rosby Kome-Mensah II Fund Board rep - Sidharth Rijhwani - Yahav Itzkovich - Sharan Shah - Susan Paykin - Michael Sklaroff - Nicholas Polano Senator for 2014 - Maria Alkhasova - Dillon Harvey - Jesse Koklas - Marsha Patel - Isaac Rabbani - Tiequin Roquerre - Mitchell Schwartz Senator for Rosenthal - Elizabeth Fields - Elly Kalfus - Haemee Kang - Fuan Li (Franklin) Senator for East
Senior Representative to the UCC - Jenna Rubin Senator for Off-Campus - Evyn Rabinowitz Senator for Village N/A Senator for Ridgewood N/A Senator for Mods N/A
Student elections set for Sunday BY NATHAN KOSKELLA Editor
Student Union elections will be held Sunday online at the new Union website, brandeisstudentunion.org. Most Senate positions and members of the new Brandeis Sustainability Fund will be up for a vote. No candidates have registered to become Senator for the Mods, Ridgewood or the Village, while candidates for Transitional Year Program senator, Castle and Charles River senators and the representative to the University Curriculum Committee are running unopposed. First-year positions, including Massell and North quad senators, have many candidates. “We focused mostly on firstyears,” Student Union Secretary Herbie Rosen ’12, said. “We held a ‘Meet the Union,’ earlier this month, Daniel [Acheampong, Union president] was doorknocking; we also asked [community development coordinators] to announce the elections.” Rosen also noted that some candidates have not officially filed by press time but have contacted him and may declare and be on the Sunday ballot.
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September 24, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
FINANCIAL EXPOSURE
7
Photojournalist displays Mexican ‘Pura Mujer’ exhibit BY DEBBY BRODSKY Staff
A new photography exhibition portraying the women of Oaxaca, Mexico by photojournalist and Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal Finalist, Dana Romanoff, is on display in the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis. The display, which opened Sept. 20, will be exhibited until Dec. 16. Dana Romanoff ’s exhibit is titled “Pura Mujer,” or “Purely Women,” to reflect the absence of 80 percent of the community of Oaxaca’s men. Due to the dire need to support their families, most men turn to illegally entering and immigrating to the United States in search of work in order to send money back home, while others escape to the United States and choose not to maintain contact with their families. As a result, the women of Oaxaca who are traditionally in charge of maintaining their home and raising their children are now the bosses of the family. Many women are now starting small businesses in town and choosing to continue their education. In addition, because the women of Oaxaca provide for their families, they are now aware that they have value, and therefore value themselves. Michele L’Heureux, Curator of the Kniznick Gallery at the Women’s Studies Research Center, wrote that she decided to exhibit Romanoff ’s work “to put together a show that addressed borders and the crossing of borders in some
PHOTO BY Dana Romanoff
PURA MUJER: Dana Romanoff’s photography exhibit titled ‘Pura Mujer’ depicts a community of women in Oaxaca, Mexico.
way, given how prominent the topic of immigration is in our current international news.” A critical aspect of Romanoff ’s exhibit is that not only does it broach the topic of illegal immigration, it addresses the untouched topic of “women left behind as a result of their husbands and sons emigrating to the United States, and the feminist nature of the newly formed matriarchal culture,” L’Heureux wrote. Upon entering the Women’s Studies Research Center, viewers will immediately be struck
by the ordinary scenes of daily life portrayed in Romanoff ’s photographs. Displayed are scenes of women working in their fields, eating dinner with their families and selling their goods in the local market. Viewers will also notice scenes of heartbreak as family members say goodbye to young sons, fathers and brothers who are preparing to cross the border to the United States. It is important to observe how strong and resilient rhe women of Oaxaca are while
emigration continues to tear families apart. According to L’Heureux, each viewer can take something different away based on his or her background, knowledge and experience. Romanoff is interested in portraying a humane side of immigration, and giving voice to an underrepresented population. The content, color and editorial choices Romanoff uses are bound to take different viewers in different directions. L’Heureux included that Gannit Ankori, Art History professor, will be bringing stu-
dents in her course “Inventing Tradition: Women as Artists, Women as Art” to Romanoff ’s artist’s talk and video screening on Nov. 11. The students will get to meet Romanoff and talk with her about her work. Additionally, the Women’s Studies Research Center will be hosting an Immigration Reform Panel on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. that will feature the artist, Steve Gutherz, an immigration attorney, and Alexandra Pineros Shields, a policy scholar. This event is open to the community.
Acheampong to name student representatives to administrative, Rose Art Museum committees BY NATHAN KOSKELLA Editor
Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 announced Tuesday the creation of a student committee and a student advisory position that will solicit student opinion and report to university officials concerning administrative structure following the flight of many top members and in the search for a new director of The Rose Art Museum, respectively. The committee will “present student opinion to the Administration Structure Advisory Committee” and future president Fredrick Lawrence, according to Acheampong’s campus-wide e-mail. The administration structure committee was created earlier this month following
the resignations of Provost Marty Krauss, who will step down in May, and Senior Vice President for Students for Enrollment Jean Eddy, who will leave next week. It consists of remaining senior administrators who will assist in filling the two top posts. “The purpose of this [administrative] advisory committee will be to research student opinion, present it to the structure committee and participate in the search process for the candi-
dates” for provost and enrollment Senior Vice President, Acheampong said in an interview with The Hoot. “[Lawrence] acknowledged the importance of having student involvement,” he said. “He
We want to open it up to the student body to get different students with different perspectives to make them feel involved with this ... process - Daniel Acheampong ’11
and I decided to create a student advisory committee that I will supervise.” The committee, as immediately created, consists of Acheampong, his appointed Director of Academic Affairs Marla Merchut ’12 and graduate student association president and vice president Jane Harries and Joby DeCoster. The remaining three spots will be filled by application to the Student Union office. “We want to open it up to the student body to get different students with different perspectives,” Acheampong said, “to make them feel involved with this recommendation process. I was really sure of wanting to get a chance to meet these candidates, really similar to the presidential search process.” The search committee for a new director of The Rose seeks
to fill a position that has been vacant for more than a year, since the university neglected to renew the contract of former museum Director Michael Rush in June 2009. Acheampong said that “every person has a vested interest [in the museum].” “I think [President Jehuda Reinharz] did a fantastic job in getting students involved” with the issue. “The university realizes the importance of student involvement.” “The Rose is not just an art building,” he said, “but it’s a place of learning, and it’s important to those who use it to have input.” On the criticism and public discussion of the proper use of The Rose art, Acheampong said only that “the best thing for us to do is move forward.”
8 The Brandeis Hoot
Established 2005 "To acquire wisdom, one must observe." Ariel Wittenberg Editor in Chief Nathan Koskella News Editor Jon Ostrowsky News Editor Bret Matthew Impressions Editor Kara Karter Sports Editor Kayla Dos Santos Arts, Etc. Editor Jodi Elkin Layout Editor Leah Lefkowitz Layout Editor Max Shay Photography Editor Vanessa Kerr Business Editor Savannah Pearlman Copy Editor Yael Katzwer Deputy Copy Editor Associate Editors Alex Schneider, Destiny D. Aquino
FOUNDED BY
Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman
SUBMISSION POLICIES The Hoot welcomes letters to the editor on subjects that are of interest to the general community. Preference is given to current or former community members. The Hoot reserves the right to edit any submissions for libel, grammar, punctuation, spelling and clarity. The Hoot is under no obligation to print any of the pieces submitted. Letters in print will also appear on-line at www.thehoot.net. The deadline for submitting letters is Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. All letters must be submitted electronically at www. thehoot.net. All letters must be from a valid e-mail address and include contact information for the author. Letters of length greater than 500 words may not be accepted. The opinions, columns, cartoons and advertisements printed in The Hoot do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial board. The Hoot is a community student newspaper of Brandeis University. Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.
CORRETIONS
Due to a Public Safety report not updated after the summer, The Hoot incorrectly reported last week that buildings in the Charles River Residence Quad do not have sprinklers. In fact, full sprinklers were installed during the summer as part of renovations to Charles River, after the report was completed.
Hoot Classifieds First post is free! thebrandeishoot.com /classifieds
EDITORIAL
U
September 24, 2010
Take the reins
ntil now, The Hoot has refrained from editorializing about the choice of Frederick M. Lawrence as the future president of Brandeis. Though we have been heartened by Lawrence’s conscious effort to meet and connect with the student body, we have been reserving our judgement until we see what he will do once he takes the reins. This week the student union president announced he would appoint a student committee on administrative restructuring and a student representative to the search committee
for the new Rose Art Museum director. This editorial board has lamented to no end the administration’s tendency to ignore student input in important university decisions. It happened with financial aid and study abroad decisions in January 2009 and the initial decision about The Rose in March 2009 and the more recent decision to abandon needblind admissions–when student opinion was not even considered until after announcements about university change were made. Even in such decisions like aca-
demic restructuring and choosing the new university president, where there was a student representative on each committee, the student did not have a vote. These two new committees are Lawrence’s opportunity to prove himself. This past month, Lawrence has done a lot of talking on campus about how he wants to ensure that students are included in decision making and that their voices are heard. Well, future President Lawrence, here’s your chance.
September 24, 2010
ARTS, etc.
The Brandeis Hoot 9
A new way to bounce off some calories without even trying! BY GABBY KATZ Special to The Hoot
The growing trend of calorie consumption awareness is obvious as our culture today has gone through the drastic measures of enforcing the transparency of nutritional facts, launching get fit campaigns and forcing a new wave of low-fat, low-sugar, lowcarb type foods into the supermarkets. At the onset of this revolution, a parallel trend is brewing. That is, the market of calorie reduction products that require no physical work on part of the person. Examples include diet pills, magical drinks, consuming only green tea and acai berries, receiving your tuition bill and sweating out pounds of water weight, etc. Yeah, we’re all smart Brandeisians, we don’t buy into this stuff. BUT WAIT! Now there is actually one of these nutty programs that works, and studies prove it! A couple of studies done by the New York, Buffalo School of Medicine and by the Research Institute Move have discovered that by just switching your desk chair for an exercise ball, without making any other changes, you can burn four times the calories you would normally burn while doing homework at a desk chair. Fitday.com has a feature where you can input your weight, height, age and sex to calculate the amount of calories burned while sit-
ting at a desk and doing homework. I calculated that I would burn 50 calories per hour normally, meaning if I switched my chair for a bouncy ball, I would burn 200 calories! That’s a chocolate-chip cookie! The study suggests that sitting on the ball also encourages people to bounce up and down or do leg-lifts, which burn even more calories than the quoted, previous amount mentioned. In addition to burning calories, the studies also suggest that the ball forces people to straighten their posture in order to stabilize the ball, implying this change could also help your posture. The evidence, however, for this finding about postureis somewhat shaky as scientists found that sitting too long on the ball can lead to just as much slumping as sitting in a chair. Therefore, a happy medium of time spent on the ball needs to be found. Even if you spend just an hour studying, of your total time spent working at a desk, on the ball, it looks like a real difference can be made in calories burned. What is even more exciting is that this change is cheap
GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot
and easy to do! For as as $10 on Amazon.com you can order an exercise ball of any color or size you want. Nope, I’m not paid by exercise ball companies and, unfortunately, Billy Mays is not my father, so, no, I’m not just trying to sell you
something. I actually think this idea is really nifty and accessible as it presents a real life example of the ever-famous “burning calories without ever stepping into a gym,” deal. So, if you want to feel a little better about sitting on your butt all
day studying, try this out and let me know how it goes. Tune in next week for more health tips and, as always, please send me an email at gkatz10@brandeis.edu with any health-related questions you may have.
You can bank on ‘The Town’: Boston heist flick impresses BY KAYLA DOS SANTOS Editor
“The Town” entertains with its fast-paced plotting, smart script and memorable casting. In this Boston-centric thriller Ben Affleck has firmly established his skills as a director, which were hinted at in his 2007 Oscarnominated “Gone Baby Gone.” He has created a film that gives a fresh burst of life to the typical heist flick. The film’s title refers to Charlestown, a community in Boston that is burdened by a high crime rate and the notoriety of being the home of many of Boston’s seedier residents. Bank robbers Doug McCray (Affleck) and his friend James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) head a crew that performs a string of increasingly ambitious heists, culminating in a scheme to break
into Fenway Park’s vault. The robberies executed in “The Town” are fun to watch because the crew and the FBI are evenly matched. There are no bumbling officers or buffoonish thieves; instead, audience members are treated to a tense and exciting viewing experience motivated by the desire to see who will come out ahead. In the film, FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) gives McCray’s gang the nickname “the not-screwing-around crew” because they go to such lengths not to get caught. They study the guards of the bank before they rob it, wear Halloween masks, dowse bank patrons’ cell-phones in water, bleach the surface areas they touch and torch their getaway car when they’re done with the vehicle. They’re almost too good. The main break from realism in the film is that the thieves seem to
have thought of everything. Yet, in the world that Affleck created, it’s believable and draws the audience in. While the chase between the FBI agent and the thieves is by itself enough to keep audience members enthralled, the superb cast raises “The Town” to a different league than the common popcorn action movie. Renner, who played the main role in the critically acclaimed “The Hurt Locket” (2008), is almost unrecognizable as a hard-nosed Charlestown resident. Not only is his appearance different (he has gained a few pounds), but he maintains a thick Boston accent. Going beyond these superficial changes, however, Renner fully inhabits his role as a man desperate to keep his friends close to him by any means necessary. Affleck also does a fantastic See TOWN, p. 12 PHOTO FROM Internet Source
10 ARTS ,ETC.
The Brandeis Hoot
September 24, 2010
Ode to ‘Law and Order’ BY ARIEL WITTENBERG Editor
I know it’s been months since NBC announced the cancellation of the original “Law & Order,” but I’m still in mourning. It’s a long process that consists of me constantly trying to convince myself not to watch all the reruns in a given marathon on TNT so I don’t deplete what is now a finite supply of unseen episodes. The networks and cable channels are deeply aware of my loss. Instead of sending flowers or a condolence card, it seems every station is striving to fill the crime-show vacuum by feeding the addictions of “Law & Order” junkies like myself. It’s not working. In terms of empty calories, these shows are worse than cotton candy. They throw actors into uniform and think they have a hit crime-series, as though giving someone a magnifying glass would make them Sherlock Holmes (elementary, my dear Watson). Crime, in its reality, is gritty. It’s messy. Murders happen in back alleys and on the streets, they splatter blood, complicate familial relationships and sometimes entangle detectives along with them. Crime is not, as ABC’s attempt “Rookie Blue” would suggest, a fun, brightly colored backdrop against which to set your latest soap opera. In this summer’s “Rookie Blue,” a sort of “Grey’s Anatomy” does crime, rookies (like the interns) learn the ropes of cop-life in such a way that the mysteries they encounter on the job miraculously mirror their personal lives and, in the end, help the characters decide if they are dating the right
person. As if the crime itself werent’t enough drama for viewers. “Rookie Blue” is the worst offender, but it is not the only one. TNT’s “Rizzoli and Isles” was a valiant attempt and even had former “Law & Order” Assistant District Attorney Angie Harmon as a leading cast member, but still fell short. The premier of this fall’s “Detroit 187” (whose previews had looked promising) was equally disappointing. To clarify, I am a “Law & Order” snob. “CSI,” in all it’s variations, doesn’t cut it for me. While I’m sure black lights and fancy machines have something to do with it, I am a true believer that the primary crime-fighting strategy should be shoe leather taking to the streets. I don’t even like “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” because it gets into too much psycho-babble instead of focusing on the facts of the case. The thing Dick Wolf (God bless him) understood is that crime shows need to be about two things: detectives and the law. Maybe it’s just that Jack McCoy has always reminded my of Gregory Peck, my first on-screen love, but the law part is the best. A case doesn’t end when someone is arrested; there are trials, and plea bargains and arraignments, and “Law & Order” used these legal battles to discuss ethical dilemmas of the day. From governors caught sleeping with prostitutes to torture to the role race plays in arrests and convictions, “Law & Order” used its drama to tackle the important issues. While some of this fall’s premiers (“Outlaw” and “The Whole Truth”) do deal solely with the law, it is the duality between the detectives and the dis-
GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot
trict attorneys, the streets and the courtroom, that gives the show its rhythm. I know “Law & Order: Los Angeles” is set to premier next week, but I’m skeptical. New York City was as much a character of the original show as etec-
tives Brisco and Green. “Law & Order” without New York Cited would be like having “The Office” without Michael Scott. That people are already calling the new spin-off “LOLA” does nothing to assuage my fears. So, RIP “Law & Order,” you
will be sorely missed for everything, down to your dramatic theme song (which shall forever live on as my cell-phone ringtone). Thank goodness (for now) I still have SVU.
An improv piece on improv BY ADAM HUGHES Staff
It’s Wednesday night, it has been a long day and I’ve still got lots to do ... It shouldn’t be this way. There’s a school holiday tomorrow, and I should be looking forward to a night of revelry or relaxation, a chance to relieve the pent-up stress of the week for a few hours. At the very least, I should be able to catch up on all the work I’ve been putting off. But instead, I’m sitting in class and writing a Hoot article because I have a deadline tonight. Well, I’m not really in class. I’m actually slogging through my recitation for Economic Statistics, scribbling down notes that will help me finish my homework while simultaneously trying to bang out an article on the newlyformed Brandeis Improv Club. I used to skip my recitations, but I
promised myself I’d start attneding this year as my courses became more challenging. Of course, I’d rather be anywhere else at 7 p.m. before a holiday, but I made myself a vow, so I might as well see it through. Damn these holiday obligations. And this article only makes things worse. I’m not going to finish it before the end of Improv Club at 9 p.m., and then I’ve got to type it up and send it in. I’m only writing it because I had too much work to complete my original project, a review of the new Of Montreal album. I should just tell my editor to buzz off—it’s a school newspaper, what could they possibly do to me? But Kayla’s a good friend, and she needs to fill a section, and I did promise her content. I’m such a pushover. Damn these holiday obligations! Thankfully, the idea to write about Improv Club came to me during Microeconomics, or I’d still
be clutching at straws, looking for a half-decent topic. I was planning on attending the meeting anyway, so I get to kill two birds with one stone. I’ve never been partial to improvisational comedy; I just can’t be clever when I’m under so much pressure to perform. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even give Improv Club a second thought. However, it was founded by Elly Kalfus, a good friend of mine and a genuinely witty person, and I’d really like to see it succeed for her sake. So I’ll give up another precious hour of freedom and give it a try. I’m such a pushover! Damn these holiday obligations! The meeting is starting and Elly is introducing the club’s purpose and format. She’s taken improv classes before and she clearly knows her stuff. When I’ve played improv games before, I’ve always become selfconscious and broken scene, but
Elly’s explaining the mental ap- character chosen spontaneously proach to successful improvisa- by each participant. The physical tional comedy. The performer activity melts away my tension and can’t force humor; that always leaves me eager to stretch my cremakes the ativity. I realize now that scene aphappy to be here—I nutes into I’m pear too want to laugh and learn the meet- with my friends. obvious and con- ing and my entire apOur first major activity trived. is a game called Freeze, proach to improv is R at h e r, in which two people act the goal already shifting.” out a scene that any othshould er participant can pause be to act at any time. The outsider as naturally as possible and allow then chooses an actor to replace, the humor to develop organically and must begin a completely diffrom the circumstances. Fifteen ferent scene while maintaining the minutes into the meeting and my original actor’s physical posture. entire approach to improv is alTwo of the attendees are memready shifting. bers of the campus group False The group warms up with a se- Advertising, and they’re obviously ries of physical exercises and I well practiced as improv actors. quickly shake off the fatigue of a Their quickness and ingenuity full day of class. We walk around make the rest of us look shy and the Castle Commons, taking on See IMPROV p. 12 the mannerisms of a variety of people and animals, each new
“Mi
September 24, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
ARTS, ETC.
‘Halo: Reach,’ whatever they were reaching for, they reached it
11
Possible spoilers ahead The game retains similar game-play, with armor based power ups instead of item based and customizable armor allowing for a more personal campaign and multi-player experience. That being said, Bungie has greatly expanded the forge map creation system along with the modes of multi-player available. While standard arena death-matchs, referred to as slayer, remain new, games such as invasion and firefight are also featured. There are a whopping four options when it comes to purchasing this game, a standard edition disc ($60), a limited edition with some bonus content ($80), a legendary edition with everything from the limited version including a statue ($150) and a limited edition xbox bundle ($400). Regardless of which version you get, you will be playing the same awesome game. One thing keeps you committed to the efforts of Noble team is remembering that the planet is fated for annihilation. A key element of the game’s mythology is that “Spartans never die; they’re just missing in action.” This gives hope that characters that may have survived may appear in future installments.
BY GORDY STILLMAN Editor
The Halo trilogy may very well be one of the most iconic series exclusive to Microsoft’s X-box systems. Bungie (the developer of the main games) has ended its time with the franchise on a high note in terms of game-play but a sad note in terms of story. Bungie announced that the prequel “Reach” would be its last planned adventure into the world of Spartans, Religious Crazy Aliens, the life consuming Flood and the mysterious ring structures built by the Forerunners (a society that predated humans). “You picked a hell of a day to join up” are the first words your commanding officer says to you as you arrive at basecamp. You play as Noble Six, a new member of the elite Noble Team helping to defend the planet Reach from the Covenant invasion force (consisting of crazy religious Aliens). Since this is the prequel, you know from the first Halo game that this is a doomed effort. But even so, a doomed defense makes for one hell of a fight. Set before the events of “Halo: Combat Evolved,” “Reach” begins with most of Humanity’s colonies lying in ruins and Reach, a massive military base, as the next world in the Covenant’s crosshairs. Unlike the main tril-
PHOTO FROM Internet Source
ogy, in which John-117, a.k.a. the Master Chief, is the only known member of the Spartan soldier program still on
Active Duty. This game sets you as the sixth member of a team of Spartans. creating a new element of game-play.
Instead of being the inherently superior fighter on the human side, you are part of a team of equals.
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12 ARTS, ETC.
The Brandeis Hoot
‘The Town’ thrills TOWN (from p. 9)
Improv proves a good choice IMPROV (from p. 10)
job playing a character searching for a way out of the life handed to him. One of the most compelling aspects of the film is the dynamic between Affleck and Renner’s characters. While Coughlin is reckless and often violent, McCray is intelligent and looking for a way out of a life that he didn’t choose. Almost all of the characters in the film are fascinating to watch. Hamm, known for his role as Don Draper in the AMC television series “Mad Men,” brings an air of self-righteousness to Frawley. The audience gets the sense that Frawley does his job not only because of the thrill of the chase, but because he believes that he is better than the people who live in Charlestown. Blake Lively also contributes an interesting performance as a drugged-up single mother infatuated with McCray. Affleck has succeeded in creating a world for his film, where the characters are realistic, smart and complex. “The Town” creates a world for
the audience through its characters and Boston setting. This is very much a Boston film. Many of the characters wear Boston team jerseys, Bruins jackets and Red Sox gear, they talk with Boston accents and they walk down streets that are recognizably Boston. There are many beautiful shots of the Boston skyline that intersperse the film as well as important scenes that take place in the city. One high-speed car chase is on the streets of the North End and the climactic ending features Fenway Park. This has the effect of grounding the film and providing a basis for its characters. The only major flaw with the film is a plot-hole that occurs at the end of the film. Ultimately, “The Town” is a smart thrill-ride elevated by its smart casting and world-building. Lovers of Scorsese films should not miss watching this film in theaters and buying the dvd when it’s released to place by their copy of “The Departed.”
Arts Recommends
September 24, 2010
reticent, but I’m picking up ideas from them. In one scene, I play Lucy yanking the football away from Charlie Brown; in another, I’m a diminutive football player. At the end of the meeting, I’m much more comfortable in an improvisational setting than I’ve ever been before. I’m picking up the little tricks that create successful scenes. For i n s t an c e , don’t negate another actor’s statement (it’s funnier to go with the flow), and avoid using of outside props (they just become a crutch). My responses are still somewhat leaden; I’m not at the point where I’m comfortable acting without thinking first. But I want to improve and I’ll definitely return
next week. I’m really glad I decided to go to Improv Club and I’m glad I chose to do this article as well— it’s been a blast to write. My recitation notes are going to make my homework much easier, so it shouldn’t take as long as I thought it would. The temptation to be lazy was strong this evening, but I would have missed out if I’d allowed myself to vegetate. There’s always so many interesting events going on at Brandeis and I guess the holiday is a good excuse to take advantage of them. So step out of your comfort zones, Brandeisians! Maybe I’ll see you at Improv Club next week? Also, be sure to read next week’s Hoot—it’ll feature a review of the new of Montreal album! Maybe...
The temptation to be lazy was strong this evening, but I would have missed out if I’d allow myself to vegetate.
Not everyone has the time to pick up the latest books or see the latest films. Our editors make some recommendations that you can pick up at the nearest library.
Book Pick: ‘Parrot and Olivier in America’ by Peter Carey Historical fiction at its finest “Parrot and Olivier in America” features a thinly fictionalized Alexis de Tocqueville as he experiences a young America. Fleeing France because of political intrigue that might endanger his life, Olivier is dismayed to find himself in America with a servant serving as his watch-dog/babysitter. The servant Parrot, on the other hand, is equally frustrated with his spoiled charge. They clash with amusing results. Over time these hostile acquaintances become reluctant friends when faced with a culture drastically different from their own. Carey manages to turn the “buddy novel” on its head by incorporating rich detail and historical sensibility in this humorous novel. -KDS
T.V.: ‘Supernatural’ Two brothers battle demons, ghosts, shape-shifters and other night creatures in this CW television series. About to begin its fifth season, this smart and action-packed show is usually overlooked by general viewers, but it has maintained a cult following for very good reason. In the pilot episode Sam and Dean Winchester embark on a quest to find their father, a demon-hunter who has kept secrets from them. While the show has a monster-of-the-week, it also follows a story arch that is based in the show’s own complex mythology. The writers aren’t afraid to go to extreme places (last season, Satan walked on Earth, beginning Armageddon) and makes it a show not to be missed. -KDS PHOTOS FROM Internet Source
September 24, 2010
Book of Matthew
IMPRESSIONS
The Brandeis Hoot 13
Debate over admissions needs more detailed discussion
GRAPHIC BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot
BY BRET MATTHEW Editor
I do not usually play the role of campus media critic in my columns, especially since I am part of a major campus media outlet and think rather highly of it. Recently, though, I’ve been disappointed by coverage of the proposed change in admissions policy that will require some future Brandeis applicants to be judged on a “need-sensitive” basis, rather than the university’s current “need-blind” policy. In particular, I take issue with both the Justice and The Hoot editorial boards, who have left much to be desired in their editorials on the subject. It is unfortunate that the two groups of students on campus who are best equipped to explain this proposal failed to do so satisfactorily. So, not having that busy of a week, I decided to pick up the slack. In order to clear things up, both for myself and for our readers, I met with Professor Steven Burg (POL), chair of the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid, and Vice-President for Enrollment Keenyn McFarlane, about the proposal. Here’s how the system works now: All Brandeis applicants (excluding foreign and wait-listed students) are considered under the university’s “need-blind” policy. This means that Admissions judges each applicant’s eligibility without looking at financial information. It doesn’t matter whether an applicant is capable of paying full tuition or can’t muster a cent; as long as they meet the rest of the university’s requirements, they are admitted. (In contrast, under a “need-aware” policy, applicants are denied admission if the school to which they are applying feels that their inability to pay tuition presents a financial burden.) It is only after all students for the incoming class are accepted that Financial Services puts together financial aid packages for those who need them (“need" is determined by FAFSA and guidlines set by the Department of Education). This, however, can present a problem. Since the university only has so much money to offer students, and since it has no way of knowing how much each student needs until after they are accepted, these students face what McFarlane called the financial aid “gap.” For example, if FAFSA determines that a student needs $20,000 per year, the university may only give out $10,000 in an effort to save money for other students. As a result, some students who receive financial aid are still unable to afford a Brandeis education
and instead attend schools that offer them more money. In an effort to remedy this problem, the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid recommended that the university adopt a “need-sensitive” admissions policy for some applicants. “Need-sensitive” represents the gray area between “need-blind” and “need-aware.” Basically, under such a policy, an applicant’s financial information would not solely determine his acceptance decision, but it would factor in with all of the other criteria universities use. Here’s how the new policy will work: When the university builds a class, it ranks its applicants in a list, starting with the most desirable. Admissions then determines the number of applicants whose financial need it can meet in full. All students who fall below that point on that list are judged under the “need-sensitive” policy and the university takes their finances into account when filling the remaining slots in the class. Burg used this example: If 2,500 students apply, 2,300 will be judged on “need-blind” basis and will have their needs met in full if they are accepted. The remaining 200 will be judged on a “needsensitive” basis, and may or may not have all of their needs met, depending on how much money the university has left over. Under this new system, both McFarlane and Burg claim that Brandeis would still be able to advertise itself as a “need-blind” institution. The Hoot and the Justice editorial boards have two very different takes on this issue, neither of which, unfortunately, gets the whole picture. In its Sept. 3 editorial, titled “The Brandeisian dream,” The Hoot editorial board asserts that “the nation’s financial crisis has, once again, caused Brandeis to reconsider our priorities.” It is against the principles of social justice, the board says, to deny applicants deemed by Admissions as “too needy.” While admitting that other ways of saving money—such as academic cuts—are also undesirable ways of improving finances, the board still claims that it is better to make cuts elsewhere than to enact a “need-sensitive” policy. The board then warns of the ill effects of a Brandeis class “populated after a certain limit only by the well-to-do and fortunate,” adding that it “undermines the very notions of diversity and acceptance.” The Justice editorial board takes the opposite position in its Sept. 7 editorial, titled “Admissions change is favorable.” Claiming that “minor negative consequences” are “greatly outweighed by the benefits offered
by the revised process,” the board says that the change will give more students better financial reasons to attend Brandeis. The board also points out that the new proposal will not save money so much as it will allocate it more wisely, in a way that will still allow Brandeis to keep its “needblind” status. In its Sept. 21 editorial, titled “Executive Board stance is misinformed,” the board reiterates these statements, and also mentions that foreign and wait-listed students have been considered on a “needaware” basis for some time. The Hoot editorial board ignores several of the better aspects of the proposal. The assertion that “need-sensitive” admissions are an affront to social justice is a bit of an overstatement, and it involves two flawed assumption: First, that when judged on a “need-sensitive” basis, students who have better finances will always be chosen over those who do not, and second, that students who, for whatever reason, are lower on Brandeis’ desirability list tend to have fewer financial resources than those higher up. In fact, when I asked McFarlane about the first assumption, he said that there are many potential cases in which Brandeis will choose a less wealthy student out of the “need-sensitive” category. He pointed out that Brandeis selects its students according to multiple criteria—high school rank, grade point average, extracurricular activities, special skills or accomplishments, and standardized test scores, just to name a few. As a result, it is difficult to find two applicants who have qualifications and life stories so similar that the only difference between them is finances. McFarlane said that if a student in the “need-sensitive” category is desirable, the university will accept them. Since Financial Services will still have money left over after meeting the needs of “need-blind” students, it will still try to offer accepted “need-sensitive” students aid packages until the money runs out. And while it may be true on a large scale that wealthier students tend to have better academic and extracurricular qualifications than their less wealthy peers, this is not a hard and fast rule. For this reason, one cannot take the approximately 2,500 students who apply to Brandeis (a miniscule percentage of the total number of college applicants nationwide) and expect all of the less desirable students to need more financial aid. True, under the new proposal some of the less desirable students may not be accepted—or may not be able to afford Brandeis if they are—when Finan-
cial Services runs out of money. But that sort of thing happens all the time under the current system, except this time there are very qualified students who must look for schools elsewhere because of Brandeis’ inability to aid them. The Hoot editorial board may be worried about a future of increasingly wealthier Brandeis classes, but they need only leave the office and look at current students to see that this sort of imbalance already occurs. The new system may actually be able to remedy that. The Justice editorial board at least mentions some of the negative aspects of this proposal, though it still glosses over one very important part that ought to have given it pause. The board appears to have accepted, in fact, even been pleased by the university’s decision to continue to advertise as “need-blind.” Given that they interviewed Professor Burg, this is not surprising. When I asked him about the decision to keep advertising in this way, he said: “That’s not my problem.” Burg, to be fair, probably doesn’t play much of a role in university advertising. Still, it is troubling that so many have accepted our longstanding dishonesty in describing our admissions policy. It’s bad enough now to say that we are a “need-blind” university when foreign and wait-listed students are judged based on finances. To shift further away from a “need-blind” policy without so much as a footnote is absurd. No matter which system we use to judge applicants, some will be denied a spot at this university, and they deserve to know the reason why. Though both editorial boards have spent the last few weeks acting as if the proposed change is in question, the truth is that Admissions plans to go forward with the recommendations starting with next year’s first-year class, according to McFarlane. So it is a little ridiculous to be debating a change that is not even in question. But I won’t kid myself. Editorial boards are stocked with opinionated people and, as an opinionated person myself, I respect their desire to make their positions heard. I would only ask that if we are going to continue a debate on this topic, it ought to be an informed debate, one that serves to educate us about all of its aspects instead of cherry-picking through them. That way, if a prospective Brandeis student ever asks us about his or her chances of being accepted by this university, we will be able to provide an honest answer.
14 IMPRESSIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
September 24, 2010
One Tall Alumnus
Reconsider ‘mistaken’ admissions changes BY JORDAN ROTHMAN Editor Emeritus
During my time at Brandeis, I was extremely dissatisfied with the undergraduate community, and oftentimes used this publication to voice my sentiments concerning many facets of university life. At some points, I lashed out at the university itself and pointed out characteristics of our institution that could be improved. However, this criticism was only voiced so that I could better help the college that I loved so much and add my own small contribution to our university in lieu of all that Brandeis had given me. Indeed, I am a proud alum of Brandeis University and am eternally grateful for everything this institution has done for me. This university has provided me with the resources to attend college and given me an education the likes of which I could never have acquired elsewhere. However, the administration’s decision to adopt a “need-sensitive” admissions policy, and controvert some of the fundamental principles of our institution has had me question my admiration for the university that I once loved so much. I entered Brandeis without any parental support or money of my own. Indeed, as a first-year, I didn’t even know exactly where I would be staying during breaks or how I would pay for my Brandeis education. However, Brandeis, like many other top universities in the country, used to adopt a “need -blind” admissions policy. This initiative insured that the university’s commitment to social justice would be met, as any student, regardless of background, would be afforded an education at Brandeis. Indeed, non-exclusivity in all aspects is a fundamental pillar of our college and I truly benefited from this policy. Though I myself entered Brandeis at the bottom 25th percentile, I was given a lot of financial aid and hardly paid for college. Indeed, I felt at home at this university, as Brandeis provided me unyielding support in my time of great need. Though my financial situation seemed to get worse each day, and my family seemed truly distant, the Brandeis community provided me the support I needed to get through those tough years. I tried in my small way to give back to the community. Though I entered near the bottom of the applicant pool, I graduated near the top of my class. Though I would have most assuredly been passed up for admission under a “needsensitive” approach, I contributed to our community through participation in 23 clubs and by earning a B.A. and an M.A. degree in four years. I worked hard to try to
pay Brandeis back for their support and am now a proud alum of my alma mater. However, this “need-sensitive” financial aid policy hurts me on so many levels, and goes against the very principles upon which our institution stands. For one, it creates a barrier of exclusivity, as people without financial means will be unable to gain admission equal to those who have monetary resources. Our university was founded in order to provide an alternative for the capricious discrimination at other top universities. Now we are the ones guilty of discriminating based on the arbitrary factor of wealth and I cannot bear this blatant hypocrisy. This policy also goes against the core of our social justice mission, as it doesn’t help the plight of unfortunate students, but turns a blind eye to them in favor of more financially-endowed applicants. Additionally, this policy may even lead to a less diverse student body, as people with diverse experiences, due to the struggles of poverty, will be barred from admission to this university. Furthermore, this policy will affect the university’s ability to stay competitive in the future, which is a huge priority given the acts our administration has already taken that undermine our competiveness. Indeed, there is a distinct possibility that lesser qualified applicants will be admitted due to their financial resources and this will not fare well for our admission statistics. In the end, a university is not a business, but a philanthropic organization. It prides itself not on how much money it can take in but on which students it can train and support. We are not the University of Phoenix, we are not an institution that sees profit margin above all else. Rather, this university is an institution committed to solving some of our society’s toughest problems. This mission is drastically undercut by the “greenmail” exhibited by the new “need-sensitive” policy and it pains me that Brandeis would adopt such a measure. I understand that the university is going through a historic financial crisis and I understand that harsh decisions need to be made. But I beg that the administration reconsider their decision. Indeed, I know for a fact that I would not have been accepted to Brandeis had this policy been instituted five years ago and I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without the fruits of a Brandeis education. I pray that future generations of prospective applicants will never have to discover this reality. Jordan Rothman ’09, M.A. '09 Georgetown University Law Center '12L Washington, D.C.
Using common sense in the age of Facebook PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
BY SAM ALLEN Special to The Hoot
During the past few years there has a been a lot written about the Millennial generation, the generation of which I, and every current member of the Brandeis student body, am a part. We are on track to become the most educated generation in American history, according to the Pew Research Center, and nearly every article written about us contains a section about our technological savvy. Social networking has become an ever increasingly important part of our lives and the website Facebook is the social network of choice for most of us. However, many among us lack even the most basic common sense when using this popular social networking website. Some users don’t even use the most basic privacy features, such as making their wall, photos and information off-limits to anyone who isn’t a "friend." Many other people have compromising pictures of themselves on their profile holding an alcoholic beverage even though they are underage. This may seem, at first, like a not-so-serious thing to post on your profile, however, many employers look up the Facebook profile of job applicants. If an employer were to see a prospective employee partying in almost all of their pictures, they may get the idea that they are not the type of person they want to hire for their
company. During the course of the past two weeks, I interviewed approximately 20 current Brandeis students about their use of Facebook and Internet privacy in general. After I finished the interviews, I was somewhat shocked about the irresponsible Facebook practices of some. However, it was the general lack of the most basic computer knowledge that troubled me the most. One person that I interviewed said, “I have no idea whether I have virus protection or not on my computer.” The person in question said they relied on a friend who was a computer expert to help them. While it is certainly good to have a friend like that, everyone should have basic computer knowledge about viruses and other programs that can not only harm your computer, but you as well by stealing something as important as your identity. While viruses are important to be aware of, everyone should realize the new reality where companies, such as Google, can track your movements online. When I asked Brandeis students what they thought of being tracked I got a myriad of responses. One person expressed that they were worried that it would be too easy for sketchy individuals to find them through Google maps. Another person said, “When I moved to Providence for a month, I started seeing ads for the Providence mall which bothered me greatly.” The location of that Brandeisian was most likely
tracked through their IP address, which allowed companies to target them with locally relevant advertising. Thankfully, most of the companies that track you online do it for that reason, to target you with “better advertising,” instead of actually trying to do something more. While most of us would prefer not to be tracked online by companies trying to sell us something, it is a reality that we have little control over. However, we do have control of our Facebook privacy settings and the content of our profiles. Every Brandeisian who does not already have all of their Facebook profile privacy settings set to "friend only" should do so. This is especially important regarding your wall and your photos. Students should also either untag themselves or place in a private album any picture where you are holding or drinking an alcoholic beverage, even if you are of age. The use of private albums that can be seen only by a select group of people is an excellent way to keep pictures that could be compromising away from the prying eyes of employers when applying for a job. Ultimately, we as a generation need to be far less cavalier about our privacy online, and every Brandeisian should follow the advice of one person that I interviewed, “Don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of The New York Times.”
September 24, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
IMPRESSIONS
15
Altered Consciousness
Shifting gears in Afghanistan Six steps to policy change
PHOTO COURTESY Internet Source/The Hoot
BY RICK ALTERBAUM Columnist
Approximately nine years ago, the United States invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban government that was providing Al Qaeda with a safe haven. Today, the American military still occupies the country and little visible progress has been made there. Therefore, President Obama needs to fundamentally alter his Afghanistan strategy. Currently, the large military presence in Afghanistan is, in certain respects, counterproductive. It is perceived by large segments of the Afghani population as an invading force that is encroaching upon Muslim lands and affairs. The collateral damage that it has caused to Afghan civilians has undermined its ability to win them over to its side. It fuels the "clash of civilizations" narrative—in which the West is at war with Islam—that Al Qaeda and similar extremist groups use to their advantage. Additionally, it is interfering with and arguably exacerbating a civil war between the Taliban in the Pashtun south and the Karzai Government in the north. The fact that this past
year was the bloodiest yet in Afghanistan, and that the Taliban is resurgent, is testament to these facts. This is not to mention the enormous toll that this war has had on the United States domestically. The federal government spends approximately $100 billion each year to maintain this operation, driving up the deficit, increasing its reliance on its creditors and inhibiting its ability to invest back home. Hundreds of American lives have been lost, and political support for the war has waned considerably during the last several years. However, the United States still has legitimate strategic objectives in the country. The casus belli for this conflict was to deny Al Qaeda a safe haven that they could use to launch terrorist attacks like those committed on 9/11; this remains true today. Additionally, America seeks to avoid destabilizing the region and particularly Pakistan, whose nuclear weapons stockpile can potentially come into the wrong hands. Therefore, while the United States should remain in Afghanistan, it ought to play a more
modest and restrained role. Specifically, I advocate that the American military shift solely to a counterterrorism strategy, as opposed to an extensive nationbuilding and counterinsurgency exercise, and adjust its troop levels in the country accordingly. This requires that the United States act on the following: First, it should downgrade its objective from completely defeating the Taliban to merely containing it to the south. It can accomplish this by empowering and protecting local nodes of stability apart from the centralized government, encouraging power sharing, and clearly and credibly deterring the Taliban from overreaching territorially. Second, continue negotiating with more pragmatic elements of the Taliban that are less bound to its radical Wahhabist ideology. Additionally, try to separate the Taliban, which is focused more on domestic concerns, from Al Qaeda, which is the real national security threat, either through diplomacy or the threat of force. Third, increase the use of drone attacks to pick off any remaining Al Qaeda within the country as well as in Pakistan, Somalia and
The Afghanistan war has become a futile, onerous and seemingly endless endeavor. Yemen. In order to do so, bolster intelligence-gathering operations to provide accurate information and reduce potential collateral damage. Fourth, augment domestic security to decrease the ability of Al Qaeda and similar groups to initiate another attack on American soil. Fifth, maintain efforts to strengthen the Karzai government, expand its jurisdiction in the country, reduce corruption and restore the rule of law. Also, provide the Afghan National Army with necessary training and resources, as well as work to increase its troop morale levels and reduce its troop desertion rates. Sixth, improve relations between Pakistan and India and focus more attention on the Kashmir issue. Doing so will allow
Pakistan to devote more resources toward fighting extremists in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and will provide it with less incentive to support the Afghani Taliban as a buffer against India, as it did before the United States invasion. And finally, continue to improve Afghanistan’s economic capacity, especially in areas other than drug trafficking, to decrease the appeal of the Taliban. Also, encourage further multilateral investment, particularly from other countries in the region, such as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan, which seek stability in the region. The Afghanistan war has become a futile, onerous and seemingly endless endeavor. Perhaps the shift of policy I have described will ultimately alter this frustrating dynamic.
16 IMPRESSIONS
The Brandeis Hoot
Sexcapades
Clubs should spend less BY NIPUN MARWAHA Special to The Hoot
GRAPHIC BY Savannah Pearlman/The Hoot
Sex or ex? BY SOPHIE RIESE Columnist
As you may have guessed, I am a huge proponent of sex in relationships. In fact, it might be more correct to say that I strongly believe in sex as relationships. I think factors like common interests and ideals and chemistry are hugely important (what use is great sex if he can’t also make you laugh?), but to me, sex is one of the most important parts of a relationship. Certainly, once you start, you can’t stop. Most of us are not old enough, and have not been in relationships for long enough to experience the true disappearance of sex from our lives, but it has happened. Often, there are two stages. The first, which is totally normal, is when you stop jumping each other whenever no one else is in the room. This might happen after a couple of weeks or months, maybe after spending your first weekend together or going on holiday. Maybe one of you took care of the other while sick. This however, is totally expected. No one can maintain the sheer volume of sex that often occurs at the beginning of a relationship. You go from all the time to a couple of times a week, then maybe just two or three times a week. Ideally, that’s where it stays. The question is what to do when one partner decides that they’re no longer interested or for whatever reason, sex is no longer an important part of the relationship. The truth is, that physical connection is incredibly important. Everyone wants to know that they’re wanted and sexy, and that their partner perceives them in this way. Additionally, everyone has needs and you shouldn’t have to fulfill them on your own every time if you have a partner. However, all other aspects of a relationship are suddenly called into question when the sex disappears. On a personal level, I know that with one of my exes, the less time we were able to devote to sex, the more we fought. It became a vicious cycle over time, as the fights caused each of us to
September 24, 2010
grow frustrated with the other and less willing to provide sexual satisfaction. In another example, an ex, who I had always stayed close with, seemed much less connected to me when we were no longer sexually involved. Suddenly all of the things that differed about our personalities but had never mattered throughout our relationship, or subsequent years of friendship and bootycalling sang out to me. It was as if I were meeting someone for the first time, and looking at them thinking, “How can we be friends when we have so little in common?” It also changed my physical perception of him. Obviously, during the course of five years, many things had changed about each of us, but without the (awesome) sexual aspect, I discovered that I was no longer attracted to him at all. Sex changes everything. In a relationship, it can prove the motivator and cause a relationship to occur or the glue, keeping one together. But it can also prove the downfall, as bad sex is hard to overcome in the long run. Ultimately, after months or years, sex may also prove to be the test of how strong a relationship really is. Can you maintain your bond if an ocean separates you? What if one of you is sick for a long time? Does one of you want or need sex more than the other? How will this affect you in the long run? Will someone cheat or will someone make accommodations to make sure you’re both happy? There is no right or wrong answer, and no one solution works for everyone. What I have noticed, though, both from my own experiences and those of my friends, is that once sex is part of a relationship, you cannot separate the two without some kind of consequences. Many of the negative feelings one has about a certain aspect of another’s personality resurface or compromises that were made begin to erode. Feelings of happiness within the relationship become more rare and fights increase. Of course many relationships survive, but it is important to read the signs.
Brandeis Clubs have had it good and easy far way too long. When they requested money from the Student Union Finance Board (F-Board), they received most of what they needed and had successful activity–and free food–filled years. This Marathon (fund distribution session) was vastly different. Faced with a tidal wave of requests, F-Board was forced to make the hard decisions they were elected to make and many clubs were left unhappy with the result. The fact that has been underscored the least is that this is not the fault of the FBoard. When you have less than $200,000 to distribute fairly, and you receive requests in excess of $400,000, things will have to get cut. They do not posses the magical ability to make money appear out of thin air. It is also well known that just like the rest of the country, Brandeis University has its own money problems. There is a simple solution and I am surprised no one has suggested it yet. Clubs should request less money. On campus, campaigns are all about conserving, protecting and saving; however, I seldom hear clubs say “conserve money,”
In the era of hearing “Yes We Can,” our generation has become spoiled. “protect our financial security,” and “save money for a rainy day.” With all the preaching and whining that goes on around campus it is time people decided to use their ability to draw attention to a problem and focus it on the immediate issue, which is our financial security. Whenever I pass by a table in Usdan or the Shapiro Campus Center, someone always says “… we need to do our part to help people all over the world, even if that means sacrificing a little …”. If that rationale applies to the Cage-Free Eggs initiative, starving children in the Congo and the abolition of poverty worldwide, then why does that not apply to Brandeis University clubs. The 'Deis Dems and Republicans can take the commuter rail to an event instead of cabs, the Justice can only have four colored pages instead of eight, SSIS can skip one holiday where they hand out la-
tex gloves and condoms. These are just a few examples and I am in no way picking on these clubs, because every club can give up something. In the era of hearing “Yes We Can,” our generation has become spoiled. It might be hard to say no, but, to survive as a community, it is imperative that we learn to say no. During the course of the year, we will have more and more funds open up for our use; however, until then, I urge every club president to take their marathon request and cut it by at least 50 percent and resubmit. Seeing how much clubs are suffering, I am going to give money back (on behalf of the Bollywood Club) to F-Board to distribute to a club that barely received money. In times of need, personal responsibility should extend beyond the self and become societal responsibility.
September 24, 2010
SPORTS
The Brandeis Hoot 17
PHOTO Courtesy of Brandeis University
Former athletic director receives distinguished service award BY KARA KARTER Editor
Michael Coven could barely say anything at all. That’s about all there is to say. The Brandeis Men’s Soccer coach, rarely at a loss for words, found himself in the unfamiliar position of not knowing what to say. Or how to say it. “It’s even hard to put into words. It’s very emotional. This is the only job I’ve ever had and h hired me,” Coven finally said. The “he” in question is Nick Rodis, the man who served as Brandeis’ Athletic Director from 1967 to 1984. Last week, Rodis was named a recipient of the 2010 James Lynah Distinguished Service Award. He will be recognized at an Honors Banquet, to be held at the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference’s (ECAC) Fall Convention, Sept. 28 in Hyannis. Jack Powers of Manhattan College, Russ Reilly of Middlebury College and Patricia Rogers of the University of Albany will accompany Rodis as ECAC honorees this year. The award, first given in 1957, is bestowed upon an ECAC athletics administrator who has “achieved outstanding success and has made significant contributions in the interest of intercollegiate athletes,” according to an ECAC press release. It was named in honor of Lynah, the conference’s principal founder.
During the course of his 17 years at Brandeis, Rodis changed the face of the university’s Athletics program. It was under his direction that Brandeis won its only two NCAA Division III national championships–the 1976 men’s soccer and 1983 men’s cross country titles–and made 27 other trips to NCAA tournament play. He oversaw the creation of seven women’s intercollegiate sports teams and was responsible for the hiring of legendary Coaches Bob Brannum and Tom O’Connell. In 2000, Rodis joined Brannum and O’Connell in the Brandeis Athletics Hall of Fame. Rodis’ athletic vision is no less present now than it was during his tenure. In addition to Coven, Denise Dallamora, Bill Shipman, Pete Varney and Assistant Athletic Director Jim Zotz were all Rodis hires. They all remain at Brandeis today. Once he found the right words, Coven, the coach of the 1976 title team, had nothing but strong praise for his former superior. “I guess aside from my parents, he’s the most influential person in my life. He gave me the chance. What more can I say,” Coven said. “The gift that he gave me ... is unbelievable.” Coven’s sentiments were echoed by Varney, the 29th year baseball coach, “forever grateful for the opportunity Mr. Rodis provided” him. Even after stepping down as Director of Athletics, Rodis played a key role in fund-
raising efforts to revive Brandeis’ athletic facilities which, at the time, were severely lacking. “We had this old beat up gym. Our fields were just horrific … They were god-awful. Teams refused to play on my field, it was so bad” explained Coven. “We had no money for uniforms or travel. And with all that he created national championship teams.” Rodis was able not only to create championship teams, but also to attract them. By way of his friendship with the Celtics’ then-General Manager Red Auerbach, Rodis was able to lure the NBA franchise to the newly constructed Gosman Athletic Center. Gosman, opened in 1991, served as the Celtics’ official practice facility from its inaugural year through 1999. Rodis’ reputation preceded his arrival at Brandeis. He had attended Harvard University, where he played football and baseball and befriended the Kennedy’s. After graduation, he coached basketball at Springfield’s American International College as well as the University of Connecticut before moving on to serve as vice president of the International University Sports Federation and president of the United States Collegiate Sports Council. Next, he worked for five years under President John F. Kennedy as part of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs where he was responsible for developing athletic pro-
grams around the world. Then he came to Brandeis. No pressure. Despite his prior successes and famous connections, Rodis took to his new gig in Waltham like it was all that mattered. And Brandeis is perhaps where he is remembered most, not only for what he did, but for who he was. “Through the World University games, his own stellar athletic career and his friendship with the Kennedy family he knew many very important people. But he was a friendly and down to earth guy with everyone,” explained Shipman, now in his 30th year as head coach of Brandeis’ award-winning fencing teams. “Nick was a compassionate and caring boss,” agreed Dallamora, women’s soccer’s first and–to–date-only head coach. “A great athlete himself, he loved Brandeis.” And what a show of love it was, as a program in want of help was transformed into one of the country’s premier Division III schools. “He was the architect,” concluded Coven. The point holds true both in a literal and figurative sense. From the soccer teams to the soccer fields, the coaching staffs to their Gosman offices, Rodis has built a legacy. “He laid the groundwork for everything good that has happened to us athletically,” Coven said. “Really, there’s nothing more to say.”
18 SPORTS
The Brandeis Hoot
September 24, 2010
Women’s soccer strikes down Gordon BY KARA KARTER Editor
Sofia Vallone ’11 scored a pair of quick goals just seconds after opponent Gordon College potted the game’s first marker, and the Brandeis women’s soccer team held on for a 3-1 win at home Thursday. With the loss, Gordon fell to 6-2, while the Judges now sport a 5-1-1 record on the season. Though the first 45 minutes resulted in a scoreless draw, Brandeis picked up the first of its chances in almost instantaneous fashion. It took only eleven seconds for the Judges to register their first shot of the game, but the ball from Vallone was shot wide. Seconds later, Tiffany Pacheco ’11 rang a shot off the crossbar. Overall, the Judges registered 19 shots in the first half, seven of them on net. Gordon was able to break through the Brandeis defense in the 51st minute. After a goal kick, a Brandeis turnover gave Gordon’s Katie Knaus ’10 the ball. Knaus chipped the ball to teammate Caitlin Nedde ’13, who then beat keeper Francine Kofinas ’13 at 50:40 to give Gordon the game’s first lead. It proved to be short-lived. Off a feed from Alanna Torre ’12, Vallone tapped home a chance
near the goal line less than 90 seconds later. Just more than two minutes passed before Vallone notched another. After a second blast off the crossbar (this time from Ellie Einhorn ’11), the Westport, Conn. native found a loose ball along the end line. Her hard strike into the netting gave Brandeis its first lead of the game. The score was Vallone’s team leading sixth of the campaign and the 17th of her career. It was her second multi-goal game of the season; she also scored a pair on Sept. 4 against Babson. Pacheco gave the Judges a bit of breathing room in the 79th minute. After receiving a through ball from Mimi Theodore ’12, the senior found her shot for her fourth goal of the year. The tally earned Pacheco spot number 10 in the Judges’ 25 goal club. With point numbers 72 and 73, she passed former teammate Melissa Gorenkoff ’10 for seventh all-time on the career scoring list. Overall, the Judges outshot Gordon 35-11, with Pacheco collecting 14 shots for Brandeis. Vallone’s two goals came on nine shots. Kofinas made two stops to register the second win of her career. The Judges are set to square off against Simmons College (3-3-1) on Sunday at 1 P.M. It is Brandeis’ first meeting with Simmons since the 2006 season. PHOTO BY Afiz “Fizz” Mohamed/The Hoot
KICK IT: Above, Sofia Vallone ’11 chases a ball against Gordon College.
September 24, 2010
The Brandeis Hoot
‘Deis cross country off to fast start BY KARA KARTER Editor
John Evans ran with incomplete squads at the UMass-Dartmouth Shriner’s Invitational on Sunday. It didn’t matter much. Despite not competing its top two first-years team finished in third place at the 36-school competition. Ranked 10th in the nation, the Judges lost to Number 28 Keene State by only six points. MIT came in second, scoring 76 points to Brandeis’ 79. “We held out our top runner, Paul Norton ’11, with a slight Achilles injury,” Evans wrote in an e-mail to The Hoot. “Plus we ran our two top freshmen, Taylor Dundas ’14 and Ed Colvin ’14, in [the] JV race.” Dundas and Colvin went 1-2 in the junior varsity race. Brandeis finished four of its runners in the top twenty positions. Marc Boutin ’12 completed the 8K in 24:43, good for sixth overall. Devon Holgate ’11, Dan Anastos ’11, and Kerwin Vega ’11 placed 11th, 18th, and 20th, respectively, and Chris Brown ’12 finished 33rd with a time of 25:38. Brandeis was the first team to send its five scoring runners across the finish line.
“With Norton, or if we had run the freshmen in varsity, we would have won easily. In terms of both performances and depth, this is our best ever start to [a] season,” wrote Evans. On Tuesday, Boutin, a twotime All-New England runner, was named the University Athletic Association’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week. It is the Westford, Mass. native’s first time receiving the award. For the women, Kate Warwick ’12 and Erin Bisceglia ’12 were Brandeis’ only competitors in the varsity race. Warwick crossed the line third overall, running a personal best 17:57 in the 5K. She completed the race four seconds behind the second place finisher, and 23 seconds out of first. Bisceglia ended her day in 14th place with a time of 18:30. Amelia Lundkvist ’14, Vicky Sanford, ’14 and Monique Girard ’13 took part in JV competition. “All ran great, establishing big PR’s,” explained Evans. Grayce Selig ’11, Hannah Lindholm ’11 and Ali Kirsch ’14 will be among the Brandeis women running in the team’s next race, the Open New England Championships on Oct. 9. The men’s team will also be competing in the event, scheduled to take place in Boston’s Franklin Park at 10 a.m.
SPORTS
19
Tennis teams try tournament play BY KARA KARTER Editor
After winning its season opening match again Wheaton College, the Brandeis women’s tennis team had reason to feel confident heading into last weekend’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Regional Tournament. The event, co-hosted by Babson and Wellesley Colleges in nearby Wellesley, featured competitors from 25 schools throughout the Northeast. Per ITA rules, each school was permitted to send competitors in the first two singles positions, as well as its top doubles team. Rachel Rosman ’11 and Faith Broderick ’11 answered the call for Brandeis, playing on the singles side and teaming up for doubles competition. Though seeded fifth in the tournament, Rosman found herself unable to survive the opening round of 64. She fell to a tough opponent, Middlebury’s Leah Kepping ’13 in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. Despite being unranked, Kepping, part of the tournament’s top-ranked doubles pair, made it to the quarterfinals in singles play. Broderick faired a little better,
winning her match against Babson’s Sarah Whitaker ’14 before falling to Wheaton’s Catherine Teague ’11. Having just played Wheaton, the Judges saw a familiar face in Teague. One-on-one, Rosman had defeated the Wheaton senior, seeded ninth, two days earlier. As a duo, Teague and teammate Sarah Geocaris ’11 bested the Rosman-Broderick pairing 8-4. In doubles, the Brandeis duo won its first two matches, defeating opponents from Smith and Amherst before being downed 8-2 by a pair from Williams College. A fresh face to the tournament, Amherst’s Jordan Brewer ’14, was the last woman standing in both the singles and, alongside teammate Gabby Devlin ’14, doubles brackets. It was Amherst’s fifth doubles crown in the past seven runnings of the ITA Tournament. The women weren’t Brandeis’ only team to try tournament play during the weekend. The men’s squad headed down to Providence for the Brown Invitational. Nick White ’11, Mayur Kasetty ’11, Brandon Frank ’14, Adam Brown ’14, Josh Jordan ’13, Tomi Cubrillo
’14, Fred Rozenshteyn ’13 and Dave Yovanoff ’13 competed for Brandeis, the only Division III team to take part in the tournament. In singles, Yovanoff advanced to the finals of his seventh flight, besting Hofstra’s Matt Gemmell ’14 and Bucknell’s Chris Tortora ’14 before falling to Marist firstyear Will Reznek (6-2, 6-2). Tortora had defeated the Judges’ Jordan 7-6(4) 6-2, in the flight’s first round. Rozenshteyn and Frank earned fourth place finishes in their respective winner’s brackets. In an interesting turn, four Judges took to the court, as Brandeis went toe-to-toe with Brandeis in ‘Heart’ draw doubles. The freshmen pair of Cubrillo and Brown squared off against the elder Jordan and Kasetty. The veterans took the victory, defeating their teammates in a 9-8(4) final. Another doubles team, White and Yovanoff, finished fourth in their “Circle” draw. The men are currently playing in the ITA Regionals, set to continue through Sept. 25. The women, on a break from tournament play, next duel with Simmons College on Oct. 3, at Brandeis.
Men’s soccer no longer undefeated, loses to MIT BY KARA KARTER Editor
The thought of a perfect season was put to rest Wednesday, when a visit to MIT resulted in the Brandeis men’s soccer team’s first loss of the year. Despite jumping out to an early lead, the Judges ended up on the short side of a 2-1 final. Coming off of a record breaking 13-0 win against Newbury College, the MIT match-up marked the beginning of a challenging– and revealing–stretch for the Judges. “The majority of the games that we have coming up … the teams
will be tougher …” explained head coach Michael Coven. “The jury’s still sort of out. We’re good. But I don’t know how good.” MIT appeared to be the better team coming out of the gates, as the Engineers (7-2) picked up opportunities on a trifecta of corner kicks in the game’s first three minutes of play. However, it was the Judges who struck first. In the 10th minute, Theo Terris ’12, a junior transfer from Boston University, registered his first point in a Brandeis uniform. His long kick from midfield found the foot of Lee Russo ’13 who, after luring MIT keeper Dylan Rankin ’12, out of position deposited his
fourth goal of the season just inside near the post. The Engineers responded quickly, evening the score in the 24th minute. After failing to convert off their first four corners of the afternoon, MIT found magic in number five. Christian Therkelsen’s ’11 drive off the crossbar came out to Max Stein-Golenbock ’12, who headed the ball into the back of the net. Terris, Joe Eisenbies ’13 and Alexander Farr ’12 had chances to give the Judges a fresh lead before halftime, but MIT’s Rankin was strong in net, ensuring that the two teams entered the break even at one-all.
After a slow 20 minutes to start the new half, the Judges came close to potting a second score in the 68th minute. Off a play started by a Russo free kick, Kyle Feather ’14 was stoned from point blank range. The follow-up shot, taken by Ben Applefield ’14, deflected off the arm of a falling Rankin and the third chance of the flurry–a shot fired by Terris–sailed over the net. In a daring maneuver, Brandeis net-minder Taylor Bracken ’11 came out to block an attempt from MIT’s Anthony Saad ’14 in the 76th minute. Bracken won the one-on-one duel, sliding in front of the edge-of-the-box strike to
Volleyball no match for top-rated Tufts BY KARA KARTER Editor
The Brandeis University Volleyball team dropped a tough one Tuesday, falling in three sets (26-24, 25-22 and 25-18) to a talented Tufts team. It was the sixth straight win for Tufts’ Jumbos (6-2), the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s 29th ranked team in the nation. With the loss, Brandeis, the winner of five of its six previous matches, fell to 8-3 on the season. A highly contested first set, which featured 13 ties and four leads, ultimately went Tufts’
way after Brandeis, which had come back from a 14-10 deficit, went ahead 19-17. After ties at 19, 20, 23 and 24 points, Tufts–New England’s top-rated team–claimed the next two to take the set. The second set was an equally back-and-forth affair. Tufts jumped out to an early four-point advantage and, despite relinquishing the lead numerous times, the Jumbos ultimately held on for a 25-22 win. Down 22-19, the Judges had rallied off three consecutive points to even the score at 22. Brandeis led twice in a third set that began with ties at oneall, two-all and three-all. There were a total of seven
stalemates in the match’s closing set, the last at 16-16. From there, the Jumbos pulled away, recording nine of the final eleven points on route to a 25-18 victory. Paige Blasco ’11 led the Judges’ attack, tallying nine kills. Her sister, Abby ’11 helped out with seventeen assists. Susan Sun ’13 totaled 14 digs –tops on the team– and Nicole Smith ’11 was strong on defense, registering four blocks. It was a down match for Brandeis, which last week hosted its annual invitational. Within the friendly confines of Red Auerbach Arena, the Judges played their way to victories against Gordon College, Bates College
and Trinity College (CT). Despite falling to UMass Boston, the Judges, by way of a sets–won tiebreaker, were named the tournament’s victors. Abby Blasco recorded 88 assists and 56 digs during the four matches to secure a place on the event’s All Tournament team for the first time in her career. Brandeis will be looking to get back to its winning ways by taking part in another tournament, this time on the road. The Judges challenge the host Lord Jeffs at 6 p.m. Friday as part of the Amherst Classic, set to continue through Saturday.
keep it out. Despite Bracken’s best efforts, MIT jumped ahead for good less than five minutes later, heading in a ball off a throw-in. It was the first time the Judges had trailed in a game since the second half of last year’s season finale against NYU. They had previously allowed only one goal on the campaign. Bracken finished with two saves in the loss, which dropped Brandeis to 6-1 on the season. The Judges return to the field Saturday afternoon, hitting the road to take on what Coven has called a “very, very good” team from Babson College (6-2). Kick-
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20 The Brandeis Hoot
HOOT SCOOPS
September 24, 2010
Part two of The Hoot’s Financial Exposure series
Follow the money: Editor
A Brandeis undergraduate student paying full tuition will pay $38,994 to attend Brandeis for the 2010-2011 academic year, according to the university’s financial services website. In addition to tuition, students will pay a myriad of mandatory fees from technology to student activities to health services. Students living on campus also have to pay for housing and, depending on which dormitory they are living in, a meal plan. All in all, a student living in a double and on the all-point meal plan will fork over $51,735 this academic year. In fiscal year 2009, tuition and fees earned the university more than $165 million, accounting for 56.9 percent of university total revenue, according to the university’s tax exemption form. But where does that money go? And what other funds are used to pay for the university’s operations?
Statement of expenses In fiscal year 2009, the university had $338,603,908 in expenses, the largest of which were related to employment. The university spent more than $120 million on salaries and wages, $3.5 million on compensation of administrators, $7.77 million on pension plan contributions and $11.7 million on other employee benefits, according to the tax exemption forms of that year. Another large university expense was financial aid. Currently 75 percent of the undergraduate population receives some form of financial aid, costing the university slightly more than $66 million in fiscal year 2009. Overall, money spent on student services, such as dining, study abroad, stipends and fellowships, and the library, respectively, constitute small percentages of university expenses. For example, $9.9 million was spent on dining services in fiscal year 2009, just 2.9 percent of the university’s total functional expenses. The university spent relatively little on “non-employee services” in fiscal year 2009, paying $98,274 to a lobbying firm to represent the university in Washington, D.C. in order to secure grant funding and federal appropriations, university Treasurer and Vice President of Finance Chris O’Brien said. The university also spent $612,601 in legal fees, $201,920 for accounting and $1.6 million in investment management fees. Three percent of university expenses were spent on office supplies, whcih includes all materials
Expense report
In FY09 Brandeis had
$338,603,908 in expenses. Here is a breakdown of where the money was spent.
19 percent
2 percent 2 percent
Catagories whose percentages are too small to be shown individually
19 percent
Grants and assistance to individuals inside the U.S.
Payroll taxes
Pension plan contributions
3 percent
Other employee benefits
3 percent
35 percent
Office expenses
3 percent
Other salaries and wages
Dining services
3.6 percent
Stipends and fellowships
4 percent “other”
5 percent Utilities and 5 percent rents
used in classrooms like test tubes and science equipment. Five percent of university expenses were due to depreciation, depletion and amortization, which is a “non-cash entry” in the university tax exemption forms based on the natural wear and tear of university assets.
Statement of revenue The $165 million from tuition and fees constitutes the largest block of university income for the $289,873,136 in revenue the university made in fiscal year 2009. The second largest revenue source for fiscal year 2009 was from sponsored programs, with the third largest being the $39 million the university received in donations. The university also received $890,054 in royalties, which were given to it by donors from the Songwriters Guild, American Society of Composers, and Authors and Publishers. Additionally, the university took in revenue from the Foster Biology Lab, which earned
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
$621,500 in fiscal year 2009 from commercial and non-profit organizations for educational and scientific research. The university also accrued revenue from various rental agreements in fiscal year 2009, earning just more than one million dollars from rents received from outside entities working on campus, such as Barnes & Nobel, which leases the university book store. Brandeis also took in $721,000 from rentals in the university park located in between South St. and the Charles River Apartments.
Financial trouble In total, the university accrued less revenue than it spent in fiscal year 2009, leaving a budget gap of $48.7 million. O’Brien wrote in an e-mail to The Hoot that this financial loss “was mostly caused from a downturn in the stock market and the ensuing financial crisis.” Indeed, in fiscal year 2009, the university experienced a net loss of more than $8 million in securities.
Top 10 Brandeis REvenue sources
BY ARIEL WITTENBERG
A look into Brandeis revenues and expenses
Tuition and fees
165,160,935
Sponsored programs
55,776,260
Contributions, gifts, grants and other similar amounts
39,160,525
Auxiliaries
25,300,411
“other” program service revenue
4,948,688
Net rental income
1,011,656
Royalties Foster biology lab
890,054 679,701
University office park rent
575,724
“Miscellaneous” revenue
322,185