VOL 5, NO. 8
OCTOBER 24, 2008
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
THEHOOT.NET
Union to form endowment Wells emphasizes common origins executive committee BY ALISON CHANNON Editor
BY ARIEL WITTENBERG Editor
The Student Union is expected to announce the formation of a new executive committee next week that would serve as an advisory board to the university’s Office of Investment Management on issues of endowment and shareholder engagement. The formation of the Committee for Endowment Ethics and Responsibility will come just two weeks after Brandeis received a failing grade for endowment transparency on its green report card, issued by the Sustainable Endowment Institute. Class of 2011 senator Alex Melman said that CEER would provide Brandeis community members a jumping off point to start divestment campaigns or allow them to “ensure that we’re invested in a socially responsible way.” Melman said that once students bring forth an issue to CEER, the committee will research the issue and then report their findings to Brandeis Chief Investment Officer Debby Kuenstner, who would then decide whether to bring the issue before the Board of Trustees, who would have to approve of any changes in the endowment’s investment. The exact specifics of the committee’s operations are still under negotiations between Union President Jason Gray ’10 and Kuenstner, Gray said, due to the difficulty in balancing a compromise to involve students in endowment decisions without coming “at the expense of the university portfolio.” “This is a give and take process,” he said, “but it will definitely increase community involvement in university decisions and give
students a say.” The formation of the committee was inspired, in part, by INVEST, a club dedicated to making Brandeis’ endowment transparent founded by Melman last year after he saw Brandeis’ F on endowment transparency on its 2007 green report card. “My college education is paid for by the returns on the endowment, and I don’t want that money to be dirty money,” he explained, “and as a recipient of good from the endowment, I have a responsibility to make sure that the good isn’t coming from laxing moral values.” Melman had hoped that the committee would increase student access to information about the university’s endowment with monthly meetings with Kuenstner. However, at present, Kuenstner has not agreed to monthly meetings. One reason Kuenstner will not meet regularly with the committee is a lack of resources. “The market is crazy right now, and we have a lot going on and not enough hours in the day to deal with it,” she said. “The endowment is getting smaller every day.” She did say, however, that she would be willing to answer any questions the committee has “but if it’s just a question of are we invested in Chevron, that only requires a phone call.” Kuenstner added that the university is not invested in Chevron or “anything that people might find offensive.” “We don’t own the bad guys,” she said. Additionally, Kuenstner said See ENDOWMENT p. 13
National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence, Spencer Wells, discussed his work with the National Geographic Genographic Project last evening in the Faculty Club. Wells, a geneticist and anthropologist, has traveled the world testing the DNA of indigenous and traditional populations in order to determine how man populated the earth. His work is documented in the film The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey and in the book of the same title. Wells began his talk by explaining his motives. “I am a population geneticist by training,” he said. “I want to explain the pattern of human diversity we see… how did we generate these incredible patterns of diversity?” The answer to that question lies in man’s origins. “Do we share a common ancestor?” Wells asked. Charles Darwin, he said, answered the question of common origin – humans evolved from See WELLS p. 12
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
Faculty advisory committee created to consider FY 2010 expenditure reductions BY ALISON CHANNON Editor
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Marty Krauss announced the creation of a special faculty advisory committee to consider possibilities for expenditure reduction in Arts and Sciences for fiscal year 2010 in an e-mail to the faculty sent Monday. The creation of this committee comes nearly three weeks after President Reinharz and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French announced a $10 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2009 at a
Members of the committee include Dean of Arts and Sciences and Fred C. Hecht Professor of Economics Adam Jaffe, who will serve as chair, Physics department chair Prof. Bulbul Chakraborty, Faculty Senate and English department chair Prof. William Flesch, Hispanic studies director Prof. Dian Fox, Sociology department chair Prof. Karen Hanson, Fine Arts department chair Prof. Charles McClendon, Prof. Emeritus Kalpana White (BIOL), and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Prof. Greg Freeze, who will serve as an exSee COMMITTEE p. 13
UCC passes film studies major proposal BY ALISON CHANNON Editor
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
FILM EDITING: Film students can now make use of new editing equipment in the Getz Media Lab in the library.
INSIDE:
faculty meeting Oct. 2. The special advisory committee, Krauss explained, was created after President Reinharz assured the faculty at the Oct. 2 faculty meeting that they would be involved in discussions about expenditure reductions affecting the academy. Additionally, the committee is consistent with provisions in the faculty handbook requiring “a deliberative process” whenever “changes in an academic program are being contemplated,” Krauss said. “This is what I normally do,” Krauss added. “When an issue comes up, I set up a committee.”
A major entitled Film and Visual Media Studies passed the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Oct. 16., Film Studies Program Chair Prof. Alice Kelikian (HIST) said. Faculty members of the UCC declined to comment on committee proceedings due to the confidentiality of the committee’s deliberations. Chair of the UCC and Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe explained via e-mail that after receiving approval from the UCC, the major must receive the approval of the “full faculty at a faculty meeting.” At present, there is only a minor in film, which was introduced in 1994. Currently, there are 48 film
minors, up from 11 two years ago, the major proposal explained. The proposal also cites growth in the number of faculty and departments offering courses in film from just five departments in 1994 to 12 presently. According to the major proposal submitted to the UCC, the major requires nine courses including Introduction to the Moving Image, currently the core course for the film minor, one course in non-American Cinema, and at least one but no more than three courses in film production. The proposal further explains that the major is not “pre-professional” like film programs at schools such as Emerson College, “but rather a liberal arts field of scholarly inquiry.” As such, “this humanities-driven course of
NAOMI NARRATIVE
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ALOHA
SEXILED
PG 5
PROSPECT HILL SMR
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study” will attempt to “provide an informed background in motion picture history and to develop a critical appreciation of the cultural meanings of film.” Along with growing student interest exemplified by the increase in film minors, the SunDeis film festival, and the creation of the filmmaking club Works in Progress, the proposal cited the many film screenings in the Wasserman Cinematheque and filmmakers that Brandeis has hosted. In addition to such documentary filmmakers as Errol Morris and Werner Herzog, “over the course of the next three months, you’re going to see a lot of Hollywood coming to Brandeis,” Kelikian remarked. Actors Richard See FILM p. 13
THIS WEEKEND
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COMICS
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The Hoot
October 24, 2008
ED ITORIAL Established 2005 "To acquire wisdom, one must observe." Sri Kuehnlenz Editor in Chief Kathleen Fischman Editor in Chief
Alison Channon News Editor Bret Matthew Impressions Editor Ben Sacks Features Editor Chrissy Callahan Features Editor Kayla Dos Santos Backpage Editor Alex Schneider Layout Editor
Danielle Gewurz Copy Editor Jamie Fleishman Advertising Editor Ariel Wittenberg Design Editor Max Shay Technology Officer Napoleon Lherisson Photography Editor
Senior Editors Jordan Rothman, Zachary Aronow
FOUNDED By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman
Taking the ‘F’ out of financial transparency
T
he Student Union plans to create the Committee for Endowment Ethics and Responsibility (CEER), which will be comprised primarily of undergraduates and hopes to advise the University’s Office of Investment Management. CEER, which is expected to be announced next week, appears to be a timely improvement, given the ‘F’ Brandeis recently received in the area of Endowment Transparency on the Sustainable Endowments Institute’s “Green Report Card.” Multiple efforts this semester have positioned Brandeis as a leader in the sustainability movement on college campuses. However, when focusing on endowment transparency, it seems that Brandeis could learn something from the Ivy Leagues. Both Harvard and Yale received an ‘A’ in endowment transparency and released lists of their investments along with a record of how their proxies vote on shareholder issues. While it is always encouraging to see an issue tackled head-on with the formation of a committee, we must keep in mind that the presence of a committee is not enough to ensure that its objectives will be accomplished. The goal of improving Brandeis’ endowment transparency is something that both students, faculty and administration must commit to improving. Given the current economic situation, it is understandable that this is an intense and trying time for the Office of Investment Management. However, Brandeis Chief Investment Officer Debby Kuenstner’s attitude towards meeting with this soon-to-be-formed committee may already weaken the committee. While the creation of CEER will make it easier for students to voice their concerns about the investment of the University’s endowment, it will still require additional effort on the administration’s part to maximize the committee’s potential. Kuenstner’s primary concern with meeting with CEER on a regular basis is that it will detract from the time that could be spent navigating a rocky financial market. One way to avoid a trade-off between Brandeis’ financial standing and CEER’s effectiveness may be to follow in the steps of the aforementioned universities and release a list of the University’s investments and votes on shareholder issues. This will reduce the committee’s dependence on Kuenstner’s office, as well as allow Kuesntner to focus on more pressing issues that change from day to day. In the past, the Office of Investment Management appeared to lack the manpower to focus on improving endowment transparency. CEER may be just the solution, if it is given access to the proper resources. 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 to editor@ thehoot.net. All letters must be from a
valid email 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. E-mail: editor@thehoot.net
Letters to the editor: To the Editor: [In response to “Students organize coalition for Aramark Dining Reform” in last week’s Hoot], no different than in past years our contract is reviewed on an annual basis. We work closely with University administration, students and the rest of the community to ensure we provide the best dining experience possible and exceed customer expectations. We work tirelessly as a team to improve dining operations on an on going basis. We utilize face to face student meetings, on line surveys, focus groups, comment cards and meet frequently with the student lead Dining committee to continuously create positive change in dining. Survey results over the past years continue to increase based on all the great things we continue to introduce in dining. I encourage you to reach out to members of the dining committee (Jenna Brofsky), Student Senate ( President Jason Gray), members of SEA or Best including Professor Laura Goldin (professor of sustainability), and University administration to get a better understanding of how responsive and reactive we are to student concerns and desires. As far as labor issues are concerned we are one of if not the largest employers of student workers on campus, paying
some of the highest wage rates. We work closely with our labor union Local 26 and abide by our collective bargaining agreement. Management meets frequently with Union shop stewards and provide numerous employee incentive, reward and recognition programs. For example, in the last few years, based on collaborative efforts with the above mentioned we have introduced the following to Dining: 1. C-Meal program. Meals can be used at EBB, POD and Quiznos 2. Extended hours at Usdan brunch and lunch to meet changing demanding schedules 3. Ollies Diner 4. Quiznos 5. POD store (added selection, variety and choice) 6. Sushi station in Usdan 7. Java City at Schneider 8. Cage free eggs option in all dining locations 9. Composting of dining hall waste. We project to compost over 400 tons 10. Recycle mania national competition scoring 8th and 9th in the state of Massachusetts in various categories 11. WOK station in Sherman 12. Kosher store in Sherman 13. Expansion of vegan/vegetarian options across campus. 14. Trans fat free conversion on fryer oil. Trans fat free cookie option
15. Increase in the use of local produce/vendors. The Boulevard salad bar is strictly local and or organic 16. Fair trade coffee 17. EBB at Shapiro campus center 18. New meal plans from combo, to flex, to all points to wise plan (for commuters) there is something for everyone to meet various lifestyles and preferences. You can now also purchase new Dining dollars on line at our webs site. 19. Equivalency values in Usdan increase every year. 20. Students choose Brandeis for our ability to meet the needs of students with food allergies. Our full time Nutritionist Laura O Gara works closely with students to ensure their dietary needs are met. This is only a short list but I wanted you to get a sense of all the great things that are happening in dining. I encourage you to visit our web site at Brandeis. campus dish.com and learn even more about dining. I encourage students to email me directly or stop by my office anytime to say hello, voice concerns or say thanks for all the new and exciting initiatives. - Michael Newmark Aramark Director of Dining Services
SEA Change
Clean our skies: Invest in renewable energy BY GIDEON KATSH Special to The Hoot
Fossil fuel power plants emit huge amounts of pollution. Renewable sources of energy emit almost none. The carbon dioxide from power plants accelerates global climate change, but other, more immediate effects are often overlooked. The nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide released transform to nitric and sulfuric acids and precipitate as acid rain, which kills plants and animals. Smoke from coal burning can also have serious health consequences, particularly in the lungs (most fire victims die of smoke inhalation, not heat). People inhale 20,000 liters of air each day, compared to drinking just 2 liters of water. We insist that our drinking water be as clean as possible, but why are we okay with letting so much pollution into our air? There have been some great advances in pollution control. Scrubbers, precipitators, and filters have reduced pollution at power plants by a good amount. However, the best way to limit the amount of pollution that affects us is to prevent it from being generated in the first place. Solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power have almost no effects on global warming, human health, or plant and animal life, especially compared with our current sources of ener-
gy. Last week, Thomas Friedman aptly pointed out that most things will work just the same whether we use dirty or clean sources, so people are interested in which is cheaper and easier to get. We need to recognize that coal, oil, and natural gas have large negative effects that just aren’t taken into account when evaluating and pricing them. If we looked at the effects of their pollution, electricity from fossil fuel plants would cost a lot more. This inefficiency is holding back the move to solar, wind, and other energies which have almost no external effects. Renewable sources could not currently be our entire source of power, but by substituting these clean sources for dirtier ones we can definitely minimize our impact on the environment and on the population in general. The Cape Wind project to build America’s first offshore wind farm in the Nantucket Sound would be able to provide around 75% of the electricity needs for the Cape and Islands, reducing several thousand tons of harmful air pollutants as well as 734,000 tons of carbon dioxide. People often dismiss renewable energy by saying that there’s no point in building a wind turbine or installing solar panels because their effect is minimal in the greater scheme of things, but adding up many small sources
can certainly have a large effect. The United States economy would also benefit from investing in alternate energy sources. If we advance solar, wind, and other technologies we could use them at home and export the information and technology abroad. We would also use less oil in generating electricity, minimizing our dependence on it and the amount of money we send abroad for it. Energy independence has been touted by both presidential candidates as a necessary goal for the country, and producing clean energy within our borders would help. The growth of renewable energy would stimulate the economy and lead to job growth as the demand for solar panels, wind turbines, and other technology grew. Knowing the effects of air pollution, there is no sound reason not to invest in renewable energies. Dirty power plants send chemicals and particulates into the air which then comes back to harm us. It may look like the pollutants just float away, but they all come down somewhere. Renewable energy sources, on the other hand, are much cleaner and have almost no health impacts. They do not produce as much power as traditional power plants do, but with more investment and development they can become a much more reliable source of energy.
CORRECTION: In the Oct. 17 article entitled “Scientist discusses gender and nature,” Megan McGrath ’12 was misidentified as TRISK coordinator. Her class year was also misidentified.
October 24, 2008
The Hoot
3
IMP RES S IONS
Of quality v. quantity
ILLUSTRATION BY Alex Doucette/The Hoot
BY MATT KIPNIS Special to The Hoot
In my quest to keep abreast of the latest political commentary, I recently came across a Newsweek article by the conservative pundit George Will. The piece, entitled “Farewell, Election Day,” left me particularly perturbed due to a certain argument Mr. Will made about the nature of the electorate. In his commentary, Mr. Will sets out to attack the phenomenon of early voting as a civic ill, slowly draining away the common community experience of voting on Election Day. While Mr. Will’s point may be valid, and I don’t propose to judge it in any case, a particular argument he advanced in its support certainly bears thought. Mr. Will begins by claiming that early voting causes people to judge before having all the facts, a credible supposition, but follows by criticizing the ease of early voting. “Surely,” he writes, “the quality of the electoral turnout declines when the quantity is increased by ‘convenience voting’.” The quality of the electoral turnout? Perhaps Mr. Will is correct. Perhaps not. Both miss the point. In American democracy, the quality of the turnout, how well informed the voters are in casting their ballots, matters not one whit. Testing the quality of the electorate? Sounds a bit like the literacy requirements that existed for Blacks under Jim Crow. Requirements that, I might add, have since been made illegal. Does the constitution impose any such requirements? Answer: no, in fact, one of the most revolutionary and frequently overlooked innovations of the Constitution was its lack of such requirements. Consider the British system of the latter eighteenth century for a moment. How open was the franchise? Limited, very limited, to the extent that only “gentlemen” with sufficient property could vote - which leads to a very interesting corollary. No doubt everyone remembers that catchy revolutionary slogan, “No taxation without representation!” But suppose King George had caved in and given them representation. Some revo-
lutionary war historians theorize that colonial leaders didn’t want representation in the first place. Consider: The king agrees to let the colonies elect members of Parliament, but with the property restriction, our deputies would be outvoted anyway, and we would still end up with those bothersome taxes. The English system, at least before the 1834 Reform Bill, was hardly representative even of the “gentlemen.” Organized around districts (called boroughs) designed during the late middle ages, some of the “rotten boroughs” were famous for their lack of democratic reality; the borough of Old Sarum, with seven voters, sent two members to parliament, while most of the borough of Dunwich had fallen into the North Sea. Antiquated electoral mechanisms aside, Mr. Will’s proposition, to insure the quality of the electorate by limiting its quantity, is essentially undemocratic. Perhaps a voter will make a mistake, but such judgments are irrefutably subjective, and in any case, it is the essential right of the voter, of the citizen, to make that choice. As the Anglo-Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw observed, “Democracy is a device to ensure that we shall be governed no better then we deserve.” Writing in “The Revolutionist’s Handbook,” a satiric addendum to his play Man and Superman, Shaw saw how democracy lets the final responsibility fall on the people and how it reflects both their successes and their failings. Mr. Will would undoubtedly point out that we are not a democracy, but a republic, that the people do not make the key decisions but rather their chosen representatives, and he would not be wrong. And yet, I think, our elected leaders are reflective of their constituents, of their hopes and fears. If, in Shaw’s phrase, “we deserve” punishment, well then, we have been so punished. But if our politicians do in some small way represent the people who select them, then, by all means, let as many people participate in that selection process as possible.
Book of Matthew
Defending a progressive tax plan BY BRET MATTHEW Editor
They’ve finally done it. For months, the McCain campaign has stuck to the same talking points regarding Senator Obama’s economic plan. You know, the “tax-and-spend” rhetoric that Republicans have been using against Democrats for as long as most of us can remember. It worked for a while, gave enough voters reason to doubt Obama, at least until they got smart enough to actually look at his plan and see how much they stood to benefit from it. So, with their backs against the wall and with nowhere else vation or neglect of this maxim to turn, Senator McCain and his consists what is called the equalrunning mate, Governor Palin, ity or inequality of taxation.” Or, more bluntly: used the s-word, a word that has “It is not very unreasonable been striking fear in the hearts that the rich should contribute of ordinary Americans since the to the public expense, not only in Russian Revolution. They went proportion to their revenue, but out in public and accused Senator something more than in that proObama of being a socialist. portion." Now, I don’t know if Senator First, I would like to point out McCain is just desperate, if he sees how ironic it is that the man conhimself as the next Joe McCarthy, sidered by many to be the grandor if he and Joe were drinking budfather of free-market economics dies back in the day and the old was also one of the earliest prohabits just rubbed off. But what’s ponents of the progressive syssaid is said, and my purpose today tem of taxation. But his logic is is to defend a perfectly legitimate sensible even now, two hundred tax plan against some ridiculous years later. charges. When the government spends First, the plan itself: money on national infrastrucSenator Obama feels it is imture, the wealthy benefit the most portant to re-balance our tax because they travel system, so that During the 1950s the most (using roads, the wealthy will have to pay and 60s, wealthy bridges, airports, etc.) more in income Americans paid When the government spends money on taxes and the income tax rates as schools, wealthy busipoor will have ness owners benefit to pay less. It is a high as 80-90%. from a well-educated direct response workforce. to the Bush tax Many federal dollars are spent cuts, which, in accordance with on corporate welfare (tax breaks the trickle-down theory, gave unand subsidies), most notably in necessary and unfair tax cuts to the recent $700 billion Wall Street wealthy Americans while more or bailout. Thanks to this system, less ignoring the rest of us. Senator McCain, however, is a wealthy business owners can strong supporter of trickle-down profit heavily when their business economics and feels that allowing is doing well and also profit when the Bush tax cuts to expire would it isn’t doing so well. For all these benefits (most of be unfair to the wealthy and only which the poor don’t even know result in a socialist-style “redistriabout, let alone hope to see), the bution of the wealth” (just ask Joe nations highest earners pay an inthe Plumber!) come tax rate of 35%. If Obama Fairness…hmm…I think is elected, they may expect to pay Adam Smith had a few things to 39.6%. Now, if this still sounds say about taxation fairness in The like socialism to you, consider Wealth of Nations: this: During the 1950s and 60s, “The subjects of every state wealthy Americans paid income ought to contribute towards the tax rates as high as 80-90%. And support of the government, as in those days, as any romantic nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that baby-boomers will tell you, the is, in proportion to the revenue United States was considered the which they respectively enjoy un- hallmark of capitalism. Of course, this isn’t the only asder the protection of the state. The pect of Obama’s tax plan that Mcexpense of government to the inCain has been calling socialism. dividuals of a great nation is like He has also been attacking, of all the expense of management to the things, Obama’s plan to cut taxes joint tenants of a great estate, who for 95% of Americans. are all obliged to contribute in McCain claims that 40% of proportion to their respective inworking Americans do not pay terests in the estate. In the obser-
ILLUSTRATION BY Alex Doucette/The Hoot
taxes, and therefore, Obama’s plan to cut their taxes further will simply result in massive government giveaways. He is almost correct; 40% of working Americans who pay their income taxes throughout the years get that money back when they file their tax return. However, these same Americans still pay other payroll taxes (Social Security, Medicare, etc.), and so it is misleading for McCain to say that they pay nothing at all. Moreover, if McCain has such a problem with Obama giving out tax credits to low income Americans, he should examine his own plan. Not only does he cut taxes for these same 40% of Americans (albeit to a lesser degree), he also promises to give all Americans a $2500 tax credit ($5000 for families) to use to buy health insurance. Does that make him a socialist? And perhaps McCain should remember that he comes from a long line of Republicans who have made similar moves. How about President George W. Bush, who approved the stimulus package that sent out checks to millions of Americans a few months back? Did that make him a socialist? How about President Ronald Reagan, who once said in a 1985 speech: “By hiking the earned income tax credit, indexing it for inflation, and practically doubling the personal exemption, we can make sure that the working families do not suffer under the burden of Federal taxation. Giving a leg up to those struggling to move up is what America is all about. And that's a top priority of our tax proposal.” Was Reagan, the conservative hero, a socialist for giving hardworking families a larger tax credit (like Obama)? The bottom line? Senator McCain’s claims are ridiculous and unfair. Senator Obama’s proposals are no more radical than anything else that has been tried in the past. He and his supporters are not asking for the United States to become a socialist nation; they are asking for it to become a fair nation.
The Hoot accepts submissions to the Impressions section on any topic of consequence to any member of the campus community. Our mission is to give every community member a voice. The views expressed in the Impressions section do not necessarily reflect the views of The Hoot’s editorial board.
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The Hoot
Shopping for Truth
Memoirs of a commuter BY CHRISSY CALLAHAN Editor
“So where do you live?” she asks. “Off campus,” I reply. “Oh, you mean in an apartment? Moody? That’s cool.” “No, actually I live at home,” I clarify. “Ohhh,” she says, and I see her face contort into a “How is that?” “Don’t you feel like you’re missing out on the college experience?” the guy next to her asks. Calmly, I sigh and go over the spiel that by now rolls off my tongue as naturally as my own name. Such is a normal day in my life as No, I’m not a masochist, and I a commuter student. I swear I feel don’t choose to sit in an hour of like a politician sometimes, giving rush hour traffic. Do adults in the my rehearsed speech. What most workplace choose to do so? No, I people take as an easy question, don’t like paying so much money ‘So where do you live?’ is never so for gas. No, I don’t like having to in my case. wake up extra early just to make it With each new person I meet, on time. And no, I don’t like drivthe explanation starts all over ing home alone late at night. again. Sometimes lying and saying So why commute if it’s someI live in East or Rosenthal seems times such a burden? Well, there like it would be a lot easier and are many reasons and I couldn’t a lot less aggravating, but then I possibly hope to explain them all remember that, like the Bon Jovi in this column, but here’s the absong says, “It’s my life.” And if breviated version. For one thing, there’s anything that commuting I value my alone time, something has taught me, it’s that I’m going to the dorm live it the way I e n v i r onwant to. How do people think it would ment hardly I know for feel if everyone went around affords its some people r e s i d e nt s . asking residents, ‘Don’t you it’s just genuine curiosity and think you should live at Living in a dorm, afthey simply home?’ ter all, isn’t wonder why all it’s said commuters to be, as commute, but many of my it doesn’t make friends have told me. And I get so it any less annoying when you have much more work done at home to explain your decision to do so than I could if I lived at school. to every person you meet. But I’m As a commuter, I can live in my not some endangered species. I own home, in my own room and don’t live in isolation and there are eat whatever I want. I can also see other commuters out there who my family when I want to. But I’m sure could tell you they feel the honestly, I spend so much time at same way. school that it’s not like I’m sitting How do people think it would at home. But having the option of feel if everyone went around askgoing home at the end of a tiring or ing residents, ‘Don’t you think you tough day and escaping everything should live at home?’ There’s nothing wrong with liv- makes all of the annoying aspects ing on campus. As a commuter, of commuting completely gratifyI don’t judge residents for where ing. I have a perfectly balanced life they choose to live and I think and I like it that way. I can come commuters should be shown the and go as I please and don’t have to same respect. deal with a lot of drama that comes Life as a commuter isn’t easy, I’m with living on campus. If valuing not gonna lie. For starters, some my relationship with my family days I wake up at 7 a.m. to get to and my alone time makes me crawork by 9 a.m. Some nights my zy, then ok, I guess I am. 25 minute commute turns into an Being a commuter has taught hour because I run into rush hour me just as much, if not more than traffic. I have to come to campus my academic studies have thus far to view a movie on LATTE and at Brandeis. I like to think that colcan’t spontaneously chill in my lege is a preparation for the real room with 10 friends whenever I world in many ways. You learn a feel like it. lot academically but you also learn Many people could make the case that I am somehow less inde- how to deal with a diverse group of pendent than some since I live at other human beings. So if this is true, how is living home. I can see this point, but it in a dorm with 50 of your friends doesn’t mean I agree with it. preparation for real life? Sure Unlike students who live on cammaybe you’ll live in an apartment pus, I can’t roll out of bed, throw with some of your buddies when on whatever’s lying around and you graduate, but you won’t have run up to Rabb to catch my class everyone at your fingertips in the all in under 10 minutes. I have to real world. Sure, I wish I were able get up at least an hour, if not more, to walk down the hall and say hi to before arriving at school.
October 24, 2008
IMPRESSIONS
The Naomi Narrative
A realist in a sea of dreamers BY NAOMI BARTH Columnist
ILLUSTRATION BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot
friends any time I want, but I can’t, and I wouldn’t change my life if I could, so please stop asking me to. Commuting has taught me to genuinely value my friendships, manage my time and to put it bluntly, be real. For example, I don’t feel the need to manufacture processed friendships just to have someone to walk over to Usdan and eat dinner with. Being a commuter, I value my friendships that much more and not living down the hall means I have to make more of an effort to nurture my friendships. Having to account for a commute to and from school means I manage my time more efficiently because I know I have a limited time frame during which to accomplish whatever I need to do during a given day on campus. Then there are the ‘friends’ you ‘gain’ because they’re actually only interested in your car and the places it could take them, and not you. You may not think I know what you’re trying to do, but I do. I’m not a taxi cab; that’s what the Branvan’s for. “Don’t you ever miss not living at school?” “Don’t you feel like you’re missing out on the college experience?” Two of my least favorite questions. Well if you mean am I jealous of your cramped dorm room, your fire alarms going off in the middle of the night, your lack of privacy and your cranky roommate, then yeah I really wish I weren’t a commuter. Of course, there are the rare moments when someone respects my decision; in fact they tell me they wish they too could commute. These are some of the moments when I am most thankful for being a commuter and realize that not everyone is judgmental. This might seem like a rant to some of you, but I like to see it as a lesson in Commuting 101. Rather than judging others for their lifestyle, aren’t we supposed to embrace diversity? If there is one thing you take away from this column, realize that your facial expressions, your choice of words don’t go unnoticed. I know some people judge me because I commute. But you know what? I could care less! That’s the number one most rewarding aspect of commuting.
A few weeks ago I went to an iftar dinner thrown by Hillel . Sponsored in the name of interreligious relations, it provided a forum for the Muslim students on campus to share the Ramadan experience with their Abrahamic brothers. I arrived late-missing the liturgy part but making it for the food part- and found myself in conversation with two Muslim students and one Jewish student. Somehow or another we determined that Eid-ul-Fitr, the celebratory day that ends Ramadan, coincides with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. “How wonderful!” I exclaimed, truly excited. “Since Brandeis gives the day off anyway, you can celebrate the culmination of Ramadan in style, with no time pressures!” Smiles appeared, and we beamed at each other. It was as if the stars were aligning for us liberals at Brandeis, who value nothing more than “safe spaces” and diversity training. H o w symbolic! Eid celebrates the end of a period of fasting and prayer, and Rosh Hashana ushers in Yom Kippur, a period of fasting and prayer! Period of reflections, atonement, abstaining from food-even prescribed sweets in the forms of honey for Jews and dates for Muslims. So much similarity, so much common ground! Can you really tell where one religion ended and the other one began? Here we were, celebrating Ramadan in the Hillel lounge, with a rabbi in attendance and eating kosher food, the President of MSA (Muslim Student Association) and key figures on Hillel board chatting amicably. Co-existence is possible, we say. Dialogue and open-mindedness. Communication. The key word, diversity. A catch-all phrase which offends no one. Erasing the lines that define us until there’s hardly any delineation at all. So you’re Muslim and I’m Jewish? Great! Daily prayers? Three to five times a day, it’s a wonder we get anything else done. Dietary practices? Miss Piggy isn’t showing up on either of our plates anytime soon. Contentious gender roles? Oh please, lets not even go there. So we’re the same then, right? I may call him Hashem and you call him Allah, but we’re talking about the same dude upstairs. Shalom and Salaam, come on, its so obviously the same word. We can totally break pita and hummus together. See the movie Zohan for a more complete list of stereotypical commonalities. I sound cynical. What happened to that liberal muscle I so often flex here at Brandeis? The identity retreats, speakers at the WSRC, the 3 a.m. chats with friends of different races and hues? Did that all go to pot? Maybe. After leaving the warm
glow of the inter-faith iftar, I went to my parent’s home in NY for Rosh Hashana. Waking up slow being one of life‘s small pleasures, I read the newspaper over a cup of chai. Indulging as the hour grew late and services went on without me, I curled up with the New York Times. And what do I see on the front page? An article about how tense things were in Jerusalem this holiday season. Thousands of devout visitors headed for selichot or iftar pack the narrow streets of the Old City, creating what the author aptly called a “monotheistic traffic jam.” Women in hijabs passed women in wigs with no eye contact or signs of recognition. The yeshiva boy is en route to the Western Wall below, while the Muslim youth is on his way to the Dome of the Rock, located just above. Geographically so close, yet in reality light years away. They each claim the night as their own and refuse to share it. They pass each other silently, resentfully. In an ideal world, the “other” would not be there. There would be a Holy Temple here, replete with animal sacrifices and ritual. No Muslims in sight. There would be the Dome of the Rock there, with free access to all Muslims. No Israeli soldiers limiting admission at checkpoints. No Jews in sight. This is just the fundamentalist view you might say. You’re head is cricked to the right Naomi, with not even a glance to the center or the left. Dogmatic-ville is not a very nice place to visit, let alone live. Maybe I’m just sick and tired of the gray. Gray doesn’t get us anywhere either. Gray is thinking that a dialogue group in Waltham, Massachusetts with 10 students in attendance can change the world. That Carter’s pilot trip to Palestinian territories not only trickled down past the handful of people who went, but enacted any form of change. You might be able to change individuals on this campus, so far from the action. But can you change those on the ideological front lines in Israel and Palestinian territories? Those living this battle every day? There’s too much emotion, too much at stake. Talk is theoretical. Talk can’t change belief systems, can’t change history. Talk can’t change the fact that my cousin is a soldier who killed your brother and your grandfather killed mine in ‘73. There’s no hugging that one out, bitch. So I’m left living in the ersatz world of Brandeis. Refusing to put my weight behind the fantasy of peace love and harmony, the castle on the cloud where Ibrahim and Abraham are the best of friends. I’m a skeptic in a sea of idealists, a realist in a sea of dreamers.
October 24, 2008
IMPRESSIONS
One Tall Voice
Sexiled
Oral dysfunction: My performance anxiety hooking up, in a friends-with-notthat-many-extracurricular-benefits-right-now sort of way. So I try So I’m sitting here, trying to to slide something in there about write the “perfect” sex article to how “we’re toget- I mean, sorry, I return from my hiatus. That’s not know we’re not really together…” to assume that it’s been a hiatus and then trail off hoping he’ll corfrom sex. I could’ve been too busy rect me that we are, in fact, more having sex to write. But I haven’t than, well, I guess, nothing. But been. Having sex, that is. he never does and I pretend like I am the antithesis of what a it doesn’t bother me. See, mom, I writer is “supposed” to be. I don’t do have a future in acting! (I really drink my coffee black while snaphope my mom doesn’t read this ping my fingers at the conclusion column…just as a side note.) of a poetry reading; in fact, I don’t But since that topic has taken drink coffee at all because it tastes up residence in my head, the rest like pee. Not like I’d know what of my mind has been relatively pee tastes like. I don’t have Kurt blank recently. I am Homer SimpCobain and son when Mozart rubthey show bing elbows on I don’t want to be the girl who his thought my playlist; I talks incessantly about herself bubbles. My am listening to because that’s what friends are thought bubcountry even for. He is supposed to find me bles would as I write this. have the same I don’t curl up original, intelligent. monkey playwith cats or take ing the cymmy inspiration bals. Which from Nabokov; makes it all that much more diffiI think cats should be killed and cult to convince him that he does, Nabokov should’ve written shortin fact, want to be with me. er sentences. I don’t sit in a dark As soon as the ball starts rolling room for days by myself creating (I hope you’re imagining someanti-heroes; I write sex columns thing inappropriate right now) whenever I have the, uh, inspirawith a guy, I’ve noticed that they tion to do so. stop participating in conversaAs it stands, though, I haven’t tions. They no longer have to feign had said inspiration for a while. interest in my past or my day…it’s So what am I supposed to talk now up to me to carry the conabout? Relationships? Gee, don’t versation. But I’m always nervous we all love the relationship conthat I won’t be interesting so my versation. What are we, exactly? mind flatlines and I say nothing, Sound familiar? nothing at all – especially nothing I did have that conversation remarkable. recently. But I have O.D.: Oral I don’t want to be the girl who Dysfunction. I’ve tried to bring talks incessantly about herself beit up a few times since then but cause that’s what friends are for. because I’m awkward, that topic He is supposed to find me origihasn’t gone much farther than my nal, intelligent. It shouldn’t be this lips on his, stopping myself from hard to talk. But what I have to talking. I keep dropping not-sotalk about is my emotional baghidden hints that I want whatever gage, which I’m trying not to take we have to be more definite, but on this ride. can’t actually bring myself to say Before this whole non-relationanything because what if that’s not ship relationship began, neither what he wants? of us could shut up. We’d cut each The way I see it, we’re effectively BY RACHAEL BARR Columnist
other off, laughing. Now, I’m like a faucet of annoying. I just spew ridiculous, unimportant information so that we don’t sit in silence, staring at each other, and him thinking, “How do I get out of this?” and me thinking, “Say something. SAY SOMETHING. Be funny. Come on Rachael. You can do it. Just…just be clever.” Usually what follows is another stream of stupidity. These interactions scare me. I don’t mind silence. His, that is. I mind my own because I feel like I need to be just as cute and funny or whatever I was that attracted him in the first place. I remember one time I was dating this guy in high school and he told me the same stories on the phone every night, verbatim. And I loved it. Because I wasn’t responsible for being constantly entertaining or wonderful. I could do my homework while he talked. It was perfect. You know, until I got bored and broke up with him. But the point is that it took the stress off my inability to perform under pressure. Right now, though, I’m scared that he is getting bored with me. Sort of the way I got bored with What’s His Name in high school. That my allure, or whatever you want to call it, was mostly sex appeal and now that he’s seen me at what I hope is my worst that idea he had of me is gone. And since I can’t think of anything to say he is basically counting down the days until I leave. Or he leaves me. Either way, I’m going to have to start making lists of things to talk about. Jot down tidbits about my day. About the world. Maybe I’ll read the newspaper. Or I’m going to have to work on my attack-kiss strategy so it doesn’t look as desperate next time. Maybe salvage a little sexiness. Maybe let the silence linger. And if that doesn’t work, I know one sure-fire thing that does. That’s why I write this column.
Are you a commuter and proud of it? Are you a Bush-basher? Or are you just angry at the world? E-mail bmatthew@brandeis.edu The Hoot accepts submissions to the Impressions section on any topic of consequence to any member of the campus community. Our mission is to give every community member a voice. The views expressed in the Impressions section do not necessarily reflect the views of The Hoot's editorial board.
The Hoot
5
Bush Bashers!
ILLUSTRATION BY Alex Doucette/The Hoot
BY JORDAN ROTHMAN Editor
This weekend, I decided to give myself a treat. I, for once, left campus to have dinner with friends and see the new film “W.” The dinner was awesome at the Asian Grille but the film was pretty bad. Not only was the movie not funny but it distorted the truth and presented at best a one-sided viewpoint of Bush’s story. I don’t want to focus the main part of my article on the poor quality of this film but would rather like to comment upon the phenomenon on which it is profiteering. It seems that everyone these days is swept up in the “Bush Bashing” craze. Professors take the opportunity to make jokes in class, people have posters of “Bushisms” on their doors and other activities are evident of this fad. By and large, these actions are stupid and wrong. People are generally swept away without giving it more thought. Many are shortsided and deluded at best as they spout off pre-fabricated points on the topic. Today I’d like to reprimand all you “Bush bashers” and say that those who participate in it are more stupid than you report Bush to be. So many bash Bush for a variety of reasons. I’d like to take issue with all that I can think of and you can write letters to the editor if you disagree. Some say he’s stupid, that he can’t talk. This is ridiculous. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to speak in public as much as Bush has to? Of course he is going to make mistakes, and profiteers take out the one in a thousand comments and blow them way out of proportion, when most of the time President Bush does fine. Furthermore, he is not stupid. Even if his dad got him into Yale, that didn’t keep him there. And people say he did poorly on the SATs, maybe like around 1230 or something. Now you’re being the stupid one. From what I understand, ETS have a major scoring shift in the 90s of 150 points or more. Bush’s score is in fact on par with Al Gore (I’m pretty sure) and other prominent people who attended elite schools at the time. Many say that he is the worst President of all time, which is totally ridiculous and shows a complete ignorance of history. Buchannan, Harding, Grant and
a variety of other Presidents did much worse than our current Commander-in-Chief and were extremely unpopular in their own times. Furthermore, such a statement totally looks past his first term where he had nearly 80 percent approval ratings and passed the only rating that really matters: reelection. I also hate how people criticize Bush’s crazy activities in college. Good for him! He got the demons out early and we don’t hear of any sex scandals coming from this White House like we did with Clinton. Finally, I hate it when people say “Bush hates Black people.” That’s so offensive. Both his Secretary of States were of color and he has done nothing directly negative to any particular race. I really think that people are just swept up in the “Bush bashing” movement without really analyzing it. They see funny “Bushisms,” are pissed off at the war in Iraq, and just follow the flow like sheep to hate Bush. Some even see him as evil and say he’s tyrannical (though the fact that they can so publically criticize our leader is good evidence that he is not despotic indeed!). Some even make disrespectful jokes about him on t-shirts and in other mediums. Others call him “your President” even though he was elected by the time-honored practices of our country. I find it all extremely offensive. Please see both sides before you make an ass of yourself and superficially criticize our President. Don’t base your opinions on the beliefs of the masses while superficially analyzing our Commander-inChief. I am sure if you take a deeper look that you will then see Bush is not a bad guy after all. A bit misguided, perhaps, but certainly passionate and more intelligent than people give him credit for. I don’t think that history has already been written about the Bush presidency and it is unfair to make a judgment based on his fallacies rather than his triumphs. This was the President who rallied us after 9/11, blunted the following recession and caught Saddam Hussein. Truthfully, I am indifferent about Bush. Nevertheless, I plead with you to see both sides of the story and not just go along with the ignorant masses. There is one thing, though, that I really did like about “W.” Richard Dreyfus plays a pretty good Dick Cheney.
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October 24, 2008
The Hoot
FEATURES
A little less talk, and By Ben Sacks Editor
Imagine this: You didn't show up to your first three weeks of classes this past semester or do any of the required reading for them, study for the tests, or introduce yourself to the professor. After the first midterms and papers, it is clear that you will most likely not receive a passing grade in your courses. Calmly, you tell one of your professors that you expect them to put up with your shenanigans and that, since you are still officially enrolled in the course, you will take any complaints that they have about your performance into consideration. Nevertheless, you say, you expect them to write you flattering letters of recommendation in the future. Now, imagine a slightly different scenario. You are a university. You have not placed recycling bins around campus by the beginning of the start of fall semester, as promised. Nor did you deliver toilet paper the first three weeks of school to the residents on campus who have been promised a weekly delivery. One of the new campus dining establishments is now dated to be approximately one month behind schedule. In order to build it, you halved the size of the student game room, built by student vote with student money. Another campus dining establishment decreased its available services substantially and without warning. Rumor is floating around campus that the dining services as a whole have been downgraded to the lowest level of quality food offered by the provider. In addition, a bikes-on-campus program, a program through your university that will allow students to rent a bicycle for $15 a semester, has now been put on hold indefinitely. You calmly tell the students enrolled at your university that if they have complaints then you will take them into consideration, and you look forward to receiving their generous donations after graduation. Welcome to Brandeis. Though a professor can fail a student who does not live up to course expectations, students are powerless to "fail" a university for its failure to live up to its commitments. Once students and their parents have signed a contract with a university, Brandeis in particular, tuition must be paid in full (by the family or a scholarship or alternative source) regardless of whether all services paid for are delivered as promised. Is there any accountability at all? Now look at the same situation from a different light. Different services are provided by different establishments. Food related issues, not including private establishments on campus such as Einstein Bagels, are controlled by Aramark. The Student Union is in charge of programs such as bikes on campus and the new weight room. Maintenance is run by the Facilities department. It's time to cut to the chase- to address the complaints students have about Brandeis not living up to its promises and the responses from the accused parties. It's time to find out which complaints are valid, which ones are not, and which ones deserve action.
Aramark Quantity “Often, I'll go to Usdan on Sunday nights and there won't be like anything,” said Ben Bar '10. “Like nothing. Smoothies, milk, chicken, fruit., for example.” “I went to the Home Zone (Lower Usdan) the other night for dinner and they din't even have two sides to go with my main course, so I had to get a lot of rice,” said Steve Sasmor '10. Other students have noticed long-term outages as well. One of the workers at the Mexican Stand, Tortia Fresca in Lower Usdan noted that there have not been any Churros since the beginning of the school year, though they are listed on the menu, and that the odds of there being guacamole on a particular day are iffy. “This is news to me,” stated Newmark. “Thank you for bringing it to my attention.” According to Newmark, every station, seven days a week, should be stocked. “I'll work with my team to ensure that.” According to Newmark this is something that needs to be addressed right away. “Sometimes it's hard to keep up,” he said. “Volume shifts each meal period, we don't always know exactly how many students to expect.” Nevertheless, “don't go home hungry. If something is out, contact me. Ask a manager first, but if there's a problem you can always come to me.” Newmark can be contacted via E-mail at newmarkm@brandeis.edu. Hours “The hours are crappy on the weekends,” stated Kristina Dunn '10. “Lower Usdan could be open later on Saturday nights,” added Susan Landau '10. “We go by demand,” stated Newmark. “We try to adjust to students’ needs.” Newmark noted that between all of the dining establishments on campus, food is available to students 600 hours each week. “In the past few years, we've only expanded our hours of operation,” Newmark continued. “And now with places open like Quiznos, Ollie's Eatery and an exanded meal program at the Pod, students should feel that there is food available to them whenever.”
PHOTO BY Natasha Rubin /The Hoot
LINES: Long lines at Usdan are just one of many student complaints about the dining hall
Know interesting people? email chriscal@brandeis.edu
October 24, 2008
7 The Hoot
FEATURES
a lot more action Facilities
At the beginning of the semester, SEA noticed that recycling bins were absent from much of campus. Ziv Quad residents can attest that no toilet paper deliveries were made for the first three weeks. In addition, certain students noted that facilities repair times were longer than those promised on the Brandeis website. All three of these responsibilities belong to Facilities, run by head of University Services Mark Collins. “No toilet paper? Inexcusable,” Collins said. “I don’t want anyone going without toilet paper than an hour.” Collins said that much of the toilet paper is stored just a few hundred feet away from Ziv Quad. “Whether the toilet paper is a few hundred feet away in the garage or outside your door, we have it.” Collins added that until The Hoot mentioned the problem, he hadn’t known that it existed. Regarding recycling bins around campus, Collins emphasized that Facilities has more responsibilities to cover over the course of a summer than time physically allows them to fulfill. “The beginning of the year is a hectic time,” he stated, based on “the sheer magnitude of what has to get done. We have to get much as done as possible. If all we’ve forgotten are recycling bins, we’re okay.” Collins added that someone must have mentioned the problem because by the time of our interview it had already been rectified. If repairs take a longer time then promised, it’s not for a lack of trying. “Are we perfect? No,” said Collins. “But we have put a good foot forward. We do as much as we can.” Collins noted that students can track the progress of their work orders by calling x68500. If a student truly feels that facilities has neglected something important, Collins can be contacted directly via collins@brandeis.edu PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
Complaints? Do you have problems that need to be addressed? If you feel that you have a valid complaint that needs attention, contact the person in charge! After all, if the responsible party is not aware of your problem, chances are that nothing will be done about it. Aramark: Michael Newmark newmarkm@brandeis.edu Student Union: Jason Gray jgray@brandeis.edu Facilities: Mark Collins collins@brandeis.edu Work order forms can be filled out on the Brandeis website at https://sys.brandeis.edu/wo/index.
Student Union Do you remember that time when you tried voting in a student union election, but couldn't because the server was down? Andrew Brooks '09 does. He believes such a failure may have partially been responsible for his losing the election for Vice President of the Student Union earlier this semester. "It may have cost me the election," he groaned. The Student Union website is run by LTS. Student Union Secretary Tia Chatterjee wrote in an E-mail "as I said in the VP election, there is NOTHING we can do. I contacted the maintainers of our server as well as LTS and they did what they could. Try... when not as many people are logging in at once." In addition, students may remember that an issue of the Stall Street Journal, a Student Union run publication posted in bathroom stalls throughout campus, promised a bikes on campus program where students could rent bikes for just $15 a semester. The program has not come to fruition. "[Michael] Kerns was in charge of that," explained Jason Gray '10, President of the Student Union. "Since then, nothing has happened. It's still in idea form." Paul Balik '10 said that he is working on the program, but could use help. In the mean time, there is no expected arrival time for the program. The idea of such a program was started by Kevin Montgomery '07, author of the article " Ye l l o w Bikes for 'Deis” in the Oct. 28, 2005 edition of The Hoot. PHOTO BY Olivia Batket Pritzker /The Hoot
Join The Hoot features or bensacks@brandeis.edu
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October 24, 2008
The Hoot
N E W S Union Senate passes Senate Money Resolution for Prospect Hill BY KAYLA DOS SANTOS Editor
On Oct. 12, the Union Senate unanimously passed a Senate Money Resolution to donate $500 to benefit Prospect Hill Terrace Community Learning Center. Despite these funds, the center, which promotes literacy through a series of after-school programs, is still suffering financially. As “a last resort,” project coordinator Anne Hodges ’11 approached the Social Justice Committee to ask for funding for a teen program at the Community Learning Center. In an e-mail to The Hoot, Hodges wrote, “Due to the massive budget cuts [caused by the university’s $10 million budget shortfall], we were unable to receive the money that was promised to us through the Anthropology Department. We asked for donations from many other local Waltham stores, but many of the stores had helped us in previous events, and were unwilling to do so again.” Director of the Community Engaged Learning Program, Prof. Mark Auslander (ANTH), in an e-mail, expressed gratitude to the Student Union for their help and stressed that the Community Center is still in need of funds. He wrote, “The Community Center proj-
ect is actually in quite a difficult financial situation. Our funding from last year is almost entirely gone, and we are actively searching for support. In this economic climate, that is particularly challenging.” He added that perhaps Brandeis students could help by organizing a fundraiser. Hodges also emphasized that the program is having problems financially. “We are still in dire need for more money. We have a variety of programs, and many more lessons planned [that] we cannot execute with sufficient funds. Currently we are in the process of becoming a charter[ed club] in order to receive F-board money, [but] this will not happen until next semester,” she wrote. Hodges wrote that she requested aide from the Justice Committee because the “program maintains Brandeis’ legacy of upholding social justice in the local community.” The center, which opened in January 2008, is the product of the combined efforts of the Brandeis University Community Engaged Learning Program, the Prospect Hill Tenants’ Association, the Waltham Housing Authority, and the Waltham Alliance to Create Housing. It offers programs, through a collaboration with Brandeis students, that teach leadership skills, creative expression, and computer skills, with the ultimate goal
Wells discusses migration WELLS (from p. 1)
apes. “He was absolutely right…[but] I want to know about us as homo sapiens…where did we originate?” Previously, Wells explained, this question has been addressed by “going out and digging in the ground.” Digs, said Wells, “give us possibilities…not the probabilities we’re really looking for.” Instead, “we approach [the question of human origins] as a genealogical problem,” he said. Like creating a family tree, he commented, “we start from the present and go back in the past.” When creating a family tree, Wells said, “everyone hits a brick wall.” He continued, “we’re all carrying a historical document” that solves the brick wall problem - DNA. Wells described DNA as a “sequence of subunits that are the blueprint to make another you.” Mutations in DNA serve as genetic markers. Wells links groups of people and their migratory patterns through these markers. “That’s our time machine,” he said. While these markers serve as the primary tool for Wells in his work to understand human migration, “people are nearly genetically identical at the DNA level,” he said. Referencing the different genetic marker groups, “everybody in the world falls into one of these family trees,” Wells said. “What’s the take-home message? The deepest split in the family tree is found among African lineages – we all originated in Africa,” he said. “It’s only 60,000 years ago that the African population left the continent to people the earth.” Begun after the completion of his film, the National Geographic Genographic Project expands Wells’ DNA collection work to include non-traditional people all over the world. The Legacy Fund, a related project, works to preserve and document the languages and traditions of traditional populations. Whiles Wells has focused his research on indigenous and traditional populations because “they retain a link to the past…we wanted to open this up to everyone [because] it’s the story of everybody.” “The film is a very broad brush view,” Wells added, “we need to increase the number of samples to understand a lot more about human migration.” Individuals can buy DNA swab kits from National Geographic and receive a map of their ancestors’ migration patterns. So far, upwards of 270,000 people have sent away for swabbing kits. Last semester, Brandeis students and faculty were able to participate in the project for free through the Brandeis Explores the Journey of Humankind Project. Jules Bernstein ’57, a friend of Wells who helped in the creation of the Brandeis Explores the Journey of Humankind Project, said in an interview before the lecture, “we have an obligation on this critical worldwide issue to enlighten as many people as possible.” “We need to communicate the notion that we all have a common ancestor,” Wells said.
of empowering families through literacy. After hearing Hodges’ appeal, the head of the Social Justice Committee, Senator for the Class of 2011 Lev Hirschorn, proposed that he would sponsor a SMR for the project. Only Union Officers, University Committees, and Senate Committees are allowed to submit SMRs for consideration. Hirschorn cited Brandeis’ long history of student involvement in Prospect Hill Terrace as part of his reasoning in supporting the SMR. “It’s important that there’s a strong working relationship between the two, and there has been, but in recent memory there has not been much collaboration between the Student Union, the voice of the student body, and Prospect Hill Terrace. This is really the first time the Student Union has gotten involved in this issue.” Hirschorn then contacted other senators to help cosponsor the resolution and the SMR listed seven senators in total. The $500 will help fund a barbeque to make teens aware of new programming being offered at the Learning Center. Hodges wrote, “A majority of programs are catered towards a younger crowd, mostly elementary school aged. We saw a need to address the other youth.” According to the Office of the Treasury website, last semester the Senate passed SMRs that mainly help fund social events
including an ice cream social, the Sophomore Royal Ball, and a Senior/Alumni event. During the spring semester, however, the Senate also allocated $800 to a benefit concert at Somerville High School, which Brandeis students organized. Senator-at-large and cosponsor of the resolution, Justin Sulsky ’09 explained in an e-mail, the criteria he bears in mind when deciding whether or not to pass an SMR. “I ask myself, ‘Would most of my 3,200 constituents feel comfortable with their money going to this particular cause or organization?’ I also want to make sure that the people receiving the money show they are competent, dedicated and organized, so that I can feel comfortable providing them with student money. The SMR should benefit diverse members of the student body and the Brandeis campus,” he wrote. Additionally, Sulsky said that he saw the involvement of Brandeis students in the community center as a valuable experience for students and as a way for the students to connect with the community. “I believe that interacting with Prospect Hill residents will elucidate on real civic issues so much more than a textbook possibly could…this SMR shows the local community that Brandeis students are willing to take initiative to provide generous support.”
Interview with Spencer Wells Hoot editor Alison Channon sat down with renowned geneticist and anthropologist Spencer Wells before his lecture to the Brandeis Community to discuss his start in biology, the message of his work, his thoughts on race, and his critics. The Brandeis Hoot: What is the personal motivation for your work? What do you get out of it? Spencer Wells: I was fascinated by history as a child, especially pre-history. I wanted to be a historian. I got interested in biology secondarily when my mom want back to school [to study biology] and I wanted to combine the two…it comes with an obsession with the past and wanting to use the tools of science to solve these riddles. BH: What do you hope your test subjects get out of your work? SW: I would hope they would be curious about their history…I got to tell [the African Bushmen featured in the film The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey] they’ve always been there. They thought that was really cool. [Reactions] can run the gammit. People can be upset. People feel it changes their lives…We’re not trying to replace anything. We’re trying to add to what people know about their history. BH: What should people get from watching your film or from reading your book? SW: The overarching message is that we’re basically all Africans under the skin. I’d hope people would gain an appreciation for these incredibly diverse cultures around the world…[In making the film], we wanted to get out and meet these people…this could serve as an inspiration for people to travel and meet different people. BH: Your documentary doesn’t discuss race and doesn’t mention race until the end. What is your message about race? SW: Race is a social construct. There’s been a debate in physical anthropology for five centuries about how different races are at the biological level. What we’ve shown is that the biological differences between different population groups are minimal. The whole notion that we’re all cousins separated by no more than 2000 generations – that’s what we can say about race as biologists and geneticists. BH: How does your work fit with early 20th century race science, eugenics, and theories of polygenesis? SW: It probably debunks a lot of that stuff. There’s this incredible connectivity. It’s about how they moved [to populate the earth]. You get back to the same tree. BH: What is the purpose of the National Geographic Genographic Project? Why involve universities and random people? SW: The project is a huge multi-year project to answer questions in science. Communicating results and teaching – that’s a big part of what we do. Doing things like this brings these things home. You’re actively participating in science. It’s a good way to get people interested. BH: What do you say to your detractors who say that going into a community and saying that ‘this is where you came from’ is culturally imperialistic? SW: If that’s what we were doing, I’d agree with them. We make an effort to explain to every group that there is a possibility that DNA will contradict their story of origin. We’re not trying to replace a sense of self but add to it. We don’t want to take that away…you have to be very culturally sensitive. BH: The question could be whether or not contradictory narrative has the power to make a society crumble. SW: If the sense of tradition and connection to culture is so strong, why would it be threatened by a mitochondrial result? We’re scientists and we’re using the tools of science to answer these questions. BH: How do you respond to people who say your work is anti-God? SW: That brings in questions of evolution. At the end of the day, I’m a biologist, everything we do is underpinned by evolution…we haven’t gotten a lot of opposition from anti-evolution groups. BH: Final comments? SW: Knowledge is neither inherently bad nor inherently good. It depends what you do with it. Right now, there’s a class between people who want to take a fundamental view for lack of a better word and people who want to take a rational view for lack of a better word. We’ll see what happens.
October 24, 2008
NEWS
The Hoot 13
Flesch ponders readers’ connections to characters Film studies major approved by UCC BY SARAH GILSON Special to The Hoot
On Wednesday Prof. William Flesch (ENG) discussed his new book Comeuppance: Costly Signaling, Altruistic Punishment, and Other Biological Components of Fiction in Rapaporte Treasure Hall. Flesch spoke for about an hour between 4:00 and 5:30 that afternoon on the various topics that pertain to his new novel. Much of the conversation was scattered, as Flesch bounced around from topic to topic – from the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy, the “prisoner’s dilemma” exemplified by the boat scene in the glorious Dark Knight, and the story of Hamlet, and Literary Darwinism – all of which had a connection to his book. The very first line of the novel begins by setting the stage for the large amount of complex information that follows: “This book is an attempt to use evolutionary psychology to account for the surprising fact that humans can become so emotionally absorbed in stories we know to be fiction.” Flesch, a somewhat divergent but fascinating speaker, had a lot to say about the evolution of species, and the purposes of their specific traits. Particularly, he focused on the limited function of the peacock’s ornamental feathers. This point was tied in with his theory on costly signaling, as the peacocks use their tail feathers to show off what they are capable of. One of Flesch’s central talking points was the human being’s propensity to be emotionally connected to fictional characters. He spoke a great deal on the relationships between Darcy and Elizabeth of Pride and Prejudice. Flesch went on to ask the audience a series of profound questions: why do we care so much about fictional characters when they are essentially nothing to us, not part of our society, not conceivably alive? He made the distinction between personally identifying with the fictional characters, which feeds into our emotional attachment, and the desire to live vicariously through them and their storybook lives. Flesch provided some interesting anecdotes and commentaries on various topics that pertain to his new novel. He also explained his motives for writing. “There were
FILM (from p. 1)
PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot
AUTOGRAPH: Prof. Flesch signs copies of his new book after his Meet the Author talk.
two things,” he said, after his talk was over and he started signing copies of his book. First, he was compelled by information in his first book about gift giving, which mixed biology and anthropology. Also, he was attracted to the idea that enemies can cooperate in their fight. Flesch noted that, to him, “it was such a moving idea.” “Flesch seems to be really interested in the idea of unifying subjects that usually don’t have much to do with each other, such as biology and fictional writing. He is a
very eloquent speaker and made insightful points about the subject,” observed Megan McGrath ’12, who is currently enrolled in Flesch’s USEM – Thinking About Infinity. The crux of Flesch’s argument in Comeuppance, though, can be seen by his analysis of the world’s obsession with the fictional character. Flesch’s passion lies in examining the effects of the written word on humanity. In the novel, Flesch makes the extremely clever observation that, “the simplest definition of drama is overheard speech.”
Union committee to discuss endowment transparency ENDOWMENT (from p. 1)
that her willingness to answer the committee’s questions about the endowment is nothing new, and that even before the formation of the committee, both she and the office of Investment Management had been willing to answer students’ questions. “We divested from Sudan in 2006 and in 2008 because a student came forward and raised the issue with me,” she said, adding that “we’ve always been responsive to students, we just didn’t have the infrastructure and process.” Even so, the annual endowment reports, along with the University’s Investment Policy Summaries and Investor Responsibility Policies are the only documents pertaining to the endowment available on the university’s website. Melman said that he wished that Kuenstner would agree to publish a list of the university’s investments along with a record of how Brandeis proxies vote on shareholder issues, something that Harvard and Yale do. The lack of a published list is something that Melman anticipates will pose a challenge to the committee despite the fact that Kuenstner has committed to answering any of CEER’s questions. Melman said he hoped that once the committee is created and “proves to the administration it can be trusted, it will be given more access.” Kuenstner said that she has no plans to put more detailed information about the
endowment on the internet. to speak at one of the club’s first meetings. She also said she believed that the F BranIt was Orlowski who suggested that INdeis received for endowment transparency VEST ask that a list of Brandeis’ investon the green report card was unwarranted ments and proxy votes on shareholder isgiven her department’s openness. sues be published online. Kuenstner added that she believed that While Melman said he was in contact Brandeis’ overwith Orlowsall grade of a B ki throughis unfair because Where financial values are concerned, out last year, three of the nine money talks. Brandeis has been talking he said he categories on not had the social justice talk for a while; but has which Brandeis contact with was graded re- we also have to make sure we walk the him this selated to issues walk. mester and of endowment --Alex Melman ’11 therefore has t ransp arenc y, yet to inform something that Orlowski of does not surprise her considering that the the committee’s formation. Sustainable Endowment Institute, which isOnce the committee’s creation is formally sued the report cards, is dedicated to green announced, Melman said he would considinvestment. er asking Orlowski to return to Brandeis to Mark Orlowski, founder and executive speak about the importance of endowment director of the Sustainable Endowments transparency and shareholder engagement Institute, said that the Office of Investment to committee members. Management’s willingness to answer quesThe committee’s members will include tions when directly asked had not been three to five undergraduates and one grad“adequately communicated” on the survey uate and one faculty member, Melman said. Kuenstner filled out that was the basis of the Applications for membership will be regrade. leased with the announcement of the comHad she done so, Orlowski admitted, the mittee. grade probably would have risen from an F Melman said he is excited about the comto a D. mittee’s creation. “Where financial values Despite this misunderstanding, Orlowski are concerned, money talks,” he said. “Branis no stranger to Brandeis’ endowment poli- deis has been talking the social justice talk cy. When Melman decided to start INVEST for a while; but we also have to make sure last year, he called Orlowski and asked him we walk the walk.”
Jenkins of The Visitor and Melissa Leo of Frozen River are scheduled to visit Brandeis in November for film screenings and question and answer sessions. Additionally, the proposal cited an increased availability of film production and editing technology as support for the major’s creation. “We have six high definition cameras,” Kelikian said, “five years ago, there was nothing.” Current students interested in film, many of whom have made use of the new technology, responded positively to the new major. Film minor and Works in Progress member Marianna Faynshteyn ’10 commented, “I think the opportunity to major in film at Brandeis has been long-awaited. [It’s a] change that will finally legitimize this interest as an academic pursuit.” Another film minor and Works in Progress member Anthony Scibelli ’09, who has also been involved with SunDeis, agreed. “There have always been students on campus interested in film and filmmaking,” he said. “Even before the university offered screenwriting or production courses, students have taken it upon themselves to produce films.” He added, “it is a little frustrating that I’m graduating right before I can register to be a film major. But as long as they name a building after me at some point, it’ll be fine. I can donate all my student films for research.”
Faculty committee to recommend A&S budget changes COMMITTEE (from p. 1)
officio member. The committee, whose job is to “just give advice,” according to Krauss, will release a report with their recommendations for expenditure reductions by the end of the semester. The advisory committee’s discussions regarding expenditure reductions will focus on fiscal year 2010. In order to help resolve the issue of the $10 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2009, cuts to department budgets have already been made, Jaffe explained in last week’s issue of The Hoot. Those cuts, Jaffe said, will affect departments’ travel budgets and new equipment budgets. The advisory committee will consider broader budget changes. Krauss commented, the committee will “look at all kinds of ways we might be able to do things more efficiently.” “Especially in the academy,” Krauss said, “if there are changes in the [FY2010] budget, they need to be identified now.” Committee members were unable to comment on the committee’s specific deliberations, citing them as confidential. However, McClendon remarked via email, “the university community can take heart that the administration is seeking advice from faculty members.” Even so, “This will be a long and complex process; one really cannot predict how all the different pieces will fall in place,” Freeze wrote in an e-mail. “We’re looking for ways to operate more efficiently, to reduce expenses without compromising the university’s high standards in teaching and research,” Fox commented via e-mail. “Our first priority is to make certain that Brandeis will continue to offer undergraduate and graduate students a superior education.”
14
October 24, 2008
The Hoot
SPO RTS
Freshman swimmer breaks two school records BY ZACHARY ARONOW Editor
Angela Chui ’12 broke two school records in her first collegiate dual match even though the Brandeis women’s swim team were outmanned and easily defeated by visiting Boston College 145.5 – 116.5. Chui blazed her way in the 100 and 200 yard backstroke, setting times of 1:01.19 and 2:09.90 respectively. Both records were previously held by Sharon Makowsky ’06. Chui also won the 200 meter individual medley. Hollis Viray ’10 snagged first place in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke events while Rachel Sawicki ’10 picked up the other first place finish for the women’s squad, outpacing her closest finisher by 1.73 seconds to claim the 100 yard butterfly. The men’s squad were even more shorthanded than the women going into the meet. They were unable to field a diving team due to a lack of divers, a problem that will be recurring all season long. Although the men also fell to Boston College, 149-119, the Judges did not go down with out a fight, claiming victory in 6 out of 14 events.
“I thought we were very competitive, I’m really happy with the way we swam, we had a lot of good races,” Bobby Morse ’09 said after the match. James Liu ’10 led the effort for the Judges, winning the 100 yard butterfly, 100 yard freestyle and 200 yard individual medley. Marc Eder ’12 picked up his first individual collegiate victory in the 100 yard backstroke while Justin Wellins ’10 secured a first place finish in the 100 yard backstroke. The relay team of Wellins, captain Mike Rubin ’09, Bobby Morse ’09 and Liu closed out the evening with a first place finish in the 400 yard freestyle relay. “I know that being a Division I team, they’re going to be a lot stronger,” Brandeis swimming coach Jim Zotz said after the match. “I like having them on the schedule because it’s good competition, I know the coach very well. Their
PHOTO BY Zachary Aronow/The Hoot
team was strong but I knew we were going to vie for first place in a lot of events. That’s simply what happened.” The swimming squads hit the road to the Granite State where they take on Keene State, the Judges do not have another home meet until January 2009.
Men’s soccer ends skid, picks up first victory in eight matches BY ZACHARY ARONOW Editor
PHOTO BY Zachary Aronow/The Hoot
The Deis Board TEAM MSoccer
Men’s soccer snapped their seven game winless streak surpassing Springfield College on a chilly Wednesday night, 2-0. “To be honest with you,” Coach Mike Coven said after the match, “we played better against Chicago when we drew and we played much better against WashU and we lost but soccer is a funny game. I don’t think we played nearly as well as we did over the weekend tonight. But we got the win and that’s what counts.” Ben Premo ’09 opened the scoring 27 minutes into the match, capitalizing off a goalie misplay to give Brandeis the lead. Premo would later leave the game
though, after sustaining a concussion. Jaime Batista ’10 provided the insurance tally thanks to Patrick Metelus ’10, who drew away the goalie and set up the easy cross. From there, the Judges withstood a furious effort by Springfield as they peppered the Judges with 16 shots but Matt Lynch’s ’11 five saves sealed the victory and his third shutout of his career. “They’re a very athletic team,” Coach Coven said of the defeated Springfield Pride. “Number 16 (John Plourd, four shots in the match) is a great, great player and we knew that we had to contain him and we knew they’d come at us with three front runners but they didn’t do that until the second half.” “We knew they were going to be athletic and we knew we had to run
LATEST SCORES October 22 v. Springfield College W 2-0 October 19 at Washington University L 1-2 October 17 at University of Chicago T 1-1 (2OT) WSoccer October 23 v. Bowdoin College W 3-0 October 19 at Washington University L 1-2 October 17 at University of Chicago W 1-0 Volleyball October 18 v. Carnegie Mellon W 3-1 v. University of Rochester W 3-0 October 19 v. Washington University L 0-3 v. Case Western Reserve University W 3-0 MX-Country October 18 at University of Albany Invitational 2nd overall, 1st DIII WX-Country October 18 at University of Albany Invitational 8th overall, 2nd DIII Golf October 20-21 at NEIGA Championships 22nd out of 44, 7th DII October 17 at Rhode Island College Invitational T3rd out of 7, Swimming October 22 MSwimming v. Boston College L 109-149 October 22 WSwimming v. Boston College L 116.5-145.5 October 18 v. Clark and Gordon – Michael Zarrilli Invitational W 170 – 150 – 60
with them and match their athleticism with our athleticism and then throw in some good soccer strategy. Worked pretty well,” he said. With the win, Brandeis is now 7-6-2 on the season and don’t play again until October 28 at Lasell. The break could not come soon enough for the Judges as they deal with a rash of injuries. Luke Teece ’12, Alex Farr ’12 and Corey Bradley ’10 were held out of the match while Premo and Evan Ersing ’12 had to bow out early. Coven, however, was optimistic about their recovery. “Fortunately we’re not playing this weekend so that gives them almost a week, hopefully they’ll recover.” Men’s soccer returns to home action October 31 against Emory University.
NEXT GAME October 28 at Lasell College 3:00 pm
October 27 v. Roger Williams University 4:00 pm
October 24-25 at Hall of Fame Tournament at Amherst, MA 12:00 pm
October 25 at Keene State 5:00 pm
October 24, 2008
SPORTS
The Hoot 15
Red Sox fans abandon team A shameful obsession with winning undermines the true fan spirit BY JOSH GELLER Staff
Last week, the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the defending champion Boston Red Sox in a dramatic 7 game ALCS. The Rays set a playoff record with 16 home runs in a series, shattering Boston’s record of 12 in the 2003 ALCS. Yet this wasn’t the big story. The Red Sox fans deserted their team. In the first 24 innings out of 27 played in Boston, the Rays outscored Boston 27 to 5. As a result, most Red Sox fans just up and left early most of the games; when the Red Sox had an epic comeback in Game 5, many of the fans that had left early felt stupid -- a fact reported by many newspapers. Some fans were ashamed; well, what they should be ashamed of is their lack of respect for their team. The Rays were up by 7 runs in Game 5 at one point, 9 outs away from winning the series then and there. Instead of staying and applauding their team on a job well done, they chose to leave. I went to Game 4. Here’s what I saw. Tim Wakefield had a bad outing. He left early. And what did the fans do? They booed him
off the mound. Wakefield is third in Red thought in his expression: “you guys are Sox history in wins and innings pitched. pathetic.” He should be respected for all that he has By the 6th inning, there were maybe 10 done for this team. Instead, men like him, fans left in the entire park that appeared to Mike Timlin, and Jason Varitek, men who be rooting for the Red Sox out loud. One have done so much for this Red Sox team tried to jinx the Rays by starting a “Let’s this decade, are Go Devil Rays!” booed because they chant, because can’t perform at an Respect is an important thing. after all, the elite level. The Red Sox fans showed none Devil Rays were The Red Sox fans When chastowards their own team. This bad. weren’t even into the tised, he started postseason, it was not a question a “Let’s Go Brugame to begin with. I was among sev- of “what have you done for us?” ins!” chant. eral dozen people Later on, TBS watching the pre- It was “what have you done for us showed famed game show on TBS today?” novelist and Red in the upper deck of Sox fan Stephen right field. A camera King reading a man went in front of book, showing us and tried to get no interest in the everybody to cheer and show spirit. No- game. body did. Perhaps the fans are not to blame for It took a minute for people to realize their inability to show spirit or respect. It what he wanted, and then they did a lame all starts with the team. In the 7th inning cheer. You could see what the camera man of Game 4, David Ortiz hit a long triple to
right field. Any other runner would have made a play at the plate for an inside the park home run. Ortiz meanwhile jogged around first and second, stopped, then walked to third. That’s not effort. How about in Game 7 when Coco Crisp was forced out at second in the 8th inning? Crisp beat the throw by a mile. However, he didn’t go for the base; he went for Jason Bartlett’s legs to take him out. If Crisp had tried to be safe instead of attempting to cause harm, Boston would have scored at least a run in that inning. Respect is an important thing. The Red Sox fans showed none towards their own team. This postseason, it was not a question of “what have you done for us?” It was “what have you done for us today?” That isn’t how you root for a team. That’s how you become obsessed with winning. Winning the World Series twice in 5 years isn’t good enough. You must win every day, every year, or you haven’t won enough for the fans. The Red Sox fans last week abandoned their team. It’s a shame.
Signs of a real champion A first-hand account of the path to the rugby playoffs BY JUSTIN PIERRE-LOUIS Staff
It’s been an amazing year for Brandeis Rugby so far. It’s been one of sadness at losing some of the remarkable seniors who have kept this club sport at Brandeis going so strong and yet one of pride and excitement as this is the first time in more than two years that Brandeis Rugby is going to the playoffs. For the adoring and loyal fans who have sat through games in the cold, the rain, and the confusion of not really understanding what’s happening on the field, I thank you on behalf of the team. Running full force at someone twice your size, without pads, would not be the same without the “oohs” and “awws” of the sideline. To those of you who haven’t been to a game, Brandeis Rugby has seriously “up’ed the echelon” on its level of play, commitment, and team spirit. The last home game of the regular season was last Saturday, Oct.
18. After an epic game against Merrimack College we lost by 2 points with an ending score of 22-24. Yeah, we lost, but what’s any dramatic sports team story without a little trial and tribulation? After the game, awards were given for exemplary attitude and service to the team this season. Newcomer Brit Keithahn received the most improved player award, while long time Scrum Half (essentially the quarterback) and team president Jacob Bockelman received both MVP and the Eliezer Schwartz Award for his dedication and years of service. While Brit, always the strong silent type, just took a picture with his plaque, Jacob in his trademark laidback fashion responded to the team chanted a request for a speech with a mere “Thanks fellas, this means a lot.” The loss last Saturday puts the team record at 2-2-1. With a victory over Rhode Island College, a forfeit from Curry College (they were scared), and a tie against Stonehill, one of the
tougher teams we’ve had to face. The losses were against Merrimack as aforementioned and against The College of the Holy Cross (please spare me the irony). All things considered, our team played well enough to continue into the next step of Rugby season. In other words…WE’RE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS!!! The first playoff game is this Sunday in a re-match against Holy Cross. My personal friend and rugby mentor Benjamin Rothstein is noted as stating that “As long as everyone plays their position unselfishly and remembers that their responsibility is to the team first and to their own highlight reel last, then Brandeis Rugby should have no problem cleaning up at playoffs”. Team Co-Captains Gary Berkson and Jordan Goodnough agree that team communication between the forwards (big fast guys) and the backs (smaller faster guys) will be the key to the team’s efficiency. One year veteran and new start-
ing “Lock” position player Gustavo Pardo claims that he “just [wants] to hit someone” and enthusiastic and talented rookie player Martin Singer just can’t wait for time on the field. What is the moral to this story? The sign of real championship is not in how one wins but in how one recovers from loss. Over the past few years Brandeis Rugby has dealt with a plethora of external and internal issues but has somehow managed to survive. Not only is Brandeis Rugby alive today but it is thriving which is exemplified by the fact that brand new potential players started coming out to practice just last week. As a rugby enthusiast, member of the team, fellow Brandesian and Hoot contributor I will make it my business to keep everyone (or at least all the Hoot readers) informed as to the performance of our Rugby Champions. Ready everyone, Deis on three. 1, 2, 3, Deis!
Golf team up to par BY ZACHARY ARONOW Editor
Brandeis golf concluded the fall season with a 32 stroke turnaround at the two day New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) championships, improving on a 29th place day one position to finish 22nd out of the 44 schools in competition. The finish was 7th overall out of the DIII schools in attendance. Aaron Cusato ’12 led the way for Judges, scoring in a five way tie for 25th place, finishing 11 strokes over par in the two day event. Charles Sacks ’11 had the second highest finish for the Judges, finishing in tie for 95th place while Lee Bloom ’10 shaved 12 strokes in the second day of competition to tie for 110th. Alex Podell ’09 finished in tie for 100th and Ralph Harary ’09 rounded out the scoring with a 175, good for 168th place. Overall, the team finished four strokes behind 20th place Holy Cross and 46 shots behind first place Bryant University. The NEIGA concludes Brandeis golf for this year, they’ll return to the links come April of next year.
Like watching the Red Sox lose?...or win? Join Hoot Sports! email zaronow@brandeis.edu
16
October 24, 2008
The Hoot
W E E K end F U N Spotlight on Boston
Communist Dracula Pageant:
Cinderella:
Vampires and communism. Where can you go wrong? Go see the world premiere which is "by Americans, for Americans with hallucinations, phosphorescence, and bears." It is a bizarre and entertaining historical story writted by Anne Washburn and directed by Anne Kauffman.
You probably heard the story, or watched the Disney movie, now it's time to see the ballet version. Choreographer James Kudelka makes a old story into a new one. Don't miss out on this magical tale! www.citicenter.org
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 24-26, 8 p.m. Wang Theater, Boston
Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24-5, 2008, 8 p.m. Zero Arrow Theater, Harvard Square
www.amerep.org
What's going on at Brandeis?
Oct. 24, 4 to 5:30 p.m. P u m p k i n Friday, Northern Lights: Shapiro Campus Center Friday, Oct. 24, 8 to 10 p.m. Carving: Slosberg Recital hall Halloween is just around the corner, celebrate early and participate in this pumpkin carving competition! Tools will be provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Fright Night:
ILLUSTRATION: By Alex Doucette/The Hoot
The House of Blue Leaves: Friday to Sunday, Oct. 24-26, 8 p.m. Shapiro Campus Theater
Saturday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Scheffres, North Quad
Watch scary movies and play games until morning! Join North Quad in getting into the Halloween mood. Be sure to bring a friend and to wear warm clothes.
ILLUSTRATION: By Alex Doucette/The Hoot
COMICStrips Sleazy
Find out where bluegrass ends and newgrass begins. Witness the creativity and risk-taking of this band. Tickets cost $20/student at the door.
In the mood for something funny? The Brandeis Players present John Guare's dark comedy about a zookeeper's clash with the Pope and a Hollywood producer. Insert Comic Here
By Matt Kupfer
Floppsie
laughingwarlock
Photoes courtesy of Google images.
By Ian Price
By Grace Alloy-Relihan