The Brandeis Hoot - 9-05-08 by The Brandeis Hoot

VOL 5, NO. 2

SEPTEMBER 5, 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

Faculty Senate, admin. talks remain stalled Provost hopes to reopen dialogue with new leadership BY ALISON CHANNON Editor

PHOTO BY Ariel Wittenberg/The Hoot

WALTHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT: Waltham Firefighters parked outside of Usdan after smoke set off the alarms.

Fire department called to campus twice in one week BY KAYLA DOS SANTOS AND ALISON CHANNON Editors

Shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday Aug. 30, fire alarms sounded in the Usdan Student Center. “The fire alarm was activated by a vent which apparently emitted smoke into a closet,” Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan wrote in an e-mail. According to a report from the Waltham Fire Department, two fire engines arrived at the scene along with a deputy. Upon arrival, the alarm was sounding but “nothing was showing.” The report confirmed that an alarm was set off by

At the close of last semester, the administration and the Faculty Committee on Rights and Responsibilities had yet to come to an agreement regarding the faculty grievance policy. The Faculty Committee on Rights and Responsibilities chose to suspend the hearing of faculty grievances in March, according to a report authored by former committee chair Prof. Richard Gaskins (AMST) in May. As the Faculty Senate leadership changes hands, Prof. William Flesch (ENG) was appointed chair Thursday, and the composition of the Faculty Committee on Rights and Responsibilities remains to be confirmed, a new crop of faculty leaders will be called upon to address issues with the administration that are, as of yet unsolved. The disagreement began over the administration’s treatment of Prof. Donald Hindley (POL), who, last fall, was accused by a student of making racist remarks in class. A monitor was subsequently placed in his classroom and he was threatened with termination, as reported in the November 30, 2007 issue of The Hoot. At this point, the Faculty Senate declared Hindley’s punishments unfair and Provost Marty Krauss’ treatment of him in violation of the uni-

versity’s Non-Discrimination and Harassment Problem Resolution and Appeal Procedure. Over the following six months, the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Committee on Rights and Responsibilities went back and forth with the Provost and Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe regarding Hindley’s treatment and grievance procedure. After the Faculty Committee on Rights and Responsibilities released its report May 15, the school year ended without a resolution satisfactory to the committee. In the committee’s May 15 report, Gaskins wrote that the Hindley case “called into question the integrity of the whole grievance process.” Because Krauss had “challenged the jurisdiction of our Committee to hear appeals in certain cases, as well as our authority to investigate violations of core faculty rights to fair treatment and academic freedom…[t]he Committee could no longer promise our colleagues a grievance process where everyone was playing by the same rules.” With this concern in mind, the Faculty Senate, chaired by Prof. Marc Brettler (NEJS), approved a resolution in support of the Faculty Committee on Rights and Responsibilities. The resolution, included in the minutes from the

smoke in a utility closet. The report cited “smoke from cooking” as the alarm’s “probable cause.” Annie Chiorazzi ’11 explained that she and a friend were purchasing food from the C-Store when the alarm sounded. “My favorite part was the voice recording notifying us that the loud sirens and flashing lights were notifying us of a fire, in case we were confused. Everyone calmly meandered out of Usdan, more concerned with leaving food behind than the state of the fire.” Fire trucks also made their way to campus Tuesday morning, but this time for a medical emergency. A custodian, who was doing work

on a stage in Spingold Theater, fell off the stage and was injured, Brandeis police and Bemco were called to the scene. Bemco’s protocol does not allow them to transport an injured person to the hospital if the patient’s condition calls for advanced life support, so the custodian was transported to ER via a Waltham ambulance. Fire trucks were present at Spingold as part of standard EMS procedure. Callahan, while not aware of the extent of the injured person’s injuries, stated that the custodian has been released from the hospital.

the new MBA program will allow students to integrate business studies with “economic and social development, corporate governance, and environmental policy.” Along with the standard IBS curriculum, students in this program will take additional classes, amongst them a course entitled “What is Green Business?” and another entitled “Corporations and the Environment.” Students will also complete a field project addressing environmental issues. Speaking of the new concentration, IBS dean, Bruce R. Magid said in the release, “[o]ur students will explore how businesses can differentiate themselves as they address pressing issues such as global warming and the development of clean technologies.” “The program is available beginning this Fall,” wrote IBS Senior Associate Director of Com-

Judaism and Confucianism

See FACULTY SENATE p. 13

IBS starts ‘Green’ MBA Chinese professor discusses BY ALISON CHANNON Editor

In a press release Wednesday, the Brandeis International Business School announced the creation of an MBA in Socially Responsible Business or the “Global Green MBA.” The creation of the “Global Green MBA” comes in the wake of other university efforts and initiatives to increase environmental sustainability, including most recently President Reinharz’s creation of a committee to discuss the presence of bottled water on campus and the distribution of reusable water bottles to undergraduates. These efforts follow the hiring of a sustainability coordinator last semester and Reinharz’s signing of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment last September. According to the press release,

INSIDE:

See GREEN MBA p. 12

BY JAMIE FLEISHMAN Editor

Traveling almost 8000 miles from Shandong, China to Brandeis for a two-week stay, Professor Fu Youde, Professor of Philosophy and Jewish Studies of Shandong University, opened up the first of his three events with a presentation entitled, “Judaism Through Chinese Speech.” President Jehuda Reinharz, who introduced the speaker, set the tone for the evening with an introduction contrasting the Chinese and Jewish people. “Chinese are a huge people of 1.5 billion people who struggle with issues of over population, and the Jews are a small people who struggle with diminishing numbers,” he said, prefacing the differences between the two

groups. The President then rhetorically asked, “Why does someone at Shandong University teach about Maimonides?” Reinharz, a former Professor of Modern Jewish History in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, then went into historical interactions between Chinese and Jews, including the spread of Jewish ideas in China on the Silk Road, willingness of China to take in Jewish refugees during World War II, and Jews moving to China during the

PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot

See SPEAKER p. 13 FU YOUDE: Visiting professor teaches Judaism in China.

BOOK OF MATTHEW

PG 3

STUDENTS REPORT IN BEIJING

PG 6

SHOPPING FOR TRUTH

PG 4

VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

PG 14

THIS WEEKEND

PG 16

COMICS

PG 16

The Hoot

EDITORIAL

September 5, 2008

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

Danielle Gewurz Copy Editor Jamie Fleishman Advertising Editor Ariel Wittenberg Design Editor Max Shay Technology Officer Adam Hughes Sports Editor

Napoleon Lherisson Photography Editor Senior Editors Jordan Rothman, Zachary Aronow

FOUNDED By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

At Brandeis, green is the new black

ith the growing imperative to address pressing issues of global warming and sustainability, the Brandeis International Business School has created an MBA in Socially Responsible Business. The “Global Green MBA” will offer courses concerning environmentally friendly business practices as well as require students to complete a field project. This program marks yet another initiative taken to step up Brandeis’ commitment to social responsibility, and IBS should be commended for this endeavor. The MBA program is a great academic complement to recent initiatives like distributing reusable water bottles, hiring a sustainability coordinator, and switching to single-stream recycling. While making changes to improve campus sustainability will help reduce Brandeis’ ecological footprint, educating students about green business practices will have an even greater impact. The “Global Green MBA” stands out, especially in a time when corporations are associated with errant wastefulness and a disregard for any practice deemed unprofitable.This program, in addition to undergraduate courses from Environmental Economics to Greening the Ivory Tower, shows that Brandeis is expanding its curriculum to acknowledge new challenges. These courses will hopefully produce alumni who apply their education to their future career endeavors, advocating for the environment in the realms of business, law, education, design, and more. The expanded environmentally-friendly curriculum strives to show that business and social responsibility are not mutually exclusive, but can in fact be reconciled. Even students not currently enrolled in environmentcentered courses should appreciate the university’s focus on environmental issues and challenges. We can all take pride in the the fact that Brandeis is increasingly bringing sustainability to the academic foreground. Brandeis is constantly becoming greener academically, architecturally, and administratively. While we’re still a long way away from a solar-powered Sherman and hybrid Branvans, we are fostering a culture of sustainable thinking. Moreover, after Brandeis suffered a year of bad publicity, it is encouraging to see that we are being recognized for boosting social responsibility instead of for stifling academic freedom. Being green is good press as well as good global citizenship. If we continue this trend, maybe in a few years our front page story will feature hybrid Branvans. 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

Are you a shameless flirt? Do you want to take a flame thrower to the Peace Room? Or are you just a generally angry person? Share your thoughts with the Brandeis community! Write for The Hoot Impressions by emailing bmatthew@brandeis.edu

September 5, 2008

The Hoot

IMPRESSIONS

Health and Human Services abandons health, humans BY ALEX NORRIS Special to The Hoot

If you’re like me, you occasionally get sick. When this happens, I find that going to the doctor is the best option. You go in, he or she asks you where it hurts and what kind of animal bit you, and you get a prescription to cure your ills or a pat on the back accompanied with “it’s viral, wait it out.” Such is our modern society. But what if during this visit, your doctor decided that your ailment or its cure was objectionable, or even that you were objectionable, and refused to treat

or activity would be contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions.” It also prohibits discrimination against any individual who refuses to take part in any health service on the grounds of religious or moral belief. What are the implications of this? Well, if you are a Scientologist doctor, it means that there could be no action taken against you for refusing to refer a depressed, suicidal patient to a psychiatrist. If you believe AIDS to be a punishment from God to gay people, surely you mustn’t treat a homosexual who has it. At this point my

If even one person, however, is hurt by this crude attack on our medical rights, it is far more than we should bear. you, or refer you to anyone who would. Suddenly our modern society has become a lot less friendly to those in need of medical care. This is the world envisioned by Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services. His job description, according to his official biography page, is to “protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services to those in need.” His current project seems to directly contradict this. The new HHS Regulation #45 CFR Part 88 seeks to establish a standard for enforcing the various “conscience clause” laws on the books. The idea of the conscience clause is to protect doctors and other healthcare entities who refuse to take any part in abortions from discrimination. I don’t really object to this, there are plenty of doctors who will give an abortion, and it is not an emergency procedure. In this regulation, however, the Department of Health and Human Services attempts to interpret these laws in what amounts to executive lawmaking. One provision states that entities to whom the regulation applies to (any medical organization that receives any federal funding) shall not “require any individual to perform or assist in the performance of any part of a health service program or research activity funded by the Department if such service

dear readers are no doubt thinking, “But it can’t be interpreted that broadly, can it?” The answer is that what matters about this regulation is how it is interpreted by the individual medical organizations. The HHS will not become a part of the process unless there is a perceived breach in the regulation. So what will individual health organizations think is exercising religious freedom and what will they decide is unacceptable denial of patient care? And will it change their opinion that in the “Purpose” section of the regulation it says “the statutory provisions and regulations contained in this Part are to be interpreted and implemented broadly to effectuate these protections [?]” I have confidence that the vast majority of doctors would not abandon their Hippocratic Oath and would be willing to help their patients in every scenario. If even one person, however, is hurt by this crude attack on our medical rights, it is far more than we should bear. Part of the impact analysis HHS provided for this regulation is that the healthcare industry “will benefit from more diverse and inclusive workforces.” I too see how this regulation could benefit diversity. There are 234,200 physicians offices in this nation of ours. Imagine if all of them were distinguished by the sign outside that told prospective patients which medical services they refused to provide.

Book of Matthew

My Sarah Palin hit piece BY Bret MAtthew Editor

Sarah who? Yep… that was the first thing I thought when I heard about John McCain’s vice-presidential decision. I suppose I should have been paying more attention, but then again, all the media speculation had sickened me to the point where I spent my summer ignoring it all and just waiting for the choice to be made already. But now that it have been made, and now that I have taken the time to learn about Sarah Palin, I must say that John McCain was clearly not using his best judgment. In fact, to say it was poor judgment probably gives him too much credit. Palin has got to be one of the worst choices in history. The amount of baggage she has brought into this campaign in such a short amount of time is incredible, with a new scandal being uncovered, literally, almost every day. Today, I would like to present the four reasons why Sarah Palin should stay as far away from Washington as possible. Reason # 1: Her career in public service has been surprisingly brief, especially for someone who is supposed to be joining the “experience ticket”. From 1992 to 1996, Palin served for two terms on the Wasilla City Council, and then two more as mayor of Wasilla, from 1996 to 2002 (Wasilla, I might add, is a small village in Alaska that had a population of about 5500 when Palin served). In 2002, she left Wasilla (with a $20 million debt due to irresponsible tax cuts) and ran, unsuccessfully, for the position of lieutenant governor of her state. After the loss, she spent a year as chair and ethics supervisor of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which oversaw the drilling and production of oil and natural gas. In 2006, she ran for a statewide office again, this time the governorship, and she won. She served for a year and a half before being asked by John McCain to

join him on his presidential ticket. So, if you add up all of Palin’s years in elected office, and throw in her year in the business world just for kicks, you will find that she still has had less experience than Senator Obama. Meaning that John McCain has, in one fell swoop, made it really difficult for the GOP to criticize what they call Obama’s lack of experience. Reason #2: Palin is a woman. Now don't get me wrong. I don’t think there is any reason why a woman shouldn’t be vice-president, but under these circumstances, in this particular election year, the fact that she is a woman is deliberately misleading. After Hillary Clinton tried, and nearly succeeded at becoming the first female presidential nominee, the McCain campaign used Palin in a desperate, and fairly obvious attempt to lure disgruntled Clinton supporters into believing that a vote for McCain/Palin is a vote for the women’s rights agenda. Unfortunately, this fairly obvious attempt reveals some fairly obvious flaws in the McCain campaign’s logic. It has, like so many political analysts, grossly overestimated the amount of true, die-hard, “I’llvote-for-Obama-when-hell-freezesover” Clinton supporters still out there, and their ability to influence this election. PUMA, for example, a group of Clinton supporters that refuse to back Obama, claims to have over 2 million members. And yet, when they held their 2008 conference in Washington DC, only 60 members actually showed up. And they would have voted for McCain anyway. Now as for the women who are still nervous about backing Obama, they will still have to deal with Sarah Palin’s far right-wing political beliefs. Those are sure to turn away some supporters. Reason #3: Palin, like McCain, claims to be dead-set against earmarks, but Palin, like McCain, is responsible for millions of dollars of federal money being spent on pet projects on Alaska. Not only did

she hire a private lobbyist to secure money from Senator Ted Stevens, she also expressed approval for Stevens’ “Bridge to Nowhere” back in 2006. This does not help a campaign that has built its success on a pledge to eliminate wasteful spending from government. Reason #4: Three words: Alaska Independence Party. The Alaskan Independence Party is a minor political party that operates in Alaska, with a platform that includes a reduction of Federal control over Alaska, and eventually, Alaskan independence. Founded by Joe Vogler in 1984, the party’s slogan is “Alaska First, Alaska Always”, although Mr. Vogler has been quoted with many more colorful statements over the years. They include: "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." And my personal favorite... "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government. And I won't be buried under their damn flag. I'll be buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." You may be wondering why I am bringing this up. I have done so, because of Sarah Palin’s ties to the AIP. In 1995 and 2000, Todd Palin, Sarah’s husband, registered as a member of the party, and the party claims (although this is disputed) that Sarah was at one point registered as well. Regardless, she and her husband did attend the AIP convention in 2000, and recently she spoke to party members, telling them to “keep up the good work” and wished them luck on an “inspiring convention.” Yes, John McCain, in an effort to convince voters that his ticket puts “Country First”, decided to choose a possible secessionist as his vicepresident. I just have to ask one last question, Senator McCain. What, if anything, were you thinking?

coins to the farbissina at the market? Check. Take a simple bus ride and end up in the Harlem of Budapest? Check. Take advantage of the 18 year drinking age? Resounding check. But being abroad was not just cheap alcohol, few if any academic commitments, and city hopping from Ljubjliana to Dubrovnik to Rome. It was feeling lonely in a city of 2 million, where the language barrier mattered more than I had thought it would. Where trying to find a religious community, and consequentially a taste of home, created more problems than it provided comforts. Deciding how to best utilize my precious few months abroad stressed me out, instead of supplying me with options. With the limitless horizon I could go anywhere, yet saying yes to one locale meant saying no to the other

ten. Every day was this cataclysmic decision. Going to traditional folk dance lessons meant missing the Romanian film festival, barhopping till 5 meant missing my history class in the morning, and the biggest mistake, Jake, fucked up my head for a while, and he steals his way into my dreams, even months after. But barring hiring a life coach to decide tampon brands and other minutiae for me, my malformed psyche is all I’ve got. My biggest achievement in Budapest was conquering that street and metro map, making it submit to me. Proving to me that will and resolve could yield some result. But life isn’t a linear, drawn to scale, architecturally crafted map. There’s no helpful lady at tourist information circling my destination and snaking the map in pencil. For me there’s only pen.

An all-purpose GPS for life BY naomi barth Special to The Hoot

I’m the kind of person who needs an all-purpose GPS, a tiny electronic box to steer me. Whether my destination is the beach or my first post-college job, I need something to direct me left at the light, right at the roadblock. I told this matter-of-factly to Becky and Eve one day, and they laughed, thinking it was just another quirky comment. My two roommates from junior year abroad in Budapest were privy to my craziness, by virtue of shared living space and a shared fate. All Americans (actually Eve was a Scot), all new to Hungary (actually I had been there before) and all eager to meet sexy European men (actually Becky was a lesbian), we navigated the former communist country together. Give the wrong

September 5, 2008

IMPRESSIONS

The Hoot

Shopping for Truth

Teen pregnancy

BY Chrissy Callahan Editor

One Tall Voice

GRAPHIC ART BY Max Shay and Andy Hogan/The Hoot

Of war and peace

BY JORDAN ROTHMAN Editor

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to serve my country in our nation’s armed forces. This passion did not stem from the sentiments of youth, but was rather flowing from a sincere and unyielding patriotism. I had filled out an application to be inducted into the ROTC during my senior year of high school, but was provisionally disqualified. Since then I have considered joining again, and know that before I finally settle into a career, I shall dawn the uniform of an American serviceman. Perhaps it is because we are currently engaged with an enemy abroad, or perhaps it has always been so, but military service is a highly discussed topic on our campus and elsewhere. The ideology of peace and nonviolence predominates this debate at Brandeis, a short-sided view that does not recognize the harsh realities of the modern world. Still others believe that there are different, more effective ways to serve one’s country, a belief that does not see the full contribution of military service. In addition, through this article, I would also like to throw my hat into the debate concerning homosexuals in the military, and (for once) agree with the views of many Brandeis students. Preventing openly gay citizens from joining the armed forces is wrong. A person’s patriotism, along with mental and physical fitness should be the only factors determining one’s ability to militarily serve our beloved country. I remember the first time I entered the Peace Room during my freshmen year. This tucked away space in the Usdan Student Center is a revolting display of propaganda, as it includes a one-sided view of a very multi-faceted reality. Furnished like a hippie hashishsmoking room and containing an 8-foot tall statue of Ghandi, this place oozed the disgusting aura of blind non-violence. Worst of all, the room possessed a register of conscientious objectors, where Brandeis students had inscribed their names in order to represent

themselves under this classification. This place was disgusting, this room was horrific. I felt like taking a flamethrower to the place. The room represented the blind pursuance of liberal ideals so indicative of our institution. Don’t get me wrong, peace is always preferable to war. William T. Sherman was correct, “war is hell,” and I hope the children of our generation never have to protect their country in a full-scale military engagement. But war is oftentimes necessary in order to bring peace, conflict is oftentimes essential to protect our freedoms. In fact, I would adamantly defend that it is often the best way to safeguard our valued liberties. Projecting an image of flaccidity and complacency bolsters our foes and weakens our ability to protect our country. Nevertheless, our university has an entire department dedicated to peace, conflict and coexistence. Clubs all around our campus preach the unyielding message of non-violence and peace. These groups are deluded whenever they talk against the efficacy of violent action. As the movie “Team America: World Police” conveys, “freedom isn’t free” and oftentimes must be paid for with the blood of violent activity. I have heard people say many times that there are other ways to serves one’s country besides military service. For the most part, this belief is correct. I have spent two summers with Americorps and have witnessed firsthand the benefits of volunteerism. Through my internship with Teach For America, I have likewise seen the advantages of national service. But enlistment in the armed forces is nevertheless the best and noblest way to sacrifice for one’s country. Whether or not you agree with the justness of recent military conflicts, being on guard for our nation’s defense is still a righteous duty. Forgoing many luxuries and being shipped around the world so that the rest of us can be more assured of our liberty is a mission that deserves the gratitude of every American citizen. Service in the military is the greatest way one can

sacrifice for one’s country. It makes the serviceperson forgo many comforts so that our cherished freedoms can be protected. Loyal readers of my column will note that I hardly ever take a position aligned with the views of a majority of Brandeisians. On the issue of gays in the military, however, I see this stance to be the most rational position. The military’s current policy concerning homosexuals is abysmal. It is prejudicial and wrong as it bars patriotic and willing Americans from serving their country. In fact, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, as it is colloquially called, has expelled nearly a thousand servicemen each year from out nation’s armed forces. This policy is wrong. Any person, regardless of sexuality, should have the opportunity to serve in the military. People are allowed to practice their religion and other life preferences while in the service, so why should they be barred from certain sexual lifestyles? Sexual preference should have no bearing in selection to the military, so long as one’s life choices do not negatively affect one’s competency as a soldier. Homosexuals are just as willing and able to serve as anyone else and should be allowed the opportunity to openly join our nation’s armed services. I have always considered myself a lover, not a fighter, but military might is oftentimes the most effective means to protect our sacred liberties. For this reason, I hold military service with the highest regard and believe it to be the supreme way to sacrifice for one’s country. In addition, I do not think that this honor should be restricted from members of the gay community, as they are just as capable and competent as any other citizens to militarily serve their country. I hope to one day attain the honor of a U.S. serviceman. I hope to one day answer the call to my nation’s defense. I suppose then I will have to sacrifice my glorious “Jewfro” for a shorter military cut. This will be just one of the many ways I eventually hope to sacrifice for my beloved country.

Many people probably weren’t surprised when Republican Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin announced the birth of her fifth child. But they sure are now that her own seventeen year old child is expecting a child of her own. We expect to hear that grown women are with child. We might not even be surprised to hear that young adults in their late teens or early twenties are pregnant. It seems like I hear more and more news stories these days about the latest case of underage pregnancy or some new show about the subject, especially this past summer. Many peoples’ initial reaction is that of surprise or judgment. Some even feel sorry for the prospective mother. But should we honestly be that surprised though when we hear that so many young people are pregnant? In a culture that uplifts outward sexuality in its impressionable youth, we really shouldn’t be. And in an entertainment culture that actually seems to uplift teenage pregnancy, it’s just plain normalcy these days. Does the influence of the media really cause teenage pregnancy? Now in theory, this is almost as bad as saying that the sale of alcohol causes alcoholism. Of course teenagers are ultimately responsible for making their own decisions, but like violence, the influence of the media and entertainment certainly makes a difference. Over the summer, people were shocked to hear that several teens at a Gloucester, Mass. high school formed a “pregnancy pact” of sorts. Why did so many girls in the same school get pregnant at the same time? And a better question is, why is this such a big trend these days? What started as a small town tidbit of news rapidly developed as a nationwide sensation and the Gloucester girls were soon famous. Immediately people questioned why these girls would make such a pact and what influences led them to do so. And there the entertainment industry was to blame. For example, when the movie Juno came out, many people questioned whether the film uplifted or put teenage pregnancy into an important and educational context. I have to admit, I liked the movie even though I wasn’t lining up at the box office to see it. But I’d have to say that Juno falls into the trap that many other movies and shows do in glorifying teenage pregnancy. Sure, Juno freaks out after finding out she’s pregnant, but after a series of difficulties, deciding whether or not to keep her baby being one of them, she is reunited with her baby’s’ father and all seems to be perfect. What about the aftermath? What about when the baby comes? Does Juno continue on with school and is she able to handle the extreme pressure which falls upon a teenage mother? The viewer never sees this and in skipping this very integral part of the process, Hollywood paints a false picture. And even though we live in a fast

pace entertainment world, I’m sure you can remember the public’s reaction when Britney Spears’ sister Jamie Lynn announced that she was expecting her first child. After the initial gossip and shock, we moved onto the next story but soon came back to Jamie Lynn upon the birth of her child, this time placing her on a pedestal fit for the entertainment communitythe cover of OK magazine. Placing her on the cover saying “being a mom is the best feeling in the world” surely makes us just a bit hypocritical, doesn’t it? We gossip and whisper about the unwed mother when she first finds out she’s pregnant, but then we ooh and ahh when we see her child. Are we to believe that Jamie Lynn truly has a perfect life and that she’s living life as a teenage mother without difficulties? Where are the photographers at 3 a.m. when Jamie Lynn is up with her crying child? Of course, entertainment also has been making an effort to undo what it has done, creating several shows to counteract the glorification of pregnancy, such as the reality TV show The Baby Borrowers. I’ll admit it, I watched the Baby Borrowers over the summer. And I’ll tell you why. One reason was that there really wasn’t anything else on television and I found myself with a bit of extra time on my hands. Another reason is, I find it interesting to watch how extreme some of these scenarios are that reality television places people in. For those of you who didn’t hear about the show, teen couples claiming they’re ready to have children sign up for a summer experiment in which they get a crash course in parenthood. Living with and caring for infants, toddlers, teens, and even the elderly, these teens get a taste of what they claim they are ready for. Needless to say, all of the teens quickly realized that parenthood wasn’t so easy after all and said that the experience taught them that they should wait to have children. But the thing is, these teens walked away unscathed from the experience and could go back to their normal lives. Then there were the promos for the show The Secret Life of the American Teenager. This show depicts a situation not too different from Sarah Palin’s daughters’. A teen gets pregnant and deals with the aftermath. So the big question is, do shows like The Baby Borrowers and The Secret Life of the American Teenager accomplish what they set out to do-prevent teenage pregnancy, or do they glorify it? And does our culture contribute to the influx of teenage pregnancy? Surely shows like this wouldn’t be necessary if we didn’t glorify the issue in the first place. So, how will we follow Bristol Palin’s pregnancy? Will the media create a sensation that is followed by marveling over a newborn child once it is born like it does in so many other cases? News is news, entertainment is entertainment, and the whole story is the whole story. So perhaps we should show the whole story and not just the prologue.

September 5, 2008

IMPRESSIONS

Sexiled

Head games BY RAchael barr Columnist

When I started this article, the only thing I could think is that I now have an awkward hook-up story. But then I realized that all my hook-ups are actually very awkward. Listen – I do not play games. In a game, there is a winner and a loser. It’s chance. Well, chances are, I always lose. So it doesn’t follow the rules of a game. Instead, I flirt shamelessly until they either openly reject me or lift the covers. In my head, I prefer the latter. And in his head – I actually never know what’s going on in there. But I always manage to find out… As it turns out, though, one head is better than two. So, the flirting is more of a trial than a game. As in…do you want

tration – he had me pinned on top of him. You would think I could’ve gotten away, and you’d be right. But he doesn’t know that because I “struggled” (very convincingly, I might add), while letting him mark his territory. Thankfully, unlike men I have not yet had the pleasure to wrestle, he marked his territory with his mouth, not his… Well, imagination may take you anywhere you’d like. Be considerate of your neighbors, though. And no, despite what you’re thinking right now, the territory being marked was my neck, not my… Anyway, he did not realize that the edge of my comfort zone meets the neckline of my shirt when I actually like someone. So when he bit his way over that line like he was teething, I may

The key to my success is simple: I talk about sex. I make references to it. I show up to their room at 1 a.m. to try this? The key to my success is simple: I talk about sex. I make references to it. I show up to their room at one a.m. I realize, as I’m writing this, that I sound like a crazy stalker addicted to sex. Be that as it may, I’ll just gloss over it for now and allow the therapist I’m sure to acquire to deal with it later. Most importantly, though, is the door to my failure. It opened with my success key. I walk into a bedroom, let’s say, all prepared. I know what’s going to happen and he’s soon going to know the same. Unless he’s last night’s conquest, in which case he misreads the very clear signals I send. Now, for a story of awkwardness and failure: The evening began dark and probably around eight. My evening with him began florescent and probably around 11:45. I showed up, unexpectedly. He let me in and humored me until he wasn’t funny anymore. Contrary to the other guys, this one was actually considerate and entertaining. So it stands to reason that I nicknamed him “Asshole.” Now it’s time to move onward, but mostly upward. He and I were lying on his bed. I initiated, as any classy woman would do. After much wrestling in which I attempted to get away by moaning in pleasure – I mean frus-

or may not have freaked out like someone who has just gotten out of a mental hospital. But I may not have, keep that in mind. Except that I did. And I ran out of his room. And he didn’t follow. Shocking, I know. I figured he would because I had set up unmistakable guidelines, such as: I showed up at his room in a tank top at close to midnight. Laid down on his bed. Let him put his arm around me. Put my arm around him. Tickled and tackled him. I even moaned. Remember – in frustration, I swear! Then, as soon as he took the hints, I stormed out. See? Asshole! Looking back, it’s very possible that I sent mixed signals. But I’m still pretty sure I didn’t. Because if I had, I wouldn’t have pretended to knee him in the crotch, I would have grabbed it instead. And I would have taken off my shirt. Yet, I think I’ve learned my lesson. Be less desperate? That’s ridiculous! Let him come to me? Well, I always encourage him to come…to me. But, really, the biggest part of the lesson is that I am actually the awkward one. I’m Brandeis awkward. I’m officially Brawkward. And I am willing to embrace it. With the knowledge that it may be the last thing I embrace. For a while, at least.

The Hoot

The benefits of a disaster BY Scott Rothstein Special to The Hoot

In a political season riddled with many surprises, it seems almost typical that a natural disaster would interrupt one of the most critical moments of the political campaign. This week was supposed to be John McCain’s chance to make his case to the country that he stands for the right kind of change and that Senator Obama is simply not experienced enough to be put in charge of the country. However, Hurricane Gustav would not defer to the GOP convention and made landfall the same day as the convention’s opening. This strange and unprecedented turn of events posed the question: Would it hurt McCain’s campaign? After all, the Republicans now had less time to introduce the largely unknown Governor Palin on their own terms and to re-introduce Senator McCain as the true agent of change. However, when one takes a second look at the situation, John McCain’s presidential campaign may actually have benefited from this disaster. President Bush’s absence from the convention, Governor Palin’s buffer in the news, and McCain’s dropping of the partisan hat will more than likely benefit the Republican campaign in ways that a perfectly executed Convention would have not. The appearance of President Bush and Vice President Cheney at

to redeem himself for the largest failure during his eight years as president and redeem himself he has. The situation in the Gulf was handled very well on all levels of the government. In fact by the Tuesday morning following the hurricane's landfall the average price of gasoline had fallen to $3.68 per gallon-- much better than had been predicted. Bush’s smooth handling of the hurricane could potentially aid Senator McCain in a way that many would not have expected; it could raise President Bush’s approval rating prior to the election. Early on Friday, it appeared that McCain’s surprise choice for the Republican VP nominee would dominate the news until the convention, however, after Saturday morning, the news seemed to fade in the approach of Hurricane Gustav. The hurricane acted as a buffer to the negative news that plagued the Governor during the past week. The news of Governor Palin’s hiring of an attorney for the “troopergate” investigation, the story of Palin’s husband’s DUI arrest twenty years ago, and the news of the Governor getting booed this past Saturday at a rally when mentioning Hillary Clinton has been largely buried by the more pressing story concerning Hurricane Gustav. The only negative story to truly survive the hurricane was the pregnancy of Governor Palin’s teenage daughter and it will probably have little influence on the race, unless Campbell Brown continues trying to exploit it. The blow of this negative news to the McCain Campaign was substantially softened by the media's focus on Hurricane Gustav. Senator McCain himself has also come out of this situation in a very positive light. Many Republicans feared that Senator McCain’s acceptance speech would pale in comparison to the grandiose acceptance speech delivered by Senator Obama, which was made to about 84,000 supporters in an outdoor stadium under fireworks and a torrent of ticker tape. However,

Hurricane Gustav would not defer to the GOP convention and made landfall the same day as the convention’s opening.

Senator McCain himself has also come out of this situation in a very positive light. the Republican National Convention was expected to be awkward at best. The McCain campaign has spent the entirety of the summer attempting to distance itself from the highly unpopular president, so his appearance at McCain’s nomination convention would not have played over well, not to mention the appearance of the arguably even more unpopular Vice President. Due to the hurricane though, President Bush had his attention turned from the Twin Cities to the Big Easy. Monday no longer had to serve as a reminder that Senator McCain and President Bush were in the same political party. The only appearance from the President was a short ten-minute speech Tuesday, which was not even from within the convention. More importantly, the hurricane has given President Bush a chance

due to McCain’s order to change the tone of this convention, the candidates' convention speeches can no longer be held side by side as equals and any potential criticism of McCain's lack of energy as compared to Obama’s speech is no longer be valid. Secondly and

more importantly, Senator McCain took off his partisan hat this week, ordering the Convention to convene for essential business only and demanded that there be no partisan rhetoric for the opening day. This situation gave McCain a chance to put his slogan of “country first” to the test and he followed through on his promise. He selflessly gave up a day of promoting his own presidential bid and attacking that of Senator Obama and instead had delegates prepare relief packages for those affected by the storm. Senator McCain himself went down to Mississippi prior to the storm's approach and was debriefed on the state of the emergency relief situation. McCain’s speedy, responsible, and selfless response highlights another notable difference between himself and the unpopular President, who many associate with his slow and careless response to Hurricane Katrina. Last week Senator Obama attacked Senator McCain in his acceptance speech for implying that Obama did not put the country first. The Democratic presidential nominee also harshly criticized the President for his careless inaction during the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. So on Monday while Senator McCain and his supporters were selflessly rallying to relieve those affected by the storm and President Bush was working to lead the relief effort in the Gulf, where were Senator Obama and Senator Biden? Well, Senator Obama was selflessly campaigning in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan and Senator Biden used his time in Scranton Pennsylvania to criticize Senator McCain. If any Republicans feared that this unfortunate disaster would dampen the effects of the Republican Convention, they need not worry- this convention may have achieved greater acclaim than it would have had the Convention gone off without a hitch.

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.

September 5, 2008

The Hoot

FEATURES

A summer of Olympic proportions: Brandeis student journalist travels to Beijing to cover summer Olympics. BY CHRISSY CALLAHAN Editor

times missed due to economic obstacles, Hiatt started the WOW program in summer 2008 and ofWatching Bo Derek appear at a fers students $3,500 to fund their US embassy press event. unpaid internship. Getting followed by undercover WOW’s goal, as stated on Hiatt’s police. website, is to “encourage students Covering one of this summer's to use the summer to explore cabiggest worldwide events. reers that they are truly passionate It's all in a day’s work for Hiatt about by eliminating financial barWorld of Work intern Eli Harriers precluding them from followrington ’09. ing their career interests.” Harrington spent eight weeks Looking back on the summer, this past summer covering the Harrington said he cannot help 28th summer Olympics in Beijing, but be thankful for the opportuChina. nity WOW offered him. Last semester, Harrington had Getting hands-on experience in been searching for a summer inthe real world of journalism, Harternship to fill his desire to work rington performed research for abroad. future stories and monitored wires A French minor, Harrington for potentially interesting news had considered going to France to stories to assist his boss. work or even the Caribbean. Harrington also got some expeSince Harrington had been takrience that was invaluable for any ing Chinese classes at Brandeis for budding journalist, including learna year and a half at the time, working a bit about audio software and ing in China was another option having the opportunity to work on for Harrington, but one that was technical projects such as video edkept somewhat in the back of his iting. mind. Harrington’s study of Chinese Puzzled, Harrington sought helped to prepare him a bit, but former Voice of America (VOA) he said that he learned that classjournalist and Brandeis profesroom lectures are certainly no resor Maura Jane Farrelly’s (JOUR) placement for the experience one advice on where he might work. gets when immersed in the actual Farrelly told Harrington about culture. VOA, a self-identified multimedia “I went in sort of not knowinternational broadcasting service ing what to expect, understandfunded by the U.S. government. ing Chinese culture and society Each week, VOA broadcasts its to some degree but having never more than 1,250 hours of news, been there," he said. "I really had educational, and cultural programno idea what to expect.”. ming in more than 45 languages to Experiencing journalism in anworldwide audiences surpassing other country and “learning how a 134 million viewers. journalist operates within the ChiFarrelly also told Harrington nese government” was certainly an about one of her colleagues who eye-opening experience for Harhad just started work at Beijing’s rington and one of the most valuVOA bureau. able aspects of his eight weeks in A few interviews later, HarBeijing. rington As he explained, was ready journalists must get to go. It's sort of like an onion accredited by the A m a z i n g where you peel back and Chinese government summer and through a more internship: there's more and more constrained system check. Pay layers trying to figure than here in the for the United States. s u m m e r : out China. As a student and not so --Eli Harrington'09 an intern, Harrington much. found himself even L i k e more limited than m a n y the average journalist would. other summer internships, HarAnd under great scrutiny, Harrington’s work with Voice of rington was not able to cover jourAmerica was going to be an unnalistic staples such as daily press paid experience. Until Brandeis’ briefings. Hiatt Career Center stepped in, But although these obstacles that is. would cause frustration in any While many people often say budding journalist, Harrington that one cannot put a price on said it also taught him more about knowledge, taking an unpaid inthe Chinese culture and also the ternship is not always such an easy value of a free press in the United decision to make. States. Thanks to the Hiatt Career Cen“Something that we really take ter’s new World-of-Work (WOW) for granted here is our freedom of internship program ,Harrington press,” he said. and 54 other Brandeis were able Like any eager journalist, Harto make their decisions with a bit rington was itching to get out into more ease. the field and witness real field jourRealizing that many amazing innalism. ternship opportunities are someAnd since there was much go-

PHOTO BY Eli Harrington

Top: Harrington busy at work covering the Olympics. Bottom: Harrington (Bottom right) with fellow VOA interns.

ing on in this city hosting the 28th Olympics, Harrington got the chance to visit a protest zone. What had started as a oneon-one conversation between a journalist and a protestor quickly turned into something very different when passersby noticed what was going on. Yelling their disapproval, they started to criticize the seemingly innocent man. What crime was this man guilty of ? Talking to an American journalist.

After ten minutes of haggling, the man had to leave the park. Of his experience going out to cover stories, Harrington said “it was a really interesting experience. That’s the kind of stuff I think being there gives you that you can’t really learn anywhere else.” In fact, the longer Harrington was in Beijing, the more he came to understand the Chinese culture and their system of journalism. “It’s sort of like an onion, where you peel back and there’s more and

more layers trying to figure out China,” he explained. His experience gave Harrington invaluable firsthand experience that he now takes back to Brandeis to apply to his work. A senior, Harrington hopes to continue his passion for journalism as a potential career, but really is unsure what the future will hold for him. Who knows? Brandeis might just see Harrington covering the next Olympics.

What is W.O.W.? A $ 3,500 scholarship for sophomores and juniors who want to internship with organizations that do not have the financial resources to provide a salary. Launched in time for the Summer of 2008, 55 students took advantage of the program this summer For more information on W.O.W., go to http://www.brandeis.edu/hiatt/students/funding/wow/index.html

Septmeber 5, 2008

STRANGE BUT TRUE BY BEN SACKS Editor

COUPLE BUYS FOUR WINNING LOTTERY TICKETS FOR SAME DRAWING A Madison, WI couple bought four winning lottery tickets at four separate locations for the state's SuperCash lottery drawing earlier last week, each one good for $350,000 for a total of $1.4 million before taxes. The husband, a fan of math games, claims to have figured out an equation for picking winning lottery tickets. A professor at a local college scoffed at the idea, noting that it's impossible to develop an equation for numbers that are randomly generated.

MAN CATCHES 21-POUND FISH ON 6-POUND LINE An Elkin, N.C. man was holding his granddaughter's Barbie fishing rod while she ran to the bathroom when suddenly the tip of the rod bent hard toward the pond in which he was fishing. Using 6-pound test, line designed for catching much smaller fish, the man managed to reel in a 21 pound, one ounce catfish, a new state record for the breed. The man noted that the fish was longer than the rod.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT GETS PERFECT SCORES ON ACT AND SAT A Mason, OH student recieved perfect scores on both the SAT and the ACT after studying regularly since the sixth grade. Last year, less than 300 of the 1.5 million or so SAT test takers recieved a 2400, a perfect score, last year, and less than 200 of the 2.2 million or so ACT test takers recieved a 36, the equivalent.

PARAPLEGIC TURTLE USES SCUSTOM SKATEBOARD FOR MOBILITY Zookeepers at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, Israel, built a special skateboard so that their 55-pound tortoise, who has use of only its front legs, can travel independently. Since being outfitted with the skateboard, the turtle has already mated with another of the zoo's turtles, proving that in some ways, perhaps turtles are not so slow.

F E AT U R E S

The Hoot

Mountain club takes students to new heights BY BEN SACKS Editor

As Clarence Friedman ‘10 scaled the side of a mountain with only a belay and a strong grip separating him from the ground several hundred feet below, he realized that it was not the time to worry about being afraid of heights. “The whole way up, I’m shaking, I’m nervous, just like, 'Don’t look down, don’t look down,'” Friedman recalled. The climb was vertical the whole way up, and for Friedman, who has a strong fear of heights, it’s a memory he’ll never forget. Jonah Cohen ’10 remembers learning how to effectively and efficiently navigate his way around a forest using a compass and a map, receiving directions in terms of how many paces to walk in a given direction. He also now knows how to assist a person suffering from hypothermia in the middle of a forest, with no medical help nearby. Both Friedman and Cohen learned aqcuired their outdoors skills on the Brandeis budget. Mountain Club, one of Brandeis' oldest clubs, provides Brandeis students opportunities to partake in activities such as rock climbing, kayaking, white water rafting, bungee jumping and hang gliding. With more than 800 members on its listserv, it’s the most popular club on campus, and since most of the activities are subsidised and members need only RSVP to weekly e-mails sent out by the club’s coordinators in order to attend events, participating is easy. Prior experience is not required, according to Friedman, who is president of the club. In fact, one of Friedman's goals for this year is to make the club more accessible to beginners by concentrating on events that anyone can do, like hiking.

The club meets every Wednesday or Thursday. Skills needed for events are taught by professionals who give detailed directions at every step of the way. Cohen hadn’t ever gone water rafting before attempting to pass through level 4 (re: very choppy) rapids in Vermont, yet he managed to come through safe and sound with the help of a personal guide, though as he noted, smiling, “my partner did fall off the boat almost immediately after we got in.” As Friedman noted, “you can go even if you are a complete novice.” Despite being expert with the belay, he still has someone else check his belay knot before every action. “Better safe than sorry,” he explained. In the past, in addition to learning how to orienteer (navigate via compass and landmarks), members have also efficiently otherwise, including learned how to give medical loaning sleeping bags to students treatment in settings where no participating on the Brandeis professional medical help would Hillel alternative Spring Break be availible. in New Orleans this past April Cohen remembers a training and providing tents to individual session in the middle of a for- students for various personal adest when ventures. a fellow “I like member how big was lying and imon the portant to ground so many covered people [at in blood Brandeis] and Cowe’re behen had coming,” to attend stated to the Fried--Clarence Friedman '10 man. body to prevent “ I excessive would say blood almost everyone on our listserv loss and maintain internal tem- has attended at least one trip.” perature using the most basic of Attendance usually ranges camping equipment and medical from 50 people on a larger hiksupplies. As Cohen described it, ing trip to as few as two people “general First-Aid applied to wil- on an intensive mountain climb derness setting.” Mountain Club exclusively for experienced has also provided gear to other members. groups on campus that would Anyone can go on any trip, but be difficult for them to obtain Friedman ensures safety first,

On certain trips, there's no room for error. You can't make mistakes. You can't worry about turning back when you're 200 feet off the ground.

PHOTO BY Jonah Cohen

and “on certain trips there’s no room for error, you can’t make mistakes. You can’t worry about turning back when you’re 200 feet off the ground.” People interested in joining should contact Friedman as soon as possible, or attend one of the club’s weekly Monday night meetings in the club’s storage room, located in Pomerantz 1. As incentive for attendance, students present at the Monday night meetings get first chance to sign up for trips, which oftentimes have limited capacity and fill up fast. Students with vehicles are needed, as club members use their own and then get reimbursed for gas. So if you think that sitting atop “The Gunks,” a four-pitch climb in the Catskills of upstate New York, and looking for miles and miles at the scenery around you is how you’d like to pass one of your weekends at Brandeis, check out Mountain Club. It’s one that can take you to new heights.

Interested in having The Hoot cover something strange, freakishly weird and out of the ordinary for the Features section? Email chriscal@brandeis.edu or bensacks@ brandeis.edu

September 5, 2008

The Hoot

NEWS

Stein downscaled, student response ambivalent club. Quizno’s, a sub-sandwich restaurant, will serve both lunch and dinner in upper Usdan, and will be open near the end of September. In addition, the faculty club is now open to the entire Brandeis community and will be

of kitchen space, equipment, and the increase in dinner volume and delivery orders. The Stein Restaurant reduced In the previous semester there hours and menu offerings, and the were weekly Stein Nights, featurDepartment of Student Activities ing games, bingo, and karaoke. is sponsoring fewer Stein Nights The Department of Student Acthan the previous tivities sponsored year, yet students the majority of these appear unaffected events. While the deby these changes. partment will still be Last year the Stein sponsoring weekly was open to serve activities, the Stein lunch from 11:30 will not be hosting a.m. to 2:00 p.m. most of them. during the weekInstead, the events days. will be located in In August, the stuvarious spots around dent body received campus. Stephanie an e-mail from PeGrimes, Director of ter B. French, the Student Activities, Executive Vice wrote, “[we] decided President and Chief to take the funding Operating Officer, we have used for informing them the weekly Thursof the capital projday Stein programects completed or ming and spread it started during the throughout the Fall summer months. semester. We are The community upusing a number of date memo stated different locations that the Stein would across campus in only be open during order to maximize dinner hours. our budget as well as Michael Newto promote multiple mark, Director of programming venDining Services, ues across campus.” explained, in an eGrimes confirmed PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot mail to The Hoot, that Student Events “Over the past few will still be sponsorTHE STEIN: The Stein cleans up on a weekday evening. years the Stein has ing monthly Thirsty seen a drop in cusserving lunch. Thursdays at the Stein, which protomer traffic at lunch.” Newmark commented, “no one vide free food and soda for everyNewmark also wrote that the likes to see anything get eliminat- one and free beer for those who other lunch venues available to ed but the faculty club offers as are 21 and older. students factored into the deci- much if not more than the Stein Students appear to be indiffersion of shortening the Stein’s did.” The Faculty Club offers out- ent to the changes at the Stein. hours. “With so many lunch op- door dining, a salad bar, and hot Several returning students admittions…it was determined that the buffets. ted to never having eaten there, Stein lunch program would no The cuts from the Stein’s menu while others said that they ate at longer be needed,” he wrote. were part of an effort to “increase the Stein occasionally. An upperThe e-mail from French listed customer satisfaction,” Newmark classman asked, “What are Stein two new lunch venues open to stated. The new menu was devel- Nights?” students, Quizno’s and the faculty oped to correlate with the amount BY KAYLA DOS SANTOS Editor

IBS announces socially conscious MBA program Brandeis Sustainability Coordinator Janna Cohen-Rosenthal munications Matthew Parillo in an explained via e-mail message that e-mail to The Hoot. while she had no hand in the creation As of yet, Parillo explained, “we of the new MBA concentration, don’t have “[l]earning a student about sustainc o u n t … i t ’s The world is changing rapidly ability in the just too early in terms of sustainability work c l a s s r o o m , right now to - and its wonderful to see our p a r t i c u l a r l y get a handle in a busion the num- academic offerings stay ahead of ness school the curve. ber.” context, is “Business a crucial and the En--Janna Cohen-Rosenthal c o m p o n e n t vironment,” of creating taught by a more sustainable society and Assistant Professor of Strategy, university. The world is changing Preeta Banerjee, will be the first rapidly in terms of sustainability course taught in the program. work- and its wonderful to see our Parillo explained, “The new academic offerings stay ahead of MBA concentration in Socially Re- the curve.” sponsible Business is a natural exShe continued, “[s]tudents in tension for Brandeis International this new IBS program will have Business School. It advances the a unique skill set and it would be principles and values of Justice exciting to tap their expertise for Louis Brandeis and gives students the university, while here, and to the opportunity to explore trad- see where their careers take them eoffs between economic, social in this new business world.” and environmental goals.” GREEN MBA (from p. 1)

Are you intrepid? Do you hate fascism? Is your last name Woodward, or Bernstein? Contact Alison Channon at achannon@brandeis.edu to write for The Hoot!

Student Union elections Calender 08-09

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

VP election final round

Freshman and Quad elections candidates begin to campaign after meeting at 5 p.m.

Special VP election candidates can begin to campaign after meeting at 5 p.m.

VP club endorsements and websites due

VP primaries

Freshman and Quad candidates club endoresements and websites due

Freshman and Quad primaries

Freshman and Quad final rounds

September 5, 2008

NEWS

The Hoot 13

Faculty, administration still dealing with Hindley fallout FACULTY SENATE (from p. 1)

Senate’s May 1 meeting, states, “The Faculty Senate supports, as a matter of principle, the recent judgment of the Committee on Rights and Responsibilities, which found serious violations of the Faculty Handbook in a grievance case concerning Professor Donald Hindley.” The Senate resolution continued, “The Faculty Senate affirms the Handbook provision that authorizes the Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities to interpret the Faculty Handbook on behalf of the faculty. We recognize that unanticipated situations may arise where the Provost must contravene the Faculty Handbook. Nevertheless, in such cases the contravention must be acknowledged as such and cannot be based on a claim to an alternate interpretation of the Handbook.” Discussions were held regarding the Faculty Senate’s concerns, however, discussions with Krauss, according to Gaskins’ report, were unsuccessful after the two parties could not come to an agreement regarding who would have ultimate power to determine how the rules of the Faculty Handbook were interpreted.

“The Provost and Dean,” wrote Gas- a division of authority along with mutual kins, “are looking for maximum flexibility accountability. The faculty interprets the and discretion,” in interpreting the Faculty rules of the Handbook and applies them Handbook. to grievance cases…[t]he administration reFor the committee, such flexibility was tains the power to override any particular an affront to the integrity of the grievance decision, but it would be expected to acprocess. “Under the Provost’s approach,” knowledge the divergence from the formal Gaskins remarked rules.” in his report, “she Gaskins continued, is not only the final I seek, with Prof. Flesch, and “This may not be a judge of her own acsystem from whomever is the next chair of perfect tions, but also the fithe standpoint of nal interpreter of the the committee on rights and faculty governance, very rules by which responsibilities, a reasoned but it is a strong imher actions are being provement over the and appropriate resolution on current system, where judged.” He continued, “At outstanding issues. the Provost’s reasons the end of the day, can be presented simthese rules will mean ply as differences over whatever she decides --Provost Marty Krauss interpretation. This they mean, applied division of authority retrospectively to her seems workable to own actions that are the Senate and to this being challenged. It is hard to reconcile this Committee—indeed, it is the only structure approach with basic notions of account- that would still protect a faculty-run grievability.” ance process.” In order to reach a compromise with Ultimately, the committee’s document exKrauss and Jaffe, Gaskins and his commit- pressed a lack of faith in its ability to be tee “proposed [what] is best described as effective without any commitment from

Krauss. “What concerns us most is the next faculty member…who comes to this Committee with a formal grievance. If it involves the campus harassment policy, right now we have no confidence that the Committee can take jurisdiction in your case. We have no confidence that the Committee can investigate whether you were denied your basic right to fair treatment under University policies, or your right to academic freedom… [a]nd we can give you no assurance that the rules as written and interpreted by your faculty peers will be the rules under which you and others on campus will be judged.” In a letter to the faculty dated May 15, Krauss responded to the committee’s report, saying, “I regret that after only one meeting, the R&R committee decided unilaterally to suspend future meetings with Adam and me. We need to continue, not stop, discussions about our respective roles in interpreting the Faculty Handbook.” While Krauss declined to discuss specifics, she commented in an e-mail to The Hoot, “I seek, with Prof. Flesch, and whomever is the next chair of the committee on rights and responsibilities, a reasoned and appropriate resolution on outstanding issues.”

Visiting professor gives first lecture in series on Judaism and China SPEAKER (from p. 1)

Communist Revolution. Professor Fu began his presentation with a brief introduction explaining how he became involved in Jewish studies. His story began in 1992 when he was invited to Oxford in order to translate Hebrew works with a group of Chinese scholars. “In 1992 I gradually realized the importance of the Jewish culture, and the Jewish people,” Fu said. “I thought it obligatory to introduce Judaism to the Chinese people.” Fu founded the Centre for Judaic and Inter Religious Studies in 2004. Fu titled his presentation “Comparing Confucianism and Judaism.” During his speech, he laid out five contrasting ideas in Judaism and Confucianism. The first of Fu’s main points concerned anthropomorphism - ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human. Using evidence from the Bible and Confucius’s analects, Professor Fu concluded, “where Judaism embodies a significant pattern of anthropomorphism, Confucianism displays no clearcut traces of this character.” Next, Fu asserted, “While Judaism is a monotheistic religion, Confucianism embraces a polytheistic approach”

To describe the polytheistic approach in Confucianism, Fu alluded to a tradition in his hometown where he returns every year for to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The day before the New Year, it is tradition for people to visit the graves of ancestors. “When we [visit the graves] the meaning is more than respect…it is some type of worship,” asserted Fu. The next question Fu tackled concerned Confucius himself – was he a sage or prophet? Fu alleged that Judaism is a religion of prophets with many of the central figures of the old testaments receiving direct contact from God. However, Fu considers Confucius a “semi-prophet “ or “prophet-philosopher in a sense that he received Dao and taught it to his students and he received the Dao by learning, rather than by divine revelation.” Fu compared Confucius to a great educator like Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi, not a prophet like Moses. Switching gears, Fu described similarities between Confucianism and Judaism stating, “Both Judaism and Confucianism are ethical systems as well as reli-

PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot

LECTURE: Prof. Fu speaks in front of a Brandeis audience after travelling from Shandong, China.

gions…and have several common principles and norms.”The most well known ethical similarities be-

Both Judaism and Confucianism are ethical systems as well as religions... and have several common principles and norms. --Fu Youde tween the two are “The Golden Rule” – cited both Hillel the Elder in Judaism and Confucius – good deeds in prudence with words, and love of man. Fu did contrast the love of man however saying,

“The fulfillment of “love men” as in Judaism’s “love thy neighbor” is not limited to a family, a clan, a tribe, a city or a country; it is extended to all human beings. However, Confucius’s dispensation of love has priorities – one should love one’s parents first, then other family members, then one’s villagers, then countrymen, then others.” Immediately following Professor Fu, Professor Emeritus of History John Schrecker offered his own views and critique of Fu’s presentation. As a man who considers himself a Jew and a follower of Confucius, Professor Schrecker argued that Confucianism should not be considered a

religion, but more of an “ethics system” with a “socio-historical” element to it, citing that the Catholic Church also allows its followers to follow Confucius and be a member of the church. Prof. John Samet (PHIL) followed Schrecker, offering that there’s a more complex view to Judaism than Fu initially presented in contrasting Judaism with Confucianism. “Judaism is a tradition that has evolved in the Darwinian sense,” said Samet. “Its patterns of growth and change are not always predictable.” Fu will speak twice more next week.

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March 28, 2008

The Hoot

SPORTS

Volleyball season preview: Strong sophomore class leads talented Judges into 2008 Season-opening 3-0 victory against Wentworth is promising, but tough tests await vs. Johnson and Wales and MIT BY ZACHARY ARONOW Editor

Brandeis volleyball has been on the rise as of late, winning their second straight ECAC banner, but now, they have their sights set on a new rock to climb – an NCAA postseason berth. They will look to build on their season following their opening day victory as they face tough opponents in a Cambridge trimatch on September 6, taking on MIT and Johnson and Wales. “I’m excited; we have a lot of talent on the team,” Coach Michelle Kim said. “Our numbers are small, but we definitely have the talent so hopefully, we can stay healthy and do some good things this year.” Johnson and Wales is no slouches of an opponent, but the true test of Brandeis’s NCAA goals comes from host school MIT. A volleyball powerhouse, MIT is ranked this year number two in the New England region, and they made it to the Sweet 16 last year, the fourth time in six years that they made the NCAA’s.

This will be the first time Brandeis faces something I’m grateful for, and I think this is MIT since 2006, when the Engineers swept a group that wants it and can get it done.” them aside 3-0 on their way to first place at Coach Kim went on, “Abby (Blasco ’11), the Hall of Fame Tournament. as you know, she was the Rookie of the Year Making things more difficult for the Judges for the UAA so she’s working hard to have is a very small roster. A a repeat if not have a betdisappointing year of ter performance this year. recruitment leaves the Paige (Blasco ’11) is new Judges with a seasoned this year, she was with but depth-challenged us last year as a manager roster. Nonetheless, capacity but she’s with Coach Michelle Kim us this year playing, she’s is excited about this healthier this year… she’s year’s squad and their doing well, working hard chances to make the in practice. And Nikki --Coach Michelle Kim (Smith ’11), she got a ton leap to the NCAA’s. “Recruiting defiof playing time on Saturnitely didn’t go well for day and, you know, she’s us,” Coach Michelle Kim explained, “and I working hard at practice so she’s getting a think some of the things sort of fell apart at lot done. She played very well on Saturday the end – at the very end, which doesn’t help so I’m excited.” us at all, and I wish it could have gone better, So far things look dandy for Coach Kim’s but it is what it is, and this is what we have… squad after the Judges swatted Wentworth like I said we have a talented group, and it’s aside 3-0. Lorraine Wingenbach ’09 con-

[W]e have a talented group, and it’s something I’m grateful for, and I think this is a group that wants it and can get it done.

Women’s Soccer: Victories against MIT and Gordon provide solid start to season BY ADAM HUGHES Editor

The women’s soccer team notched victories in their first two games of the season, blanking the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4-0 on Saturday, August 30th in Cambridge and edging out Gordon College 1-0 at home on Wednesday, September 3rd. Brandeis’s season got off to a strong start early against MIT, as rookie midfielder Alanna Torre scored the first goal of the year on a header of Taryn Martiniello’s [‘11] corner kick just 14 minutes into the game. Fifteen minutes later, Sofia Villone ‘11 doubled the lead, taking advantage of a cross from another rookie, substitute forward Izabella Miranda. The dominant period for the Judges allowed goalkeeper Hillary Rosenzweig ‘10 to sit down at half time, allowing Natasha Pieciak ‘09 to get some playing time. Brandeis supported Pieciak with an even stronger second half. The team out-shot MIT by a 10 to 1 margin and tallied two additional goals. The first came less than a minute after play resumed on a solid individual effort from midfielder Tiffany Pacheco ‘11, and the second came in the 59th minute as Melissa Gorenkoff ‘10 set up Miranda. Miranda’s three points on the day (1G, 1A) paced the Judges, representing a very promising opening to her Brandeis career. Pacheco’s active play was also notable; her four shots

led the team in that category. Coach Denise Dallamora was able to give lots of playing time to her young bench. Fourteen substitutes got into the game, and their performance was solid with a total of 7 shots. Rosenzweig and Pieciak each made a save to combine for the shutout. The Judges’ next game was much more difficult, however. Despite a total of 18 shots, Brandeis could only manage to score one goal against Gordon. Tiifany Pacheco was the hero, converting an opportunity from reserve rookie midfielder Kaitlin Oldfield in the 38th minute. Sofia Villone’s 6 shots paced the team; however, only one found the goal, and it was turned aside by Gordon goalkeeper Abby Ytzen ‘10. Ytzen had to walk away with nothing to show for an excellent performance in which she faced 7 shots on goal and saved 6. Gordon’s offense was anemic all day, only mustering three shots on goal, all of which Hillary Rosenzweig stopped for her fifth straight shutout in her last five complete games. The Brandeis women are now 2-0-0 with as they prepare to face UMass-Boston on Saturday, September 6th. Already, three freshmen and three sophomores have tallied points, showing that the youth that marks the team may not be a hindrance after all. By out-shooting their opponents 32-11 so far (including 20-3 in the second half), the Judges have proven that their victories are no fluke, so these early victories may hold the promise for a very strong season to come.

Interested in writing sports for The Hoot? E-mail athughes@brandeis.edu to get into the game!

tinued to be the offensive dynamo for the Judges, scoring 10 kills, while Nicole Smith contributed with 9 of her own. Abby Blasco got off to a good start this season with 27 assists and seven digs. Her twin sister Paige made her college debut count, leading the defense with nine digs. “Wentworth didn’t attack at us too, too much,” Coach Michelle Kim explained, “so our general digs per game is a little lower than where I would like it to be, but you can only get a dig when there’s a tap from the other side. Wentworth did attack, but they didn’t attack too, too much.” After the tri-match against Johnson and Wales and MIT, the Judges return home on September 9 where they take on nearby foes Wellesley College at 7 pm. Brandeis may have a small roster and a big test, but with Wingenbach leading the charge and Blasco providing the assists while Smith, Piera Carfagno ’10 and Bridget McAllister ’10 let nothing through, this is a team that could surprise this weekend and beyond.

Men’s Soccer: Two straight shutouts start season BY ADAM HUGHES Editor

Two games. Two victories. Two shutouts. The Brandeis men’s soccer team is off to an incredible start, outscoring its opponents 7-0, out-shooting them 39-13, and looking like they have a strong chance to post a very solid season. Endicott College was the opponent on Saturday, August 30th, and the Judges came out firing. Just four minutes into the game, Ben Premo ‘09, Brandeis’s leading active scorer, started the season with a hard shot into the net assisted by rookie midfielder Luke Teece. Teece wasn’t done; within five minutes, he set up junior Patrick Metelus and Brandeis had a 2-0 going into halftime. The second half started just as quickly, again courtesy of Premo. After taking a pass from Corey Bradley ‘10 and slamming the ball into the crossbar, Premo collected his own rebound and shot again, this time finding the back of the net in the 49th minute. Looking for the hat trick, Premo struck gold in the 73rd minute, scoring an unassisted goal and proving that he is back with a vengeance following a relatively lackluster 2007 campaign. After one more goal from freshman Alexander Farr, Brandeis walked off with a dominant 5-0 victory. Premo’s three goals and eight shots were exactly the leadership necessary for a team suffering from several key losses. The team totaled 22 shots, and Tyler Bracken ‘10 and Sean O’Hare ‘12 each made two saves in one half of action to combine for the shutout. Brandeis followed the offense explosion with a game against the Wentworth Institute of Technology on Thursday, September 4th, and while the fireworks weren’t quite as spectacular, the end result was exactly the same. Patrick Metelus tallied his second goal of the year in the 19th minute, Kyle Gross ‘11 scored an insurance goal five minutes later, and Brandeis cruised to the end from there. The defense was particularly spectacular, allowing Wentworth only one shot on goal. Bracken and O’Hare once again split the contest and earned the combined shutout. With his 6 points this season (3G, 0A), Ben Premo passed Ken Hannan ‘95 and Greg Allen ‘86 to move into 8th place on Brandeis’s career scoring list; he needs 6 more points to pass Mike Lichtenstein ‘79 for seventh place. The Judges’ next game will be on Saturday, September 6th at home against Clark University.

Both Cross Country teams score wins against Bently BY JORDAN ROTHMANS Editor

By her performance this past Friday, one would believe Grayce Selig ’11 to be a longtime Cross Country runner, a veteran of many courses. This sophomore was not only the first Brandeis runner to cross the line, but finished first in the meet overall, leading the Judges in a victory over Bentley. This meet, hoverer, was the first competitive Cross Country race of Selig’s life, as she had been previously been exclusively a Track runner. Now, she finished on top of her teammates, claiming first place honors for the Judges. The meet this Friday unofficially called the “Waltham Championships” by a few of the athletes is more of a laid back meet between the two Waltham schools Brandeis and Bentley. The competition took place at Weston High School and served as a good prep meet for the beginning of the season. The women were able to crush their competition as they finished this four-kilometer course in exceptional time. They beat the cross-town team 20 to 41, demonstrating depth and distinction throughout the meet. The men similarly demonstrated a strong showing this Friday. They beat Bentley 19 to 42 in their 3.5 miles race and placed 8 of the top ten runners at the competition. The women placed numerous teammates high among the competitors this Friday, which pro-

pelled the team to a first place finish. The first runner to cross the line was Grayce Selig ’11, who was able to finish the race in 15 minutes and 27 seconds. Right at her back was classmate Marie Lemay ’11, who claimed second at the meet. She finished the race in 15 minutes and 32 seconds. The next Brandeis runner to cross the line was Alyssa Pisarik ’12. This was the first crosscountry race of her collegiate career, and her time of 15 minutes and 42 seconds was good enough to earn her fourth. Another first-year Judge, Kate Warwick ’12, earned points for the team as she finished in 6th place. Other teammates rounded out the scoring to place Brandeis in first at the meet. The men also came in first place this past Friday in their meet against Bentley. Paul Norton ‘11 and Zachary Schwartz ’11 have not only shared a room for the past two years but also shared the top two places in scoring at the competition this Friday. Paul Norton was the first to cross the line at the meet, finishing the race in 18 minutes and 3 seconds. Zachary Schwartz completed the course ten seconds later and was able to claim second place for the Judges. Rounding out the top three was Senior Mike Stone ’09. He completed the race in 18 minutes and 23 seconds, adding to the overall team’s success. Other Brandeis athletes boxed out the Bentley runners so that they could only claim three of the top 15 positions at the

competition. Members of the women’s team were positive overall in their sentiments concerning the meet and their prospects for the season. “The meet went really well for the girls’ team,” commented Co-Captain Katy Agule ‘09 about the recent competition. “Everyone looked really strong -- it was no surprise to me as everyone has been training hard and came back to school looking really fit.” She went on to explain her feelings about upcoming competitions. “I’m really excited for the rest of the season to come as I think we all have a lot of potential both individually and as a team. It might just be the best cross-country season for the women in a long time.” Members of the men’s team similarly expressed positive feelings about the recent competition. “Overall it was a good meet for the team,” commented Mike Stone ’09 about the team’s performance. “I think we came out and showed we’re in good shape even as we continue building towards regionals in about 2 and a half months.” He went on to state “As long as we stay healthy and maintain our focus, doing well at a higher level is definitely possible for this team. The Judges will next compete at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational this weekend. This recent competition against Bentley has prepared the team for the upcoming season and showcased the potential of the Cross Country squads this year.

A Ray of hope in Tampa Bay BY JOSH GELLER Staff

Last November, the Tampa Bay Rays introduced a new nickname, new uniforms, and a promise for new winning ways. This November, the Rays may be introducing something else: a trophy to St. Petersburg. When this month was ushered in, the perennial cellar dwellers had the best record in the majors and had gone from fluke to pretender to contender to a team controlling its own destiny. No longer is Tropicana Field a desolate pit of despair. The fans come out and show their support for the home team. The atmosphere is electric, ringing with the team-symbol Cowbell. The team has performed under these conditions, going 18-1 when playing for crowds of 30,000+ at home. No longer are people embarrassed to wear Rays gear; they are proud. It’s hard to say what facet of their game is most significant to their success. After a bullpen ERA that was the worst in Major

League history last year, their bullpen is fourth best this year at 3.41. Grant Balfour has a superb ERA under 1.5. The team has 10 walkoff victories, second only to the Marlins, with Gabe Gross, a defensive-minded outfielder acquired in a trade mid-season, hitting 3 of those 10. The team’s defense has greatly improved, with Gold Glove and Rookie of the Year contender Evan Longoria at third base and defensive wizard Jason Bartlett at shortstop. Or the most impressive stat of all: every start this year by a Ray has been by a pitcher at the age of 26 or younger. The winning percentage for teams when starting a player at age 26 or younger in the majors this year is .497. For the Rays it’s .622. Perhaps the greatest moment of all is the return and success of Rocco Baldelli. Once dubbed the future franchise player and given Joe DiMaggio’s #5 to boot, Baldelli found himself stricken with a mitochondrial disorder in spring training that made recovering from exercise near impossible. It was

strongly questioned if he would ever play again. Yet in August, Baldelli returned to fill a void on the team, and as of September 3rd, he was batting .351 in 13 games, including a game winning double on August 30th. Heading into this year, the predictions nearly across the board were simple. The Red Sox and the Yankees would contend to win the division. Toronto and Baltimore would be average. The Rays would be weak again. Yet looking now, this isn’t true at all. The Rays hold a lead over the Red Sox for the division. This reporter said in an article previewing the 2008 season in March, “If everything goes right, they will even be in playoff contention the final week of the season.” Despite several August injuries to Longoria, Carl Crawford, and Troy Percival, they not only still aim to be in playoff contention the final week of the season; they may already have clinched the playoffs by then.

'Deis Board:

Men’s Cross Country

8-29: Brandeis 19 - Bentley 42

Women’s Cross Country 8-29: Brandeis 20 - Bentley 41

Men’s Soccer

8-30: Brandeis 5 - Endicott 0 9-04: Brandeis 2 - Wentworth 0

Women’s Soccer

8-30: Brandeis 4 - MIT 0 9-03: Brandeis 1 - Gordon 0

Volleyball

8-30: Brandeis 3 - Wentworth 0

September 5, 2008

The Hoot

WEEKEND FUN Spotlight on Boston

SoWa Open Market: Every Sunday 'til Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 74 Warrenton St., Boston Shop at Beantown's only

artisan market!

outdoor

Browse the jewelry, dry crafts, handbags, glass, and clothing. Free admittance and free parking. http://www.southendopenmarket.com

'50s Hitchcock: Friday to Sunday, Sept. 5-7, 2008

Brattle Theater, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square Does the sight of birds put you in a panic? Do you suspect your roommate of being a murderer? Maybe it's time to watch some Hitchcock films from the '50s, when the director was in his prime. Rear Window and Vertigo will be playiing.

http://www.harvardsquare.com

What's going on at Brandeis?

Drive-In Movie:

Friday, Sept. 5, 2008, 9 p.m. Great Lawn

In this event sponsored by the Department of Student Activities, enjoy Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, the stars, and good com-

PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot

pany. Grab

a blanket, some snacks, and watch a movie out on the Great Lawn!

24 Hour Musical:

Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008, 8 p.m. to 10:30 p. m. Shapiro Theater

Go see the madness that is this musical, which is produced in a mere 24 hours. Can the actors manage to stumble through their lines, despite extreme lack of sleep? Be a member of the audience to find out.

Professional Lunatic: Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008, 10 p.m. Levin Ballroom

Watch Harley Newman, the "Professional Lunatic" perform dangerous stunts! He can

shave with fire, lie on a bed of escape any entrapmment. laughingwarlock

nails, and

PHOTO BY Max Shay/The Hoot

By Ian Price

Insert Comic Here

By Anthony Scibelli