The Justice, January 30, 2024

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T h e I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9 Volume LXXVI, Number 12

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

NEWTON SCHOOLS REMAIN CLOSED

Waltham, Mass.

HOUSING UPDATES

Housing applications for the upcoming academic year open

■ Last year's housing

selection process was rife with controversy. Is the Brandeis administration prepared for this year?

By SOPHIA DE LISI AND ANIKA JAIN JUSTICE EDITORS

Photo courtesy of FRANKLIN_PTO/Instagram

NEWTON STRIKE: Thousands of students have been out of school as the Newton Teachers Association negotiates its contracts.

On Jan. 24, the Department of Community Living sent an email to Brandeis students regarding the housing selection process for the 2024-25 academic year. Applications are officially open and due Feb. 14 at 12.

After being the subject of numerous student-led protests last semester, DCL will be instituting updates for this year’s selection based on feedback they collected from dissatisfied students. More specifically, numerous students were left without a housing option because the numbers they received were too high, and 29 students with

disabilities did not receive housing according to their needs due to a lack of availability. To get a clearer idea of DCL’s plans to improve the housing process this year, The Justice reached out to Dr. Timothy Touchette, assistant dean of student affairs, for comment.

In a Jan. 29 email to The Justice, Touchette wrote, “In preparation for this year’s housing selection process, Student Affairs, DCL and Student Accessibility Support staff spent a great deal of time on enhancing communications and clarity so that students would fully understand their options.” He emphasized that each phase of the selection process will entail “clear, consistent, and streamlined” information so that no question or concern goes unanswered. DCL staff will be particularly available for students during medical accommodations and random number assignments.

Touchette also mentioned that the MyHousing portal has been updated with information that will

See HOUSING, 7 ☛

Newton teachers’ illegal strike DeisHacks seeks persists amid building fines solutions for Walthambased non profits OFFERING SUPPORT

■ Massachusetts law prohibits

public employees from striking. Now, NTA is restarting conversations about whether it is time to change the law.

By ANIKA JAIN AND SOPHIA DE LISI JUSTICE EDITORS

Since Jan. 19, the Newton Teachers Association has been on strike with increasing pressure to return students to school as soon as possible. 98% of NTA’s members voted to strike after reaching an impasse in contract negotiations with the Newton School Committee. Every day, union members march outside City Hall along with students, parents, community members and fellow educators from neighboring school districts. Due to Massachusetts law prohibiting public employees from striking, hefty fines are lodged against the NTA, starting at $25,000 on the first day and doubling with each subsequent day. As of Jan. 26, fines amassed to $375,000 for canceling six consecutive school days. A Middlesex judge ruled that fines will continue at a lowered rate of $50,000 for every day past Jan. 28 if a deal is not reached.

ANDREW BAXTER/Justice File Photo

One of the NTA’s key demands is 60 days of paid parental leave, the same amount the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires for private sector employees. Furthermore, they are asking for elementary preparation time to be increased by 40 minutes per week so that teachers have more time to consult teaching assistants and behavioral therapists regarding lesson plans.

The NTA also wants livable wages for teaching assistants and behavioral therapists, whose starting salary is currently $27,000, as well as adequate payment for substitute teachers, who are currently paid $97 per day. In addition to fair wages, students’ mental health is another major focus of the strike, with the NTA demanding a social worker in all school buildings including preschool, elementary, middle and high school.

In a written statement released on Jan. 23, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller addressed the NTA: “Please don’t continue with this strike. The School Committee negotiating team will continue bargaining in good faith, and I will continue to support our terrific teachers with the funding for a competitive and sustainable contract.”

However, in a Jan. 26 interview with The Justice, Denise Cremin, a Spanish teacher at Newton North

High School and a member of the NTA for the past 28 years, said that Fuller and the School Committee “have not negotiated in good faith for almost a year-and-a-half.”

“What we usually do is we bargain each element of the contract separately.” The contract, which has been in negotiations since October 2022 with approximately 10 different iterations, has not had a lot of “back-and-forth,” Cremin said.

After a full day of negotiations on Jan. 24, the NTA was hopeful for a resolution. However, the next day, the School Committee rejected all of the NTA’s counter proposals.

“We’re still struggling with the fact that they don’t want to negotiate with us.”

According to the School Committee, there are not sufficient funds to meet the NTA’s demands. In a Jan. 22 interview with Fig City News, Matt Hills, former chair of the Newton School Committee and current vice chair of the Board of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, stated, “The City can’t significantly and sustainably increase its schools allocation without causing distress in other parts of the budget … You can’t just ignore all other city services that 100% of our residents depend on.”

Meanwhile, proponents of the

See STRIKE, 7☛

■ 124 students worked

to help the organizations overcome obstacles during the 48-hour "hackathon."

By RIVER SIMARD

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

This past weekend, Brandeis hosted its seventh annual DeisHacks, a competition intended to come up with ideas to better improve the business models of local nonprofits. The “hackathon” worked with local nonprofits and organizations to seek to provide more opportunities for the groups. Some of the groups included Brandeis-alumni-founded Project Insulin, the Boston-area Jewish Education Program and the Brandeis International Business School. The competition commenced on Friday, Jan. 26 and ended on Sunday, Jan. 28.

Students outlined their project proposal in a three minute video that was submitted to judges on

Sunday at 11 a.m. The team with the best overall project proposal won $1000. Isabelle Yang ’27, Tobei Nakajima ’27 and Marie Amandine Reyes ’27 received the award for creating an escape room at the Charles River Museum. According to the Brandeis Business School Instagram story from Jan. 28, the project was led by second-year Master of Business Administration student Sarah Wang. The Charles River Museum had recently lost a funding grant and one of Wang’s goals was to increase engagement with the museum to supplement the loss of the grant. “If what we have achieved at DeisHacks, they are able to use in real life to actually help them to get more money, I will be very happy,” Wang said in a Jan. 26 interview with The Justice. Charles River Museum also won the best overall project the year before, though the members of the team are different this year.

Students also won $500 in the categories of best technical, best nontechnical, best marketing, highest organizational impact, hidden gem

See HACKS, 7 ☛

Changes to STEM

Museum tour

Dr. Nathan Cohen's '77 ethical focus

 Faculty in the Justice League work to revolutionize STEM education.

 Walk through the largest collection of Rembrandts currently in the United States.

By ZOE ZACHARY

By ZOE ZACHARY

By MIKEY TERRENZI AND MAEVE

FEATURES 8 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

MIKEY TERRENZI/The Justice

Brandeis housing selection

By THE JUSTICE EDITORIAL BOARD

COAKLEY

The Celtics stay on top

ARTS AND CULTURE 18

By JEFFREY WANG

Make your voice heard!

Submit letters to the editor to forum@thejustice.org

COPYRIGHT 2023 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

NEWS 3

FORUM 10 SPORTS 16

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 ● NEWS ● THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

Student Union announces winter election results, seeks new intercollegiate representative Election results for the Student Union were released on the morning of Jan. 29 by the Student Union Secretary Carol S. Kornworcel. Many seats were available for senators, Allocation Board members, co-treasurers, and associate justice positions.

Luke Farberman ’27 is the new midyear senator who is passionate about helping integrate mid-year students on campus as well as ensuring the University does its part in “upholding principles of sustainability for the future,” according to Farberman’s bio.

Harrison Madnick ’25 ran unopposed and is the new Ziv/Ridgewood Quad senator. In Madnick’s bio, he discusses wanting to “serve as a voice for all Ziv/Ridge Quad” and ensure the safety of students.

Allie Lanham ’26, who ran unopposed, is the new Rosenthal/ Skyline senator. In her bio, Lanham discusses how she hopes to create open communication between the Student Union and the rest of the student body.

Ilana Ocampo ’27 ran unopposed and secured the spot of the new Racial Minority senator. In her bio, she talks about how excited she is to be a voice for the minority community at the University.

Sandy Chen ’27, secured the Allocations Board racial minority seat position. In her bio, she writes about her goal to “ensure that every organization here at Brandeis is heard and that every organization feels supported by the Student Union to make any initia-

tive you want to see happen.”

Anna Weiss ’26 and Rashail Wasim ’25 secured the two-semester Allocations Board positions. In Weiss’ bio, she discusses how she wants to impact clubs and organizations on campus. Wasim, in his bio, discusses the accomplishments he has made in the past in this position and how he wants to continue.

Josef Kay ’27 and Samuel Shmidman ’27 secured the three-semester Allocations Board position. In his bio, Kay discusses how he wants to be “a reliable source of contact for club leaders and all community members to ensure the process of club budget allocations is transparent.” Shmidman expresses his willingness to support clubs and work with them throughout the year in his bio.

Lucy Zhang ’26 is the new co-head treasurer. In her bio, she discusses her commitment to helping clubs and “connecting the department of engagement with the student body.”

Vera Witte ’27 secured the associate justice position.

Senators Allison Weiner ’25 and Rani Balakrishna ’25 have created a form to receive feedback about The Office of Equal Opportunity to report students’ experiences with the department and any issues they may have experienced. The form is anonymous, and the senators want to hear from students in order to create an OEO reform proposal that addresses the needs of the student body.

Balakrishna is seeking a replacement among the senate to replace her position on Boston Intercollegiate Government, an organization that defines itself as the “Voice of the student body in the greater Boston area.” This organization has several committees that address issues relating to students. Balakrishna presented an unpaid internship policy bill going to the Massachusetts State House which would advocate protections for unpaid interns. She is seeking permission to put her name on the bill.

— Kelsey Stevens — Editor’s Note: The Justice thanks Max Fiegelson, who has served dedicatedly as Student Union Correspondent for nearly four years and has decided to step down from the role.

— Editor’s Note: Justice Editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 is the Student Union’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion and did not contribute to this article.

POLICE LOG MEDICAL EMERGENCY Jan. 20—There was a medical emergency for a community member. They were transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Jan. 20—There was a medical emergency for a community member. They were transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Jan. 21—There was a medical emergency for a student. They were treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a nearby hospital to receive further care.

Jan. 22—An individual was transported to a nearby hospital to be evaluated.

Jan. 23—A student was transported from a building on campus. The situation was cleared.

Jan. 24—A community member requested medical assistance. They were transported to a local hospital via ambulance.

Jan. 24—An individual had a medical emergency. They were transported to a nearby hospital via ambulance.

Jan. 25—There was a medical emergency for a student experiencing pain. The patient refused medical treatment.

MISCELLANEOUS Jan. 20—There were three pieces of mail left at a campus building’s side door. The situation was cleared.

Jan. 20— A suspicious vehicle was reported to be following a delivery driver around campus. The situation was cleared.

Jan. 23—There was an auto accident, but no injuries were reported. The Waltham Police Department took a report of the incident, and the situation was cleared.

— Compiled by Sophia De Lisi

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS ■ An Arts & Culture article incorrectly said “falt white.” It was corrected to “flat white.” (January 23, pg.

20).

■ A Features article incorrectly referred to Director of Arts Engagement and Communications Ingrid Schorr as a professor. This has been changed to her correct title. (Jan. 23, pg. 8).

■ A photo was incorrectly attributed Eliza Bier. It was corrected to Xilei Ceci Chen. (Jan. 23, pg. 20).

■ The editor’s note on page 15 was cut off. It reads “Editor’s Note: Justice Managing Editor Smiley Huynh ’24 is a member of the track and field team and did not contribute to nor edit this story.” (Jan. 23, pg. 15).

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org.

Graphics courtesy of CANVA and NATALIE BRACKEN/The Justice

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From sunrise to sunset, there are some beatiful hues in the sky above campus this winter. With the change in seasons, Brandeis community members are seeing the same old scenery in a brand new light. The Justice captured serene, picturesque moments from January: blazing skies, snowy branches, and quiet wildlife.

THE JUSTICE ● NEWS ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

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Brandeis researcher studies Dr. Nathan Cohen ’77 explores the ethics of his spatial disorientation and patented invisibility cloak sensory augmentation Write an op-ed for

■ In a Jan. 20 interview with The Justice, the Brandeis alumnus and CEO of Fractal Antenna discusses the real-life implications of the cloak.

By ZOE ZACHARY

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

To most people, an “invisibility cloak” sounds like something straight out of a fantasy series. For Dr. Nathan Cohen ’77, however, the reality of his project is potent. Since Cohen first invented the cloak in 2003, the military potential of the invisibility cloak has been an unavoidable truth. In fact, just last week Russia unveiled plans to use cloaking technology as a part of its invasion of Ukraine. Today, Cohen has a staggering 16 cloaking-related patents and a total of 93 United States patents, including one for a mechanism able to detect cloaked items.

Cohen’s first inspiration for the invisibility cloak came to him while he was working on a project for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. An expert in electromagnetics, he realized the potential applications of the fractals — infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales — with which he worked. Cohen decided to chase this new phenomenon after completing the DARPA project, curious about where it could take him. In 2012, Cohen was issued the first patent on an invisibility cloak — a device able to divert electromagnetic waves around an object, “cloaking” it. In 2011, Fractal Antenna released this video narrated by Cohen explaining their new technology.

A breakthrough invention, the invisibility cloak quickly attracted attention from a variety of sources, many of them military, a daunting reality that Cohen foresaw during the inventing process. “If you build a cloak, it’s not just a Harry Potter thing. It’s an ability to hide what could be dangerous, unfriendly resources and create problems for a hell of a lot of people,” Cohen explained during a Jan. 20 interview with The Justice. In fact, Cohen nearly considered abandoning the project while he was working on it, deciding to continue out of hope that securing a patent on the cloak would give him more power to ensure ethical usage.

But Cohen didn’t stop there. In August 2022, Fractal Antenna secured a new patent — one that could detect objects hidden by the invisibility cloak. In the words of Microwave Journal’s article on the matter, this new technology was a statement that invisibility cloaks are not meant to be “toys of war.” In Cohen’s words, “​​I don’t want to see anybody get killed. And if there’s some way to take away the ability to hide stuff, clearly that is a preferred scenario.” Cohen explained to The Justice that despite radio detection waves being used to divert around cloaked objects, one can use higher or lower radio frequency overtones to detect the weak signals involved in that process. “Harry Potter can’t hide anymore,” Cohen quipped.

Cohen’s anti cloaking device follows a popular thought process known as the “balan-

ce of terror,” or the idea that war is fostered by one party feeling as if they have power over all others and therefore feel empowered to attack. “If you’re able to hide your military resources, then it emboldens one to have the capability of saying we’re going to move ahead and attack because there’s not going to be much resistance,” he explained.

“That’s what scares the heck out of me.” To Cohen, inventing his anti cloaking device was doing his part to contribute to the “balance of terror” and to discourage using the invisibility cloak for military purposes.

But what about the invisibility cloak’s other usages? While many minds go straight to the military applications, the invisibility cloak has a variety of often overlooked practical applications. As Cohen puts it, “the interference caused by parts of [electronic] equipment itself confines your range and size ... rather than having things that are obstructions and interfere with other electronic components, the obstructions aren’t there anymore.” Cohen explained that using the invisibility cloak to negate the interference caused by multiple signals enables a new age of electronic design. With the possibility of lower electromagnetic interference, there is more freedom for designers to play with the size and volume scales of their inventions. “People don’t want to see cell towers,” he added. “By removing interference you can get fewer of them for the same coverage, then it’s a win-win situation.”

Reflecting on his experience as an innovator, Cohen emphasized the importance of an ethical and socially-oriented invention experience. “You have to understand how can an invention be abused? And I can tell you right now that’s just not how inventors think ... They sort of feel like, well, my job is to come up with this gadget and it’s cool and it works.” Over his time working on the original invisibility cloak and its subsequent patents, Cohen has cultivated a different understanding of the inventing process. “The first issue is coming up with the invention and saying, what am I trying to solve? …

What makes it easier for people to interact with their world and move forward? That’s a social issue.” In today’s innovative landscape, he posits that education on ethics is more critical than ever.

As a retired professor who had spent time at Boston University, Cornell University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cohen was able to reflect on how Brandeis’ emphasis on social justice impacted him as an inventor. “Much of the community, besides studying, is tied up in social issues. You’d have to be a bug in a rock not to be exposed to it.” He commented positively on the recent Israel-Hamas Teach-in Day and commends Brandeis’ commitment to giving its students a sense of exposure and maturity on pertinent social issues. When asked what he thought the Brandeis community should know, he commented, “There’s a lot of opportunities to move the world forward. [To] take advantage of technology, [make] new technology, take advantage of science ... The real gem about Brandeis is no matter what your major is, everybody understands a sense of community, and we’re all in it together.”

Photo courtesy of Nathan Cohen

■ Vivekanand Pandey Vimal Ph.D. ’17 of the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Lab uses sensory augmentation to enhance human spatial awareness.

By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON

JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Hidden within the foundation of the Rabbs Graduate Center, the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Lab remains a secret from many Brandeis students as they ascend the Rabb steps. Inside what looks like a typical hall of a research building, researcher Vivekanand Pandey Vimal Ph.D. ’17 dedicates his time in the lab on unraveling the mysteries of spatial disorientation.

Vimal focuses on spatial disorientation and the impact of incorporating sensory augmentation, like vibration cues, in overcoming disorientation challenges faced by astronauts and pilots. In order to study how astronauts can avoid being disoriented, participants of the study are blindfolded, connected to vibration devices that signal the orientation of the body, strapped in a multi-axis rotation machine — a chair designed to be an inverted pendulum — and told to use a joystick to balance themselves as close to the gravitational vertical as possible. The setup of the experiment allows Vimal to test two conditions: conditions found on Earth and conditions that could be experienced during a spaceflight. He found that during an Earth analog condition, where the participant worked line up to the gravitational vertical, there was a higher success rate.

Vimal attributes this to the otolith structure, a part of the ears which helps with the registration of “displacements and linear accelerations of the head.”

However, in a spaceflight condition, subjects have a harder time finding the center of balance. “People get disoriented, they don’t know where they are and they can’t use gravity to help themselves,” Vimal said in a Jan. 26 interview with The Justice.

“That’s kind of similar to what astronauts may experience, because astronauts also may not have reliable gravitational infor-

mation to figure out where they are.” To mimic space conditions, the subject is tilted back 90 degrees, and the center of balance remains in the same location. The change of angle makes it difficult for the otolith structure to function as a human compass.

During the study, Vimal noticed that vibration feedback had positive benefits with performance. However, participants were conflicted by the often inaccurate messages the brain was sending about their body orientation versus the accurate cues that the vibration was sending. He hypothesized that the participants would become attuned with the vibration and that it would correct their perception and become a “second vision.” That was not the case.

“I’m trying to reach towards getting this connection between human and device,” Vimal said, “where you actually perceptually feel like you’re in the right location.” Vimal suggests that special training may be needed for individuals to disconnect from their senses and to trust the feedback of the vibrations.

Vimal’s study contributes to greater understanding of how to best serve astronauts and pilots who face the potential danger of spatial disorientation. Focusing on all the flight instruments on a plane simultaneously can be challenging, and a momentary lapse in attention can lead to critical errors.

“If you can communicate through the skin, that information will be processed in parallel,” said Vimal. “That can really quickly inform you and make you focus again” and facilitate rapid reorientation.

Although the focus of the study is for science, as Vimal received funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, it has the potential to enter other aspects of human life like the medical and entertainment field. Vimal’s work looks into the vestibular system, the functions to “detect the position and movement of our head in space.’’ In cases where individuals are going through rehabilitation for the vestibular conditions, it may be possible for researchers to develop treatments based on how people process their position in space and respond to sensory augmentation. Similarly, for virtual reality experiences or video games, understanding the vestibular system and effects of sensory augmentation could help developers to create technology that help consumers be more immersed in their virtual surroundings.

JONAS KAPLIN/The Justice

Graphics: ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

THE JUSTICE ● NEWS ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 5

DeisHacks 2024

From Jan. 26 to Jan. 28, students competed in DeisHacks, a competition directed towards creating real-world solutions for Waltham-based nonprofits. The winners, who received a $1000 award, shared their reflections with The Justice.

“One of the comments we heard most this past weekend was how well Tobei, Marie and I worked together.

Funnily enough, prior to the hackathon we barely knew each other. When I asked them to be on my team, I had only spoken to both of them once before. Yet, our time together felt like we had known each other our entire lives.

As the proposals became exponentially more interesting than the last, we ended up modifying our original plans several times, until we finally found the ‘needle in the haystack’ idea — a museum escape room. Visiting the museum only reinforced our discovered passion for the project.

We plan to fully release the project and make it open to the public by the end of April. Currently, we’re actively seeking funding to propel the project forward.”

— Isabelle Yang ’27

“Before we formed a team, we were nothing short of strangers. I had met Isabelle once, but Tobei was just another guy in my [computer science] class. Yet, when we were first introduced, I could tell there was something special about our team, as if we were lifelong friends.

When the idea of a museum escape room was thrown into the air, there was a telepathic connection among the three of us, and we immediately knew this was it. When we visited the museum, we pitched our plan to the director and were granted permission to hit full throttle as soon as the hackathon ended.

Our plans moving forward are clear. As a team, we aim to have the museum escape room up and running by summer break and are currently in the process of securing funding.

Time runs out, but the friendships we’ve made last forever.”

— Marie Amandine Reyes ’27

“Going into the competition, everyone, except us, believed we were an unthreatening group of freshmen who were trying to put themselves out there. It took a couple of hours for me to realize that these people whom I had not met before would work so well together. Isabelle was great at communicating and receiving feedback from not only the Deishacks workers but also from us as teammates. Mandy was full of ideas and great at constructive criticism.

When we received the prize for first place, I didn’t think of it as a reward for coming first. In reality, I was being paid for having some of the best moments in college thus far.”

— Tobei Nakajima ’27

Photos: NATALIE BRACKEN and SKYE ENTWOOD/The Justice, Design: ANNA MARTIN/The Justice

Graphics courtesey of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

Graphics courtesey of CANVA and NATALIE BRACKEN/The Justice

THE JUSTICE ● NEWS ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

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STRIKE: NTA deliberates contract terms HOUSING: DCL implements changes CONTINUED FROM 1 strike argue that the funds exist but that Fuller withheld them. “The Newton Public Schools have been chronically underfunded, at an arbitrary amount that [Fuller] sets at 3.5%” of the annual budget, Cremin stated. According to Superintendent Anna Nolin, they need at least 5% to 6.5% of the budget to adequately fund the schools.

“There is actually a close to $50 million surplus that the mayor does have at her discretion and is unwilling to use,” Cremin said. The system is “backwards,” she added, because Fuller is pre-emptively restricting the budget instead of the School Committee determining the budget based on how much money is needed for necessary programming for the students.

In a Jan. 28 statement, Superintendent Nolin specified that the biggest obstacle during negotiations between the School Committee and the NTA are the costs linked to “various proposals” from the organization. “All of these proposals have to work in tandem to ensure a balanced and sustainable budget through the life of this contract,” Nolin wrote. “I cannot endorse a budget that makes cuts to our current level of services or to our current employees to fund this contract and budgets for the years of the contract.” The Superintendent wrote that the School Committee already supports several of NTA’s demands such as an increased number of social workers, high school staff, an expansion of parent leave, higher salaries for Educational Support Professionals and several other items; however, unsettled motions include but are not limited to restructuring the elementary school schedule to increase educator planning time, a district day dedicated to professional development and factoring cost of living into educators’ salaries.

Cremin added that the School Committee is “even rejecting pieces of the contract that don’t cost them any money.” For instance, one of the denied demands is to include language in teachers’ contracts to ensure that the duties that they fulfill in volunteer positions are separated from explicit job requirements.

“These kinds of negotiations are tipped toward management,” Cremin said. “We’re being fined for withholding our labor. And the School Committee hasn't been negotiating with us. They’re withholding that labor, yet they are not being fined for the negotiations process … These fines are meant to be coercive and not punitive. And they are, I think, somewhat outdated.”

The NTA strike has reinvigorated debates to overturn the law prohibiting public employees from striking in Massachusetts. Since 2022, teachers unions in Brookline, Andover,

CONTINUED FROM 1 Haverhill, Woburn and Malden have all declared strikes. Cremin explained that part of how the NTA covers the fines is through financial contributions from national organizations and other teachers unions that they have similarly supported in past years.

Lawmakers in both the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the State Senate have proposed bills that would allow public employees to strike legally in Massachusetts after six months of negotiations, with the exception of public safety employees. Representatives Erika Uyterhoeven of Somerville and Mike Connolly of Cambridge co-sponsored a bill in the House while State Senator Becca Rausch of Needham filed a bill in the Senate.

Leaders from the Massachusetts Teachers Association testified in support of the legislation before the Joint Committee on Workforce and Labor Development at the State House last fall.

Governor Maura Healey, whom the NTA endorsed on the campaign trail, voiced opposition to overturning the law in a CBS News interview last year. Healey wants workers to get the compensation they deserve, but “it's still paramount that our kids be in school.”

For every canceled school day due to the strike, another school day is added to the end of the school year to minimize the impact on the students.

“As a parent and long-time teacher, I am heartbroken that the failure of negotiations has led to this moment. This is detrimental to the health and well-being of our students, and they should always be our first priority,” Nolin wrote in a Jan. 18 email to NPS families.

“I would much, much, much rather be in my classroom with my students,” Cremin told The Justice. “However, the strike is important. It’s important to advocate for students’ mental health. It’s important to advocate for [teaching assistants and behavioral therapists] to have a living wage. And it’s important to advocate for ourselves because we can’t put students first if we’re last in line all the time.” Cremin emphasized that the NTA is prepared to strike until they receive a fair contract.

In spite of their differences, the NTA, School Committee and Mayor Fuller all claim to have one common goal: returning 12,000 Newton students to their classrooms.

HACKS: Students finding new solutions CONTINUED FROM 1 and best use of emerging technology.

Students who took Business 297C with Associate Prof. Gene Miller (IBS) and Adjunct Ian Roy (IBS) were assigned to assist one of the 18 organizations. They worked with them throughout the fall semester identifying ways to improve their business models to engage more people, receive more donations or better accomplish their respective goals. “They've already been embedded in that company for six months, they know the pain points of the company, they bring those pain points here as the topics that people try to solve over the weekend,” Roy explained in a Jan. 26 interview with The Justice. These students were referred to as “board fellows” and essentially served as the experts on the organizations the teams sought to find solutions.

Students gathered in the Farber Library on Friday evening to hear pitches from board fellows on why they should join teams. Teams could be anywhere from three to six members according to DeisHacks’ website. Some offering pitches were quick to have members sign up, while others took more time.

One of the students in the business class was Alex Cohen ’24. Following her meeting with Miller, she was assigned to the nonprofit Community Day Center of Waltham — an organization that provides day shelter and resources to those experiencing homelessness.

“Some of the things they are struggling with is fundraising as well as community awareness and outreach as well as the stigma against homelessness. Then a recent thing they’ve been struggling with is the recent surge in immigrant and migrant issues,” she said in a Jan. 26 interview with The Justice. Over the past semester, Cohen assisted them with their social media and community outreach. Cohen recruited three of her softball teammates to take part in the event to help come up with additional solutions to help the Community Day Center of Waltham. “I’m looking to just give back to my community and the organization that’s welcomed me and given me the opportunity to help out,” she said.

Phebean Ogunsanwo '25 first joined DeisHacks last year— “It was definitely outside my comfort zone since I'm not a comp-sci major or minor. But I just thought it would be really interesting because they're trying to work through solutions to help organizations that are doing really good work,” she explained in a Jan. 26 interview with The

Justice. After her team won “highest organizational impact” representing the nonprofit Vision Volunteer Alliance in 2023, the group reunited this year to try and win again. While Ogunsanwo doesn’t have an economics or computer science background, other members of her team do, and they all contribute in different ways to ensure the most success they can for their teams.

Due to the 48-hour nature of the competition, DeisHacks expected the members of the teams to stay up late Friday night working on their projects and wake up early Saturday morning, Anogunsanwo explained based on her past experiences.

According to Roy, the number of people engaging with DeisHacks has increased every year since its founding. This year there were 124 participants according to the DeisHacks project submission website. He strives to have students from different fields throughout the University take part in the event. “I really hope to see multidisciplinary teams that can build something that doesn't have to be ‘shovel-ready.’ It doesn't have to be an app that's ready to deploy, but that has an implementation plan and a way to fund it and really exist for years after the event for that nonprofit,” Roy said.

Seven years strong, DeisHacks has become such a well-known event in Waltham that Mayor Jeannette McCarthy has spoken highly of the Brandesian competition’s community impact: “I was inspired by the ideas the students came up with for our local nonprofits. It’s refreshing to see that type of brain power. They combined heart with brains and that’s a wonderful combination. This event goes to show that the types of things being done at Brandeis opens doors for students and their community.”

At the event’s Sunday evening conclusion, Alan Trefler, founder of the Cambridge-based software company Pegasystems Inc., gave a speech to DeisHacks participants and those who gathered for the closing ceremony.

— Editor's Note: Smiley Huynh '24 works for Brandeis Design and Innovation, and Eliza Bier '26 and Anna Martin '26 are DeisHacks Ambassadors.

help students during their decision-making process.

“Student Affairs and Community Living received an enormous amount of feedback from students last spring that we used to guide our changes for the upcoming room selection process,” Touchette wrote. Student feedback came through email, office hours and listening sessions with administrators last spring with advocacy groups emphasizing the changes they wished to see from DCL. Last year’s housing accommodations were met with outrage from many members of the Brandeis community, specifically upperclassmen and students with disabilities.

In April 2023, the Disabled Students Network created a petition, stating that DCL’s lack of transparency prevented “disabled students from making the proper arrangements to seek off-campus housing alternatives” and prevented them from “forming and/or joining housing groups in the general selection process” because they did not expect to have to make plans in the instance that DCL would refuse previously promised accommodations.

After popularizing their petition, students held a silent protest in front of visitors on Admitted Students Day in support of 29 students who reportedly received unsuitable housing despite their disability accommodations. In an April 21 interview with The Justice, protesters explained that the demonstration was in response to the widespread petition going unacknowledged by DCL, despite being signed by “more than 1 in 12 current Brandeis students,” as noted by the advocates’ website, “DCL Housing Hell.” Students affiliated with DCL Housing Hell did not reply to The Justice’s request for comment as of press time.

Tensions peaked last May when students protested the lack of suitable housing accommodations during University President Ron Liebowitz’s annual presidential address.

Minutes prior to the presidential address, Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dine sent out an email acquiescing to some of the students’ demands, including a new student advisory committee “for diverse student representation in discussions related to the housing process.” The email also assured students that the administration was actively searching for both on-campus and local housing and “will share information as it becomes available.”

While the organizers called off the protest, many students proceeded with the original plan, unsatisfied with the number of actionable steps in the email. In response to protesters, Dine emphasized that administrators were open to hearing student feedback and planned listening sessions for students to voice their concerns in an appropriate forum. As Dine fielded questions, President Liebowitz left the hall through the backdoor with his mic still on, leaving a strained atmosphere for future discussions regarding housing.

In the following week, administrators held multiple listening sessions as promised.

Students provided feedback to improve the housing selection process, such as shifting the process to earlier in the semester so that students who cannot obtain on campus hous-

ing can start searching off campus earlier.

Moreover, students pushed DCL to utilize their data on roommate groups and selection times to determine how many students could receive on campus housing. Dine agreed that the administration should use data to increase transparency, make the housing process earlier and avoid stacking deadlines.

On June 13, Dine sent an email to students announcing that Brandeis entered an agreement with Lasell University, a neighboring college in Auburndale, to house students in one of its residence halls, Holt Hall. The solution did not appease everyone because of the inconvenient commute.

This year’s updates also include opening Foster Mods to all rising juniors and seniors regardless of age as well as designating Rosenthal suites to be primarily eight-person roommate groups.

Although DCL expanded the acceptable age range for Foster Mods, they do not plan to make a “dry” or alcohol-free quad. “We are expanding the age range because we were discovering that many students who would shortly turn 21 were being cut off from living with friends in this housing because of the age restriction. We want to ensure that students in the same class can live together, even if there are slight differences in age,” Touchette wrote.

He added that the decision to open up Rosenthal suites to larger, eight-person roommate groups stemmed from the finding that “two individual groups of four was not necessarily creating a cohesive group in the suites.”

DCL released the following housing selection timeline in their email: "Jan. 24: Housing Applications Open Feb. 14: Housing Applications Due by 12 noon. *Requests for Housing Accommodations due to a medical disability are also due at this time.

Feb. 16: Room Selection Numbers will be released - roommate groups can start forming.

March 11: Study Abroad Housing Selection Process March 13-15: Rising Sophomore Housing Selection Process March 19-21: Rising Junior-Senior Housing Selection Process Nearly a year after these turbulent events, the time has once again arrived for housing selection."

“We want to be clear that we took this feedback seriously,” Touchette wrote to The Justice. “This is an evolving process and will always be open to review and feedback and making continual improvements.”

— Editor’s Note: Ariella Weiss '23 and Amanda Chen '25 contributed to the reporting for this article.

Graphic courtesy of CANVA and NATALIE BRAKEN/The Justice

features

8 TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE

just

VERBATIM | FIONA APPLE

When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

Charlie Chaplin’s silent film “City Lights” had its world premiere in 1931.

Whales are mammals.

Justice, one class at a time: The biology department’s fight to revolutionize assessments in STEM Prof. Melissa Kosinski-Collins and Prof. James Morris explain their efforts to revolutionize the STEM learning experience.

By ZOE ZACHARY

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

It’s 8 a.m. on a crisp October morning. A beautiful day for dog walkers and leaf-peepers, but for students of Biology 15B, or “Cells and Organisms,” it’s the day of their first exam. However, this test is different. Gerstenzang 122, the Biology 15B lecture hall, is nearly empty. No, the students of Biology 15B are not skipping the test. A majority first-year class, they would not dare to do so. As long as they are not working together, the students are free to take the test wherever they please, whether that be in their dorm, the library or their favorite booth in Sherman Dining Hall.

While this setup seems like a perfect opportunity for academic dishonesty, Prof. Melissa Kosinski-Collins (BIOL), who teaches Biology 15B, is not worried about her students using outside resources. Why? Because they’re entirely allowed to do so! Textbooks, notes and even straight-up googling are fair game. Furthermore, in two days they will take the same exam in a different format.

This allows students to collaborate and discuss the material in the interim.

This style of assessment is the brainchild of Dr. KC and is brand new for the 2023-2024 school year. However, this change is far from spontaneous. The context of its implementation goes deep into the Biology Department and its STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) departments as a collective. For Dr. KC, it is one of the hopeful first steps to a more inclusive STEM program.

The whole endeavor started with a grant, which Dr. KC wrote to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. I interviewed her in her office, a cozy location in the Shapiro Science Center dotted with knick-knacks and inhabited by her dog, Flash. “I was super excited; it was a super elite grant,” she recalls. In 2018, armed with the $1 million five-year HHMI grant, Dr. KC founded the Justice League.

“It’s funny, it’s become kind of a kitschy little thing,” she explains. While no members of the Justice League have superpowers, they all participate in a noble struggle: Finding ways to boost retention in Brandeis STEM programs. “At that point, I never talked to anybody from math. I didn’t talk to anybody from chemistry. We kind of all lived in our own little bubbles,” Dr. KC explains.

“Now, the group has grown to 35 active individuals. It’s not just STEM but it’s across the University.”

Almost all members of the Justice League teach introductory level courses and historic “weed-out” classes. According to this article from the Brandeis Magazine, only 48% of students who start out in STEM programs graduate with a degree in STEM. As Dr. KC recognizes, this statistic comes from a variety of sources within the STEM community. As she describes, “You might have had a really amazing class. And [for some students, this] is the third time you’re taking bio ... And then you’re put in the same class as a student who maybe either never took bio or took it, you know, eighth grade or freshman year of high school. And it’s just, it’s just such a varied difference.” Evidently, these types of disparities are prevalent in introductory level courses.

Additionally, having completed a postdoctoral program in education, Dr. KC emphasizes the importance of implementing pedagogical practices into STEM curricula. According to her, STEM education as it has traditionally existed only caters to a certain type of learning style. “Traditional exams were about memorization, spitting back definitions. … [most people teaching STEM] were successful in high-stakes situations, they were good at memorizing … And so what happens? You end up with faculty who are institutions who are teaching in the same way that they were taught.” Looking at her own success in STEM, Dr. KC reflects, “I’m a fantastic memorizer. I don’t remember anything after I come out of an exam, and I can look at my undergrad degree and think I did amazing on exams, but I didn’t retain any of that information.”

Anybody who has attended one of Dr. KC’s biology classes can attest to her efforts to make learning a more authentic and engaging process. Even at 8:30 a.m. on a Monday, her classes are interwoven with real-life examples of the material and her lectures are filled with running, shouting and occasionally throwing. As a current student of Biology 15B, one of my fondest memories of the class is when Dr. KC accidentally broke a polypeptide model after smacking it to the floor to demonstrate the fragility of unfolded amino acid chains. In conjunction

Design: GRACE DOH/The Justice

with her exams, this model is designed to break the “onedirectional” mold typically seen in STEM classrooms.

Questions are welcome and even the most uninterested students notice Dr. KC’s sheer passion for the material.

Additionally, Dr. KC breaks down the nature of STEM exams themselves. She loathes the prototypical image of a STEM exam — dozens of students crammed into a lecture hall, practically on top of each other, surrounded by nervous energy and squeaky chairs. As she describes it, “It’s high stakes. If you mess up, you have a bad day, you’re sick, you’re screwed.” She is one of many teachers who have embraced the concept of competency-based grading, a system that gives students several low-stakes opportunities to prove their knowledge across the semester. However, in this model, Biology 15B only has three exams per semester. Dr. KC explains, “In an ideal world, I would give you 100 opportunities. The reality is, I can’t write 100 different exams so every day you have a different one.”

TRANSFORMATION: Several professors are beginning to de-emphasize exams in their STEM courses.

NATALIA WIATER/The Justice file photo

As one might expect, competency-based grading doesn’t look the same in every subject — each set of material presents a different set of obstacles. Across the Brandeis STEM community, new systems are flourishing and evolving. For example, in subjects such as calculus and computer science it is possible to write 100 different exams. Dr. KC mentions, “Calc has all moved to competency-based grading, including multiple [exams] every week. Prof. Tim Hickey’s (COSI) intro class, “Computer Science I,” has moved to competency specs-based grading as well.” And not all these changes affect the exam directly. In Prof. Claudia Novack’s (CHEM) notorious “General Chemistry” class students can earn back points on tests via “redemption point challenges,” giving them another opportunity to prove their knowledge and boost their grades.

The nature of the STEM tests, of course, is not the only element of the STEM experience that is changing.

According to a 2018 article by The Wall Street Journal, testing accommodations such as extra time are becoming more and more prevalent in colleges across the nation.

Brandeis University’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page identifies over 20% of the student body as disabled/ having a disability, and nearly every syllabus includes instructions for accessing testing accommodations. While analyzing the origins of these statistics would require an

entirely different article, one pattern remains clear: The needs of the student body are changing. While the Justice League is focused on general STEM retention, many of its members hope specifically that their models will be more inclusive to neurodiverse students who might have different needs and learning styles.

Ryan Callaghan ’27, who plans on majoring in biochemistry, has a surprisingly short history with testing accommodations. Despite being diagnosed with dyslexia in pre-K, he only started using his allotted extra time in high school. As he puts it, “I was doing as well as everyone else. I’m like, I don’t need it, and then a PSAT came around and I’m like, oh ... I need it.” A student of Biology 15B, he describes the balance Dr. KC’s tests have created: “Dr. KC’s tests are really hard because the whole concept behind them is to take the abstract out of it rather than just regurgitate definitions, which definitely works for comprehension in the long run.” Though Dr. KC’s tests have proved to be challenging for Ryan, he appreciates Dr. KC’s system for its lack of emphasis on test grades.

“This model does a good job of taking that weight off of the test a lot. And I think that’s a good thing.”

Even students who perform well on traditional assessments are feeling the need for a change. Lara Daliana ’27, a neurotypical student planning on majoring in biology explains “I’m a very good tester … But I know people in my own life who don’t respond so well to those things …

They’re creative people. They think outside the box, but they just cannot get straight A’s and that’s not because they’re not smart.” Even though traditional STEM pedagogy makes excelling easy for Lara, she recognizes how it excludes other members of her community. Both Ryan and Lara’s viewpoints draw a clear parallel to the future that Dr. KC and the Justice League envision, one that accommodates different types of intelligence and de-emphasizes traditional exams. As Lara puts it, “Right now it is very experimental, and I think we’re going to go through a period that is very experimental before we find something that we like or like that will fit what we want better.” As of now, both students plan on sticking with their majors in STEM. While most teachers adjust their exams directly, Prof.

James Morris (BIOL) has taken a more radical approach.

A proud member of the Justice League, he has worked extra hard to reform his classroom. Like Dr. KC, he specializes in STEM pedagogy. In his office, a cozy space stuffed with literature and featuring an elaborate seashell collection, he explains his new system to me. In Prof. Morris’ evolutionary biology course traditional exams are entirely a thing of the past. His model is entirely project-based, a branch of what is commonly known as Universal Design for Learning; UDL is the title given to any teaching approach meant to include all types of students. He made the switch last summer after a long period of frustration with the traditional 100-point grading system. “This is something I’ve been thinking about doing for at least the last five years, and every year I’m complaining about certain things about my classes or the same patterns that I keep seeing. And finally, over the summer I said I’m just going to do it. I’m going to redesign it,” he recalls.

Though Prof. Morris adapted his class with the idea of inclusivity in general STEM courses, he noticed that de-emphasizing grades has made an impact on all his students, no matter their ability. In his words, “A lot of the studies have shown that [UDL] actually benefits everybody. And I’ve actually noticed that if you give more time, then all students do better, not just the people who need the extra time.” His observations are backed up by a study by the University of Colorado, which demonstrates the effectiveness of UDL compared with traditional pedagogical methods. Prof. Morris describes the change as “entirely transformative,” and proudly describes some of the projects his students have made on Darwin’s “Origin of Species.” They span from children’s storybooks to tarot cards to graphic novels. When prompted to re-format the timeline of human evolution, students have used everything from Usain Bolt’s 100-meter run to their drive home from New Jersey. He explains, “I’ve been as inspired by the people who get it on the first time. I’ve almost been more inspired by the people who take, get it on the third or fourth time because I’m amazed at their persistence.

They’ll [his students] come to me and they say, boy, no-

THE JUSTICE ● FEATURES ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 9

body’s actually sat down with me and make sure I really understand it.”

One might expect that these classroom reformations come with some resistance. Dr. KC and Prof. Morris report that while they have received support from the University, there are still cultural boundaries to surmount in terms of changing STEM pedagogy. At Brandeis, a lot of the upper-level STEM classes use traditional examination methods. As Dr. KC explains, it’s not about lack of care.

“It’s just time,” she states. “[Brandeis professors] are just so strapped, [they’re] worried about their research and what’s going on at the bench and being successful with their own grants. The idea that they have any bandwidth to think about these things is tricky.” While professors like Dr. Morris have spent enormous amounts of time reforming their classes, expecting a complete pedagogical overhaul in a short amount of time is unrealistic for most professors. Such foundational changes are especially difficult for professors who have been in STEM for a long time and are used to traditional learning methods. While

the Justice League has found success in introductory-level courses, there is still the issue of retention in upper-level STEM courses. As Dr. KC puts it, “Some of the upperlevel classes, some of the classes that really could do with an innovation are being a little bit behind. I don’t want to bash my colleagues who I don’t mean to say that negatively. I just think it would be great … if we all had time and we were compensated to be able to think about pedagogy and student inclusion.” As she references, though the Justice League receives support from the University, Dr. KC would like to see even more resources go to STEM pedagogy in the future. She explains, “In order to change the cycle, you have to change the way that people are setting up and looking at higher education. It needs to be taught by people who are trained a little differently or are willing to think outside the box.”

The Justice League’s fight to retain STEM students is emulated across the nation. According to a study by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the United States’ workforce will suffer a deficit of one

million college graduates in STEM over the next decade.

As bleak as that statistic sounds, Dr. KC believes that STEM culture around pedagogy is shifting. “It’s aligning more with information we knew in psychology and in education studies that have been going on for years that scientists and typical STEM professionals have not ever brought into the radar or the focus.” Additionally, she is a firm believer that the next generation will bring change to the educational scene. “The way you [the next generation] face the world, your interest in social justice, your ability to see deeper … I’m really excited if I can keep you excited and interested in my class to stay through the next class and learn. I mean, y’all are gonna change the world in a way that my generation couldn’t …

So that’s what keeps me motivated. It’s a little Utopic but there it is.” As a final note, she encourages students to think about how they are being taught. “Think about how each one of those pedagogies is different … How does that influence who stays and who goes? Because everybody should have an opportunity to stay.”

Finding common ground with the Underground: Moody Street’s very own Game Underground On Jan. 29, The Justice had the opportunity to speak to Jamie York, owner of the local Waltham business Game Underground.

By RIA ESCAMILLA-GIL JUSTICE STAFF WRTIER

While walking towards the Brandeis shuttle stop at Kung Fu Tea, one may notice the array of bright and colorful game machines that Game Underground offers through the busy sidewalks of Moody Street. Founded in 2007, Game Underground’s story began in Framingham, MA and ended up in Waltham by 2015.

When choosing the location of his business Jamie York, the owner and founder of Game Underground, thought about the business’ new location on Moody Street, namely considering “the neighborhood, the people, the convenient location so that people could walk to the store, take the commuter rail and buses.” He also thought about close proximity to other local businesses, such as local favorite Lizzy’s Ice Cream.

Remembering the beginning of his business, York shared that a friend hired him to become the manager of a place called “Game Universe.” When that business closed, York came up with the idea of Game Underground. “We wanted to have a place where people would have community, play games and also have some fun,” stated York, reflecting on the importance of common spaces that create opportunities for video game enjoyers to make connections and enjoy a good time.

On his personal connection with video games, York said, “I was born in the just exact right time. I was like six when Nintendo, the original, came out. So I kind of grew up with games. When I was in highschool, it started to be 3-D, and then as I grew up to become an adult, things got better and better — better graphics. It actually works out for me because I have seen everything that we sell here,

I’ve lived through its release.”

After having gone through the COVID-19 pandemic, York describes the experience: “We were able to hang on there and survive.” Adding on, “Honestly it was worth it to keep our families and community safe.” The lockdown had left the business closed for two months, not allowed to have the play machines on for another nine months.

Reflecting on other challenges he has faced in founding and running Game Underground, York stated, “When we first moved here we had to do a lot of work with the city hall to get permits, and had a lot of helpful people in city hall to assist me. With higher online presence, we have to adapt and obtain things that people cannot [usually] get online” At the time of the interview, we were able to witness community and connection making in action; Game Underground was hosting their Super Smash Brother Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch competition that day.

The event hosted by the local business featured over 90 players and two of them were among the top twenty-five ranking players in the nation. When asked about other events hosted at Game Underground, York explained, “We actually have a schedule. Monday is fighting games like ‘Street Fighter,’ Tuesday is ‘Super Smash Brothers Ultimate’ on the switch, Wednesday and Friday, ‘Magic: The Gathering Arena,’ and Thursday is Pokemon Day. Every Saturday we have a big event.”

York shared that each night has its audience; for example, 50 people playing “Street Fighter” on Monday and another 50 that play “Super Smash Bros” on Tuesday.

ARCADE: Game Underground houses an impressive collection of classic arcade games.

Aside from event participants, the video game store is frequently visited by many college students looking to de-stress, families looking to have fun with their kids, and individuals highly interested in the variety of games offered in the location. When asked about the game selection available, York replied, “Pretty much everything you see here is something that I personally would like if I went to a place like this. We also have a very big music game audience here, so we get a lot of imported games from Japan.”

Game Underground features physical game discs such as those for the Nintendo DS, a nostalgic device for many who visit the place. “People can bring in their games, you can get paid here, or trade-in for other products and cash, we also take trading cards like Pokemon,” stated York with all the possible things that can be done inside Game Underground. The video game store also participates in big events such as Anime Boston and helps host events, such as birthday parties and tournaments for players ages 15-50.

Regarding his favorite memory with his store, York shared that he fondly remembers an event called, “Fighting in the Street,” where he took out a television in the street and invited others to play “Street Fighter 6.” Since its beginnings, Game Underground has fostered a center of community, one revolving around playing and appreciating the world of video games. On average, people can get 15-20 tickets in exchange for an entry fee, and with playing several games, players are guaranteed to bring at least a few candies or knick knacks home!

CONNECTION: Game Underground hosts regular competitive gaming events.

RIA ESCAMILLA-GIL/The Justice. Design: GRACE DOH/The Justice

10 TUESDAY, JANURY 30, 2024 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE

Justice

the

Established 1949

Brandeis University

Isabel Roseth, Editor in Chief Smiley Huynh, Managing Editor Lauryn Williams, Deputy Editor Owen Chan, Zachary Goldstein, Mirabell Rowland, Associate Editors Sophia De Lisi, Anika Jain, News Editors Grace Doh, Features Editor Rani Balakrishna, Sports Editor Nemma Kalra, Arts & Culture Editor Eliza Bier, Ceci Xilei Chen, Photography Editors Julia Hardy, Madison Sirois, Copy Editors Anna Martin, Layout Editor Elizabeth Liu, Ads Editor Amanda Chen, Eden Osiason, Online Editors

had to relocate several times for problems to be fixed. Wasps infested Rosie and forced students to relocate as well.

Despite Facilities and DCL’s best efforts to regulate these problems, they pose a huge risk to student health. Going off-campus is not much better as students face stubborn landlords and costly facilities bills. Student housing is directly connected to students’ well-being and health, and The Justice editorial board strongly encourages the administration to invest more in the infrastructure of the University.

This year, the University opened housing applications on an earlier timeline in an effort to give students more time to find off-campus housing if they did not get lucky in the lottery. However, without increasing housing and support for infrastructure, students will likely run into the same problems as last year.

Brandeis does provide some helpful resources for finding off-campus housing through the Brandeis Community Living website and the Office of Graduate Affairs. Located on both websites is a link to a Brandeis specific offcampus housing search in partnership with

Apartments.com. While Brandeis provides these resources, they are under-advertised.

For graduate students, these websites are seemingly the only resources available. Presently, graduate students are not provided with any on-campus housing.

Selection is going to be increasingly difficult this year, as the classes of 2025 and 2026 are Brandeis’ biggest classes ever. Both will be in the same upperclassman housing pool with the same amount of housing as usual, meaning more students will be left stranded once housing options are gone. If Brandeis does not invest in long-term solutions to solve housing problems and update old infrastructure, additional issues will arise, including health risks in on-campus housing and an increase in Brandeis’ contribution to the gentrification of Waltham. We urge Brandeis to address the root causes of the housing shortage and dorm safety issues instead of only finding short-term solutions. We noted that this would be an issue last year, and it will likely be again in 2024. If no action is taken, we will see the same issue this year as we did last year — and a similar editorial will be published next January.

EDITORIAL

The abysmal state of Brandeis housing With the announcement of the 2024-25 housing application, the entire Brandeis community felt the onset of housing anxiety and some déjà vu from last year’s chaotic housing crisis. The Justice editorial board would like to address key concerns that have been left unmet from last year and years past.

Since its origins as Middlesex College, Brandeis has been constantly looking for ways to remedy increased housing needs, with varying levels of success. While many of Middlesex’s structures were demolished to make way for new infrastructure as Brandeis expanded, a few structures have remained in some capacity. Examples include Usen Castle — previously “Smith” castle — and the Ridgewood Cottages, which were both used by Brandeis as student housing. Usen Castle is no longer used as student housing, as much of it was demolished due to crumbling infrastructure and to make space to build Skyline Residence Hall.

Similarly, the original Ridgewood Cottages were demolished to build the current Ridgewood Quad. While these updates to Middlesex infrastructure have increased the number of undergraduate residential halls, they have not provided nearly enough to match increased housing needs.

Over the years, Brandeis has tried to put several plans in place to improve campus as a whole, including increasing housing to address the ever- present housing crises.

Two notable plans have been the “Saarinen Plan” and the 2000 Master Plan. However, neither plan has been fully realized. This lack of follow-through on Brandeis’ part is cause for concern, as the University has continually shown its inability to accommodate for the increased housing needs as class sizes grow larger.

Presently, Brandeis offers a total of 19 different residential areas for undergraduate students exclusively, ranging from traditional residence halls to apartment style suites.

First year students live in traditional residence halls either in North Quad, Massell Quad or East Quad. The North and Massell Quads contain four buildings each with double occupancy rooms, forced and natural triple occupancy rooms and a few single occupancy rooms.

East Quad similarly has double occupancy rooms, natural triple occupancy rooms and single occupancy rooms, but is home to both first year and sophomore students.

Sophomores and upperclassmen can live in traditional residence halls or apartmentstyle halls, with some options being exclusive to upperclassmen. Sophomore exclusive housing includes Rosenthal Residence Halls comprising three buildings of eightperson suites.

Mixed sophomore and upperclassmen housing includes Village Quad, Skyline Residence Hall, 567 South Street Apartments and the Charles River Apartments.

Village Quad and Skyline are traditional residence halls with double and single occupancy rooms. Village Quad consists of three towers, while Skyline is made of two towers.

567 South Street Apartments are double occupancy apartments. Charles River Apartments, affectionately known as “Grad,” are apartment style dormitories with a

variety of single, double, three-person and five-person occupancy apartments. Charles River Apartments is made up of four buildings. There was not enough housing for this year’s sophomore class, so more of Grad was designated as sophomore-only housing than in previous years.

This left less housing for upperclassmen and contributed to the housing crisis last spring.

Upperclassmen exclusive housing includes Ziv Quad, Ridgewood and the Foster Mods. Ziv consists of four buildings of sixperson suites.

Ridgewood is three buildings consisting of both four and six-person apartments. Foster Mods are six-person apartment buildings, housing approximately 180 students.

While first year and sophomore students are guaranteed housing, rising upperclassmen have to participate in a lottery system to determine their housing for the next year — a system that only guarantees housing to some.

While this is not a new system, last year, following the typical lottery system for housing, hundreds of juniors and seniors were denied on-campus housing. All housing was gone by 2 p.m. on the first day of upperclassman selection, while in past years, some options were almost always available going into the second day.

Students with accommodations and students who could not afford the time or money to live off-campus were scrambling to find housing. Andrea Dine, the vice president of Student Affairs, held listening hours to hear from affected students.

In a June 13 email to the community, the University offered housing at Lasell University, a ten-minute drive from campus.

Meal plans would be applicable at both schools and there would be a shuttle to and from Brandeis and Lasell.

However, this option would complicate transportation and the daily lives of students, and students who had accommodations were left out of the picture.

The housing at Lasell University was ultimately not used as all students who requested on-campus housing ultimately received a placement.

Additionally, while many students receive on-campus housing, the majority of it is not accessible to students with physical disabilities. All have stairs, and only Ziv, Skyline and Ridgewood have elevators.

Most do not have automatic doors either, including Ziv. Deroy Hall in Massell has a door with a ramp, but the door opens into a stairwell.

Buildings have handicap-accessible bathrooms on floors that are inaccessible by wheelchair.

This board understands that making these buildings accessible is expensive, but it is our belief that it is worth money to ensure students with physical disabilities can live on campus.

Doing otherwise goes against Brandeis’ mission of “tikkun olam,” or making the world a better place.

Many dorms have also been plagued with issues, from mice in Ziv to black mold in both Massell and Ziv. Students in Ziv last semester were forced to become expert exterminators and students with black mold ANDREW BAXTER/The Justice file photos

THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 11

Women2Drive campaign: the internet in socio-political movements

By LAURYN WILLIAMS DEPUTY EDITOR

Saudi Arabia has had internet connection since 1994, but restricted its use to state academic, medical, and research institutions. In 1997, King Fahd approved public Internet access and it was not until January 1999 that local internet service providers began connecting ordinary citizens. In 2013, the Women2Drive campaign was arranged entirely through social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. I argue that the effective use of information and communication associated with the internet played a crucial role in aiding this social movement with creating a low-cost protest, garnering high-speed transnational support that, in turn, pressured local and transnational government authorities to address the long standing driving ban for Saudi women.

The act of civil disobedience in which Saudi women have defied the driving ban occurred well before the launch of the Women2Drive campaign. In November 1990, 47 women protested for gender driving equality by driving in the parking lot in Riyadh. The traffic police took them into custody and would not release them until their male guardians signed papers that they would never drive again. Their passports were confiscated, they were suspended from their jobs and they were forbidden to speak to the press. After their civil disobedience, the religious establishment issued a fatwa that officially banned women from driving.

Movements emerge when activists believe that it might help to achieve their goals, that may not happen otherwise. Likewise, enduring emotionally charged experiences together, such as repression, can foster collective identity, increasing both solidarity and the willingness to engage in high-risk activism. In 2011, Manal al-Sharif cofounded and led the #Women2Drive movement to challenge the ban on women driving in her country. The call to protest the driving ban crystallized on a Women2Drive Facebook page that attracted over 10,000 followers and advanced the public debate about “driving while female.” The platform was used to coordinate and provide logistical details of the October 2013 protest that called on women with international licenses to drive the roads of the Kingdom, with 51 women engaging in the protest. Manal al-Sharif posted a video on YouTube of herself driving and talking about the many issues women faced when it came to commuting in Saudi Arabia. The video brought the movement international exposure. An online petition addressed to King Abdullah was posted on Facebook and other Saudi websites and circulated through emails, asking him to grant women the right to drive. Later, the government accused Manal al-Sharif of attempting to derail the Kingdom; she was imprisoned, lost her job and the custody of her son and self-exiled out of fear of further persecution. In 2017, the driving ban for women was lifted, yet female activists who defied the driving ban remained in prison.

In May 2018, Loujain al-Hathloul — a Saudi women’s rights activist, social media influencer and political prisoner who is known for defying the female driving ban — was arrested under the pretense that she had attempted to destabilize the Kingdom. Supporters of Loujain raised awareness of her imprisonment, judicial proceedings and sentencing through hashtags. Using #Al-HathloulStrike, a petition was started calling for her immediate and unconditional release. On

Feb. 10, 2021, al-Hathloul’s sister announced on Twitter that Loujain had been released from prison and later tweeted that she is subject to many restrictions including a 5 year travel ban.

The male guardianship system is rooted in sanctity and authority. It is a harsh regulation system that controls all aspects of Saudi women’s freedoms, preventing them from enjoying the full benefits of citizenship or legal adulthood. This regulatory system is not prescribed by a legal system; rather, it is based on customary practices and fatwas that limit women’s freedom of movement and choice.

Under the strict interpretation of the shariah laws, women must get the permission of a male for a gamut of critical decisions, resulting in them remaining minors for life.

Opponents of the Women2Drive movement, religious scholars in particular, argued that lifting the driving ban would erode the Saudi system of male guardianship over women and they saw such changes as a moral decline that would, inevitably, harm the family structure.

Likewise, Saudi women who were also opponents of the campaign argued that Women2Drive female activists came from an affluent social class, and therefore they did not represent a majority of the Saudi population. They described them as spoiled and privileged in the trusteeship, when men serve women. Princess Jawaher bint, who launched the “My trusteeship system knows what’s best for me” campaign, argued that the driving ban aligns with the male trusteeship system and preserves the dignity of Saudi Arabian women. Conversely, Saudi women’s rights activists argued that despite the stark difference in social class, all Saudi women are vulnerable to the negative impact of gender inequalities and the driving ban protest was a part of the fight for freedom from the male guardian legal system.

The Women2Drive protest dynamics were complicated and formed a part of the fight for women’s rights. The grass-roots organization arranged a protest entirely through social media using a Facebook page, YouTube, and Twitter. The Facebook page served as a centralized location for sharing information about the driving ban, logistical information about the 2013 protest and other national socio-political issues. The YouTube videos and the online petition legitimized the organization’s mission and also generated awareness of Saudi Arabia’s social issues. Twitter hashtags amplified the voices of Saudi women’s rights activists by providing a place to communicate, advocate for imprisoned social activists and mobilize their agenda beyond national borders. According to Digitally Enabled Social Change: Activism in the internet age e-tactics were used to reduce the time and money required, increase the speed in which mobilization occurred, pressure the government and demand the freedom of imprisoned activists.

The campaign’s effective use of social media led to the coalescence of a new social movement of individuals concerned with transforming the political structures of the Kingdom, and, ultimately, the lives of girls and women of Saudi Arabia. Previously, disconnected individuals and groups were able to collectively perceive the threat of the driving ban and see the obligation to act, which, in turn, shaped a collective identity. In Italy, a Facebook campaign called “I Drive With Manal” was created. In Berlin, a radical feminist group known as “FEMEN” held a “topless” protest outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy. Hillary Clinton, the United States secretary of the state at the time, openly supported the campaign. Thus, Women2Drive’s effective use of the internet motivated activists from other countries to start

supporting the cause.

According to Almahmoud’s “Framing on Twitter: How Saudi Arabians intertextually frame the women2drive campaign,” detractors of the Women2Drive movement also used Twitter to express their antagonistic viewpoints and reinforce religious justifications behind the ban; male Muslim clerics framed the campaign as a conspiracy to dismantle the Saudi morality and political system, warning of a disruptive society and attributing the decline to Western sources.

Their exclusive use of Arabic in their tweets helped with appealing to their local community and solidified the men’s framing of the campaign as a conspiracy to undermine Saudi Arabian ethics and religious community; on the other hand, the women who supported the campaign posted tweets in Arabic and sometimes in English, signaling group membership to a wider audience.

At the 2018 SingularityU Nordic Summit in Stockholm, Manal alSharif, the co-founder of Women2Drive, deleted her Twitter account and announced that she would no longer use Twitter or any other social media accounts live on stage.

She exclaimed that the same social media that had played a vital role in securing her eventual release from prison was now being controlled by oppressive governments to silence and undermine anyone with opposing views. Correspondingly, studies have shown that the algorithms used by YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter push conspiracy theories and far-right propaganda into the feeds of users. She accused the Saudi authorities of blocking and filtering political content from entering the internet and effectively deterring users from seeking access to information by signaling that the government is not pleased with content and is closely monitoring online activity. Likewise, Freedom House — an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom and democracy around the world — revealed that internet freedom is mostly stagnant or declining in the Arab world. In order to regain internet freedom, Manal al-Sharif argued that citizens around the world must demand that the government and major corporations — specifically Facebook — address the abuse of centralized power, surveillance capitalism, data privacy and other related issues, and that they must show open resistance by boycotting Google search and by always using VPN and a private browser to keep information safe.

An organization is considered officially dissolved if there is inactivity for five years. A look at the Women2Drive Facebook page reveals that there has not been a post in almost four years. However, at the summit in Stockholm, Manal al-Sharif signaled that there is a need for face-to-face interaction for keeping information safe from government security.

Therefore, it is unclear as to whether or not the Women2Drive campaign is in a period of abeyance. The success of the campaign is also elusive. In 2017, the Women2Drive movement accomplished exactly what they wanted; the driving ban was lifted.

However, the male guardian system still remains intact and families are highly patriarchal. Therefore, despite Saudi women having access to driver’s licenses, men still have the ability to limit their mobility.

Yet, in fighting for the ban to be lifted, members of the Women2Drive movement have profoundly shaped the conditions of the next political battle.

ANNA MARTIN/the Justice

Photo courtesy of TRIBES OF THE WORLD

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12 THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

NBA: Celtics chase a championship banner CONTINUED FROM 16

from 47.9% to 45.6%.

These declines in production are unwarranted. Jrue currently has a plus-minus rating of +257, which is fourth on the Celtics. Although it hurts to say it, Jrue looks like a better fit than Marcus Smart — fan favorite, 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and previous point guard for the Celtics.

Both players are elite defenders, capable of defending all five positions. Over the past couple of years, Smart’s offense has steadily improved. Once a liability, Smart has improved his three-point shooting, reaching a peak in 2019-2020 where he made 34.7% of his 6.6 three-pointers attempted per game. However, Smart’s shooting was “streaky.” Sometimes, he would casually make five three-pointers; other times, he would shoot the Celtics out of games.

Jrue’s style of play provides another layer of stability to the Celtic’s offense. The Celtics don’t need Jrue to do too much. In fact, he thrives in this role.

In a game where Jayson Tatum missed a game versus the Sacramento Kings, Holiday stepped up, scoring 21 points and dishing out 10 assists.

“He just gives us another weapon. He's just so dynamic. Just another guy out there who can dribble, shoot and pass the ball. He can create for himself and his teammates,” said Jayson Tatum.

As the Celtics starting point guard, Holiday’s role is instrumental in facilitating the offense.

Holiday will search for the most ideal player to pass the ball to. At the same time, Holiday’s elite defense loosens the burden for Tatum and Brown, allowing them to focus more on the offensive side.

But Holiday has proven to rise to important moments. In dismantled plays, Holiday is capable of creating his shot through isolation.

Holiday’s shooting is respectable enough for opponents to honor it. If needed, Holiday could use his body as a shield as he drives effortlessly to the rim for a layup.

From Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart, the Celtics strug-

gled to find a reliable long term point guard.

Now, it seems that the Celtics have finally found that defense in Holiday.

Derrick White and the MVP chants In a homecoming game against the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 31, 2023, Spurs fans chanted, “White’s An All-Star! (clap clap clap), White’s An All-Star!” White scored 17 points and dished out five assists in the Celtics win.

Derrick White has the highest plus-minus on this Celtics squad, with a rating of +364. He is not only one of the most consistent players on the Celtics but in the entire league. White attributes his success to legendary Spurs coach Greg Popovich.

“He’s one of the great examples of working through it. He played in the G League for a couple of years, didn’t even think he belonged in the league, … but he worked his fanny off,” Popovich told the Denver Gazette on Jan. 17.

This season, White is averaging 16.0 points, 4.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

These numbers are phenomenal for a starstudded team like the Celtics. Aside from looking at statistics, White seems to make the correct reads both on offense and defense.

All of the small things he provides — absorbing contact from a larger player, passing the ball to the open man, grabbing the offensive rebound on last-second possessions — are instrumental to the Celtic's success. His style of play may not be flashy, but it is surely impactful.

His gritty and humble nature has made him a favorite amongst the Celtics fanbase. Once viewed as an undersized guard, White is now an instrumental piece on a winning team.

The remarkable thing? White has gotten better with each passing year. He’s proven that he can step up in clutch moments. There’s no telling how high his ceiling may be.

“I know I belong in this league. I know what I can do in this league. [I've] just gotta continue to improve and work on those things,” he asserted confidently.

It seems that White has found a new home in Boston.

Why everything fits It is no secret that in years past, the Celtics have had an extremely predictable offense: let Tatum and Brown take the court. A style of “your turn” and “my turn” can either be very effective or instantly cause the team to lose the game. In both cases, the lack of ball movement would certainly ignite frustrations amongst other players.

The Celtics have steadily moved away from this game plan. The theme for the 2023-2024 Celtics is versatility. Nobody needs to be the de facto scorer for the Celtics to win a game anymore.

Tatum and Brown can continue to do their thing. It’s what they were drafted for in the first place. With this starting lineup, everybody is a threat on the offensive side. They are all big, yet capable of creating their own shot. It truly makes the opposing teams’ job much harder when everyone is a weapon on both ends of the floor.

The Celtics bench has depth. Al Horford can continue to scorch the hoop, shooting 49.1% of his three-pointers at 3.9 attempts per game.

Payton Prichard and Sam Hauser provide the much-needed spark off the bench with threepoint shooting. On defense, Luke Kornet’s seven-foot frame has immense defensive value when it comes to shot blocking (the Kornet special) or disrupting pick-and-roll plays.

Bold postseason predictions “We've had so much team success and had our fair share of individual success and accolades, and the only thing left is to really win a championship,” said Jayson Tatum.

Assuming no major injuries, the Celtics can realistically earn a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals.

The road will not be easy, for the Eastern Conference seems to be much stronger compared to years past.

In the first two rounds, I expect the Celtics to encounter young and determined teams to prove themselves. This includes teams such as the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, formidable opponents that will push the Celtics to at least five games.

The greatest hurdle will occur in the Conference Finals. A matchup with the powerhouses of the East — the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia Sixers — seems imminent.

These games will be a testament to the Celtics' strength. While it would be nice for Jayson Tatum to bail the Celtics out with 50 points, this strategy simply isn’t sustainable in the playoffs, as seen in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals.

While the Celtics currently hold the both the third-best offensive and second-defensive rating in the league at the moment, this needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The playoffs slow down the entire pace. When shots are not falling, the Celtics will need to figure out a slightly modified gameplan, one that does not include Tatum and Brown playing hero ball all forty eight minutes. Perhaps they could take some inspiration from the 2014 San Antonio Spurs, where ball movement has reigned supreme.

Even if the Celtics make the NBA finals, the worst scenario they could encounter is a matchup against the Denver Nuggets, the reigning NBA champions who snapped the Celtics’ 20 home game win streak just over a week ago.

I am confident that if the Celtics maintain their dominant style of play into the playoffs, they are in legitimate contention to bring glory back to Boston since the 2007-2008 season. But like years prior, we can only hope that this squad continues to perform well in big moments. This season genuinely looks like the Celtic's best window to finally get over the hump.

As Celtics legend Kevin Garnett once told the entire world after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 Finals, “Anything is possible!”

TENNIS: Australian Open final rounds recap CONTINUED FROM 16

showcases her can-do attitude by stating, “I'd say emotionally I'll be very ready to fight. Not going crazy." She added, “Because when you play your first final, you get emotional and rush things sometimes. When you're third time in the finals, you're like, OK, it's a final. It's OK. It's just another match.

You're able to separate yourself from that thing.

Just focus on your game.” On the other side of the court, prior to the championship, Zheng recognized her accomplishment by getting to the final by stating, “It feels unbelievable. The feeling is incredible to arrive at my first Grand Slam final."

On the men’s side, Sinner achieved a remarkable milestone in his career, winning his first

Grand Slam title. Similar to Sabalenka, it took quite a few matches until one of his opponents could win just one set off of him. Some players that did not get a set off of him included 27-yearold Karen Khachanov, ranked 15th in the world and 26-year-old Andrey Rublev, ranked fifth in the world. Prior to their matches, Sinner had a two to one head-to-head record with Khachanov and a five to two head-to-head record with Rublev.

However, the player to give Sinner a competitive match that resulted in him losing a set was 24-time Grand Slam Champion Novak Djokovic, ranked number one in the world. Prior to their semifinal match, their head-to-head record was four to two,

OVERHEAD SMASH: Aryna Sabalenka at the 2017 Citi Open Tennis Tournament hitting an overhead volley.

with 36-year-old Djokovic in the lead. Regardless of his odds, Sinner toughed it out against adversity, where he upsetted Djokovic in four sets.

After reflecting on his loss, Djokovic expressed disappointment adding, “I was, in a way, shocked with my level, in a bad way” followed by, “There was not much I was doing right in the first two sets. I guess this is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I've ever played. At least that I remember.

Not a very pleasant feeling playing this way. But at the same time, credit to him for doing everything better than me, in every aspect of the game.”

Sinner saw the disappointment and moments of weakness while he was playing against Djokovic,

as Sinner explained in a professional manner, “It was a very tough match. I started really well. He missed two sets and I felt like he wasn’t feeling great. I tried to keep pushing.” The post-match conference comments are very telling as to what happened during the match.

Although it is not perfectly clear as to when their next match will be, the public is hoping to see Sabalenka and Sinner competing very soon after their success in Melbourne, Australia.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Graphics courtesey of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

14 THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

Fencing takes home wins at Eric Sollee Invitational

Men’s and women’s fencing won 8/12 of their matches at the recent invitational.

Photos: BRYAN WOLFE/The Justice. Design: ANNA MARTIN and MARINA ROSENTHAL/The Justice.

THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

15

TARA VANDERVEER BECOMES THE GOAT

JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS MEN’S BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS NYU Case WashU Chicago Emory Carnegie Rochester JUDGES

TEAM STATS

Total Points Sam Adusei ’24 leads the team with 200 total points.

Player PTS Sam Adusei 200 Gilbert Otoo 188 Quron Zene 187 Jake Bender 142

UAA Conf. Overall W L D W L D Pct. 5 2 0 15 3 0 .833 4 3 0 15 3 0 .833 4 3 0 14 4 0 .778 4 3 0 12 6 0 .667 3 4 0 12 6 0 .667 3 4 0 11 7 0 .611 3 4 0 9 9 0 .500 2 5 0 11 7 0 .611

Total Rebounds Aedan Using ’24 leads the team with 116 total rebounds Player Aedan Using Quron Zene Sam Adusei Gilbert Otoo

UPCOMING GAMES:

Friday at Emory University Sunday at Rochester University Friday, Feb. 9 vs. Carnegie Mellon

REB 116 76 75 75

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS UAA Conf.

W L D NYU 7 0 0 Emory 5 2 0 Chicago 5 2 0 WashU 4 3 0 Rochester 4 3 0 Carnegie 2 5 0 Case 1 6 0 JUDGES 0 7 0

TEAM STATS Overall W L D Pct. 18 0 0 1.000 15 3 0 .714 12 6 0 .714 11 7 0 .611 9 9 0 .500 10 8 0 .556 8 10 0 .444 4 14 0 .222

UPCOMING GAMES:

Friday at Emory University Sunday at Rochester University Friday, Feb. 9 vs. Carnegie Mellon Sunday, Feb. 11 vs. Case Western

Total Points Caitlin Gresko ’25 leads the team with 150 total points.

Player Caitlin Gresko Katherine Vaughan Lulu Ohm Selenya Gonzalez

PTS 150 133 120 111

Total Rebounds Brooke Reed ’26 leads the team with 120 total rebounds.

Player REB Brooke Reed 120 Molly James 98 Katherine Vaughan 95 Lulu Ohm 56

SWIM AND DIVE

THE 'WINNINGEST': Tara Vanderveer, the Stanford University women's basketball coach.

NCAA: Women’s basketball CONTINUED FROM 16

Krzyweski. Long considered one of the greatest collegiate men’s basketball coaches of all time, Krzyweski congratulated Vanderveer in a postgame broadcast.

The success of women’s collegiate basketball hasn’t taken place solely on the court. Women’s Division I basketball has been taking the sports world by storm, and people are tuning in.

During the 2022-23 season, ESPN’s viewership scored double- to triple-digit increases in each stage, and the title game attracted 104% of the previous year’s finale’s viewers.

At the 2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Dallas, Texas averaged 6.5 million viewers, which is 87% higher than the 2022 Final Four and ESPN’s mostviewed Final Four weekend.

Women’s basketball broke more records during 2023’s March Madness tournament. The championship game, which had not been broadcasted since

1995, averaged 9.92 million viewers with a peak of 12.6 million, making it the most viewed women’s college basketball game on record.

These numerous accomplishments draw more and more attention towards collegiate women’s basketball, a huge win for a sport that, like many women’s sports, is viewed as less important than the men’s leagues. The NCAA got itself in hot water in 2021 as a direct result of dramatic disparities between its treatment of female and male players at tournaments. The women’s weight room facilities were sparse, including only a single rack of dumbbells, none of which went over 30 pounds. Meanwhile, the men’s facilities — located in a hotel ballroom — included not only dumbbells but also squat machines and barbells.

According to The New York Times, the men’s food was a “smorgasbord” of “petit filet,” lobster macaroni and

Results from meet at Clark University on Jan. 27.

BRIEF

Brandeis: Women, 159-116. Men, 164-81.

Eric Sollee Fencing Invitational

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

STANDOUTS Men's 200-yard freestyle Tal Spector '25 with a time of 2:06.08.

200-yard medley relay Riley Pasicaran '27, Ryan Schulken '26, Tal Spector '25 and Sam Dienstag '24 with a time of 1:43.72.

STANDOUTS 100-yard breastroke Audrey Teo '26 with a time of 1:15.33.

200-yard medley relay Anastasia Bekou '25, Becca Kaplan '26, Chloe Gonzalez '25 and Audrey Teo '26 with a time of 1:55.07.

UPCOMING MEETS: Feb. 14 - Feb. 17 UAA Championships in Chicago March 20 - March 23 NCAA Championships in North Carolina

FENCING

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

On Jan. 27, Brandeis men’s and women’s fencing faced opponents such as Duke University, Haverford College, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology, New York University and Hunter University in the Eric Sollee Invitational. Over 10 different teams came to Auerbach Arena, and Brandeis emerged overall victorious, with men’s fencing going 5-1 on the day, making their overall record 14-16. The women’s team went 4-2 on the day, making their overall record 13-19.

Standout fencers include top performances from foil fencer Luke Ritchie ’24, who swept NJIT, Stevens, and Duke. This was the very first time since 2015 that Brandeis men’s fencing won

against Duke, and the Judges are now ranked number 19 in the United States Fencing Coaches Association standings.

On the women’s team, star power from Maggie Shealy MA’25 going 16-2 in her bouts, Kat Xikes ’26 (sabre) and Bronwyn Rothman-Hall ’25 (epee) propelled the Judges to victory. The Brandeis women’s fencing team is ranked number 25 in the USFCA standings. Shealy’s record advanced to 50-8 this season, and fellow graduate student Ben Rogak MA’24 carried the epee squad to victory.

Saturday was also very special for the fencing graduate students, seniors and juniors graduating early — these included Monica Aponte MA’24, Maggie

cheese and grilled asparagus, while a female player’s video showed a measly meal of “mashed potatoes, a soggy trio of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, and what she concluded was ‘some kind of meat.’” Aside from the amenities, the men’s tournament is called “The Big Dance,” while the women’s is branded as simply “NCAA Women’s Basketball.”

Regardless, the NCAA’s treatment of women’s sports has not prevented female athletes from going above and beyond, and the accomplishments of players like Clark and coaches like Vanderveer are not just commemorated in simple plaques and articles.

They provide inspiration and motivation and serve as role models for girls hoping to follow in their footsteps. If current trends continue, the future of collegiate women’s sports — and professional women’s sports such as the WNBA — looks bright.

Shealy MA’25, Ben Rogak MA ’24, Luke Ritchie ’24, Nick Quan ’24, Tal Konrod ’25 and Calla Lee ’25.

They marked their senior day and last fencing meet at home with fans and family members coming to watch from all over.

Both individual and squad performances carried the Judges to a decisive victory at home. Brandeis Fencing will next head to North Carolina for the Duke Invitational on Feb. 10.

— Rani Balakrishna

Results from the Eric Sollee Invitational on Jan. 27.

MEN'S RESULTS

5-1 today, 14-16 overall Brandeis 14, NJIT 13 Brandeis 14, Stevens 13 NYU 18, Brandeis 9 Brandeis 26, Hunter 1 Brandeis 16, Duke 11 Brandeis 19, Haverford 8

WOMEN'S RESULTS

4-2 today, 13-19 overall

Brandeis 18, NJIT 9 Brandeis 18, Stevens 9 NYU 15, Brandeis 12 Brandeis 21, Hunter 6 Duke 22, Brandeis 5 Brandeis 24, Haverford 3

UPCOMING MEETS:

Wellesley Matches on Tuesday, Jan. 30 Duke Invitational at Duke on Sunday, Feb. 11

Duty" is a weekly column that spotlights different athletes. Please email sports@ JURY "Jury thejustice.org if you would like to nominate a Brandeis athlete. We hope to bridge the between student athletes and non student athletes by highlighting relatable content DUTY gapto make the community feel more approachable. If you see a highlighted athlete around campus, introduce yourself! Or head to Gosman and cheer them on.

Shaniece Nugent ’26

By RANI BALAKRISHNA JUSTICE EDITOR

TRACK AND FIELD Results from the Riverhawk Invitational at UMass Lowell on Jan. 27.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

STANDOUTS 800 Meters TJ Carleo '26 came in 4th place with a time of 1:53.09. His time is ranked 13th in Division III this season.

200 Meters Matthew Yue '26 got a personal record with his time of 23.72 seconds.

STANDOUTS Long jump Shaniece Nugent '26 earned a personal record with her long jump of 5.16 meters.

400 Meters Hannah Bohbot-Dridi '25 earned a personal record with a time of 59.87 seconds.

UPCOMING MEETS:

Cupid Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Tufts Gordon Kelly Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Harvard

Data courtesy of THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION and the BRANDEIS ATHLETICS WEBSITE; Graphics courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS ATHLETICS

Want to nominate someone? Send them this form!

Shaniece Nugent ’26, a member of the Brandeis women’s indoor track and field team, was recently honored as one of the Brandeis Judges of the Week for her performance in the Branwen SmithKing Invitational at Tufts University. Nugent brought home two wins for the Judges, with a personal best distance of 11.29 meters (37 feet and ½ inches) and scoring points in the triple jump.

This is currently ranked the 23rdbest performance in Division III this season. It was Nugent’s first competitive jump over 11 meters — an incredibly impressive feat.

She ran the third leg of the 4x200-meter relay, which according to Brandeis Athletics, “won their race by just one-tenth of a second over Tufts with a time of 1:48.32.” The sophomore from Hartford, Connecticut was also a part of the women’s 4x100-meter relay team that broke a record

in the spring of 2023 with a time of 49.12 seconds. Nugent carries a lot of prospective power as a jumper and sprinter and continues to lead the track and field team to victory.

Some fun facts about Nugent are that she currently listens to artists such as Little Simz, JPEG MAFIA, Sza, Bktherula and Mitski. Her favorite place to hang out on campus is her Grad and her favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry cheesecake. Her birthday is a very cool coincidence, April 4, 2004 — that’s three fours! Outside of Auerbach Arena, Nugent is the Brandeis Black Student Organization’s secretary and encourages everyone to come to the Feb. 8-11 BLK Homecoming.

More details are on @brandeisbso on Instagram. Nugent and the Judges take on Tufts in the Cupid Invitational this Friday, Feb. 2.

Cheer Nugent on by attending her athletic competitions to support her extracurricular endeavors around campus! Go Judges!

just Sports Page 16

BRANDEIS FENCING PHOTO STORY Men's and women's fencing hosted several teams at Auerbach Arena on Saturday and took home victories in several different weapons p. 14.

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

NCAA

Collegiate women’s basketball making history all around ■ Caitlin Clark, Tara Vanderveer and many other women’s collegiate basketball players are becoming increasingly more common as household names and pioneers.

By ISABEL ROSETH

JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF

If anyone has been kicking ass lately, it’s Division I women’s collegiate basketball players. Following doubts of the NCAA’s commitment to women’s sports as a whole, NCAA women’s basketball is racking up viewers, revenue and support. In the past year, their players and games broke record after record, proving that while the NCAA has wavered in their support, the fans have not.

Women’s college basketball brings one name in particular to mind — Caitlin Clark. The University of Iowa Hawkeye continues to stun and impress more than just fans with her record-breaking statistics. She scored her 3,000th career point earlier this season — and is the 15th woman to do so in NCAA basketball — after registering 35 points against Iowa State University.

As though that isn’t enough to etch

THE STAR POWERED CELTICS

her name in the history books, that game became her 41st 30-point game, more than anyone in NCAA basketball — regardless of gender —-has acquired in 25 years. And recently, against Michigan State University, Clark marked her 10th 40-point game. Her total game points scored most recently grew to 3,389 following Iowa’s matchup against Nebraska. This impressive feat leaves her five points away from becoming the female player with the third most points scored in NCAA history.

To compare, the career point record amongst male Division I players is 3,667 — which is only 140 points higher than the record for female Division I players.

If she sounds unstoppable, that’s because she has been — and not just from scoring. While game points are a key reason she has shot her way to stardom, a December game made her the Big Ten’s all-time assist leader, and she is the only Division I player to achieve over 900 assists and 800 rebounds in her career.

Clark is not the only figure in collegiate women’s basketball making history and headlines. Just this month, Stanford University coach Tara Vanderveer became the winningest coach in Division I basketball history with a total of 1,203 wins, and 267 losses, eclipsing Duke University’s Mike

See NCAA, 15 ☛

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

STAR SHOOTER: Jayson Tatum, power forward for the Celtics, prepares to shoot.

Sabalenka and Sinner The Celtics’ postseason both reign victorious prospects: Looking bright

TENNIS

■ Aryna Sabalenka defended her title and Jannik Sinner prevailed in Melbourne, staying consistent and emerging victorious after the tournament.

By REBECCA SUAREZ

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Australian Open is one of the four biggest tennis tournaments in the world in which both men and women professional tennis players compete for the title. These are otherwise known as “Grand Slams.” The official names for the men’s and women’s circuits are The Association of Tennis Professions, the men’s circuit, and Women’s Tennis Association. Every year starts out with the Australian Open, followed by Rolland Garros (the French Open), Wimbledon Championships, and the U.S. Open. The Australian Open and U.S. Open are both played on hard courts, while Roland Garros is played on red clay, and the Wimbledon Championships is played on grass courts.

On Jan. 27 and 28, 2024 25-year-old Aryna Sabalenka, ranked second in the world, and 22-year-old Jannik Sinner, ranked fourth in the world, both captured the Championship title in the 2024 Australian Open. In the women's singles tournament, in the championship match, Sabalenka swiftly defended and defeated 21-year-old Qinwen

Zheng, ranked 15 in the world, from China, 6-3, 6-2 — in one hour and 16 minutes. In the men’s singles tournament, Sinner overcame world number three, 27-year-old Daniil Medvedev, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, with a final match time of three hours and 44 minutes.

Sabalenka and Sinner each had a similar yet challenging journey to the finals. From the first round to the quarter-finals, Sabalenka only dropped 16 games. In fact, she did not drop a set the entire tournament and surpassed her competitors with a 14-match winning streak from last year’s Australian Open to this one.

Sabalenka’s closest match occurred in the semifinals when she defeated the champion of the 2023 US Open, 19-year-old Cori (Coco) Gauff from the United States, 7-6(2), 6-4, with a final time of one hour and 42 minutes.

After defeating Gauff, with some time to reflect after her win, Sabalenka paid her respects to Gauff by stating, “She's a great player, always tough battles against her. I think the key was that I was able to stay focused no matter what, no matter what the score was, I just keep trying my best, keep fighting for it.” In response to her defeat, Gauff stated, “Tough match for me tonight.

Overall a positive tournament.”

With confidence on her side, Sabalenka was emotionally prepared to compete in the final, as this is her third Grand Slam final. Sabalenka showcases her can-do attitude by stating, “I'd say emotionally I'll be very ready to fight. Not going crazy." She added, “Because when you play your

See TENNIS, 12 ☛

■ As the Boston Celtics look to bring another championship banner home to TD Garden, we took a look at the potential of this star-studded lineup.

By JEFFREY WANG

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

“It’s off to Smart for the seventh game … knocked and then tipped in!”

Last season, Derrick White’s heroic offensive rebound kept the Celtic’s season afloat. In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Miami Heat, it seemed that the Celtics were en route to a consecutive trip to the NBA finals. The Celtics looked like the ones to finally end the Heat’s team that barely made the playoffs, Cinderella postseason run. Right?

The Celtics would lose Game 7 against the Heat, 103 — 84.

The Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era of Celtics basketball has produced high expectations followed by disappointing shortcomings. It is a cruel cycle that Celtics fans (myself included) have endured over the last seven years.

About halfway through into the 2023-2024 NBA season, this revitalized Celtics team boasts a 34-10 record (3212 last season). Right before the season opener, ESPN had the Celtics as the third best odds to win the finals.

This season appears to be different

— for the better. There are glimpses of hope that this year’s Celtics are the real deal. With key additions to the lineup and noticeable player improvement, this Celtics squad plays an unprecedented fluid style of basketball.

Here’s why:

The unicorn we didn’t want but needed: Kristaps Porzingis On June 23, 2023, the Celtics received Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards. As part of a three-team trade that also included the Memphis Grizzlies, the Celtics traded away players Marcus Smart, Danillo Gallinarai and Mike Muscala.

Any questions about Porzingis’s capabilities were quickly shunned as the Latvian center scored 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks against his former team, the New York Knicks, in his debut.

In an interview, Porzingis commented “I’m playing good basketball, but last year, I also played good basketball. But nobody saw that, you know?”

Currently, Porzingis looks like the perfect complement that the Celtics have desperately craved the last few seasons. Standing at 7 foot 2 inches, Porzingis has proven that he can stay light on his feet, guard the three-pointer, midrange and the paint with promising results. Even when an opposing player gets a step ahead of him, Porzingis can recover quickly, contesting the shot with ease.

Offensive skills have never been Porzingis’ concern. In his stints with

the Knicks, Mavericks, and Wizards, Porzingis was treated as either a first or second option. Despite being a solid 20 points per game scorer, his potential was misused, resulting in subpar team success.

This season, Porzingis truly looks like the best version of himself. When left open, he shoots the ball without hesitation. His wide skillsets open up pathways for himself and others: Bully smaller defenders in the paint, grab offensive rebounds and make the simple pass to open shooters when double-teamed.

With Porzingis blossoming into a two-way player, he can perform a little bit of everything at an extremely high level.

No, it’s not too good to be Jrue On Sept. 27, 2023, the Celtics traded Malcolm Brogden, Robert Williams and two draft picks to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jrue Holiday.

Holiday’s defense was his biggest strength as he was named to multiple All-Defensive selections and two AllStar selections in the past. He also played an instrumental role in helping the Milwaukee Bucks win the 2021 NBA Finals, earning their first title in over 50 years.

This season, Holiday is averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Compared to last season with the Bucks, where he averaged 19.3, 4.8 and 0.2 respectively, it seemed that Holiday had regressed. Even his

See NBA, 12 ☛

Vol. LXXVI #12

Waltham, Mass.

January 30, 2024

Photo: Bryan Wolfe/The Justice. Design: Ceci Xilei Chen/The Justice.

JANUARY|30, 2024 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE THE JUSTICE ARTS | TUESDAY, JANUARY 31,JUSTICE 2017 18 TUESDAY,

MUSEUM MEANDERINGS

Rembrandt nation unite!

By MIKEY TERRENZI AND MAEVE COAKLEY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER AND JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Born in 1606, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, or Rembrandt as he is commonly known, was a self-taught printmaker and painter whose works of the Dutch Golden Age created waves throughout 17th-century Europe. Rembrandt’s paintings, such as “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” or “The Night Watch,” showcase his skill as a painter, but his works in etching and printmaking showcase his skill as an artist throughout multiple mediums.

Rembrandt’s etchings are the main subject of the exhibition “Rembrandt: Etchings from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen,” currently on display at the Worcester Art Museum, or the WAM. Currently celebrating its 125th anniversary, the WAM is a medium-sized art museum located in the center of Worcester. For all interested Brandeis students, this is a short walk from Union Station, accessible via the Commuter Rail. For those of you who have enjoyed the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the WAM offers the simplicity and the calm environment of the Gardner with the collection and information of the MFA. Their collection spans from Ancient Greece and Rome to Modern Artists like Pollock and Kandinsky, with a good collection of African and Asian art as well. The WAM offers a student discount to all college students with Valid ID, so bring your Brandeis ID Card and explore this museum. You will find the Rembrandt exhibit on the second floor.

The largest collection of etchings by Rembrandt currently in the United States, the Rembrandt exhibit is divided into two distinct sections. The first section discusses his early life, inspirations and artistic process. The second section is devoted to the best examples of his subjects.

The first section is an informational gallery with a relaxed atmosphere, providing educational and tactile graphics to describe the process of etching and printing. Etching and printing were widely popular in the 17th century as a method of distributing artwork to

the public. Rembrandt was quickly known as a master in this art. Some highlights of this section are “The Raising of Lazarus,” “Death of the Virgin” and “Christ before Pilate.”

Throughout are the inspirations of Rembrandt’s works presented alongside dozens of personal interpretations from his life. This section highlights his truth in medium and skill in technique.

The second section illustrates his expertise by showcasing his diverse subject matter and prolific career. Separated into five subsections: Landscape, the Bible and Religion, Tories and Portraiture, Self-Portraiture and Everyday Life, this gallery presents the mastery of Rembrandt’s career. Notable works such as “The Hog” and “Abraham’s Sacrifice” show us the extent of this exhibit with one of his most famous, “Self Portrait with Saskia,” adorning the walls of this gallery. This etching, one of over 70 self-portraits done by Rembrandt, depicts the artist and his wife in what would be considered a marriage portrait. His wife, Saskia, is shown in the back of the etching supporting her husband’s career not just as a wife but also as a model for many of his works depicting women.

In the opinion of the authors, this exhibit not only provides the public with beautiful etchings by Rembrandt, but also speaks to a socio-economic wave of accessibility to the arts. For centuries these etchings have been kept in private collections or exclusively in larger museums and galleries. Given the scale of the WAM, being able to see works that had, and continue to have, lasting impacts on art and artists is an uncommon but welcome occurrence. Not only does the WAM provide you with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see many of these etchings, but as a small-scale museum, unlike the Gardner or the MFA, it also provides you with an intimate experience unfettered by crowds and advertisements.

Come and see the museum before this exhibit closes on Feb. 19. Student discounts are available at the front desk of the museum, and we highly encourage you to buy a $10 weekend pass for the commuter rail and go to the museum!

Art courtesy of REMBRANDT. Photo: MIKEY TERRENZI/The Justice

Art courtesy of REMBRANDT. Photo: MIKEY TERRENZI/The Justice

“Self-Portrait with Saskia.” 1636 Etching on plate.

10.4 x 9.5 cm.

“Abraham’s Sacrifice.” 1665 Etching on drypoint.

16.1 x 13.4 cm.

MUSEUM MEANDERINGS

Is Jello an art?

An exhibit explores media and life through this gelatinous treat.

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR

When walking through the Museum of Fine Arts, I was shocked to see the word “Jello” across a wall next to a small room, and I couldn’t help but venture in. Sometimes curiosity kills the cat, but in this instance the cat gained some perspective. The exhibit “Digital Iridescence: Jell-O in New Media” is unlike any other that I have seen and proves why I continue to venture across the city and explore museums.

This exhibit opened with a lesson on the history of Jello as a product, providing context for the art that is going to be seen. This food has been around for over a hundred years, being especially popular in the early twentieth century but still seen in kitchen cabinets across the country. Jello has also had very impactful advertising campaigns, known as “America’s most popular dessert.” As this exhibit demonstrates however, it has so much merit beyond just being a dessert.

This exhibit is an interactive experience, utilizing multiple senses — not something that is usually seen in a finearts setting. The work displayed is representative of five different contemporary artists, all connected by the common theme of Jello.

Sharona Franklin is a self identified “writer, sculptor and activist” that took part in this exhibit. She referred to the gelatin sculptures shown as an element of the video she presented as “bioshrines, highlighting their dual roles as living organisms and sacred objects in her treatment of chronic illness and disability.” She works with many mediums and in many forms but loves edible sculptures due to the fact that they can be enjoyed in multiple capacities by many people. I think that this is a great example of art transcending traditional boundaries and bringing individuals together.

Franklin finds much meaning in the Jello, stating that she “understands the materials because [she] understands the conditions of the body which are sensitive.” Working with these Jello sculptures requires precision in terms of both heat and ice, both are aspects that are utilized when treating chronic illness. Franklin is most known for her Instagram account @paid.technologues, where she explores the intersection found in encapsulating elements of nature in Jello, representative of fragility and connection. I have

never seen anything like this page before and was immediately captivated by the intricate details of these miniature gelatin gardens. She has built a platform surrounding the intersection of art and disability, and her passion really came through when watching her video at the MFA. The video created by Alison Kuo, explores the “sacrifice, sensuality and aspiration contained in gelatin’s material and social histories.” As seen on her website, Kuo has done much research regarding the history and past usage of gelatin, a substance that was created to aid wartime rationing and has since developed a popular counterpart of slime.

“The New Joys of Gellies” demonstrated Kuo experimenting with texture and sound, merging “the aesthetics of ASMR and experimental sound art.” She had no hesitation diving right in and touching the substance in a myriad of ways. Her video at the MFA was better watched with headphones, creating an immersive experience. I was both amazed and disturbed when listening, as the ASMR that I have seen on the internet is meant to have a calming effect on the audience. I did not find this video experience calming, but it was oddly intriguing. I had no idea Jello could make so many different sounds and take on so many different textures. It was mesmerizing.

Katherine Mitchell DiRico displayed a piece of work called “hylomorphism” within this exhibit — my personal favorite of the five showcased artists. This was made up of a projection that has multiple different layers due to fabric.

The projection is a close up of holographic looking Jello, and spectators travel through the projection, and it comes to life around them. I visited with my family and we had a great time, feeling like we were a part of the art and taking pictures of each other covered in Jello. I think that this is an aspect of the exhibit that you don’t even have to be an art lover to appreciate — it would be fun for anyone.

The final two artists to show art were Kelly Chen and Maisie Cousins. Cousins used photography as a discipline to comment on the resilience of Jello, showing it still intact at the scene of a car crash. I think that it is deeply concerning that this is something we often consume, especially in hospitals. If it can’t be destroyed in a car crash, how can we digest it? This photography was a powerful addition, being

the piece of the exhibit that I noticed gained the most prolonged attention. Many stopped to take it in, even though it was by no means the flashiest, biggest or brightest thing on display.

I had no idea what to expect when walking into this exhibit, and I have to say that I would recommend a visit.

While definitely nontraditional, this exhibit, on display until mid march, was indeed life changing. I found it fascinating to take something seen in daily life and explore it in a myriad of different ways with many different perspectives.

Looking at life through a different lens is never a negative, even if it is maybe a little avant garde for the tastes of most.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS Graphics courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS. Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.

THE JUSTICE ARTS | TUESDAY, JANUARY 31,JUSTICE 2017 JANUARY |30, 2024 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE 19 TUESDAY,

CINEMA CINEMA CRITIQUE CRITIQUE

From toys to tunes: Unwrapping “Jingle Jangle” Jangle”

By MINA ROWLAND JUSTICE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Like many of us, I spent my winter break enjoying some of my favorite Christmas films. Among them were the classics like “It’s A Wonderful Life,” but a new favorite that made it to my list is the 2020 Netflix film “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.” It is a heartwarming and charming tale that is equal parts magical fantasy and realism in its depiction of the complexities of family. Did I mention this film is nearly an all Black cast? Finding movies that depict wholesome Christmas, Kwanzaa or other celebrations for the Black community has been, well, difficult to say the least. Lyn Sisson-Talbert, the producer, is a Black woman and among the most notable female producers in the film industry. Her husband, David E. Talbert, wrote and was a co-creator of the film. Their collaboration creates a cinematic pulse through everything from the costume design to the cinematography.

Unlike theater productions and movie musicals such as the 2014 “Annie” or “The Wiz” (1978), where the Black leads are based on originally white characters, “Jingle Jangle” stands out because it is an original musical.

“Jingle Jangle” takes place in a society that celebrates and acknowledges Black culture. The story follows a toy inventor, Jeronicus Jangle — played by Justin Cornwell and later Forest Whitaker — and his quiet grief as he loses his livelihood to an over-ambitious apprentice, Gustafson — played by Miles Barrow and later Keegan-Michael Key — who steals his work. Gustafson becomes one of the most prominent toymakers while Jangles’ family grows incredibly estranged, with his shop on the brink of foreclosure. After the death of his wife, Jangles loses his spark.

Despite plans for his daughter — played

by Anika Noni Rose — to inherit the business, he pushed her away and slowly it fell apart. Years later Jessica’s 10-year-old daughter, Journey — played by Madalen Mills — makes an elaborate plan, using

her spunk and brilliance to bring them together again. Through the Jangles family there is an enduring message of empowerment. Jeronicus realizes that he stopped believing in himself and his inventions, but through Journey’s story, he and the viewers are encouraged to never give up on their dreams. This message of strength and resilience is further emphasized when Journey’s plan succeeds and Jeronicus and Jessica are reunited, proving the power of love, family and never giving up on your dreams.

My experience with this film is unlike any other. It is placed in this classical period that feels like “Mary Poppins” and the costume design is a focal point of admiration. While remaining true to the Victorian-esque clothing styles, the portrayal of hair is one that I had not anticipated. Sharon Martin, make-up and hair designer, not only portrayed a celebration of natural hair but also accurate depictions of Black folks living in Victorian England. As Martin explained in an interview with Variety, “Black people and women are reclaiming their texture, and they’re proud of it, and it’s not being compromised.”

Something else I find incredibly interesting about this film is that it not only presents a nuanced view of Black men as father figures but also addresses the healing that needs to take place to repair a relationship. The trope of abandonment is far too overused in film and in “Jingle Jangle,” Jessica and her father connect over their love for inventing and creating but also their love for each other. The symbolism of the pair working together to literally fix one of Jeronicas’ inventions closely parallels the fixing of their relationship.

Through the film, there is this incredible focus on mathematics, engineering, creativity and art. All of which are not only rare to see in combination with each other, but particularly with close proxim-

STUDENT ART SPOTLIGHT

ity to Black folks. Period pieces or not, it is rare to find films that explore Black characters that are engaged in intellectual discourse, working as biologists, chemists or inventors, especially for Black women and girls. Films like “Hidden Figures” and “The Banker” often expose the greater idea that Black folks have made large intellectual contributions to society. “Jingle Jangle,” through the fictional lens, portrays Black families in a hyper-imaginative sense where they are a part of a revolution and have autonomy to create something that has never been thought of before.

If that is not enough to convince you to watch this film, stay for the music and the dancing. As a musical theater nerd, I can fully admit that I am biased when I say I am fully committed to seeing this film live on Broadway. From R&B and jazz to soul and afro-pop, “Jingle Jangle” has it all. We all know Anika Noni Rose is extremely talented and alongside her Forest Whitaker, but the star that lit up the screen for me was the 10-year-old Madalen Mills. She might be small, but she is unstoppable. Her delivery in “Square Root of Impossible” is equally matched to the anthem “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman.” All of the songs are so catchy and inspiring. The opening number, “This Day,” is among my favorites because the lyrics capture the experience of being an ambitious dreamer and finally seeing dreams realized.

And yet another favorite, “Make it Work” — Rose’s only solo — is beautiful because it is the emotional climax. It carries so much soul and features the double meaning of making inventions and relationships work. There is another song by Anika Noni Rose that was unfortunately cut from the film but still lives in my heart, “With Love.” It is a poetic ballad that, similarly to Rose’s song in the film, longs for a relationship with her father but hopes that he can build a better one

with his granddaughter, Journey. The final song on my list of favorites is “Miles and Miles,” sung by supporting character Ms. Johnston, who is played by Lisa Davina Phillip. This song is unlike the others because of the vocal riffs and evocative of gospel music. There is a trio of tenors that serve as her acapella chorus that is equally impressive.

“Jingle Jangle” is only the beginning of what Black theater has to offer and I look forward to seeing more original theater curated for Black audiences in the future.

We need diversity to go beyond just showing characters of color on screen; they should be portrayed as people living their everyday lives who are informed by their identity instead of centering their race in the conversation. That wish was granted through the film and, in fact, it feels like a Christmas present in and of itself.

Wrapped in a beautiful bow, Talbert’s writing and emotion meld into an irresistible celebration of storytelling.

Photos courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

ART BRIEF

WHITNEY ANNOUCES 2024 BIENNIAL ARTISTS

By ELIZA BIER JUSTICE EDITOR

Art courtesy of KYRA BHAGAT.

Kyra Bhagat ’26 is a sophomore majoring in Biology. She is an international student from New Delhi, India. Kyra is a self-taught artist and various mediums of art like canvas paintings, Mandala art and digital art. She has been drawing since the age of 5, but got back to it during the pandemic. Kyra has always been a Disney kid. Her favorite cartoon as a child was Winnie the Pooh. This artwork is her take on the cartoon. Kyra did Mandala art, filling in the outline. She specifically chose Mandala art because it was one of the art forms she found so magnificent. One could uplift a drawing with a few pen strokes.

Graphic courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS and NEMMA KALRA/The Justice. Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.

Founded in 1930, The Whitney Museum of American Art has focused on showcasing contemporary and modern American art. Gertrude Whitney, the founder of The Whitney, noticed that many American artists with unusual ideas were having trouble exhibiting and selling their work. As a result she herself started buying their art, amassing an impressive collection of modern and contemporary American art. In 1914, Whitney established the Whitney Studio as a place to display her collection.

By 1929, she had collected more than 500 pieces of artwork, which she tried to gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art but was rejected. Following this rejection, Whitney opened the Whitney Museum in 1931.

Since its opening, The Whitney has been dedicated to exhibiting the works of American artists whose artworks have been dismissed by traditional academies. As such The Whitney has and continues to provide a unique and individualized perspective of American culture. In fact, The Whitney Museum was the first museum dedicated solely to the exhibition of living American artists — artists whose work were often not welcome in other traditional museum spaces. Some of these artists include Georgia O’Keefe, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Jeff Koons.

In 1937, the Whitney instituted an invitational art exhibition called the “Whitney Annual,” which alternated showing paintings and sculpture. In 1973, the “Whitney Annual,” shifted to be the “Whitney Biennial,” which is a survey show of work in all styles of media every two years.

Although the “Whitney Biennial” has faced some controversy over the years it continues to be the longest-running survey of American art and is regarded as one of the most prominent shows in the art world.

This year the highly anticipated 81st installment of the “Whitney Biennial” opens on March 20 and is titled “Whitney Biennial 2024: Even Better Than the Real Thing.” The exhibit will show the works of 69 artists and two collectives who embody the “evolving notions of American art” through their

work. These new artists bring new ideas and different perspectives to both the American and global art community.

This year’s show is focused on the ideas of “the real,” acknowledging the inflection point that society is currently at. The curators discuss what we as a society consider to be real, especially with mounting concerns about artificial intelligence and materiality. The collection will inspire viewers to contend with ideas surrounding the fluidity of identity while reflecting on their own place in society, both in relation to other people and an increasingly technological world.

This year’s “Whitney Biennial” also contends with ideas of historical and current land ownership. Ideas relating to historical and especially relevant following increasing discussion about the ownership of Indigenous pieces of artwork and ceremonial objects in museums. Since 1990, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act or NAGPRA has enforced the protection and return of Indigenous human remains, funerary objects and objects of cultural patrimony. At the end of 2023, NAGPRA was updated to include consent by federally recognized Indigenous tribes to display items of cultural patrimony. However, with this update came the decision to exclude the vast number of non-federally recognized Indigenous nations from museum negotiations. Whether or not these issues will be included in the Binennial’s exhibit will be indicative of American views of America’s history of exploiting Indigenous peoples. However, based on the Biennial’s history it is highly likely that these problems will be addressed in some of the artwork.

The “Whitney Biennial” continues to inspire new artists to push new boundaries in art and contribute to America’s rich art history.

Overall, the “Whitney Biennial” has a robust history of showcasing unlikely voices and pushing the boundaries of how art and society interact. The 2024 “Whitney Biennial” opens in New York City on March 20 and is definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

20 TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE JUSTICE

STAFF’S Top Ten

By DAHLIA RAMIREZ JUSTICE STAFF ARTIST

ELIZA BIER/The Justice

By MARINA ROSENTHAL JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Top 10 dried fruits These are my top ten dried fruits of all time — not open to arguments or criticism.

1. Dried mango 2. Dried cranberries 3. Dried apricot 4. Dried apples 5. Dried pinapple 6. Dried papaya 7. Dried dates 8. Dried bananas 9. Dried figs 10. Raisins

CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD

By SMILEY HUYNH JUSTICE EDITOR

Across

1. Words for abundance — goes with the theme 2. Split squat, exercise 5. Burger Kings’ signature burger 7. Austrian candy best known for their dispensers 9. $100,000 10. Item thrown to people drowning 14. Deadlift, exercise (RDL) 21. Word for bite, chomp, masticate 25. Patronymic or generational suffix given to the younger person 26. 42.195 km race 28. Word for female domestic cattle, editor Eliza Bier’s favorite animal according to The Justice 29. Posterior, synonym 31. Dazzle, the ole...

32. Defective, synonym

Down

Visit our website: thejustice.org for crossword solutions.

Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.

2. Shoulder-type rocket launcher 3. Pitchers throw from 4. Will smash with andromeda in 4.5 billion years 6. Deliverable of missiles, rockets, torpedos or bombs 8. Polka ____ 11. Painted onto nails 12. Plateware, fine 13. Young & Smylie, S.V. & F.P. Schudder and H.W. Petherbridge incorporated to make this, basically red vines 15. Opposite of pull 16. A secret look, noun, spying tom, not a ____ out of you 17. Orange tea 18. Eminem

33. Smallest of a litter 34. Two music genres smashed together 36. Title of the 1844 novel by Alexandra Dumas; there’s three of them 38. Twists, exercise 40. mesoamerican dish traditionally wrapped in corn husks, hot 47. Ketchum, character 48. Originally known as Mars Men 50. A type of breakfast tea 51. Excuse my _____, fries, _____press 55. Discussion, talk, chat 56. The day on which you receive pay for your work 60. Elderly, synonym 61. Another word from gigolo 62. Made into a cereal that had a commercial that’s spelled out its name in a rap, witherspoon 63. Jump rope, double

19. Red planet 20. Halloween staple despite being disgusting 22. Noun for someone smart 23. Plant of the genus Brunnichia 24. Peter Parker’s girlfriend 27. UFO 30. Flighty, scatterbrained, dumb 35. How a child would call you stupid 37. Someone who always drops the ball, noun 39. Holey cheese 41. Make out, peck, could be french, X, plural 42. Group of nerds, affectionate 43. Kent, superman’s alter ego

44. MLB to the MiLB 45. 1982 movie, looks like shiny cat poop 46. A type of pastry 49. Red fish 52. Brand with its most popular flavor being banana 53. What Edmund would trade his family for 54. Laugh disrespectfully, plural 57. Ledger, actor 58. Famous baseball player from 1914 to 1935 59. Houston baseball team, former player 5 bids short of making hall of fame 64. Runs along central park, next to Forth Avenue