The Justice - Feb. 24, 2009 by The Justice

ARTS PAGE 21

SPORTS Fencing teams place high at NEC 13

SHANNON VISITS

FORUM PR firm is nothing new 11 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

the

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY SINCE 1949

Justice www.theJusticeOnline.com

Volume LXII, Number 20

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

WEB OF WORDS

ACADEMICS

CARS seeks revenue gains ■ The Committee on

Academic Restructuring submitted proposals aimed at aiding budget issues. By MIRANDA NEUBAUER JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

A subcommittee of the Committee on Academic Restructuring is proposing a new graduation requirement in the form of semester-long experiential learning programs both on and off campus in order to increase the undergraduate student body, while another subcommittee is proposing a Business major to attract more applicants. In addition, a separate group of faculty is proposing a major in Communications, Media and Society in order to attract more applicants. All proposals are intended to increase revenue from tuition-paying students, faculty members said. Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe posted all three proposals on a special Brandeis Web site dedicated to the curricular changes in advance of an open forum that will be held Wednesday in order to gain feedback on the proposals and to make further changes. The Undergraduate

By MICHELLE LIBERMAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Brandeis is involved in the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts, an effort to get the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to adopt the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act to ease endowment restrictions, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French wrote in a Feb. 19 e-mail to the Justice.

RACHEL CORKE/the Justice

teaching center and exhibition gallery.”

STUDENT RESPONSE: David Azer ‘11 poses a question at an open forum.

Board of Trustees resolution, Jan. 26

“Brandeis University’s Board of Trustees today voted unanimously to close the

Rose Art Museum...” University press release, Jan. 26 RACHEL CORKE/the Justice

MUSEUM PROTEST: Students stage a sit-in at the Rose.

“Unfortunately, those statements did not accurately reflect the Board’s decision. ...

The Museum will remain open.” President Jehuda Reinharz’s e-mail, Feb. 5

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

REINHARZ REMARKS: The president spoke to student media.

See COMMITTEE, 5 ☛

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN BLUMENTHAL

Semantics over substance

Univ joins effort to adopt UPMIFA law AICUM schools to lobby for replacement of the current Massachussets legislation.

Rose Art Museum to a

Curriculum Committee will consider the proposals Thursday, several faculty members said. The subcommittee on a possible summer semester and experiential learning is proposing a new graduation requirement, the “Brandeis Semester,” to be completed by 800 to 1,000 students a year either during the summer, fall or spring after a student’s first year. The new program would apply to incoming students entering in the fall of 2010, according to the proposal. Students could fulfill the Brandeis Semester requirement through programs such as an Environmental Field Semester, expanded work in a lab over the summer, a Brandeis Summer Arts Festival, Summer Study Abroad opportunities, an internship away from Brandeis during the fall or spring or intensive summer language study, according to the committee’s proposal. “I would really have appreciated the option of doing the summer research with courses specifically geared toward people interested in scientific research,” Lydia Flier ’11, a student representative on the committee, said. Increasing the student body, by having more students live off campus

ENDOWMENT

■ Brandeis will work with

“The University administration is authorized to take the necessary steps to transition the University’s

Shifting language confuses Rose decision By HANNAH KIRSCH and MIKE PRADA JUSTICE EDITORS

“Brandeis supports enactment of UPMIFA and Brandeis is involved in the AICUM effort,” French wrote. AICUM is coordinating with other private Massachusetts colleges and universities to get UPMIFA enacted by the Massachusetts state legislature. Joe Baerlein, a temporary Brandeis spokesman for the University’s public relations firm Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc., told the Justice yesterday that AICUM is a “trade association for all the independent colleges, and they work in concert on public policy and legislative issues on behalf of all their members.” Under the current law, which is

See ENDOWMENT, 5 ☛

It has been nearly one month since the University administration shocked the Brandeis community with an e-mail announcing its decision to close the Rose Art Museum and sell art from its collection. Since the Jan. 26 e-mail announcing the passage of the Board of Trustees’ resolution, the decision has been restated to the point where it may seem as if the administration has backed off its initial intentions. But while the language of the initial decision may have changed, the University’s intentions have remained the same. The Rose will still transition from a public museum to a teaching space for the school, and the

NEWS ANALYSIS

University will still sell the art if necessary in order to help alleviate its financial troubles. The confusion that has permeated the Rose situation lies in the University’s words, not its intended actions. “The new statement from the University president, Jehuda Reinharz, proposes certainly a much milder way of phrasing where we’re headed, but I still think we’re headed in the same direction,” Prof. Eric Hill (THA), the chair of the Committee to Review the Closing of the Rose, told the Justice Feb. 13. The initial Jan. 26 press release stated that the Board of Trustees “voted unanimously to close the Rose Art Museum,” adding that “the University will publicly sell the art collection.” Two weeks later, following extensive publicity in national publications like the Boston Globe and the New York Times, Reinharz seemed to backtrack

from the original decision in a Feb. 5 email to the Brandeis community. The e-mail read: “The Museum will remain open, but in accordance with the Board’s vote, it will be more fully integrated into the University’s central educational mission,” and also stated that “The [initial public statements] gave the misleading impression that we were selling the entire collection immediately, which is not true.” Reinharz blamed himself in part for the misunderstanding, channeling President Barack Obama by writing, “I screwed up.” But Reinharz’s second e-mail did not violate the initial Board of Trustees resolution. The original resolution stated, “The University administration is authorized to take the necessary steps to transition the University’s Rose Art Museum to a

See ANALYSIS, 5 ☛

The insight of Frank

Making history

New CIO hired

■ Representative Barney Frank speaks about the financial crisis.

■ The men’s basketball team broke a UAA shooting record in routing Case Western Reserve University.

■ Alison Svizzero replaces former CIO Deborah Kuenstner.

FEATURES 7

For tips or info call Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online (781) 736-6397 at www.thejusticeonline.com

INDEX

NEWS 3

SPORTS 16

ARTS

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 7

OPINION POLICE LOG

11 2

SPORTS LETTERS

16 11

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

AP BRIEF Gov Patrick wants to increase gas tax and reform transport system BOSTON—On Friday, Gov. Deval Patrick proposed a 19-cent increase in the state gas tax, making it the highest in the nation and streamlining the state’s transportation bureaucracy as the best way to help fix Massachusetts’ debt-ridden transportation system. The plan to reform a transportation system that is billions of dollars in debt avoids a proposed toll increase on the Massachusetts Turnpike that caused public outcry when it was approved in November. Patrick said the tax increase would raise about $500 million annually, though that wouldn’t be enough to completely eliminate tolls. “We’ve tried to strike a balance between the most immediate needs where we can put our transportation network on more secure fiscal and financial foundation without asking something unreasonable from travelers,” Patrick said. “All of it is tough, and there’s nothing here that isn’t a heavy lift.” The 19- cent increase gives the state a gas tax of 42.5 cents, which Patrick said would address $5 billion of lingering debt at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and $2.2 billion in debt at the Turnpike. Patrick said while the proposed gas tax was enough to stave off the toll increase of $7 at the Boston Harbor tunnels and $2 at the Allston-Brighton and Weston tollbooths, it would take another 15 cents to eliminate tolls on the Mass Pike altogether. In order to fix all the state’s transportation problems, Patrick said, it would take an additional 73 cents on the gas tax. The proposed 19- cent hike must be approved by the Legislature. The Turnpike Board plans to vote on the toll increase next week to avoid a credit rating downgrade. The governor said if the Legislature is unable to pass Patrick’s plan before then, he will ask Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi to make the vote conditional. Once the Legislature passes the gas tax increase, the board will remove the toll increase. The governor has said earlier he would not seek a tax increase without getting legislative support for overhauling the state’s transportation bureaucracy through reforms, such as abolishing the MBTA. Patrick’s reorganization plan would create one Executive Office of Transportation with four divisions: Highway, Rail & Transit, Aviation & Port and Registry of Motor Vehicles. It also creates an Office of Performance Management to ensure public accountability. The plan eliminates 300 positions and ends special perks in the employee pension system at the MBTA, Patrick said. He also said it would make the transportation system more environmentally responsible through steps such as increased investment in public transportation outside Boston and adopting various standards to build and buy in environmentally friendly ways. House Speaker Robert DeLeo said the governor’s plan was a good framework for needed reform and revenue, but 19 cents may not be the “magic number” for a gas tax increase. “At the end of the day, will you see changes from the House proposal? Sure you will,” DeLeo said. “I’m not prepared to say we’ll go as high as the governor.”‘ Turnpike Authority Board member Mary Connaughton, a Framingham resident who was the only board member to vote against the toll increase, criticized Patrick’s decision to raise the gas tax without eliminating tolls. “It’s absurd to ask tollpayers to pay an increased gas tax without substantial toll elimination. It’s simply perpetuating the great unfairness and deepening inequity,” Connaughton said. “The governor had a prime opportunity to fix this, and he failed.”

Medical Emergency

Traffic

Feb. 13—A female student in Usen Castle notified BEMCo that her roommate was not feeling well but could not describe the illness. BEMCo responded and reported that the student had low blood sugar. The student was transported via ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Feb. 13—An employee in Kalman slipped and fell. A head injury, as well as other injuries, was reported. The Waltham Fire Department and an ambulance responded to the scene. The employee was transported via ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Feb. 14—A party told University Police that a female student had the chills and possibly had a fever. University Police responded to the scene. The on-call nurse advised the student to go to the emergency room, but the student said that she did not want to go. The student was advised to call back if she felt worse and that University Police would provide a cruiser transport.

Feb. 11—A minor motor vehicle accident was reported by a party at the Main Gate. University Police compiled a report.

Harassment Feb. 12—A party in Sachar International Center reported receiving a harassing phone call placed by an unknown caller. University Police compiled a report.

Miscellaneous Feb. 19—A party in Ridgewood Quad reported that someone threw her sheets on the floor in her room. There were no signs of forced entry. The University locksmith was asked to change the locks on the student’s dorm room. The student did not want to fill out a complaint form; nothing was reported missing. No further action was taken by University Police. —Compiled by Jillian Wagner

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS An article in Sports last issue did not state the given name and position of McKoy. He is Eric McKoy and he is an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team. (Feb. 10, p. 13). An article in Features last issue mistakenly identified Hal Lebovitz as a sportswriter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in the 1920s and 1930s. Lebovitz worked for the Plain Dealer starting in 1960 and was the paper’s sports editor between 1964 and 1982. (Feb. 10, p. 8).

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

Stimulating ideas

ANNOUNCEMENTS

theJustice

Dr. Thomas Hegghammer, research fellow for the Initiative on Religion in International Affairs/International Security Program from Harvard University, will focus on what is known about radical Islam in Saudi Arabia. This presentation will offer new findings on the causes and dynamics of jihad in Saudi Arabia. Today from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. in Heller 163.

Main Line News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing

(781) 736-3750 (781) 736-6397 (781) 736-3746 (781) 736-3754 (781) 736-3745 (781) 736-3753 (781) 736-3751 (781) 736-3752 (781) 736-3567

The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, Mass. 02454-9110 E-mail: justice@brandeis.edu

The Senate passed a bylaw change requiring Senators to notify the chair of the Senate of extenuating circumstances in order to miss a Senate meeting. The bylaw change defines an extenuating circumstance as one that does not occur regularly or semi-regularly. The bylaw stipulates that an automatic censure resolution be added to the agenda should a Senator miss two or more meetings unexcused. The Senate tabled a Senate Money Resolution to co-fund a March 30 campus visit from Bill Ayers, a founding member of the Weather Underground and now a professor of education at the University of Illinois in Chicago, as well as an April 3 visit by Robert H. King, a member of the Black Panther Party who advocated desegregation in prisons and spent 32 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. Some senators expressed concern that money paid by all students would go toward a controversial event, expressed reservations about violent acts committed by the Weather Underground, which the FBI designated as a terrorist organization, and discussed how such an event would reflect on donor relations and media coverage of Brandeis. The events’ supporters said that they had not received as much funding from a social justice grant as they had expected and that they did not believe Ayers would advocate for violent action. They also emphasized that such an event would be academically beneficial for students learning about the 1960s in the classroom. Union Secretary Tia Chatterjee ’09 reported that sign-ups for North Quad and East Quad senator special elections would open up Monday, and that polls for these elections will open March 8. The first round of regular Spring Elections will begin April 6. Student Union President Jason Gray ’10 reported that in addition to the previously announced plans for a new Business major and a third semester, a group of faculty is also working on proposing a Business and Communications, Media and Society major. He added that he would like students and the Union Senate to have more of a voice in academic decisions and suggested that the Senate pass resolutions regarding the proposals that he would announce at faculty meetings. Gray announced that this semester’s State of the Union will be held March 17 at 6:30 p.m. The Senate passed a resolution in support of the proposed Business and Communications, Media and Society major to be presented to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee this Thursday. The Senate confirmed Ben Stein ’10 as non-Senate chair of the Club Support Committee. The Senate voted not to grant the Whiffle Ball Club permanent recognition. Executive Senator Andrew Brooks ’09 reported that the club did not respond to multiple requests to come before the Senate. The Senate tabled granting The Jury permanent charter because Senators said the club is still active even though it had not responded to some requests to appear in front of the Senate. —Miranda Neubauer

Adam Eisenberg ’09, a representative of the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering Committee, discussed the implementation of a new Business major with students in Geller Auditorium Feb. 10.

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail justeditor@brandeis.edu.

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Editor in chief office hours are held every Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Justice office.

Senators will be censured for missing meetings

Understanding Islamist militancy

State of the Union Address Join Brandeis Democrats and Democracy for America as they watch President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address. Today from 9 to 10 p.m. in the Polaris Lounge. For more information, e-mail acorn@brandeis.edu.

renowned writer, historian and chef. The event is free and open to the public. Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Back Pages Books in Waltham.

to be paid in advance. Monday, March 2 and Wednesday, March 4 from 7 to 10 p.m., and Monday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 18 from 7 to 10 p.m. in Lown 203.

Resistance and empowerment

Resumania

This one-day symposium examines the experiences of mothers in academic life. It asks: Are women in heterosexual couples still responsible for creating/maintaining home, family and community? If so, how does motherhood impact a woman’s ability to succeed in academia? A registration fee of $80 is required. Visit www.yorku.ca/arm to register. Friday, Feb. 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Epstein Lecture Hall.

Have your résumé and cover letter reviewed by Hiatt in preparation for orientation leader applications, networking over winter break, applications to full-time jobs and internships and more. Monday March 2 from noon to 3 p.m. in the Usdan Student Center.

CPR training courses Back Pages Books Author Michael Krondl will discuss his book The Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of Three Great Cities of Spice. Krondl is a

Brandeis Health Occupation Students of America is holding two CPR classes for the community, broken into two sessions each. The cost of the certification is $40, which needs

Committee on disabilities speaker series The committee on disabilities is having a speaker and film series throughout March. The first speaker will be Prof. Valerie Leiter ’01, associate professor of sociology at Simmons College. Leiter’s work focuses on children and youth with disabilities. Tuesday, March 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Pollack Auditorium.

THE JUSTICE

CONSTRUCTION

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

FACULTY

Equipment to move into Center Interim ■ Phase 2 of the new Carl J.

Shapiro Science Center has been postponed indeﬁnitely. Classes will not be moved into the new facilities until the fall semester of 2009. By HARRY SHIPPS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Researchers and equipment will be transported into the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center beginning this week, according to Vice President of Capital Projects Dan Feldman; however, science classes will not be moved into the science center until fall semester 2009. However, Feldman wrote in an email to the Justice that “Phase two of the [Science Complex Renewal Project] has been indefinitely postponed.” Feldman wrote that Phase one is “nearly complete. “Phase one of the master plan for the Science Center includes a major new building with teaching labs on the first two levels, three levels of research space, an atrium and a café,” according to the Capital Projects Web site. “The Phase 2A building, which was schematically designed together with Phase one to ensure complete coordination, is expected to include teaching labs, a large lecture hall and three levels of additional research laboratories,” according to the Web site. The downturn in the economy and donations to the school has slowed the University’s plan to make up the projected $74 million in gifts for the Science Center, as the school has received less than it predicted in fundraising and grants due to the troubled economy, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French said at a Feb. 5 press conference for campus media. According to the Capital Projects Web site, two floors of the new center will be devoted to biology and chemistry teaching labs and classrooms; the other three floors will contain new research facilities. The center will be connected to the existing Rosenstiel and Edison-Lecks science buildings and will replace the two oldest science buildings, Friedland and Kalman, which are slated to be razed this summer, according to the Web site. “The new Carl J. Shapiro Science

CIO hired

Center is the largest and most technically complex single project we have completed in the current ‘building boom’ that has been underway at Brandeis since the late 1990s,” Feldman wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. “The Shapiro Science Center is a great step forward for science facilities at Brandeis—truly a 21st century building,” he wrote. “I think the construction of the Shapiro Science Center is a landmark event in the history of Brandeis,” Prof. Greg Petsko (CHEM) wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. “It exemplifies the long-term commitment of the University to the sciences.” Melissa Kosinski-Collins, an assistant professor of biology, echoed Petsko’s view. “We now have cutting-edge, stateof-the-art laboratory classrooms for both the Chemistry and Biology departments, which will foster more laboratories integrally tied to computational strategies and will encourage collaboration and scientific success

■ Alison Svizzero will

temporarily replace Deborah Kuenstner as chief investment ofﬁcer. By NASHRAH RAHMAN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

“

It exemplifies the longterm commitment of the University to the sciences. PROF. GREG PETSKO (CHEM)

for our students,” she wrote in an email to the Justice “These laboratories will provide our undergraduate students with the tools and skills they will need to be successful for the future graduate studies, medical pursuits, and/or careers in the biomedical research field,” Kosinski-Collins wrote. When asked in what specific ways the Shapiro Science Center is an improvement over current science facilities at Brandeis, Prof. Suzanne Paradis (BIOL) wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, “I know that a very powerful magnet used for [Nuclear Magnetic Resonance] will be housed in the new building for teaching and research purposes. “This is the type of state-of-the-art equipment that simply could not be housed in the current science facilities,” she added Feldman wrote, “The Carl J.

RACHEL CORKE/Justice File Photo

GREENING THE LAB: The new Carl J. Shapiro Science Center has several energyefﬁcient features for increased sustainability, such as new fume hoods (above). Shapiro Science Center was designed to meet a [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-silver] equivalent, and we believe that it is actually within a couple of points of meeting a LEED-gold equivalent standard.” LEED is an independent organization that sets nationally acknowledged standards for the construction

of green buildings. According to Feldman, some of the notable elements of the science center that play a role in sustainability include natural ventilation of nonlab spaces with operational windows, the use of recycled and recyclable materials, low-flush urinals and dual-flush toilets in the bathrooms, and electronic sensors on bathroom faucets.

ADMISSIONS

Faculty contact aims to recruit top 500 applicants ■ Faculty will volunteer to

call or e-mail up to ﬁve of the top 500 students selected for admission to Brandeis. By ALANA ABRAMSON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

A new initiative created by the Office of Admissions and the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences will put faculty members in contact with up to five of the top 500 applicants from the Class of 2013 each in an effort to recruit them to attend the school, according to an e-mail Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe wrote to faculty explaining this initiative. The Office of Admissions began sending e-mails to these students last Friday, providing them with a link that enables them to tell admissions officers if they would like personal contact with a Brandeis faculty member, Jaffe, who is coordinating the faculty effort for the initiative, said in an interview with the Justice. “By the time the actual acceptance letters go out, students are flooded with information from multiple schools, so we thought it was sensible to contact them before the acceptance letters actually went out in an effort to interest them early on,” Jaffe said. Jaffe said the University’s budget situation did not play a direct role in the forming of the initiative. “This initiative does not have anything to do with Brandeis’ budget

difficulties; it is a further step in recruiting admitted students,” Jaffe said. “However, given the circumstances, it will be a helpful opportunity to assuage any concerns applicants may have about these issues,” he explained. Dean of Admissions Gil Villanueva wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the office of admissions identified the top 500 applicants as those students who “achieved the highest ratings in the admissions application review program,” which he said was based on “quality of courses taken and performance, personal character and potential for contribution to the Brandeis community.” “Brandeis has such a self-selecting applicant pool (so many demonstrate to be some of the top high school seniors in [the] nation and abroad) that we could have easily sent 2000 preliminary admission letters,” Villanueva wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. “The selection process was most thoughtful and deliberate. Ultimately, applicants that rose above the rest were chosen,” he wrote. According to Villanueva, the initiative was designed to keep pace with Brandeis’ competitors such as Yale, Dartmouth, Amherst, Lehigh and Duke Universities. “We are aware that some of the most selective colleges and universities, including some Ivies, send preliminary admission letters,” Villanueva wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. “We understand that top students want to be wanted. By extending this preview, we are clearly expressing our interest in them,” he wrote. Jaffe said that faculty members

would be paired up with students based on the individual students’ academic interests, which they would indicate on the Web site. Jaffe explained in his letter to the faculty that faculty would not be asked to speak with more than five students. He wrote that the admissions office would send those who wished to participate certain “talking points” that stress Brandeis’ positive aspects to promote the University. He clarified in an interview with the Justice that faculty can choose the number of times they wish to contact the applicants and discuss these talking points with the students. “Once the initial contact is made with the applicant, the

“

We understand that top students want to be wanted. GIL VILLANUEVA

subsequent interaction is truly in the hands of the faculty,” he said. However, he added that “the faculty really need to take this initiative seriously.” Jaffe said he received 89 responses from faculty interested in the initiative, such as Profs. Judith Eissenberg (MUS), Gordie Fellman (SOC), Bong Lian (MATH) and Jane Kondev (PHYS). Heather K. Young, Jaffe’s assistant, provided the list of faculty members to the Justice.

“The faculty has been tremendously enthusiastic about this program. Many responded affirmatively. We are grateful to them,” Villanueva wrote. Eissenberg wrote that she hopes “to get a list of students who have expressed interest in my own areas of interest, which would include music, social justice, the arts, cultural production, interdisciplinary intersections, global studies and education” and that she is “happy to have a conversation either by e-mail or phone.” Eissenberg wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that her own experience choosing a college showed her that faculty outreach will help persuade students to enroll at Brandeis in the fall. “When I went to school, eons ago, it was part of the process for me to play for the violin teacher on the faculty that I wanted to study with. In that try-out meeting, a sort of lesson for both of us, I could make a better decision about my choice,” she wrote. Ultimately, she wrote, that “one-on-one experience” helped her choose The Yale School of Music over the Juilliard School. Both Jaffe and Villanueva hope the initiative will persuade applicants to enroll in the fall, particularly in light of the fact that Brandeis may encounter difficulties in that area as a result of the budget difficulties and the fallout from the Jan. 26 decision to close the Rose Art Museum. “While the impact of negative press is difficult to isolate and to measure, we hope that these students will take this initiative for what it is—a genuine expression of our interest in them,” Villanueva wrote.

Former Director of Non-Marketable Investments Alison Svizzero was appointed Interim Chief Investment Officer Feb. 2 following last semester’s announcement that former Chief Investment Officer Deborah Kuenstner would be leaving the University, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. French wrote that Kuenstner left Brandeis Jan. 29 to assume the same position of Chief Investment Officer at her alma mater, Wellesley College. “The decision to appoint [Svizzero] to this position was made one month before [Kuenstner’s] departure,” wrote French. He elaborated that the decision was made in consultation with University President Jehuda Reinharz and the Board of Trustees. “As interim CIO, I provide management and oversight for the endowment’s investment portfolio,” Svizzero wrote in an email to the Justice. “I will work closely with the endowment’s investment committee in setting investment strategy, establishing the fund’s asset allocation and overseeing the fund’s external managers,” she wrote. Given the current economic situation, Svizzero wrote in an email to the Justice that she does not anticipate incorporating new responsibilities into her new role. According to French, on Jan. 15, “a memorandum was sent to members of the Investment Committee and to the heads of those Brandeis offices that work most closely with the Office of Management.” He explained in his email that the news was made available on the Office Web site later at the end of January because “appointments that tend to be of interest to a relatively small segment of the community are not typically broadcast” to the entire community. French wrote in an e-mail to the Justice last November that Kuenstner came to Brandeis in 2007 after the “Investment Committee and Administration decided that the size and sophistication of the [University’s investment] portfolio called for a dedicated in-house investment team.” Kuenstner told the Justice in November that she would continue her duties as CIO until February and that she would suggest potential candidates to fill the vacant post. During her term as chief investment officer, Kuenstner was in communication with the Committee on Ethics Endowment and Responsibility, which makes recommendations to the University Board of Trustees about the University’s investment choices. Svizzero wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that she and French would “interact with CEER.” In an e-mail to the Justice, Senator for the Class of 2011 Alex Melman wrote that CEER has not yet met with Svizzero. “The students on the CEER will be meeting this Sunday, and my plan is to meet shortly after with [French] and/or [Svizzero],” he wrote. “I look forward to working with Svizzero in her new role,” Student Union President Jason Gray ’10 wrote in an e-mail to the Justice this week.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

STUDENT LIFE

Merit aid can be used for study abroad

Cell phone reception to improve in Usdan

■ The Advisory Committee

to Study Abroad is currently discussing other ways to ﬁll the $800,000 budget gap. By JILLIAN WAGNER JUSTICE EDITOR

The University reversed its Jan. 16 decision to make merit-based scholarships nontransferable for students studying abroad, according to a Feb. 10 e-mail sent to first-year and sophomore students, as well as to students on the study abroad listserv, by Assistant Dean of Academic Services and Director of Study Abroad J. Scott Van Der Meid and Dean of Student Financial Services Peter Giumette. According to the e-mail, “After careful review and deliberation, the decision has been made to make merit aid portable for study abroad for sophomores and first year students.” “It’s my understanding that we would not restrict incoming students either,” Giumette said in a Feb. 10 interview with the Justice. “That wasn’t part of the [Feb. 10] decision simply because we aren’t speaking to that population.” The merit aid scholarship policy change was initially made in order to address the study abroad program’s $800,000 budget gap from “what we have spent this year for study abroad in operating the program versus what we have for next year,” Van Der Meid explained in an interview with the Justice.

Giumette told the Justice in a Jan. 22 interview that Student Union President Jason Gray ’10 made senior administrators aware of the fact that merit scholar letters for the Justice Brandeis Scholarship, Dean’s Award and Presidential Scholarship clearly stated that these three scholarships could be applied toward study abroad programs. “Senior administration felt that that the letters represented a promise we would honor,” Giumette told the Justice Feb. 10. “It’s fair to say that the administration agreed that it was not something they wanted to do to recruit someone on campus under one premise and then remove their ability to study abroad,” Gray said. “I'm really glad the decision was overturned,” Gray added. “I think it’s a necessary reversal. I think it’s a strong action.” “I am overjoyed [about the reversal],” said Laura Hand ’11, a recipient of a Presidential Scholarship. “I really appreciated that they said that they recognized that they made a promise in our merit scholarship letters and that they are fulfilling their agreement in the contract,” she said. “I think they definitely should have announced it much earlier,” said Alex Melman ’11, a member of the Advisory Committee to Study Abroad, who, along with Gray, was concerned about the approaching Feb. 15 preliminary application deadline. “The first time I heard that it was going to be reversed was several weeks ago. … I don’t know why they had to take so long,” he added. ACSA, composed of staff, faculty and

students, is currently discussing other options to fill the $800,000 budget gap in the study abroad program now that merit scholarships can be applied toward study abroad. ACSA was created at the end of January to “decide how to close the budget gap should merit aid again become portable,” according to the minutes from the committee’s Feb. 2 meeting. The possible alternative policy changes that the committee is discussing include: “Raise [grade-point average] requirements [beyond the recent increase to 3.0 outlined in the Jan. 16 email] for students wishing to study abroad; limit the number and type of programs; limit [the] number of students who participate by making the application process more selective,” according to the ACSA myBrandeis Web site. “None of these choices is the kind that we want to make, but potentially painful choices will be necessary to ensure the program remains within budget,” Dean of Academic Services Kim Godsoe wrote in a Jan. 30 e-mail to students announcing the creation of the committee. However, these changes will not affect students studying abroad in the fall or for the full year of 2009. “It’s too late to be changing the selection criteria for them,” Van Der Meid said. Hanna Rosenthal-Fuller ’09, a member of ACSA, said the committee met for a third time Feb. 11 and discussed “ways to increase [application] selectivity to make up the $800,000 that needs to be eliminated from the study abroad budget.” She explained that the min-

utes from this meeting have not yet been posted on the committee’s Web site because they are still being reviewed and declined to comment on any specific ideas that were discussed before the minutes were approved by all committee members. Rosenthal-Fuller said that no definitive decisions have been reached yet. Melman said that he expects a decision to be made by the end of February. “What I see happening is a more rigorous selection process for study abroad so that not everyone who applies to study abroad through Brandeis will be accepted,” Melman said Feb. 10. Melman then said that he expects that somewhere between 20 and 40 percent of students who apply will be rejected from the Brandeis study abroad program. According to the minutes from ACSA’s Feb. 2 meeting, Godsoe said that only two or three students are generally rejected from the study abroad program per year. Melman said he expects the new study abroad selection process will be similar to the college application process in that a selection committee will review each applicant’s “academic record, their readiness to study abroad, how important it is to their major, their background and [their] preparation for the program. I don’t think there can be one litmus test for who studies abroad and who doesn’t,” he said. —Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story was posted on the Justice Web site Feb. 11

RESTRUCTURING ACADEMICS

DAVID SHEPPARD-BRICK/the Justice

Business as usual Prof. Sarah Lamb (ANTH), a representative from the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering Committee, discussed the creation of a Business major with students and faculty at a Town Hall on Academic Restructuring, which was held Feb. 12 in Hassenfeld Conference Center. The Business major is intended to attract more students to Brandeis.

■ A cell phone ampliﬁer

will be installed in Usdan Student Center this week to improve the service of all cell phone carriers. By REINA GUERRERO JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

A cell phone amplifier, a device designed to improve cell phone service, is scheduled to be installed in the Usdan Student Center by the end of this week, according to Student Union Director of Community Advocacy Andrew Hogan ’11. Hogan explained that when “you go into Lower Usdan, no matter what [cell phone] service provider you have, you don’t get any service.” He said that this initiative was completed in order to fulfill a promise that he made during his campaign. The amplifier was initially supposed to be installed during February Break. however, it arrived late, Hogan said. In an e-mail to the Justice, Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins wrote, “Brandeis personnel [will install the device] unless additional outside resources are needed.” Collins wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the reason the amplifier was being installed in Usdan is that Usdan “has been a difficult area for poor reception and dropped calls.” He wrote that Usdan is the only building in which the device will be installed. The total cost for the improved cell phone reception is $3,000. In an e-mail to the Justice, Hogan wrote, “[The Office of] Facilities [Services] is paying for the entire thing, about $3,000, $2,500 in labor and $500 for the part itself.” Hogan explained that this model was selected because “it worked for the most square footage.” The amplifier will improve the cell phone reception for an area of 5,000 square feet, he said. “I think that improving the cell phone service in Lower Usdan is a necessity,” Rachel Mitrani ’09 said. “It will be great to be able to sit in Lower Usdan and have a cell phone conversation,” she said. “My cell phone reception is very weak in Lower Usdan,” Jessalyn Michaels ’09 said. Lara Helene Weddige ’12 said, “I think it’s a great development and it goes to show how much other students can do to help each other.” As a result of the installation of the amplifier, Hogan said, “All [cell phone service] providers will have better reception [in Lower Usdan].”

RESIDENCE LIFE

ResLife reduces paper product use to benefit environment and finances ■ A trial cutback of paper

towels was instituted, and toilet paper won’t be given to all quads next year. By HARRY SHIPPS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Department of Residence Life will no longer provide residents of Ziv Quad and Rosenthal Quad with toilet paper starting next year; three weeks ago, ResLife also instituted a trial cutback of paper towels in several communal bathrooms in an effort to increase sustainability and to save money in the face of the financial constraints facing the University, according to interim Co-Director

of ResLife Jeremy Leiferman. The University faces operating budget gaps ranging from $4 million in fiscal 2009 to $23 million in fiscal 2012. Leiferman said he is not aware of any plans to make more changes in the vein of the cutbacks in toilet paper and paper towels, although he would not rule out the possibility that other changes may also take place. Leiferman said that the University does not currently supply toilet paper for apartment areas including the Charles River Apartments, Ridgewood Quad and the Foster Mods. According to the 2009-2010 Room Selection Guide, students who choose to live in Ziv Quad or Rosenthal next year will be responsible for their own toilet paper. Leiferman

said that the current policy of providing toilet paper to Ziv and Rosenthal Quad residents presents distribution challenges and that “stu-

“

They’re pennypinching for no reason. SIDDHARTHA NARAYANAN ’12

dents often don’t use the toilet paper that we give them, and it sits and ends up piling up in the corners of suites.” Feldman also said that the decision to no longer provide toilet paper in Ziv and Rosenthal was made

before the economic crisis hit because students were not using the service. Brandeis will, however, continue to provide toilet paper for communal bathrooms and bathrooms shared by more than one room in the other residence halls in the upcoming years. “[Facilities Services is] not looking to eliminate paper towel usage but [is] trying to reduce paper towel usage, and that’s good for multiple reasons, both financially and environmentally,” he said. Some students said they believed the motivation behind the cutback in availability of paper towels is purely financial. Siddhartha Narayanan ’12 said, “They’re penny-pinching for no reason.” Leiferman alluded to the idea that

the decision may have been influenced in part by recent cutbacks to facilities departmental staff and an effort to more effectively use the remaining staff. Nathan Glassman ’12 said, “I really don’t care; it doesn’t seem like that big of an issue.” Several students said they felt as though they were in the dark about these decisions. Glassman said, “One day I walked into the bathroom, tried to dry my hands and I couldn’t; I was a little surprised.” “I feel like they should have some sort of vote or student input,” Kyle Mangan ’12 said. Leiferman said that he was unable to comment on who was involved in the decisions regarding the cutbacks.

THE JUSTICE

CAMPUS EVENT

Prof puts Madoff fraud in perspective ■ Prof. Jonathan Sarna

(NEJS) spoke about the effects of Madoff’s scheme on the Jewish community. By DESTINY AQUINO JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Prof. Jonathan Sarna (NEJS) spoke to students about the historical perspective of the Bernard L. Madoff scandal and its effects on the Jewish community during a Feb. 11 event. The event, called “Why were we susceptible to the Madoff scandal?” was held over dinner in Sherman Dining Hall and was sponsored by Brandeis University Conservative Organization. Madoff, a former chairman of the NASDAQ composite, was accused of running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme, a fraud operation in which investors are paid out of the money input by other investors rather than out of profits. Although many Brandeis donors such as Carl and Ruth Shapiro invested with Madoff and lost much of their wealth, the University did not invest any money with Madoff. Sarna said that the stock market crash of 2008 caused most people to tighten their budgets and be more careful with their spending habits. “The stock market collapse not only led to a decline in every Jewish organization’s endowment but also to a big loss in donations, and that of course meant that a lot of people that had invested money with people like Madoff suddenly needed that money,” Sarna explained. “The minute you need money, a Ponzi

scheme collapses,” he said. Sarna explained that affinity fraud, a system that relies on the trust in a group of people, was Madoff’s main tool in his Ponzi scheme. “That’s one of the reasons one chooses to belong to a Jewish community: They’re all related to one another; they all trust one another. … But all good things have an evil twin. The evil twin of trust is betrayal,” he said. Sarna closed his lecture by speaking about impact with “regard to [the] loss of wealth in the Jewish community due to the stock market crash and the Madoff scandal. ... The truth is that the Jewish community can no longer afford all the things that it’s doing.” Sarna said that the future of Jewish donation is unknown but that he is curious to see if it returns to an older system of receiving smaller gifts from large groups of people rather than larger donations from fewer “mega donors,” which has been the norm for many years, he said. Lisa Aremband ’11 explained her motives for coming to the event: “I didn’t really understand a lot of the Madoff scandal, so it was good to get a professor’s view. It was definitely helpful, and I feel like I understand a lot better how it happened and the effects that made it happen.” Gideon Klionsky ’11 said that “hearing the insight of one of the greatest Jewish educational minds in the field today is important.” “It’s just really interesting to hear the foresight of Sarna and also the hindsight since he’s been around in the field for a long time, ... . and to hear his interpretation is really eye-opening,” Klionsky said.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

COMMITTEE: CARS offers proposals CONTINUED FROM 1 instead of having a Brandeis Semester would be difficult because of a shortage of affordable housing in Waltham, Prof. Tim Hickey (COSI), chair of the subcommittee, said. Additionally, some Waltham neighborhoods might be less used to college students. The goal is to maintain the number of oncampus beds at 2,850 while the undergraduate student body increases from 3,200 to 3,700 over five years, according to the proposal. According to the committee’s proposal, the committee members estimate that between $500,000 and $700,000 may be needed for increased staffing in the Hiatt Career Center and the Study Abroad Office. “If we were going to do this, it would definitely require an investment,” Hickey said. The committee’s proposal also states that students would take the equivalent of three courses as part of their Brandeis Semester, either on campus or through online courses, which is equal to 12 course credits instead of a full semester of 16 credits. Therefore, according to the proposal, students would only have to pay 75 percent of full tuition during either the fall or spring semester. Hickey explained that requiring just a summer semester would be difficult because some students cannot apply their federal and state financial aid to a third consecutive semester. To address this problem for students who choose a summer program, the proposal suggests that midyear students could complete their Brandeis Semester during their first summer or that juniors could spend their last summer as a Brandeis Semester with the intention of graduating early. The proposal also suggests that the

University consider opportunities for students to take a semester off and possibly complete a not-for-credit paid internship after a summer Brandeis Semester. At the Feb.12 Academic Open Forum, Prof. Sasha Nelson (BIOL), a member of the subcommittee, explained how adopting a mandatory summer session with a quarter system such as Dartmouth College’s would be difficult because it “would take a large amount of faculty resources out of the fall and spring“ in order to offer enough courses in the summer. The members of the Business major subcommittee note that their proposal has the potential to attract more students to Brandeis. According to the proposal, 17 percent of college applicants nationwide express interest in a Business major, while only five percent of admitted Brandeis students do, signifying untapped interest in business. Students will need to take classes in both the areas of Business Administration and Business and Society. “[At other schools] the student ends up leaving after four years having had half their degree in business. In our case, the student leaves Brandeis and still has two-thirds of their degree outside of business,” Prof. Ben Gomes-Casseres (IBS), chair of the subcommittee, said. According to the proposal, the committee was not asked to estimate the program’s costs or revenues. GomesCasseres said that more sections would likely be necessary for core courses but that the program would mainly build on existing offerings. According to an online student survey conducted by students, 52.3 percent of Brandeis Business minors expressed

interest in the idea of a Business major. Adam Eisenberg ’09, student representative to the Subcommittee, noted that “one of the things that a lot of employers look for is students who have business skills.” In another effort to attract more students, the preliminary draft proposal regarding a Communications, Media and Society major submitted to the Academic Restructuring Steering Committee by five faculty members from American Studies, Journalism, Anthropology and Sociology notes that “courses of study that consider how, why and to what end we communicate with one another have become increasingly popular.” According to their proposal, journalism is the third most popular minor after Business and Legal Studies and a number of students are completing Independent Interdisciplinary Majors in the area. “Our thought is, let’s formally recognize what is already happening at Brandeis,” Prof. Maura Jane Farrelly (AMST), director of the Journalism program, said. The major would build on a large number of already-existing courses at Brandeis, according to the proposal. “What we are probably going to propose is that the existing Internet Studies minor program and the existing Journalism minor program be subsumed into this major,” Farrelly said. In order to incorporate a Liberal Arts aspect to the program, the proposal suggests that students be required or encouraged to doublemajor or minor in another Liberal Arts discipline. The faculty members suggested that students could concentrate in three different tracks in Journalism: Technology, Communication and Society as well as Politics, Commerce and Culture.

ANALYSIS: Statements muddled Rose issue CONTINUED FROM 1

ENDOWMENT: Brandeis to work with schools to reform Mass law CONTINUED FROM 1 based on the Uniform Management of Institutional Funds Act, Brandeis is confined to using the money in its reserve fund, which French projects will be eradicated in two years. The law limits the use of an institution’s endowment to only when the value of the investment is greater than when the funds were donated. Due to the recent downturn in the economy, the value of the investments that make up Brandeis’ endowment is lower than when they were donated. French wrote in a Feb. 2 e-mail to the Justice, “Most of the donor-designated endowment that is budgeted for operating support is unavailable for spending because the funds are below the original donated value.” Only approximately $85 million is available to spend in quasi-endowment funds and scheduled to be withdrawn in fiscal 2009 and 2010. In a Feb. 11 article in the Wall Street Journal, Baerlein was quoted as saying that no one at Brandeis had reviewed the legislation for UPMIFA. However, Baerlein told the Justice yesterday that as of now, Brandeis’ involvement with the UPMIFA legislation is that “AICUM has gotten involved on behalf of its members.” Some students at Brandeis have tried to put together a student initiative to try to change the Massachusetts law, but Student Union Director of Communications Jamie Ansorge ’09, one of those students, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that “It is unclear to us and the administration over whether such a decision (to dip into the endowment) would be ‘prudent.’” If the law were changed, French wrote in a Feb. 6 e-mail to the Justice that “such a decision to use endowment principal would be made by the Brandeis Trustees within the context of criteria established by [Massachusetts] law. At this point, this is speculative since the [Massachusetts] legislature has not passed such authorization.” In recent weeks, the Student Union had been organizing to coordinate a lobbying campaign to have the Massachusetts State Legislature adopt UPMIFA, according to a Feb. 19 e-mail from Ansorge. By changing UPMIFA, Brandeis would be allowed

to tap into its endowment and help decrease the operating budget gap, Ansorge wrote. “The Union had assembled a group of students with successful lobbying experience at the state and national level who were interested in a campaign to adopt UPMIFA, in case we decided to go ahead with the project,” Ansorge wrote. But Ansorge said the project has stalled since the student group had been waiting for confirmation from the administration that the adopting of UPMIFA would be helpful in improving the current budget issue. “We feel that a Student Union effort might be a waste of resources since the University may not tap the endowment even with the adoption of UPMIFA,” Ansorge wrote in a Feb. 19 e-mail to the Justice. French wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, “I welcome this student initiative, and I believe it will be very helpful.” “It is confusing that the school created so many committees to respond to the budget cuts without creating a committee [to lobby the state] that could potentially increase the amount of money available to the University,” Adam Eisenberg ’09, a member of the effort, said. In response to whether changing the Massachusetts Law could make a difference to the school, French wrote, “In the short term, the answer is yes,” in a Feb. 19 e-mail to the Justice. “In the long term, use of endowment principal for current needs would reduce the amount of endowment resources available to support the operating budget in future years,” French added. Students have asked for more transparency from the administration in regard to its restricted investments, but French explained in a Feb. 2 e-mail to the Justice that “all endowment capital is invested in commingled funds, for which Brandeis has signed confidentiality agreements. In order to adhere to these agreements, we are prohibited from disclosing information on the endowment’s individual investments.” —Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.

University’s Rose Art Museum to a teaching center and exhibition gallery. These steps shall include, to the extent appropriate, review by the Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and court approval, followed by an orderly sale or other disposition of works from the University’s collection.” The resolution does not mention the word “close,” and as Reinharz said in the first student open forum held Jan. 28 and organized by Student Union President Jason Gray ’10, it merely gave the University proper authority to sell art. It did not mandate that the University sell any pieces. When the decision first broke, Provost Marty Krauss told the Justice that “Ultimately, [closing the Rose] was a decision by the Board, not the administration.” Like Reinharz’s initial statements, Krauss’ words were somewhat misleading. The miscommunication occurred in representing the Board’s words in a sufficiently concrete way to the public. As Reinharz wrote in his Feb. 5 e-mail, “[my initial statements] did not accurately reflect the Board’s decision.” Reinharz first mentioned this communication failure three days after the original resolution, after the story began to receive attention from national publications. Reinharz said at a Jan. 29 faculty meeting that “no one had anticipated that we could have” what he later called “an avalanche of bad publicity,” to audible discontent among the faculty. Prof. Marc Brettler (NEJS) echoed the opinion of many faculty members when he said, “Many of us are worried what kind of mechanisms will be put in place [so a further] public relations disaster does not occur.” While the University regretted a part of its decision, its regret was in its miscommunication with the public and not in the content of the decision itself. And so as students protested the museum’s closure and sought answers to their questions at open forums, the faculty voted to establish the Committee to Review the Closing of the Rose, concerned about future University decisions that could lead to similar public outcry. At a second student forum a week after the Jan. 29 faculty meeting, Reinharz seemingly affirmed the CRCR’s importance when he told the audience, “How [the Rose] will function is up to the faculty.” But even with the committee’s formation, Hill said the University’s

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

ROSE DISCUSSION: At a town hall meeting Feb. 10, students, faculty and community members gathered to voice lingering concerns about the Rose issue. intentions with the Rose remained as they always have. “I don’t necessarily see any changes of course from what the administration originally announced,” he said. This interpretation echoed Chairman of the Rose Board of Overseers Jonathan Lee’s Feb. 9 comments. “They still intend to sell the art, and they still intend to kill the museum,” Lee said. The confusion therefore emerges out of the University’s language in describing its original intentions. Brettler’s comments at the Jan. 29 faculty meeting underscore the public’s confusion over University semantics. Brettler criticized the administration for saying, “In one official document everything will be sold, in one interview [only some things will be sold],

and then today maybe nothing will be sold.” The language of the original Board of Trustees resolution, however, did not mandate any of those possibilities. The only backpedaling that has occurred has been in the interpretation of the original unspecific language of the Board of Trustees resolution, not in the University’s intentions. The intent all along appears to have been to end the Rose’s tenure as a public museum, sell art to fill funding gaps if the University must do so and instead use the Rose as a studio and teaching space. But the language used has obfuscated the University’s actual intentions. “I think this is what you call spin doctoring,” Lee told the Justice.

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THE JUSTICE

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features

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

VERBATIM | Nikita Khrushchev Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.

ON THIS DAY...

FUN FACT

The 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1963. It prohibited poll taxes in federal elections.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

A dose of practicality Representative Barney Frank talks about how to solve the financial crisis By HARRY SHIPPS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

SPEAKING FRANKLY: The audience looked on as Rep. Barney Frank delivered the ﬁrst annual Masters of Public Policy Distinguished Public Policy lecture at Brandeis on Wednesday, Feb. 11. “There needs to be fundamental economic change in the direction of fairness and sensible regulation,” he said. JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

It takes a moment to get used to Representative Barney Frank’s gravelly voice and headlong speaking style. He is not imposing and lacks a booming voice, but the relevance and straightforwardness of his comments come across easily. On Wednesday, Feb. 11 Frank came to Brandeis to deliver the first annual Masters of Public Policy Distinguished Public Policy lecture sponsored by the Heller School for Social Policy and Management’s Master of Public Policy in Social Policy program, called “Fixing What’s Wrong: Regulation, Legislation, and the New Administration.” Since 1981, Frank has represented the fourth district of Massachusetts in the United States Congress. Before his election to Congress, Frank was a Massachusetts state representative and an assistant to the mayor of Boston. Frank has also spent time while serving in local and state government teaching at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Boston University and the University of Massachusetts at Boston. As chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services since 2007, Frank has gained much insight into the current fiscal situation. Standing behind a podium in Rapaporte Treasure Hall before an audience that included undergraduate and graduate students, University President Jehuda Reinharz and several news cameras, Frank talked about the deepening financial crisis facing the United States and the world. His words were at times humorous: “I am puzzled by the argument that we should call [the economic recovery plan] recovery and not stimulus because in my experience, most people would rather be stimulated than recover,” he mused. Even as he made the audience chuckle, Frank raised points about the economy. Speaking about the idea that improving the nation’s gross domestic product will improve everyone’s circumstances, even without government intervention in matters of distribution, Frank said, “Yes, the rising tide lifts all boats, but if you’re standing on tiptoe in the water because you can’t afford a boat then the rising tide goes up your nose.” At other times, however, his observations reflected the pessimism surrounding the current economic crisis. “We now have this dilemma and it is [because] the crisis in our economy ... has sped up. So the public has gone from being unhappy to being

very, very angry,” Frank said. Throughout his career, Frank has developed a reputation as a fierce advocate for civil rights and the rights of minorities. His decision to reveal his homosexuality—he was the first congressman to do so in 1987—has made him a symbol of resolution to cultural minorities across America. Frank remained practical about the future of the American economy. “As long as the average citizen is going to be told that if she loses her job she loses her health care,” he said, “don’t expect to talk her out of opposition to losing her job by telling her that it’s in the overall interest of world economic development.” But Frank acknowledged the negative consequences of Americans’ frustration with the state of the economy. “Change, often in a complex society … cannot happen quickly enough,” Frank said. “If the anger outpaces the pace of change, … you can get destructive revolution,” he added. Frank also gave his take on the University’s decision to close the Rose Art Museum. Frank said that he agreed with the decision and that in light of the University’s economic hard times, people must be willing to “give things up.” Along with describing the challenges of the current economic situation, Frank offered his vision for how the nation could begin to resolve the current economic struggle. Frank talked about the necessity of government action in resolving the economic crisis and the need for transparency and accountability in the business community. “There needs to be fundamental economic change in the direction of fairness and sensible regulation, not simply because that model is an intellectual and moral one [but because] it is a self-interested one for the business community,” Frank said. Despite Frank’s encouraging words, some students in the audience expressed concern about the future of the American economy. “I am still a little afraid,” said Faith Behum, a first-year master’s student at Heller. “I know he says that … the stimulus isn’t going to take away from other programs like health care, but I have a feeling that [health care] is going to be an issue in the next couple of months of the Obama administration.” Stephen Robinson ’11 said, “I’m obviously nervous for the future of the country, but it’s reassuring to know that there’s someone in such a prominent position in government with the capacity to prioritize … and the ability to recognize those specific things that are ailing our economy.”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

Possibilities of peace Brandeis Hillel goes to Nahariya, a city in northern Israel By MICHAEL NEWBORN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

As Sarah Palmer ’10 walks down the cold, dark corridor, musty air fills her nostrils. She opens her eyes to the cheerless, hollow common room of an Israeli bomb shelter. The space is dreary and almost completely covered with reinforced cement and plaster, yet it was the only civilian defense against the hailstorm of rockets that rained down on Israel in summer 2006. Although the shelter offered a refuge from the war zone outside, it was truly a prison to the unlucky residents who were once forced to inhabit it. On arrival, Palmer is immediately seized by the misery and despondence she imagines the Israeli civilians felt as they laid holed up in this dreary underground room. Over winter break, Palmer and 19 other female Brandeis students traveled to Israel for two weeks. They hoped to improve the quality of life for the Israeli citizens of Nahariya, Palmer wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, a city in northern Israel that Hezbollah had continuously bombarded with rockets in the Second Lebanon War in 2006. The program was organized by the Brandeis Hillel and The Joint Distribution Committee, a charitable organization aimed at providing relief for Jewish communities worldwide. Program participants undertook many charitable projects around the Nahariya community, Palmer said. Projects included painting cartoons of trees and animals on the bomb shelter walls to cheer up the inhabitants; painting houses for people who didn’t have the resources to do so; planting a garden outside the city’s community center; and working with the elderly, new immigrants, children and women who were victims of abuse. “While painting in the bomb shelters, I would try to imagine residents of Nahariya, Israelis, whom I feel are my family, stuck in the bomb shelters during the sweltering summer for thirty days at a time,” Palmer wrote. The students met with a representative of the mayor of Nahariya who described the city’s demographics

and the devastating effect that Hezbollah’s rocket fire had on the city and citizens. Palmer wrote that many students also talked with Israelis who had survived the last Lebanon War and heard firsthand accounts of the rain of rocket fire. “The mayor’s representative really put a face on the rocket attacks that occurred in 2006 and the people that were affected,” said Hillary Bender ’11, who also participated in the trip. In addition to the community projects, one group of students painted a mural for Gilad Shalit, Palmer wrote. Shalit was one of three Israeli soldiers who were kidnapped during peacetime, prompting the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Today, two-and-a-half years after the war’s conclusion, Shalit is the only one of the three soldiers who remains alive, although he lives in captivity. Palmer explained that the mural is comprised of illustrations from When the Shark and the Fish First Met, a children’s book written by Shalit when he was only 11 years old about friendship between two opposing groups of different backgrounds. The Hillel trip coincided with the current military clash between Israel and Hamas. In this latest conflict, cities in southern Israel sustained a barrage of constant rocket fire, and citizens were forced to flee to bomb shelters like their northern brethren did just two years ago. “It was very emotional being in Israel at the time we were,” Palmer wrote. “It was strange for me to balance the Israeli mentality of life continuing as usual, with our madricha [guide], Nurit, returning to Be’er Sheva [a southern city] and joking about whether she would still be alive to keep in touch with us and the feeling of loss when we heard the casualty counts and reciting Tehilim (Psalms) when the infantry went into Gaza.” Other students were similarly affected by the conflict and voiced solidarity with the citizens of Israel’s southern cities, as well as with Israel’s decision to defend its nearly one million civilians besieged by Hamas rocket fire.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADINA PARETZKY

PAINTING FOR A CAUSE: Sarah Palmer ’10 paints the wall of a bomb shelter in Israel. Palmer went to Israel with Brandeis Hillel. “I do feel for the people in Gaza, and innocent lives are being lost,” Bender said, “but the truth of the matter is that Israel’s cities have been living under siege, and that is no way for anyone to live.” Due to the security situation in Israel, the Hillel group was unable to travel near the Lebanon border, as they had planned. The day the students returned to America, Nahariya was hit by Katyusha rockets fired by a Hamas faction in Lebanon. “Whether it’s good or bad, Israelis have learned to live with this type of situation and move on with their lives because they don’t have any other choice,” Ronit Broekman ’11 wrote in an e-mail to to the Justice. “So that’s what we did too,” she added. “Being [in Israel] during the conflict with Gaza has been such an eyeopener for me,” Bender said. “From my interactions with Israelis, I was able to graze the surface of the complex issue that is this conflict. I feel very conflicted because I agree with what Israel did, but the truth of the matter is there has been a lot of loss on both sides, and there seems to be no solution for this conflict in the near or distant future.”

PHOTO COURTEST OF ADINA PARETZKY

ARTISTIC ABILITY: Jessica Kent ’09 displays what she painted in a bombshelter.

Rethinking current conflicts in the Middle East

Consul General of Israel Nadav Tamir and the path to peace Nadav Tamir is consul general of Israel to New England. An expert in Israeli-U.S. relations, Tamir joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993. He has since held a variety of positions within the Israeli government, including policy assistant to the foreign minister and political officer at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. In 2001, Tamir was appointed to his current position as advisor to the director general the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. JustFeatures spoke with Tamir over the telephone about the recent struggle between Israel and Hamas. JustFeatures: What is your perspective on the recent clash between Israel and Hamas? Nadav Tamir: It is too early to evaluate, and it depends on what will happen from here on. If we can secure our goals—that is, a durable and sustainable cease-fire—then I think it can be a good starting point for the efforts President Obama is now trying to promote toward negotiations for a two-state solution. This has to mean ensuring that Hamas won’t fire rockets on the southern cities of Israel but also that there

will be a mechanism to stop the smuggling of weapons from Iran through Egypt to Gaza. Also, we need to be able to open passages to Gaza without Hamas manipulating them. If we fail, this is a message that the extremist Iran and its proxies—Hamas and Hezbollah—are winning, which is a devastating message for all. JF: Are you happy with the outcome? NT: I do not think anyone can be happy when so many lives have been lost. We are deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life on both sides. Hopefully, there is now a greater sense of urgency from the international community to make sure that weapons are no longer smuggled into Gaza, which will help us achieve a more favorable outcome. JF: Do you think the tactics employed by each side were appropriate? NT: No. Hamas’ tactics of trying to achieve their goals by killing civilians are counterproductive. The Palestinians will never achieve their deserved right to self-determination by acts of terrorism. We knew responding would be very ugly because Hamas was holding the Palestinian civilians hostage

and using them as human shields. Unfortunately, Israel was put into an unbearable situation in which it had to choose between two equally horrifying options. Any government would agree that to protect its citizens from harm has to be its first priority. We had to choose between not responding, which would make life in Israel unbearable for its citizens, or responding. We hoped that by responding, we would be able to stop the rockets from being fired into Israel and create a sustainable cease-fire to improve the lives of both the Israelis and the Palestinian civilians in Gaza. JF: How do you think the recent events bode for the future of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict? NT: We need to look at the big picture of the Middle East. It is not an Israeli-Palestinian conflict; it is a conflict between moderates who want peace and those who would go to any lengths to prevent peace from happening. A two-state solution is the only solution. There are those who want to deal with us in a civil way, and there are others who want to promote bloodshed and chaos orchestrated by Iran through

Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran’s radical ideology is dangerous for everyone— Israel as well as the moderates in the Middle East. If the extremists come out the winners of these recent events, it will be destructive to the efforts of all those seeking peace. Along with all the moderates in the Middle East, we are committed to pushing the peace negotiations forward and stopping the extremists and their destructive agenda. JF: How does the fighting impact Israelis, the Arab community and the American Jewish community? NT: It is a tragedy for all of us. Most Palestinians and definitely most Israelis and the Jewish community here prefer peace over any conflict. Unfortunately, in our neighborhood, there are those who think that peace doesn’t help promote their interest. I just hope that the results will be a better situation in the south of Israel and Gaza. Sometimes in the Middle East, the situation has to get worse before it becomes better.

or, for that matter, any enemy of Israel? NT: We will have to evaluate the situation and each case needs to be studied individually. I don’t think we can have a silver bullet for all situations. However, it is important for us to signal to Hamas that going back to the status quo is not an option. For eight years, Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians, and Israel refrained from using military action. Unfortunately, it took this tragedy to achieve a sense of urgency in the international community regarding Israel’s situation in the face of rocket fire. We hope that the international community will now play a role in making sure that Hamas stops the rocket fire into Israel and weapon smuggling, so that Israel is not forced to react militarily in the future. We really hope that these recent events were not a step back but a step forward toward what will ultimately stabilize the region, a two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians coexisting in peace and security.

—Michael Newborn JF: Do you believe that Israel’s massive military reaction will be the new policy for future dealings with Hamas

Edited and condensed by Shana D. Lebowitz

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

PHOTO COURTESY OF NADINE CHANNAOUI

THINK PINK: Colleges Against Cancer Presidents Katy Agule ’09, left, and Nadine Channaoui ’10, next to her, pose at a fundraiser.

Fighting cancer,

finding hope Katy Agule ’09 received an award from the American Cancer Society for her work to increase cancer awareness

By CASEY NILSSON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

To Katy Agule ’09, a recipient of the 2008 American Cancer Society’s Excellence in Advocacy Award, raising awareness about the threats of cancer is much more valuable than any sum of money raised. When asked how much money she has raised for the American Cancer Society thus far, Agule said she didn’t even know. Since 2007, Agule has been raising money for cancer awareness through various fundraisers, most significantly Relay for Life. “The more people that quit smoking because we’re outside handing them quitkits or giving them the information about the dangers of smoking, that’s for me the most important part,” Agule said. This past November, Agule, along with 11 other volunteers, received the New England Division 2008 Excellence in Advocacy Award for their active dedication to the American Cancer Society and its missions, which according to the organization’s press release are to increase cancer awareness “through state legislative initiatives and campaigns.” Her understanding of the importance of activism and advocacy earned her the award. When asked if she knew she would receive the award, Agule said, “I had no idea. I was very surprised.” Agule initially planned on attending veterinary school after Brandeis, but she is now considering law school instead. Her career plans took a turn after her first American Cancer Society divisional summit in November 2007. Agule, who has dark hair, a confident stare and a professional demeanor,attended this summit in preparation for the first annual Relay for Life at Brandeis. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee, of which she is co-president, organized the relay. Although Agule initially went to the summit because of her involvement with the

SACC, she said she was “very touched” by the summit and subsequently became heavily involved in Relay for Life. This year marks the American Cancer Society Relay for Life’s 25th anniversary, 25 Years of Hope. Relay for Life is an all-night fundraiser in which sponsors donate for each lap completed by teams of runners and walkers with the first lap performed by cancer survivors. Relay for Life is dedicated to those battling cancer, those who beat cancer and those who were lost to cancer. After her first Relay for Life ended, Agule’s interest in cancer advocacy grew stronger. She helped create the Brandeis club Colleges Against Cancer, whose mission is to “develop early detection programs and raise awareness on campus all year long,” she said. CAC planned an event for the Fight Back Express, a bus that traveled across the entire country to raise money for the American Cancer Society and their partner organization, the ACS Cancer Action Network. Agule also accepted the position of training chair for the American Cancer Society’s National Leadership Team last year. She has since worked with a handful of ACS volunteers around the country. This past summer, Agule interned at the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network in Washington D.C., where she learned about the power of lobbying and advocacy. “It’s amazing how much effect one person or one group of people can have within the setting of Congress,” Agule said. “If enough people say something, representatives will say, ‘Yeah, I’ll support that.’” Political advocacy “is one of the most important tools [in cancer prevention] because through legislation, you can affect countless numbers of citizens.” Agule’s work with the ACS Cancer Action Network motivated her to pursue a career in health policy. She recently changed her her minor in Health: Science, Society and Policy to a major and has declared a Psychology major as well.

Interning in Washington D.C., Agule realized that she “really enjoyed health/policy” and hopes to work for a nonprofit similar to the ACS Cancer Action Network after college. “Volunteer work has helped my professional path immensely,” she said. “Katy is very driven,” said Nadine Channaoui ’10, a co-founder of Colleges Against Cancer. “Once she got hooked [on raising cancer awareness], she was just 110 percent helpful to achieve the American Cancer Society’s mission.” After returning to Brandeis in the fall, Agule began to think of different events to increase cancer awareness on campus. This semester, Agule and Colleges Against Cancer have participated in several events, including a bake sale in which they raised over $300. CAC also visited the Hope Lodge in Jamaica Plains, where cancer patients and their caregivers can stay for free if they live a certain distance from a hospital. Agule describes the Hope Lodge as “a great resource for cancer patients who need to go somewhere in order to get the lifesaving treatment they need.” As for the future, Agule has planned “Paint the Campus Purple Week” with other members of Colleges Against Cancer. The week, designed to raise interest in fighting cancer on campus, will take place between February 23 and 27. Agule has also planned a quarter drive to raise funds for CAC’s biggest event of the year, Relay for Life. Agule predicts that students, faculty, and staff could donate over $15,000; the quarters donated could wrap around the track eight times, Agule says. . Although Agule has never experienced personal tragedy at the hand of cancer, she realizes how quickly that could change. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It will affect you in some way or another, no matter your gender, race or social status,” she said. “I want to try to protect my future and my loved ones’ futures, and advocacy is the best way to do that.”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

the Justice Established 1949

Brandeis University

MIKE PRADA, Editor-in-Chief ANDREA FINEMAN, Managing Editor HANNAH KIRSCH, Deputy Editor J OEL HERZFELD, DAVID SHEPPARD -B RICK and DANIEL D. SNYDER, Associate Editors JILLIAN WAGNER, News Editor SHANA D. LEBOWITZ, Features Editor REBECCA B LADY, Acting Forum Editor IAN CUTLER, Sports Editor JUSTINE ROOT, Arts Editor JULIAN AGIN -LIEBES and MAX B REITSTEIN MATZA Photography Editors KATHRYN MARABLE, Layout Editor B RIAN FROMM, Acting Copy Editor C OURTNEY B REEN and SARA ROBINSON, Advertising Editors

Study abroad reversal too slow Assistant Dean of Academic Services and Director of Study Abroad J. Scott Van Der Meid and Dean of Student Financial Services Peter Giumette sent an e-mail Feb. 10 to all first-year and sophomore students reversing the University’s Jan. 16 announcement that prohibited portability of merit scholarships to study abroad programs. This e-mail came five days before the Feb. 15 deadline for submitting the Preliminary Study Abroad Application, which is mandatory for all students considering studying abroad during the 2009 to 2010 academic year. It took administrators too long to reverse their original decision, and it is disappointing that they didn’t extend the preliminary application deadline in light of their major announcement Feb. 10. Within days of the Jan. 16 announcement, Student Union President Jason Gray ’10 informed senior administrators that letters sent to recipients of the Justice Brandeis Scholarship, Dean’s Award and Presidential Scholarship stated that these merit scholarships could be applied to study abroad programs, according to a Jan. 22 Justice interview with Mr. Giumette. It is unacceptable that administrators did not know that these letters contained this text until Mr. Gray made them aware of that information. Even though the administration eventually realized its decision to halt merit aid portability was a breach of trust with merit scholars, it chose not to reverse the decision officially for several weeks. Unlike in previous years, when stu-

Feb. 15 deadline too early dents had until early fall to decide whether to study abroad in the spring, current sophomores had only one month to do so as a result of Brandeis’ earlier deadline. This brief period of time is not sufficient for many students to make such an important choice, but the University especially hurt merit scholars even as it reversed its decision. These students were given less than five days to determine whether studying abroad would be feasible for them due to the University’s delay in making the reversal. In order to give merit scholars more time to decide whether to study abroad, the University should have changed its decision shortly after being contacted by Mr. Gray. The administration evidently was not awaiting a viable alternative to barring merit aid portability, as the Advisory Committee to Study Abroad had not yet found one at the time of the Feb. 10 reversal. So why the wait? Mr. Gray told the Justice at the time of the administration’s Feb. 10 announcement, “The decision needed to be made sooner. Timing is of the essence. There’s a lot that needs to go in, and everything needs to happen very quickly. The deadline is soon. People need to have as much time as they can to get the information that they need and make their decision.” The University should have extended the Feb. 15 deadline to accommodate those who were forced to make this decision under such stressful time constraints.

NYU protest a poor example Those looking for evidence of the growing unrest among college-aged students need search no further than New York University. This past Friday, police ended a nearly two-day occupation of the school’s Kimmel Center by a student organization called Take Back NYU. Though the protest may seem reminiscent of our own fabled Ford Hall occupation— whose 40th anniversary we recently commemorated—and our own struggle against an often-opaque administration, the reality is that the NYU protest has little in common with our own revered rebellion and stands as an example of poor organization, noncooperation and unrealistic expectations. On the surface, it seems that our peers’ concerns do not differ greatly from our own. Transparency took precedent at NYU as well, with the protestors demanding access to the University’s operating budget, investments and endowment. However, a quick glance further down the list reveals many more illconsidered requests. Lacking any serious comprehension of the school’s budgetary situation, NYU protesters demanded a freeze on tuition increase and the full recognition of all needbased scholarships while simultaneously mandating that all the school’s excess supplies and materials be sent “to rebuild the University of Gaza.” In all, the list included 13 separate demands, none of which was met by

Cooperation makes progress NYU administrators. This scattershot protest serves as a warning to both students and administrators about the need to speak the same language. Administrators need to remain transparent in order to give students the information they need to reach well-reasoned conclusions. At the same time, students need to remain civil and focused in their efforts as well. Brandeis students should be proud of the progress made in getting the administration to cooperate with students through peaceful protest and active participation. The many open forums alone, well attended by both students and administrators, illustrate the positive relationship that can be achieved when the appropriate lines of communication are followed. Out of NYU’s undergraduate population of nearly 20,000, only a few dozen participated in either the Kimmel Center occupation or the subsequent protest against the school’s disciplinary actions, which included the suspension of 18 students who participated in the occupation. It may be tempting to join our peers in these more extreme forms of protest, but the evidence for progress points to the more cooperative approach that we’ve adopted at our own University. Students need to keep their channels with administrators open, not barricade them shut.

ELI TUKACHINSKY/the Justice

Senate act not democratic Hillel

BUECHLER AND SO ON

This past Sunday the Student Union Senate voted in favor of the Attendance Improvement Act of 2009. This act changes the Student Union bylaws to establish a cap on unexcused senatorial absences from Senate sessions and create a mandatory censure procedure for senators that violate the cap. The Senate was wrong to pass this act. Rather than institute this principally autocratic policy, the Senate should promote democratic principles by updating and easing the current process for a recall election. You could argue that due to Article IV, Section 1 of the Student Union Bylaws, prior to the passage of this act, senators had been required to attend meetings, and by not doing so they were—without even considering principle—liable for censure or impeachment. Executive Senator and Acting Vice President Andrew Brooks ’09, who introduced the act to the Senate, pointed out in an interview with the Justice that “if your representative is not there, then you’re not being represented.” That’s true. However, the Senate cannot determine whether its members are adequately representing their constituencies. Invoking that segment of the bylaws to justify a senatorial censure—or perhaps impeachment—is needlessly undemocratic. With specific regard to attendance, a senator’s foremost accountability must be to his or her constituency. We elect our senators. If we feel that our senators are inadequate in their service to us, we—not the Senate—must be the ones to rebuke them. We, the electorate, should remove inadequate senators from the Senate. And we theoretically have the mechanism to do so: recall elections. Article X, Section 1 of the Student Union Constitution states, “An elected official’s constituency shall have the right to recall that official.” However, the current recall process is tedious and outdated. The way it stands, there must first be a petition signed in person by at least 15 percent of an elected official’s constituency. Using our online UNet accounts to sign such a petition, as is done in an election, would make this outdated process significantly easier, efficient and participatory. The next step of the current recall process, which requires the secretary to validate the petition, would be completed automatically if the petition were completed online through our UNet accounts. Finally, the actual vote for recall, which requires two-thirds of the constituency, is a high yet fair percentage to meet for a recall. But of course without the proper mechanisms to both notify constituents of poor senatorial attendance and then easily stage a recall election, there is no impetus for the recall process to even begin. Rather than rashly instituting a high-handed attendance policy, the Senate must find ways to keep us informed of our senators’ repeated absences and create a more accessible democratic channel for responding to such outright disregard for the duty of representing us in the Senate. There should be a system in place so that as soon as a senator reaches a certain number of absences, constituents are automatically notified of it via e-mail and an online petition is created and accessible through our UNet accounts after a set number of days. Such a system would have a certain level of arbitrariness with regard to the number of absences. But at the point in which that number of absences is reached, the senator would have the opportunity to explain to his or her constituents why he or she missed so many Senate sessions. And if after the explanation more than 15 percent of the constituency still finds a problem with the senator and “votes” in the online petition, then there will be a recall election. I admit that no matter the revisions made to the current process this will take longer than if the Senate simply decided such a thing for us. But that’s the cost of a more involved democracy. I think it’s an acceptable trade-off. There’s an open secret regarding the act that the Senate just passed. It’s very helpful to those that are currently in the Senate and attending the required meetings, more so than to the constituents of absent senators. According to Brooks, “[The current situation] is unfair to the other senators who do step up because it puts more of the workload on them.” This may be true. But we must not value the alleviation of some senators’ burdens above the right of students to have an elected senator who reflects the wishes of the majority. We have the means for creating a better democracy at our University. I encourage the Senate to be more democratic and creative than this proposed act paints it to be. It’s time for some student—not Senate—empowerment.

OP-BOX Quote of the Week “But all good things have an evil twin. The evil twin of trust is betrayal.” —Prof. Jonathan Sarna (NEJS) explains at an event hosted by Brandeis University Conservative Organization reasons investors were susceptible to Madoff. (See News story, page 5)

Brandeis Talks Back What academic changes would you make to save the University money?

SPENCER ACKERMAN ’09 “I’d increase funding to the Chinese program and the Business program.”

EMILY SMIZER ’11 “I’m so tired of talking about it.”

AMELIA LAVRANCHUK ’12 “People with merit scholarships should have to do a social action project.”

JUSTIN P. LOUIS ’10 “Open admissions up to more students and broaden the majors.”

THE JUSTICE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Rose Art headline was misleading To the Editor: In response to your article “Position on Rose clarified” (Feb. 10 issue): As was made very clear at the crowded town meeting at the Rose Tuesday evening, President Reinharz’s statement (composed, perhaps, by the PR firm he has hired to quiet national and international shock and complaint about his action in closing the Rose) about “keeping the Rose open” is not so much a clarification as an obfuscation unless you read it carefully. The Rose will no longer be an art museum—its director and staff have been notified that June 30 is their last day of work. The Rose family—represented last night by a grandnephew of the museum’s founding donors—is unlikely to permit the name to stay on the building. (Lois Foster is currently working with lawyers to see if her husband’s bequest to Brandeis can be blocked: it is also unlikely that she will let her name stay on the Lois Foster Wing.) So, a building will remain open, with all the costs of heating and lighting it—the only costs the University now incurs, as the Rose is a self-supporting institution. It’s nice to think we’ll keep that pretty building rather than tearing it down and building another in its place, as has become our habit. But what the president clarified in his message to us was that he does, indeed, intend to close the Rose Art Museum and sell what he can. If the value of Sotheby’s International Realty is down 85 percent, then the current poster on the door of the Rose advertisig a “Rock-bottom Sale!” is accurate. What pieces the Attorney General’s office will let Brandeis sell, if their sale does not involve us in lawsuits from original donors (some of whom are gearing up, one of whom was here last night to express “rage and disgust”), will go for 85 percent less than they would have sold for last year. What needs clarification is the kind and amount of benefit we will gain from this move, which has alienated alumni and donors across the world. If there is none, or very little, it is not too late to save the Rose. —Mary Baine Campbell

Jason Gray is indeed a great leader To the Editor: In response to your editorial “Gray goes above and beyond” (Feb. 10 issue): I currently serve Jason on the Union’s Executive Board, and I have to echo this editorial in every way. I’m so glad to see the Justice recognize the hard work and good job Jason has done so far. He really does work so hard every day to make our college experience the best it can be. The amount of time and effort he commits to the student body is truly staggering. He has provided great leadership this year, and I’m honored to work with him and for the student body. —Jamie Ansorge ’09 The writer is the director of communications for the Student Union.

Write to us

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

Stand tough, Deis leaders Our history

Administrators must be more open To the Editor: In response to your article “Brandeis hires PR firm to handle Rose media attention” (Feb. 10 issue): I’m curious, as it seems that President Reinharz is backpedaling on the Rose decision in a way that indicates that the uproar is due more to a communication failure than the actual decision. If the Board of Trustees is changing its decision, that should be said. If the decision stands but the attempts are only to better communicate it, that should be said. But having it both ways—attempting to carry out the decision to close the Rose while simultaneously claiming that the whole thing is a miscommunication—is the absolute worst of both worlds and, as much as I hate to say it, most business as usual. Stakeholders demand transparency, and transparency demands clear action. If the intention was never to completely close and dismantle the Rose, then this is a massive failure of communication, and the person at the University responsible for the communication should be fired due to incompetence. But if the intention was always to close the Rose, as was communicated so bluntly in the original press release and letter from Reinharz, then the University should own up and use its new PR firm to better explain the impetus for doing so, the behindthe-scenes decision-making process and how they believe an orderly and considered closure will benefit the University. —Daniel Silverman

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By ETHAN MERMELSTEIN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I was satisfied—maybe even impressed—by two major recent examples of administrative backpedaling. The first was University President Jehuda Reinharz’s apology for mishandling the process and announcement of the decision to sell the Rose Art Museum collection, and the second was the revocation of the proposal to withhold the merit scholarship money previously promised to students who chose to study abroad. But considering these incidents within the context of the student body’s impressive vocal dissent and the school’s potentially dire financial situation, however, the flip-flopping has made me a little nervous. In these two particular cases, retraction and amelioration were the only real options. But in the larger scope of things, the administration must be wary of creating a habitual situation in which it is influenced by public discontent to refrain from the bold action needed to ensure Brandeis’ future as a premier research university and an overall respectable institution. Passionate Brandeis students have proven that they are adept at effectively mobilizing to voice their concerns as a group when they find flaws in administrative decisions. Protests, sit-ins, letters, mock funeral processions and so on have captured the attention of the administration and often the media. Take a look at last week’s failure of a chaotic protest by students at New York University in order to fully appreciate the rare eloquence of Brandeis students’ collective voice and the even rarer responsiveness of the administration here. On the surface, recent reactive statements and actions by administrative bod-

ies may seem like student victories. The feeling of emerging triumphant and seeing the effects of “sticking it to The Man” is unmatched. It is important that public expressions of disapproval aren’t executed solely in order to have this feeling. Students need to recognize the power of their collective voice and take the dire financial situation facing Brandeis into account before deciding that they are ardently opposed to changes taking place within the school. That said, it is the (lately unfulfilled) obligation of the administration to perfect the language of and properly anticipate the effects of their decisions. Most universities across the country have been hit hard by the financial crisis. Even Harvard, the world’s wealthiest university, has been forced to face tough decisions. The school is now slowing and reassessing the construction of its highly anticipated science building in Allston. The Boston Globe quoted a letter written by Harvard president Drew Faust to the school’s community: “Such a significant decrease [in endowment] presents us with difficult tradeoffs. … Tinkering around the edges will not be enough. … What is more, our conscious avoidance of ‘one size fits all’ solutions means that not everyone is going to be happy with every outcome.” These words speak greatly to Brandeis’ predicament. There is no question that Brandeis’ survival through this economic crisis depends on immediate, drastic action. Such radical change will inevitably leave a large portion of people who have a stake in the school unhappy. The administration must be prepared for that and have the courage to not only make tough—albeit thoroughly thought-out and researched— decisions, but it must also have the goal to uphold them.

University should encourage an interdisciplinary Business major Richard

ALTERBAUM THE SCOOP

One proposal to help assuage the current financial crisis is the establishment of a Business major. This proposal has been recently discussed at length among students and faculty, and it has also found support from University President Jehuda Reinharz. The availability of a Business major on campus would supposedly attract more career-minded students to Brandeis. While this suggestion has been met with much skepticism, I encourage the idea of instituting the major; however, I would advise Brandeis to incorporate its other departments, the International Business School and the career center into this program. Business is a very far-reaching discipline that integrates many different subjects, particularly those in the social sciences. In creating a new major devoted to the subject, school administrators should take potential for interdisciplinary studies into account. Though they are important, courses that solely center on marketing, accounting and finance should not be the only ones offered to satisfy the major’s requirements. Rather, the University ought to design classes that are interdepartmental and cover topics as diverse as the psychology of investing, the sociology of management and labor relations, business law, the relationship between companies and government and corporate microeconomics. There are numerous benefits to this initiative. It is consistent with Brandeis’ core liberal arts curriculum in the sense that it engages the subjects that are under that banner in a meaningful and comprehensive fashion. The resources and faculty of multiple departments would be put to optimal and productive use, and students will learn how to apply their knowledge from a diverse range of topics. Administrators should also associate the

The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please email letters to justletters@brandeis.edu, or through our Web site at www.thejustice online.com. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from off-campus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and oped submissions that have been submitted to other publications. Oped submissions of general interest to the University community—that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice—are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words. All submissions are due Friday at 5 p.m.

new program with the faculty and resources that IBS has to offer. Specifically, they ought to make this graduate-level institution more accessible to interested undergraduates, facilitate talks between faculty from both the business school and the College of Arts and Sciences to create the best possible outcome for the major and use the physical infrastructure that the graduate school provides. This next proposal would save Brandeis money, since existing IBS classes, such as microeconomics, accounting and financial analysis, can be adapted to provide many of the odds and ends that are necessary for a Business major. In addition, it would create more unity and interaction between the graduate and undergraduate students, their respective faculty members and available resources. Administrators should take note of another invaluable asset: the Hiatt Career Center. It would be wise not only to make internships a requirement for the major but also to ensure that Hiatt will aid students in acquiring satisfactory jobs by preparing their credentials. Also, a productive internship in, say, an industrious company, bank or organization will acquaint students with a professional atmosphere and will generally help them get acclimated to the worlds of business and finance. I have in mind a model for the Business major based upon Brandeis’ popular International and Global Studies program, which combines topics like politics, economics, environmental science and anthropology with a mandatory internship in an international organization. The IGS program provides students with a rich learning experience and familiarizes them with the inner workings of globalization. By taking a similar approach, this Business major can also produce these positive results. I’m always excited about new additions to Brandeis’ academic world even though the school is under tough budgetary constraints. And in regard to the Business major, I might be especially thrilled if the school follows up on some of the items I’ve discussed.

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the opposite page, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,000 undergraduates, 800 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. In addition, the Justice is mailed weekly to paid subscribers and distributed throughout Waltham, Mass. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication. All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors. A publication schedule and rate card is available upon request. Subscription rate: $35 per semester, $50 per year.

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shows value of using PR firm Rebecca

BLADY MAELSTRÖM

Last week, I came across some information that deserves to be included in the conversation about Brandeis in the media: The recent hiring of Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc. isn’t the first time the University has looked to outside sources for help reclaiming its image. Brandeis chose to use a professional public relations firm, Dukas Public Relations in a delicate situation that was far less urgent. The University is not to blame for seeking external assistance in handling the press when much is at stake in this troubled economic era. Last issue, I discussed the importance of “grabbing the attention of impressionable high school seniors” in light of the confusion and frustration that reached the press following the controversial closure of the Rose Art Museum. With its recent announcement of a plan to increase class size, this seemed like a practical task for the PR firm. The administration admitted that it did not foresee the degree to which its decision would upset so many people. Certainly, the amount of media attention this news received was unprecedented; the small, innocent Rose, sitting too often unvisited right in our own backyard, made it all the way to The New York Times’ editorial page. The student-organized Rose sit-in Jan. 29 convinced me that Brandeis must find a smart way to handle the press. The museum was packed with not only devoted students and faculty but also a number of journalists. Appropriately, the University employed a PR firm to deal with the overwhelming media attention. This important task is a primary function of the firm. Joe Baerlein, president of Rasky Baerlein, explained in the Feb. 10 issue of the Justice that over the last week the firm has mostly helped the University respond to national and international media requests about the Rose. Vice President for Communications Lorna Miles said, “I’ve been working with [the firm] in terms of just the media questions with regard to the [Rose].” Bear in mind that this isn’t the first time Miles had to justify the University’s employment of public relation. In May 2006, the University hired the New York-based Dukas firm. And just as the hiring of Rasky Baerlein followed the scandalous closing of the Rose, the hiring of Dukas followed numerous instances in which Brandeis failed to appear impartial amid ArabIsraeli dialogue, another controversy that reached the Boston Globe. According to the May 23, 2006 article in the Justice, President Richard Dukas had claimed that his firm planned to work on “publicity ‘placements’ for the University in major newspapers, specifically on publicizing its Jewish and Middle Eastern programs.” However, there is a distinction between these two cases: Whereas Baerlein said that his firm’s Brandeis contract is characteristic of a “crisis assignment,” Dukas said that his firm’s focus was pure publicity. Miles further claimed in an interview with the Justice at the time of Dukas’ hiring that the purpose of the firm was not, in fact, “damage control,” as seems to be the purpose of Rasky Baerlein. Given today’s unsteady economic ground, creating positive PR is an effective and appropriate solution. Defending the inevitable major change against current and prospective students and other members of the academic world will never be simple. If the University has previously deemed the professional PR firm an effective means to highlight the best aspects of Brandeis, then investing in the professional PR firm during today’s economic crisis, at the very least, should certainly help assuage the negativity that will likely accompany the necessary changes the University must make. Brandeis has to establish the best possible connections with the press so that arbitrary rumors and misunderstandings don’t alter people’s perceptions of Brandeis. If the Rose debacle can be classified as a “crisis assignment,” the use of PR is a sensible solution.

Newborn, Ruth Orbach, Harry Shipps Forum: Richard Alterbaum, Hillel Buechler, Matt Lawrence, David Litvak, Doug Nevins, Eileen Smolyar, Naomi Spector Features: Rebecca Klein Arts: Wei-Huan Chen, Marianna Faynshteyn, Laura Gamble, Rachel Klein, Emily Leifer, Wei Sum Li, Daniel Orkin, Alex Pagan, Layout: Brian Blumenthal Ben Strassfeld, Brad Stern News: Nashrah Rahman Photography: Rachel Corke, Rebecca Ney, Adina Paretzky, Danielle Schivek Sports: Sean Petterson, Adam Rosen STAFF Senior Writers: Miranda Neubauer, Jeffrey Copy: Ariel Adams, Emily Kraus, Marissa Linzi, Danielle Myers Illustrations: Lisa Frank, Gail Goldspiel, Eli Tukashinsky Pickette, Melissa Siegel Senior Photographers: Sara Brandenburg, Layout: Lee Marmor David Brown, Hsiao Chi Pang News/Features Staff: Alana Abramson, Sam Datlof, Deborah Frisch, Reina Guerrero, Michelle Liberman, Greta Moran, Michael

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THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

TENNIS

FENCING

Teams sweep Florida finale 9-0

Squads finish in top tiers

■ The men’s and women’s

tennis teams won the majority of their matches in last week’s trip to Florida. By ADAM ROSEN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

With just one senior on both the men’s and women’s tennis teams, both squads will likely see better days down the road. Thus far this season after 9-0 victories by both squads yesterday, the present does not look so bad either. In the final match of a five-match trip in Orlando, Fla., both teams swept Capital University of Ohio to solidify a trip that saw the women’s team go 4-1 to improve to 6-2 on the season, and the men’s team go 3-2 to move to 5-2 on the season. In the finale, the women’s team was paced by classmates Rachel Rosman ’11 and Mackenzie Gallegos ’11 at No. 1 doubles. The duo swept its doubles opponents 8-0, and then went on to do the same to their singles foes at No. 1 and No. 4 singles, respectively, winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. For the men, classmates Steven Nieman ’11 and Simon Miller ’11 led the way.

Miller won at No. 3 singles 6-0, 6-1 and paired with captain Scott Schulman ’09 at No. 1 doubles to sweep Capital’s top team 8-0. Nieman teammed up with Mayur Kassety ’11 at No. 2 doubles to win 8-5 and dominated at No. 1 singles, winning 6-0, 6-1. Last Sunday, the women’s team knocked off Oneonta State University by an 8-1 count. After jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead by sweeping doubles, the squad did not look back, surrendering a total of just six games in its five singles victories. On the men’s side, the Judges defeated Hanover College of Indiana, also by a score of 8-1. Rosman and Gallegos again led the way for the Judges, accomplishing the same feat as yesterday, as neither dropped a single game in three total matches. The pair won its No. 1 doubles match 8-0 and followed that up with a pair of 6-0 sweeps in the No. 1 and No. 4 singles slots, respectively. Captain Gabrielle Helfgott ’09 and Nina Levine ’12 teamed up at No. 2 doubles to win 9-8, 7-4 in the tiebreaker, and the pair of Emily Weisberger ’10 and Ariana Sanai ’10 won 8-1 in the No. 3 slot. Prior to the match, Coach Ben Lamanna decided to change the doubles lineup, bumping Gallegos up to

No. 1, Levine up to No. 2 and Helfgott down to No. 2. “We do it to just to have different personalities out there, and to have different leaders step up and different partnerships,” he said. “It’s good to keep developing with putting the girls in difficult situations so they can get stronger and better.” The other Judges victories came from Helfgott, who dominated her No. 2 singles match 6-0, 6-1; Sanai, who won her No. 3 singles match 6-1, 6-1; and Weisberger, who knocked off her opponent 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Nieman and Schulman led the way for the men’s team against Hanover, combining to lose just three games in their two singles matches. At No. 1 singles, Nieman won his match 6-0, 61 while No. 2 Schulman emerged victorious in his 6-1, 6-1. No. 3 Kassety, No. 4 Craig Elman ’12 and No. 5 Josh Bookman ’12 all won their singles matches, as well. Schulman said the level of competition would get better when the squad returns home and that he likes the overall direction in which the team is moving. “When we get into the bulk of our schedule and start playing all of the [New England Small College Athletic Conference] teams and then the [University Athletic Association] teams, [the competition] is going to be

a lot harder, but we’re definitely building confidence at this point in the season,” he said. Last Wednesday they knocked off Webber International University 8-1 but followed that with a loss to Palm Beach Atlantic University 7-2 the next day. The team bounced back last Saturday however, topping Alma College 8-1. All of the matches took place in Orlando. Going up against the same first three opponents as the women’s team, the men’s team dropped its match to Webber International 6-3, fell to Palm Beach Atlantic 5-4 and beat Alma 9-0, for its first sweep of the season. Gallegos, Weisberger, and Schulman were the only three Judges to win all five of their singles matches on the trip. Rosman was 4-1 in singles, but all four of her victories were 6-0, 6-0 sweeps. Overall, Lamanna was pleased with how the trip went for both squads. “It’s been a successful trip in a lot of ways: team bonding, getting experience and playing some tennis. Those are the reasons we came down here,” he said. Both teams will next compete March 14, when they will head to Vermont to take on Middlebury College at noon.

WBBALL: Judges win big in last two home games CONTINUED FROM 16 resulting in Case Western taking an 11-10 lead with 11:59 left in the first half. Brandeis then took control of the game, going on a 19-3 run to take a 29-14 lead with 5:12 left in the half. Rookie guard Morgan Kendrew ’12, who has seen more playing time since starting guard Lauren Rashford ’10 went down with a torn ACL in her knee during practice Feb. 3, scored eight of the Judges’ points during this run. “[Kendrew] has really been picking up and making plays for us, as has [guard] Diana [Cincotta] ’11,” Orlando said. “We’re a little bit shorthanded in that at the guard position we do have some injuries, but people have really been stepping up and making big plays and understanding what we need to do.” The Judges led by 18 at the half and by as much as 33 in the second half before cruising to the 20-point win. Chapin led all scorers with 17 points and also had team highs with 10 rebounds and six assists, earning UAA women’s basketball player of the week honors. Kendrew and Orlando also reached double figures for Brandeis, scoring 15 and 11 points, respectively. Brandeis was also strong defensively, holding the Spartans to 38.9 percent shooting, including 27.8 percent from three-point range. “They did a lot of switching on defense, which I think caught us off-guard at first,” Case Western coach Jennifer Remier said. “When we would set screens they would just exchange us rather than fighting through our screens.” Last Friday, Brandeis avenged a Jan. 25 loss at Emory University with a 10-point victory over the Eagles at home. Chapin led the team again with 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Kendrew was second on the team with 12 points, followed by Cincotta with 10. “One of our goals was to make sure that we took away their transitions and kept their offensive boards,” Simon said. “The transition defense we did really well. I also thought we did a really good job taking away their dribble penetration into the paint. So I thought defensively that was the key, and I thought we were pretty disciplined offensively running our stuff.” The Judges will conclude their regular-season schedule next Saturday at No. 20 New York University at 2 p.m.

DAVID SHEPPARD-BRICK/the Justice

FINAL STRETCH: Forward Amber Strodthoff ’11 lays up a shot against visiting Emory University in a 10-point win last Friday.

■ The women’s team was

fourth of 14 teams, and the men’s team was sixth of 13 teams at the New England Championships Feb. 22. By ANDREW NG JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In preparation for the upcoming Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championships and the NCAA Regional Championships, Coach Bill Shipman left some of his best men’s and women’s fencers on the bench for the New England Championships at Mount Holyoke College last Sunday. The women’s team fenced without captain, foil and saber Jess DavisHeim ’09, foils Jessica Newhall ’09 and Alexandra Dalrymple ’11 and épées Caitlin Kozel ’09 and Emma Larkin ’09. Captain and foil Will Friedman ’09, sabers Adam Austin ’11 and Jon Rollock ’11 and épée Will Bedor ’10 did not fence for the men’s squad. Despite those absences, the women’s team finished in fourth place out of 14 teams, and the men’s team finished in sixth place out of 13 teams. “Overall, the women had a pretty incredible performance, more so than the men,” Shipman said. But captain and saber Jenny Press ’09 did not share Shipman’s optimism. “We didn’t do terribly, but I expected a lot more from us because I truly believe that we were better than every single team at the meet,” she said. “I think everyone was still tired and out of sync coming out of our February vacation. We didn’t fall out of shape, but we definitely weren’t as sharp mentally.” Foil Julia Mouk ’10 and épée Emily Mandel ’11 led the shorthanded women’s squad. Mouk finished 10-4 in the team competition, advancing to the final round, and placed fourth individually. Mandel finished 8-3 on the day and eighth individually. On the men’s side, foil Dan Lanzara ’09 and saber Alex Brand ’10 were forced to fence out of position. “[Lanzara] fenced in the first position and faced some of the best fencers at the meet, which was unusual for him and probably put a little bit of additional pressure on him and made him a little uncomfortable,” Shipman said. Foil Andrew Mandel ’11 seized the opportunity to compete, dropping only two bouts in the team competition and finishing 12th in the individual competition. “[Mandel] was on fire today. It was almost like he was the Matrix today,” said épée Damien Lehfeldt ’09. Lehfeldt finished seventh in the individual competition as the Judges’ leading épée at the meet. Despite both teams’ finish at the New England Championships, they are looking forward to hosting the more challenging IFA Championships next week. “The competition at the IFA Championships will be so much harder,” Press said. “Some of these fencers have been recruited from Europe and even fenced on national teams. Harvard [University] has [senior] foil Emily Cross, who fenced on the Olympic team in Beijing.” Both the women’s and men’s teams will next compete in the IFA Championships at home Saturday. “It would be a huge upset if we won the IFA Championships because [Harvard], [Columbia University] and [the University of Pennsylvania] have very strong teams, but after those two teams, I think we can compete with anybody,” Shipman said. “We can certainly win individual bouts against any team throughout the meet. We expect to place among the top half of the competition next week, as high as fourth place.”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

MAKING THEIR CASE

BASEBALL

Team’s hot start cools in Arizona

■ The baseball team won

two of its ﬁve games on a new early-season trip to Peoria, Ariz. last weekend. By ELI HARRINGTON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The setting sun in the desert landscape last Saturday night marked the end of the baseball team’s inaugural trip to Peoria, Ariz., a trip that began with two wins and ended in a three-game losing streak. The final two of those losses occurred last Saturday as the Judges fell to Hastings College (Nebraska) 8-3 in the afternoon and 6-2 against Washington and Lee University (Virginia) in the nightcap. The Judges also lost to Washington and Lee 7-4 last Friday after beginning the trip with an 11-8 win over Whitworth College (Washington) and a 19-15 victory over Hastings last Thursday, putting the team’s record at 2-3 to start the season. The trip was a first for the Judges, who normally do not begin their season until March. It was financed exclusively by fundraising money and donations accumulated by parents and team supporters. They raised over $25,000 in under a year, according to Associate Director of Athletics Lynne Dempsey. The Judges’ bats fell silent last Saturday afternoon, scoring only three runs against Hastings after previously scoring 19 runs in their last meeting. “We were taking way too many strikes, especially fastballs, early in the count; [we were not] not being aggressive enough and it showed,” infielder Nick Gallagher ’09 said. Pitcher James Collins ’09, who had recorded a save in the victory against Whitworth just two days earlier, took the loss for Brandeis to fall to 0-1 on the season. The frustrations continued for the Judges in the rematch against Washington and Lee, who had beaten Brandeis 7-4 the day before. Captain and outfielder Mike Alfego ’09 and infielder Tony Deshler ’11 paced the Judges with two hits apiece, but the offense only managed to push across two runs in the defeat. Pitcher Justin Duncombe ’11 started the game and, despite surrendering five walks, only allowed one run through five-and-two-thirds innings. The Judges led 2-1 entering the sixth inning, but Duncombe was lifted in favor of fellow left-handed reliever Alex Tynan ’12 after Washington and Lee tied the score. Tynan lasted only two-thirds of an inning and gave up two runs, both earned, which proved to be the dif-

ference in the game. Pat Nicholson ’11, a winner earlier in the week against Hastings, tried to stop the bleeding but also allowed two more earned runs as the Judges fell 6-2. The Judges’ offensive struggles were a far cry from their performance on their first day of action last Thursday, when they posted 30 runs in two wins over Whitworth and Hastings. They beat Whitworth 11-8, rallying from a 8-7 deficit when shortstop Sean O’Hare ’12 singled home Gallagher and Alfego for the tying and go-ahead runs and then topped Hastings 19-15. The top half of the lineup carried the offensive load in the first game with seven hits in 16 combined atbats. First baseman Drake Livada ’10 led the team with a two-hit, three-RBI performance, while Alfego and Gallagher combined to score six of the team’s eleven runs despite both going hitless. Relief pitcher Nick Pollack ’10 notched his first career victory, pitching a scoreless eighth inning, while Collins earned the save. The second game saw an offensive explosion highlighted by Deshler’s offensive performance, which featured four RBIs including a threerun home run, the team’s first of the season. During the trip, the Judges shared facilities and frequently rubbed elbows with members of Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners, who also play their Spring Training Cactus League games at the facilities in Peoria. “It was a great opportunity for us to play against some different teams from across the country and see how we match up at this point in the season,” Alfego said. “As far as off the field, to travel to Arizona and shoot the breeze with major leaguers during spring training was a once-in-a-lifetime experience”. The trip included many highlight moments for the team’s rookies. Catcher Kenny Destremps ’12, infielder Jon Chu ’12 and O’Hare, who also started as the men’s soccer team’s goalie the second half of the fall season, all contributed offensively, going a combined 15-32, a .469 batting average, with 12 RBIs in the first three games. Alfego said he was most impressed with O’Hare’s play. “He was a breath of fresh air,” he said. “Frankly, none of us had really seen him play during the fall so to have him jump into the starting shortstop role and hit the ball well was an encouraging sign.” The baseball team next plays March 10 against Washington University in St. Louis in the first game of the annual University Athletic Association round-robin held in Sanford, Fla.

TRACK: Jumpers lead the way in squad’s strong finish CONTINUED FROM 16 In distance running, Marie Lemay ’11 finished fifth in the one-mile run with a time of 5 minutes, 13.24 seconds, garnering All-New England honors as well. Reytblat said the team is pacing itself until the University Athletic Association Championships that begin March 7 at New York University. “We could have done better,” he said. “But we are just trying to save

[all our athletes] until the UAAs.” On the men’s side, Devon Holgate ’11 paced the Judges, finishing seventh in the 1,000-meter run in 2:33.23 Brandeis had just one other top-10 finish on the day. Myles Tyrer-Vasseil ’12 took 10th place in the 55-meter dash preliminary race in 8.24 seconds, but fell short of qualifying for the finals. The men’s and women’s indoor track teams will compete in the Open New England Championships in Boston Saturday.

DAVID SHEPPARD-BRICK/the Justice

SHOOTING IN TRAFFIC: Forward Seve DeLuca (GRAD) scores between two Emory University defenders last Friday night.

MBBALL: Record-breaking victory helps strengthen NCAA résumé CONTINUED FROM 16 “I was feeling good, and guys were looking for me. I tried to be active and did a good job of moving, and they were setting screens,” Olson said. “I wanted to respond; I didn’t do too well [against Emory].” Leading 89-66 with just under eight minutes to play, Brandeis went on a 15-0 run over the next four minutes to put the Spartans away. A three-pointer from DeLuca during the 15-0 run put the Judges over the century mark in scoring for the first time since 2004. With 2 minutes, 54 seconds left in the game, head coach Brian Meehan removed DeLuca and Olson from the game, allowing the two to receive a standing ovation from both the crowd and the Brandeis bench in both of their final regular-season home games. “It didn’t really hit me until I came out with [Olson] at the end of the game. I was like, … I’m not going to play here again,” DeLuca said. Small led the way with a career-

high 24 points, while Olson and DeLuca chipped in with 23 and 22 points, respectively. The trio of Small, Olson and DeLuca made 23 of 27 shots. The 108 points are the most scored by Brandeis in a single game since the 1994 to 1995 season. The 16 three-pointers made are just one shy of tying the University of Chicago’s UAA team record for most three-pointers hit in one game. Olson was honored before the game as part of Senior Day festivities. DeLuca, a graduate student, partook in the ceremonies last season. Against Emory, Brandeis fell behind 25-20 with just under four minutes to play in the first half. However, a 10-3 run to close the half gave Brandeis a lead it would never relinquish. Clinging to a 38-37 advantage five minutes into the second half, the Judges were able to push the lead to as many as 14, before holding on for the 11-point victory. While Emory outshot Brandeis 42 percent to 34.7 percent, the

Judges hit 28 of 33 foul shots, while Emory hit eight of only nine attempts. “I’m just trying to … take the ball to the hoop. That’s what we’re trying to do when the shots aren’t falling,” DeLuca said after hitting just three of 15 shots, but converting all five of his free-throw attempts. “We can play different styles. If the shots are not falling, we know what to do.” Small led the way again with 18 points and has averaged 16.3 points per game since being inserted back into the starting lineup against Carnegie Mellon Feb. 13, McKoy said that Small’s “quickness” has aided the Judges against bigger, more post-oriented UAA teams. “To a certain point it has helped in the UAA with guys trying to match up with us. We’re just a little too quick for them to guard us on the perimeter,” McKoy said. The Judges will next travel to conference rival New York University this Saturday at 4 p.m. for the team’s final regular season game.

THE JUSTICE

■ The women’s basketball rookie guard had a career-high 15 points in a win over visiting Case Western Reserve University last Sunday.

all-New England performances for the women’s indoor track team at the Division III New England Championships last weekend. Collectively, the Judges finished seventh out of 24 teams.

73.1

field goal percentage for the men’s basketball team in last Sunday’s 108-78 win over Case Western Reserve University. The Judges set a University Athletic Association record for the highest shooting percentage in a conference game.

men’s basketball players with 20 or more points in last Sunday’s 30-point victory over Case Western. Guard Kenny Small ’10 led the Judges with a career-high 24 points.

points and 10 rebounds, both game-highs, for guard Jessica Chapin ’10 in the women’s basketball team’s 20-point win over Case Western last Sunday. Chapin recorded her third double-double of the season in the victory.

RBIs for Judges second baseman Tony Deshler ’11 in the baseball team’s first two games of the season, both wins. The Judges played five games last weekend in Peoria, Ariz. and are 2-3 to start the year.

DAVID SHEPPARD-BRICK/Justice File Photo

GETTING IN POSITION: Rookie guard Morgan Kendrew ’12 ﬁghts off a defender and dribbles inside during the Judges’ 65-44 victory against visiting Carnegie Mellon University Jan. 11. time will help her development as an individual player, and aid the team’s progress in the years to come and for the short remainder of this season. “I’m hoping to keep getting better every

year, and I hope that our team keeps getting better.”

—Melissa Siegel

UAA STANDINGS Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference W L Washington 12 1 JUDGES 9 4 Carnegie 8 5 Rochester 7 6 Chicago 6 7 New York 4 9 Case 4 9 Emory 2 11

W 22 16 18 16 6 15 7 7

L 2 8 6 8 18 9 17 17

Overall Pct. .917 .667 .750 .667 .250 .625 .292 .292

Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference W L W L Washington 12 1 20 4 Rochester 10 3 21 3 New York 9 4 20 4 Chicago 8 5 17 7 JUDGES 7 6 17 6 Emory 3 10 12 12 Case 3 10 10 14 Carnegie 0 13 5 19

Overall Pct. .833 .875 .833 .708 .739 .500 .417 .208

TEAM LEADERS MBball (points per game)

MBball (rebounds per game)

Forward Steve DeLuca (GRAD) leads the Judges with an average of 15.3 points per game.

Forward Steve DeLuca (GRAD) leads the Judges with an average of 6.8 rebounds per game.

Player Steve DeLuca Kevin Olson Kenny Small Andre Roberson Terrell Hollins

Player Steve DeLuca Terrell Hollins Christian Yemga Kevin Olson Rich Magee

PPG 15.3 12.4 11.2 10.8 9.3

RPG 6.8 6.0 3.2 3.0 3.0

WBball (points per game)

WBball (rebounds per game)

Guard Jessica Chapin ’10 leads the team with an average of 14.2 points per game.

Guard Jessica Chapin ’10 leads the Judges with an average of 6.3 rebounds per game.

Player Jessica Chapin Lauren Orlando Lauren Rashford Cassidy Dadaos Dianna Cincotta

Player Jessica Chapin Cassidy Dadaos Lauren Orlando Lauren Rashford Amanda Wells

PPG 14.2 9.7 8.1 6.4 6.3

RPG 6.3 5.2 4.5 4.2 3.9

UPCOMING GAME OF THE WEEK Women’s Basketball at New York University The No. 25 Judges close the regular season at No. 22 NYU Saturday at 2 p.m.

combined points scored by the four seniors on the women’s basketball team in the Judges’ 76-56 win over Case Western last Sunday on senior night.

Top receiver in draft class misses workouts with fractured left foot

Morgan Kendrew ’12

Judging numbers

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

AP BRIEFS

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

On a day when the Brandeis women’s basketball team honored its graduating seniors, it was a rookie, guard Morgan Kendrew ’12, who made a real impression. Kendrew had a career-high 15 points along with four assists and three rebounds in the Judges’ 76-56 win over Case Western Reserve University last Sunday. Kendrew’s breakout performance came thanks to a hot shooting hand in the first half, in which she hit four of seven shots, including three of four from three-point range. She scored 12 of her 15 points in the first half including eight points during the Judges’ 19-3 run that broke open the game. “[In] the beginning of the year I didn’t really shoot that well, but I just started shooting better and better,” Kendrew said. “It just happened. Some days are good, some days are bad.” Kendrew’s improved shooting has come at a good time for the Judges. Since starting point guard Lauren Rashford ’10 went down with a knee injury during practice Feb. 3, Kendrew has been forced to play an even bigger role in the team’s offense. “I’ve tried to be more aggressive, tried to go to the basket more and looking more for offense instead of just passing all the time,” Kendrew said. “[I] try not to play like a freshman.” For the season, Kendrew is third on the team with 19 three-pointers and averages 6.0 points per game, first among all Brandeis rookies. She has started six games this season, all since Rashford was injured. Kendrew hopes that the extra playing

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The women’s basketball team will try to make its case for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament by extending its four-game winning streak this Saturday at No. 22 New York University at 2 p.m. The Judges are 17-6, including 7-6 in University Athletic Association play, after winning their last four conference games. The streak follows a slump in

which the team dropped four of its previous five UAA games. NYU is 20-4 overall and 9-4 in conference play. The two teams played once this season at Brandeis Jan. 17. NYU senior forward Jessica McEntee led both squads in scoring and rebounding, recording a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the Violets’ 61-49 victory.

INDIANAPOLIS—Texas Tech University’s Michael Crabtree wanted to solidify his status as the top receiver in the NFL draft at this weekend’s scouting combine. Instead, he left more questions than answers. Last Saturday, NFL doctors diagnosed Crabtree with a stress fracture in his left foot. He reportedly will need surgery to insert a screw and might face a recovery of 10 or more weeks. “It’s not a career-ending injury or anything like that,” Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “He’s a good football player, and he’s got plenty of time to get well.” NFL officials would not immediately confirm details of the injury or the surgery, though coaches were told about it during last Saturday’s first drills. Crabtree was not scheduled to work out until last Sunday. NFL Network first reported the injury and later reported that Crabtree would not have the surgery until after his pro day at Texas Tech next month, so he can run the 40-yard dash for scouts and coaches. Only NFL Network reporters are permitted inside the seating area of Lucas Oil Stadium, where workouts are held. Crabtree was not available for interviews last Saturday. All of the roughly 330 players at the combine spend their first day getting measured and going through medical checks. Those with additional questions are often sent to a nearby hospital for further examination. That’s apparently when Crabtree’s injury was discovered, culminating a bad week. Despite being listed at 6 feet 3 inches tall on Texas Tech’s roster last season, Crabtree measured just slightly taller than 6 feet 1 inch last Friday. The difference could change the opinions of some scouts, who thought Crabtree fit the mold of Larry Fitzgerald as a tall receiver. Scouts may have to go through the entire evaluation process without seeing Crabtree work out in person. The draft starts April 25, and Crabtree was expected to be picked in the top 10. If he opted to have the surgery before running for scouts, teams would not have any workout numbers for Crabtree to measure against other prospects. The lack of information or the injury might not hurt his standing. “It’s just part of the process. You can’t worry about it, that is just the way it is,” Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli said. “This is unfortunate for him. The combine is great, but you watch tape and watch players perform on tape. That’s really the top evaluation.” Crabtree certainly has a résumé that warrants the No. 1 spot. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver each of the two years he played for the Red Raiders and became the first repeat winner since it was established in 1994. He is also a two-time All-American.

Woods scheduled to return and face Australian at Match Play LOS ANGELES—All 64 players who qualified for the Accenture Match Play Championship met the entry deadline last Friday, meaning Tiger Woods likely will face Brendan Jones of Australia when Woods returns to competition for the first time in eight months. The brackets will not be finalized until Sunday. If anyone withdraws before then—Justin Rose is the only question mark because his wife is expecting their first child—the brackets would be redone and Woods would face the first alternate, Richard Green of Australia. Either way, it’s not the greatest omen for the world’s No. 1 player. Three of his six losses in the Accenture Match Play Championship have been against Aussies, two of those to Nick O’Hern in the second round in 2005 and 2007. The other was a first-round loss to Peter O’Malley in 2002. “I don’t doubt his game will be ready,” Stuart Appleby said this week. “Unless he plays an Aussie.” He laughed when told that Woods was expected to face Jones, who played one year on the U.S. PGA Tour and finished 144th on the money list. Jones has played for most of his career in Japan, where he has won eight times. Woods is 5-3 against Australians at the Match Play, beating Stephen Leaney twice, Adam Scott, Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley. As the No. 1 player, Woods will have the top seed. The other top seeds are Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington and Vijay Singh, who has missed the cut in his last two events since returning from minor knee surgery in January. Garcia would face Charl Schwartzel, while Harrington would play Pat Perez and Singh would take on Soren Kjeldsen. If Woods were to win his opening match, his next opponent could be the winner between Tim Clark and Retief Goosen. A Woods-Goosen match might be interesting based on the South African’s comments last year. A few days after Woods won the U.S. Open, where he winced and limped throughout the weekend in what turned out to be a dramatic playoff victory, Goosen questioned the seriousness of the injury. “Nobody really knows if he was just showing off or he was really injured,” Goosen said the day before Woods announced he was having season-ending knee surgery. “I believe if he was really injured, he would not have played.” Goosen later said he was only joking. What has Britain atwitter is the possibility of Woods’ match against 19-year-old Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland in the third round if they both win their matches and if the brackets are not changed. Among the more intriguing first-round matches is Phil Mickelson against Angel Cabrera. The big Argentine won the U.S. Open in 2007, when Mickelson missed the cut on the 10-shot rule when Cabrera birdied his final hole of the second round. If a player withdraws after Sunday, the alternate would take his spot in the bracket.

just

Sports

Page 16

BASEBALL BLISS The baseball team opened its season last weekend with a special five game trip to Peoria, Ariz., p. 14

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Waltham, Mass.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Scorching shooting lifts team

Judges capture fourth straight

■ The men’s basketball

team extended its winning streak to four after a recordbreaking win over Case Western Reserve University at home last Sunday. By JEFFREY PICKETTE JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

After the men’s basketball team converted a season-low 34.7 percent of its shots in a 65-54 win over Emory University last Friday at home, the Judges responded with a historic shooting performance in a 108-78 win against Case Western Reserve University last Sunday. Brandeis converted 38 of 52 field goal attempts against Case Western, including going 16 of 22 from three-point range. The 73.1 field goal percentage broke the University Athletic Association conference record of 68.2, previously held by Washington University in St. Louis in a game against the University of Rochester in 1991. “We pushed the ball [against Case Western]. We extended the defense; we got each other open,” guard Kenny Small ’10 said. “We tried to get out there and run, … and everything worked the way we wanted it to.” Brandeis stands at 16-8 on the season and 9-4 in the conference, good for second place in the UAA. The team also topped No. 21 Carnegie Mellon University 66-63 and the University of Rochester, 80-63 on the road on Feb. 13 and Feb. 15, respectively. Riding a four-game win streak, Brandeis kept its postseason hopes alive, having cracked the top 10 in the latest NCAA New England regional rankings. Against Case Western, Brandeis built an early 25-10 lead as the team started off the game a perfect ninefor-nine shooting, including three three-pointers apiece from guard Kevin Olson ’09 and forward Steve DeLuca (GRAD). The Judges missed just five shots in the first half, building a 62-43 halftime lead. The 62 points nearly equaled the team’s 65-point twohalf output against Emory. “Did we miss [against Case Western]?” joked assistant coach Eric McKoy. “[We] came out on fire; [we] shot the ball very well.” After hitting just four of 11 baskets against Emory, Olson made all six of his field goal attempts in the first half against Case Western.

See MBBALL, 14 ☛

■ The women’s

basketball team beat Case Western Reserve University and Emory University last weekend. By MELISSA SIEGEL JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

Coaches Association East Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year. Capano finished just behind Sax in a tie for fourth with Bowdoin rookie Laura Peterson with a leap of 5.21 meters. Sax’s performances alone netted 14 points for Brandeis, a mark that surpassed the total points accumulated by nine entire teams at the Championships. “[Our long jumpers] were phenomenal,” he said. “They have improved so much [by breaking their personal records].” Suzanne Bernier ’10 finished fifth with a jump of 1.58 meters, good for four more points for the Judges. Bernier earned All-New England regional honors for her jumping.

With 1 minute, 2 seconds remaining in the women’s basketball team’s final regular season home game against Case Western Reserve University last Sunday, head coach Carol Simon called a time-out despite the fact that her team was leading by 22 points. Simon made a substitution, putting in guard Lauren Goyete ’09 to inbound the ball. It was Goyette’s first game action all year, having missed the Judges’ previous 23 games this season. “It was kind of bittersweet,” Goyette said. “I haven’t had a chance to play all season because of injury. But it was nice of [coach] Carol [Simon] to put me in and all my teammates to support me.” Goyette’s teammates helped make sure that she and the three other seniors on the team—starting forwards Lauren Orlando ’09 and Cassidy Dadaos ’09 and reserve forward Amanda Wells ’09— went out on a high note on Senior Day at Red Auerbach Arena. The Judges defeated Case Western 76-56 to move to 17-6 and 7-6 in the University Athletic Association, putting the team back into the d3hoops.com top-25 poll at No. 25. Brandeis has now won four in a row, including a 52-50 win Feb. 15 at then-No. 2 University of Rochester and last Friday’s 67-57 win over Emory University. The team’s recent four-game winning streak has greatly helped the Judges’ chances of getting an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament in March. Despite their six losses, the Judges are currently ranked third in the Northeast Region thanks to their difficult strength of schedule. According to d3hoops.com, they have the highest opponents’ winning percentage in Division III through last Friday’s games. “Right now if the season were to end today, I would say yes, we probably should be in the tournament, but I’m not on the committee, and I don’t make those decisions,” Simon said. The Judges’ game against Case Western got off to a slow start, with both teams committing early turnovers. Brandeis struck first on a steal and breakaway layup by guard Jessica Chapin ’10 just under two minutes into the contest. The teams then traded shots,

See TRACK, 14 ☛

See WBBALL, 13 ☛

DAVID SHEPPARD-BRICK/the Justice

BIG AIR: Guard Kenny Small ’10 dunks on a fast break against Emory University last Friday in the Judges’ 65-54 home victory. Small led the team in scoring in both contests last weekend, averaging 21 points per game. His season average is 11.2 ppg.

INDOOR TRACK

Both squads race; women take seventh ■ The women’s indoor track

team had eight all-New England ﬁnishes at the N.E. Division III Championships last Saturday. By SEAN PETTERSON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Throughout the indoor track and field season, the jumping squad had been the strength of the women’s team, with both Anat Ben Nun ’09 and Ali Sax ’09 qualifying for the NCAA Championships earlier this season. The New England Division III Track and Field Championships at Bowdoin College last Saturday

were no different. Ben Nun and Sax finished second and third, respectively, in the triple jump event, helping the women’s team to a seventh-place finish out of 24 teams with 37.5 points. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology won the meet with 134 points. The men’s team competed at the New England Division III Championships at MIT and finished 23rd out of 24 with two points. Williams College won the event with 145 points. “[Sax], [Ben Nun] and Lucia Capano ’11 did a fantastic job,” coach Mark Reytblat said. “They scored most of the points in the long and triple jump.” Ben Nun posted her best jump of

the season, leaping 11.71 meters, 1.5 inches beyond her previous best, earning eight points for her team. Sax continued her improvement in the triple jump, leaping 11.59 meters, a personal record by over a foot which leapfrogged her from 20th to seventh nationally. “We have been training hard technically, and I not only wanted to improve, but I knew I had to in order to guarantee nationals,” Sax said. “That pushed me to focus.” Sax’s success in the triple jump translated to her other events. In the long jump event, she finished second with a leap of 5.32 meters, 1 centimeter behind first place junior Nikki Hay of Springfield College, last season’s United States Track and Field and Cross Country

February 24, 2009

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Intended Consequencesâ&#x20AC;? by Jonathan Torgovnik p. 20

just A R

Photos: Julian Agin-Liebes/ the Justice. Design: Julian Agin-Liebes and Max Breitstein Matza/ the Justice.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

18-21

■ Poetry with Jamele Adams 19 Students were instructed in the art of slam poetry by the dean of student life. ■ Made of Metal 19 Swedish and Finnish bands allied with a Californian cohort on a quest to crush Boston-area eardrums.

20 ■ “Intended Consequences” A traveling exhibit about rape in Rwanda came to the Women’s Studies Research Center. 21 ■ Michael Shannon The Oscar-nominated actor spoke to students about his role in Revolutionary Road.

OFF CAMPUS

21-24

■ ‘Underworld’ 21 A gory movie about vampires and werewolves featured numerous impalements. 22 ■ ‘Lark and Termite’ The novel by Jayne Anne Phillips made a dazzling read despite an unpretentious exterior.

23 ■ ‘Tranced’ and ‘Blackbird’ Troupes in Lowell and Boston competently explored the complexities of social relationships in two new plays. 23 ■ ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ Lily Allen revealed a sweeter, more mature side by combining charming melodies with clever lyrics on her latest album.

CALENDAR

Q&A by Shelly Shore

It all began early on the morning of Feb. 9, the day after the 2009 Grammy Awards; celebrity gossip blog Oh No They Didn’t received confirmation that R&B singer Chris Brown was being investigated by the LAPD in an alleged assault on a female. Instantly, rumors started swarming that the victim was his superstar girlfriend Rihanna. Information leaked very slowly, but later in the day TMZ confirmed that the victim of the alleged attack was indeed Rihanna, and the celebrity gossip world went certifiably insane. What had gone wrong? The news that Brown had been abused by a child was greeted with mixed reactions. Experts agree that adults who come from abusive families are more likely to abuse their own families later in life. On the subject of the way his father abused his mother, Brown was quoted as saying, “I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, ‘I’m just gonna go crazy on him one day.’ ... I hate him to this day.” And where was Rihanna in all of this? She spent most of the week with her friends and family, taking what was probably a much-needed break from the spotlight. But the question in all of this is: when does the invasion of privacy become detrimental? A photo of Rihanna after the attack that was leaked by the LAPD on TMZ may have granted Chris Brown his walking papers: “Brown, even if guilty, may walk free because of the unauthorized release of this photo,” said an LAPD source, as the majority of the public would side with Rihanna after seeing this picture, and it’s unfair for a jury to be asked to make an objective decision on something they’ve already made up their minds on. Domestic abuse is nothing to joke about in

Windows into a dream world ■ Mu-Hsuan Lin (GRAD) explains how she will incorporate video and dance into a surreal performance for the Festival of the Arts.

EVAN AGOSTINI/the Associated Press

SOS: The “Umbrella” singer’s silence ought to be respected by media outlets and fans alike. any instance. Survivors around the world have voiced their opinions, saying that Brown should be everything from imprisoned to castrated. And everyone is waiting, with baited breath, for Rihanna’s take. But she’s staying silent, and maybe that’s what she needs. So paparazzi, please: While I love a good story as much as you do, give the girl a break, or Rihanna supporters everywhere will be forced to come after you and hit you with a massive umbrella. Ella, ella.

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ The Brandeis Players will perform Brighton Beach Memoirs, a play that takes place in Brooklyn during the Great Depression. The production follows “15 year old Eugene, [who] lives in Brighton Beach with his family. He is witty, perceptive, obsessed with sex and forever fantasizing his baseball-diamond triumphs as star pitcher for the New York Yankees. As our guide through his ‘memoirs,’ Eugene takes us through a series of trenchant observations and insights that show his family meeting life’s challenges with pride, spirit and a marvelous sense of humor. But as World War II looms ever closer, Eugene sees his own innocence slipping away as the first important era of his life ends—and a new one begins.” The BP’s production of Brighton Beach Memoirs will be directed by Brian Melcher ’10 and will star Dan Katz ’12, Lauren Elias ’10, Anne Chiorazzi ’11, Briana Bensenouci ’12, Jesse Fixsen ’12, Sam Roos ’09 and Charlie Kivolowitz ’11. Tickets will be sold for $3 at the doors of Lower Usdan, Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater.

‘Persepolis’ Persepolis is the coming-of-age story of a young girl named Marjane who is living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. And it is through the eyes of this precocious and outspoken nine-year-old girl that viewers see a people’s hopes dashed as fundamentalists take power, forcing the veil on women and imprisoning thousands. Clever and fearless, Marjane outsmarts the “social guardians” and discovers punk, ABBA and Iron Maiden. Yet when her uncle is senselessly executed and as bombs fall around Tehran in the Iran/Iraq war, the daily fear that permeates life in Iran becomes palpable. Persepolis is a part of an ongoing festival of award winning French and Francophone films. Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Shiffman 219.

The Heyday on WBRS Coffeehouse WBRS Coffeehouse, the only free weekly live acoustic music series in the Boston area, can be heard live on WBRS 100.1 FM, as well as on live Web stream at www.wbrs.org, and is free and open to the public of all ages. For

WHAT’S ON?

PHOTO COURTESY OF ECU.EDU

CULTURE CLASH: ‘Persepolis’ tells the story of a young girl in 1970s Iran who listens to punk music and dresses in Western-style clothes as a form of rebellion against the Muslim theocracy. this semester’s performances lineup and schedule, go to www.wbrs.org and click WBRS Concert Listings, or email (book ing@wbrs.org). This week, pop/rock band The Heyday—which has been described as “the next-generation Fray” and “the epitome of radio-friendly power pop” by Dave Herrera of The Denver Westword—will be playing live on WBRS. Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room.

K-Nite ’09 This cultural event will include performances of Tae Kwon Do, traditional Korean drumming, fan dancing, modern dance and much more. During intermission, bubble tea will be sold, and following the conclusion of the event Korean food will be served. Tickets will be sold during lunch in upper Usdan Wednesday through Friday for $4 and at the door for $6. Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Levin Ballroom.

Fortepiano & Friends: Female and Male Composers in the Mix This event comprises a bold rendering of classical and early romantic chamber and vocal works that weaves the works of extraordinary female composers among those of their male contemporaries and that features period winds and Brandeis’ newly acquired Viennese fortepiano. The program includes spirited music by Helene Montgeroult, Louis Spohr, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Mozart and Maddalena Sirmen. “Fortepiano & Friends” marks the launch of The Women and Music Project: An Assemblage of Performing, Composing and Musicological Scholars from the Women’s Studies Research Center. Performers will include Pamela Dellal (mezzo-soprano), Diane Heffner (period clarinets), Na’ama Lion (period flute) and Vivian Montgomery (fortepiano). Admission is free of charge. Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Every spring since 1952, the Office of the Arts at Brandeis has held the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts. Founded by Leonard Bernstein himself, the festival features performances by students and other members of the Brandeis community and is open to the public. This year, 21 grants were given to a variety of community members, including graduate student MuHsuan Lin, who received $350 for her multimedia performance. JustArts: In the list of grant winners published by the Office of the Arts, your project was described as “multimedia performance based on original story, with chamber music, dance and video.” Can you describe it more? Mu-Hsuan Lin: “A room of French windows and limestone sculptures” is a project derived from a larger project I am to accomplish in the near future. As mainly a composer, I do other acts of creativity in my spare time, and my creative mind has often been invigorated with the visions of beautiful experiences that are neither purely acoustic nor only visual. The idea of doing a project like this is a result from my long-time dissatisfaction of the limits of the art forms I have practiced individually—not that I deny the distinct communication of each art form, it is just that sometimes I experience “an experience” as in many art forms simultaneously. In this, [my first attempt] at an inter-disciplinary artwork, I function as both composer and the writer and collaborate with a dancer to realize my ideas for the video and the dance. JA: What is the original story about? ML: I started writing a long story in the last winter which was inspired by and embarked with an image that haunted me for many years—a unisexed little girl the protagonist encountered in a bookstore restroom in Taipei City. The long story, a poetic magic realism piece (if you want to put a label), is structured by a linearity of displacements of time and space, inserted with several windows open to scenes on a stage or in a dream. With the encountering of the child as the start, the protagonist went through a series of events which she thought was chronological (like a stage project she directed, which spanned a year), but it never is clear what happens first; with the child popping in and out of the story between dreams and realities, readers will eventually get confused with the narrative. The part of “A room of French windows and limestone sculptures” is from a dream the protagonist had which involves the split of an individual’s single narrative. To realize the music part, the score calls for two singers, keyboards, strings, trombone, recorders, percussion and tape, or a simplified version of this instrumentation: singers, one keyboard, one string, two wind instruments and small percussion. The challenging part will be the use of the text—since I’m not writing “incidental music,” how do I then apply the story unabridged while carrying the music into its fullest potential musical linearity? Though still in the sketching stage, I currently have a solution which was done before in my other music compositions: transform the music in time through different narratives—from an operatic duet to the ambient music with narration, from a song to a music drama, from text painting to the recitative, etc. The video, interacting with the dancer, will feature a gallery-like dreamland in which the dancer performs a dance with sculptures or, again, a simplified version of it. Depends on what I can get; the doubling and variation of the video and the dancer will, hopefully, demonstrate the split narrative the whole experience requires. JA: Who is participating in the dance? ML: So far I am still trying to find a dancer/performance artist. —Andrea Fineman

Top 10s for the week ending February 24

Box Office

College Radio

Billboard

WBRS

1. Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail 2. Taken 3. Coraline 4. He’s Just Not That Into You 5. Slumdog Millionaire 6. Friday the 13th 7. Confessions of a Shopaholic 8. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 9. Fired Up! 10. The International

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion 2. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast 3. Matt and Kim – Grand 4. Los Campesinos! – We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed 5. Antony and the Johnson – The Crying Light 6. A.C. Newman – Get Guilty 7. Glasvegas – Glasvegas 8. Loney, Dear – Dear John 9. David Byrne and Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today 10. Killers – Day And Age

1. Taylor Swift – Fearless 2. Robert Plant/Allison Krauss – Raising Sand 3. India.Arie – Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics 4. The Fray – The Fray 5. Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You 6. Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream 7. Bobby Valentino – The Rebirth 8. Coldplay – Viva La Vida 9. Various Artists – Grammy Nominees 2009 10. Adele – 19

1. Mike Quick – “Rain” 2. Lily Allen – “The Fear” 3. Andrew Bird – “Natural Disaster” 4. TV on The Radio – “Golden Age” 5. Beck – “Walls” 6. Mogwai – “local authority” 7. The Kills – “U.R.A. Fever” 8. Blitzen Trapper – “Furr” 9. M.Ward – “Jailbird” 10. Booka Shade – “Dusty Boots”

Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided by Yahoo! Movies. Radio charts provided by CMJ.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

ON CAMPUS MUSIC

Adams teaches art of slam poetry ■ The dean of student life instructed students by way of haiku-writing excercises, poetry reading and slam demonstrations. By SHELLY SHORE JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Slam poetry, the act of taking a poem and infusing it with theatrical elements, is more than a casual hobby—it’s an art form. And on Wednesday, Feb. 11, Brandeis students had the opportunity to learn about it from master celebrated poet and our own dean of student life Jamele Adams. It was a night of relaxing fun in the Shapiro TV Lounge, complete with hot apple cider and cookies. Students who arrived early had time to socialize and get good spots on the couches before Adams arrived, and when he did, it was in a flurry of cold winter air and cheer. While the event had been advertised as “Slam Poetry with Jamele Adams,” very few details of the night’s activities had been given out beforehand and most people in the room had little idea of what was going to happen. I, for one, was expecting a slam poetry performance, or maybe an impromptu poetry slam by members of the Brandeis Slam Team. Instead, Adams handed out pieces of notebook paper and instructed everyone to pick another person in the room and write a haiku about that person in three minutes. Noticing that Massell Quad Community Development Coordinator Brian Koslowski was in the room, he commented, “If you ever wanted to write about your CDC, here’s your chance.” After about three minutes of frantic scribbling and numerous pauses to count syllables on our fingers, we had all completed passable haikus. Mine, I’m proud to say, did not end with either “refrigerator” or “hippopotamus” (both five-syllable “copout” words). The room favorite was written for the wonderful Brian Koslowski himself: “Why are you happy?/Things in the world are real bad./I want your hairstyle.” “Poetry,” Dean Adams said when everyone had finished giggling over haikus, “is expression. It’s the ability to have a voice and be heard.” His words hit home, especially given the time in which they were spoken. In addition to February being Black History Month, a commemoration of the struggles minorities fought through in order to get their voices heard and a celebration of that achievement, Brandeis stu-

EMILY KRAUS/the Justice

WORDSMITH WORKSHOP: At the Shapiro Campus Center, Jamele Adams encouraged attendees to express themselves through dynamic performances of their personal writing. dents are working more than ever to get their voices heard in the wake of major University decisions being made without their input. Poetry has been used to voice protest for generations, from political unrest to teenage rebellion, and as Adams put it, the best way to use it is to bring it to life. To demonstrate the difference between a poetry reading and a poetry slam, he invited Brandeis Slam Team member Sara Kass Levy ’12 up to recite one of her original poems. “Just say it,” he told her, and she actually stared blankly at him for a

moment before fixing her gaze on the wall and started off in a jumble of words and phrases, blurring together almost incomprehensibly. He stopped her after a few moments and asked the assembled students what they thought. When no one responded positively, Adams asked Levy to recite it as a slam poem. And suddenly, everything changed. She stood straighter; her voice got stronger; and she brought the poem to life, filling the entire room with emotion and power. When she finished, the room was completely silent for a

long moment before everyone burst into applause. “Slam poetry is about bringing it from the page to the stage,” Adams said. “Slam is the most imperfect competition ever, imperfect and subjective because no two people will ever hear a poem the same way. But that’s what makes it beautiful.” As a final exercise, he asked us to write a poem about a superhero of our own creation. It needed to have a ride, a journey, a climax and a voice. When we finished writing, he invited us to read our poems to the group, but he wanted us to “slam”

them— and if he felt it wasn’t being read with enough emotion, he’d have us do it again. Some of the poems were funny—“Napkin Man,” “Yes Man”—while some were deeper— “The Muse,” “The Maverick”—but they all accomplished their purpose: showing us the thrill of writing something and bringing it to life. Adams finished the evening with a parting piece of wisdom. “Words,” he said, “are the most powerful things in the world. They can start wars, they can break hearts, they can save lives. Words are the most powerful things in the world.”

“Suck” knob does little to deter brutality, mayhem Daniel D.

SNYDER MADE OF METAL

Like the Black Death, Made of Metal returns once again to sow esoteric references and bouts of painful death among you all! This week’s edition may be an account of a nearly two-week-old concert, but blame the University’s erratic vacation schedule if you must. Pretend that you have just dug up a dusty old tome (tomes are very metal), an account of an ancient battle unearthed from the age of like, two weeks ago. Now before I can calmly and accurately recount the Feb. 12 massacre at the Palladium’s upstairs club venue, I have a message for the lanky kid with the long hair, gray shirt (not very metal at all), braces and squeaky voice: you smell terrible. I’ve had to stand next to many offensive odors in my metal journey and you were by far the worst. You smelled like a trashcan full of used baby diapers dipped in a deep frier. You smelled so bad you made me

want to give up my killer spot in the front row. To semi-quote my favorite publication: if you don’t hate your own smell, you hate no smell. You were also very annoying. You annoyed me. You annoyed the people around you and you annoyed the bands. Please don’t come to any more shows. Some people are trying to enjoy their lives. On to the music. Swallow the Sun, Finland’s most depressing band ever and my main reason for attending the concert, was up first. In preparation for STS’s first North American tour, every tree in New England went bare, and the temperature dropped to nearly zero as frozen matter fell from the sky (this could also be the effect of the phenomenon humans call “winter,” but I don’t believe in coincidences). The sextet’s brand of lurching doom-death seemed a little out of place on a bill boasting mostly whirlwind thrash bands, but they proved more invigorating in the live arena than I had expected. Despite expressions ranging from stoic to downright grim, Swallow the Sun played like champs for the 20 or so people who had streamed into the club early. Opening up with the appropriately titled “Descending Winters,” STS touched on each of their albums, even whipping out, much to my de-

light, two tracks from their first demo, “Out of This Gloomy Light” and the crushing “Swallow.” The sound man even managed to keep that fickle ol’ “suck” knob on the sound board dialed down to zero, allowing the more delicate atmospheric touches to shine through with melodies that could squeeze tears from a stone. If you haven’t checked these dudes out yet, do yourself a favor. Next up was California’s Warbringer, a band whose faux-retro thrash wares I’ve railed on at least once before in the pages of this mysterious tome. But while I still couldn’t care less for this regurgitated, one-dimensional garbage, I’m willing to divorce my aesthetic tastes from my desire to have fun in the live arena. I can’t tell you the names of any songs because they are generally identical three- to four-minute blasts of Bay area-derived classic thrash metal, but I can tell you that it makes for a heck of a live show. The final act for the night was Sweden’s hyper-technical/progressive/death-thrash veterans Darkane. Though I only own one of their albums, Layers of Lies, I thought I knew enough of their other “hits” to maintain a generally solid grasp of the set. My degree of preparation turned out to be completely irrel-

evant, though, because somehow the sound man lost control of that devilish “suck” knob. That thing must have been set to the power of 10 because I’m pretty sure that the guitars and lead mic weren’t even on when the playing started. After a song or two, this situation was somewhat rectified with a nondescript buzzing heard from the amps. At one point, master shredder Klas Ideberg yelled a slew of profanities at the soundman, prompting him to turn said nondescript buzz way up. This made for a killer live mix consisting of really loud drums and a massive buzzing noise. Fortunately, through some divine miracle the sound was almost perfect for my favorite Darkane thrashterpiece, “Secondary Effects.” Truth be told, there was one more band, Sweden’s Soilwork, but they left me so broken and betrayed in my early metal years (4 great albums followed by a pretty blatant stab at commercial acceptance) that I couldn’t bring myself to watch them live, even to see them play the epic “Millionflame.” I left the Palladium partially deaf, heavy bruised and aching and greedily clutching Darkane guitarist Christofer Malmström’s pick. A night of true brutality.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

ntended consequences

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

SOMBER SNAPSHOTS: Visitors to the Women’s Research Studies Center view photos of Rwandan women with their children born of rape. The “Intended Consequences” exhibit will be on display until April 9.

Jonathan Torgovnick’s exhibit shows the faces of rape victims By RACHEL KLEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

“Today I have a big challenge: I am a mother but feel unwilling to be a mother. Whenever I look at this child, the memories of rape return. … I don’t love her like a mother ought to love a child.” This quote was taken from the testimony of Philomena, a Tutsi woman who was raped by Hutu militiamen during the Rwandan genocide and who conceived a child as a result. The Rwandan genocide is one of the most brutal acts of violence to occur in this century and left over 800,000 dead. But what happened to those who survived? This is the question addressed by the exhibit currently on display in the Kniznick Gallery. On Monday, Feb. 23 the Women’s Studies Research Center hosted the opening reception for this show, titled “Intended Consequences: Rwandan Children Born of Rape.” The exhibition is comprised of interviews and photographs taken by Jonathan Torgovnik, an Israeli currently living in New York. Torgovnik is a photojournalist who makes his living reporting for magazines and who first became aware of the issue of Rwandan children born of rape while in Africa on assignment. He then set about collecting testimonies over the course of three years and multiple trips to Rwanda. The Rwandan genocide began April 7, 1994 and lasted 100 days. During this time, about 800,000 Rwandans were slaughtered. The conflict was between the Hutus and the Tutsis, two ethnic groups in Rwanda, and involved the use of rape as a weapon of war by Hutu militiamen. Around 20,000 children were born as a result of these rapes. Many of the women contracted HIV as well, adding to their suf-

fering. The show is a traveling exhibit and will go on a 10-college tour, with Brandeis as its first stop. Margot Moinester ’09 and Noam Schuster ’11 are the students responsible for bringing this exhibit to campus. Moinester has visited Rwanda twice, first on a grant from the Ethics Center and second on a separate grant. Schuster will be visiting Rwanda for the first time this summer, also as a part of a program by the Ethics Center. The exhibit chronicles the lives of 25 Tutsi women and their children, who were conceived when the women were raped. Some women even have two children as a result of repeated rape. In their testimonies the women express emotions ranging from numbness to anger to hope. Some, like Philomena, have trouble loving their children. Others say that their children are the only hope in their lives. All of the women live in abject poverty. Their stories, told in a straightforward manner, are horrifying, their photographs chilling. This is the first time that most of these women are telling their stories. Torgovnik explained that many of the women wanted their trials told to the world but were too afraid to talk about it at home. In most of Africa, there is a major social stigma against a woman who has been raped and there is an even worse stigma for a child conceived as a result of rape. There is also a serious stigma against those infected with HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately for these women, most have been afflicted by all three, and have been shunned by their remaining family members for having children that are half of the “enemy.” Many of these women have not told their children the circumstances of their birth, choosing to keep their children

in the dark as to their true fathers’ identities. All of the women’s stories have multiple layers, each full of the horrors that have been inflicted on them during the genocide. However, Torgovnik’s goal was not to simply relay horror story after horror story: “I’m not telling these stories to shock people. It is important to make people really understand the level of brutality enacted on these women. They are still dealing with the consequences of the trauma.” Torgovnik hopes that his art will be an instrument to bringing about social change and will help these women get the help that they need. “This is the story of one person to understand a big problem. It is the only way to understand,” Torgovnik says. He also urged students to become involved with local programs to help prevent violence against women. Torgonik recognizes that while the violence that has happened in Rwanda was an extreme, violence against women is an international problem that affects all communities. For students who are looking to become more involved with the improvement of these women’s lives, Torgovnik has co-founded a non-profit organization called Foundation Rwanda. The money raised will go towards providing an education for the children and psychological care for the mothers. More information is available online at www.foundationr wanda.org. Yvette, one of the survivors, said, “Tell the world that if we die, we are leaving behind these children, these children who were born when the world was looking away and never came to our rescue.” With the help of people like Torgovnik, though, these children will have access to a more promising future.

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

FAMILY ALBUM: This photo is one of a series taken by Jonathan Torgovnik as a way of raising awareness about the lasting effects of the Rwandan atrocities. CRUEL LEGACY: A woman and her daughter sit for a picture. The girl is one of an estimated 20,000 children born as a result of rape during the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

MICHAEL SHANNON AT BRANDEIS

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

SHANNON SOUNDS OUT: Michael Shannon, right, whose appearance in the ﬁlm ‘Revolutionary Road’ earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination, was interviewed by Brandeis alumnus Scott Feinberg on Feb. 12.

‘Revolutionary’ star stops by Brandeis By SEAN FABERY JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The first thing that strikes you when you hear Oscar nominee Michael Shannon speak is the way he takes things in stride. “[The nomination] is pretty neat. In some ways, it’s a lot of pressure. Before that you were able to surprise people. Now it’s like, ‘He better be good!’” Shannon, a Best Supporting Actor nominee for his role in Revolutionary Road, appeared at the Wasserman Cinematheque on Feb. 12 for a question-and-answer session moderated by Brandeis alumnus Scott Feinberg, a blogger for the Los Angeles Times. It marked the fifth installment of the Times’ East Coast Contender Q-and-A Series. Previous participants include fellow Oscar nominees Richard Jenkins and Melissa Leo. Shannon portrays John Givings, a “deranged Will Rogers” type on loan from the local mental institution. In order to acclimate him to the real world after countless electroshock treatments, his mother (Kathy Bates) introduces him to the film’s protagonists, Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April (Kate Winslet) Wheeler. The film focuses on their marriage, which crumbles as a result of the “hopeless emptiness” of suburbia. Shannon’s screen time is minimal; he appears in only two scenes totaling eight minutes, making his performance the shortest to be nominated at this year’s Oscars. The nomination surprised Shannon, who was attending the Sundance Film Festival on the morning the nominees were announced. “I was pretty certain I wasn’t going to get nominated, so I made the mistake of going to a midnight screen-

ing the night before. It’s 6:30 a.m. My phone began doing things I didn’t know it could do. I thought it was going to be like a Transformer and turn into a little man and start attacking me. I spent about the next 12 hours on the phone.” Shannon spoke highly of his fellow nominees, a company of actors that includes Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr., Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heath Ledger (who was eventually awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor on Feb. 22). “I’m particularly fond of [Downey] in Tropic Thunder. I thought that was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.” Prior to Revolutionary Road, Shannon was primarily known as a stage actor, with his role in the 2004 production of Bug winning him numerous accolades. He also made numerous supporting appearances in films like Pearl Harbor, 8 Mile and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. He went on win praise for the 2007 film adaptation of Bug. Shannon voiced his enthusiasm for the 1961 Richard Yates novel from which Revolutionary Road was adapted. He received the book from his girlfriend at the time. “It was the first gift she ever gave me. Great book, but I thought; ‘Are you trying to tell me something?’” he joked. Upon discovering that a film adaptation was being made, Shannon had his agent schedule a meeting in what he termed a “pretty classic audition scenario.” He read a scene opposite casting director Debbie Zahn, who stood in for Kathy Bates. “There’s a point in that scene where I tell her to shut up. She said she never felt so demoralized reading with an actor on an audition, that I really

hurt her feelings, which I guess is a compliment,” he recalled. After nabbing the role, he focused on the book for preparation. “All the work you really need to do is to just read the book. It really is one of the finest books I’ve ever read. The way that Yates describes the character. … He’s just so completely fleshed out.” Shannon enthusiastically delved into the mechanics of his character, pointing out his role as the story’s “truthteller.” He noted the way in which John’s remarks often caused the audience to laugh, emphasizing that John is a “sad, pathetic human being [just like] a lot of comedians are sad, pathetic human beings by their own admission.” “The main reason that John behaves the way he behaves and says the things he says is that he’s not trying to maintain any sort of life for himself. John can’t take care of himself. He can sit all day and point out everyone’s insufficiencies, but at the end of the day, … John [is the one who] goes and sits in a cell somewhere and stares out the window. I think John’s a person easily admired from a distance, but if he were here right now, I don’t think anyone would want to talk to him.” Any insecurity he had about the role disappeared upon putting on his wardrobe. “When I put that suit on and they slicked my hair down, I looked in the mirror and I said, ‘Oh, yeah, there he is.’ It was kind of from the outside in.” Shannon spent five days on set filming his two scenes, both of which were opposite Winslet, DiCaprio and Bates. He singled out DiCaprio and Winslet, calling them “approachable, grounded people.” When Shannon somehow managed to

drool on DiCaprio’s crotch in a comic outtake, DiCaprio played it cool. “You would never know he was a movie star,” Shannon said. Shannon also praised the intelligence and intuition of director Sam Mendes, best known for his work on American Beauty. He was surprised by the amount of notes Mendes took during taping, remarking that he “never worked before with a [film] director who did that.” Mendes also “would never do another take without saying something meaningful” about what the scene was meant to convey. Most of all, Shannon was struck by the way “everyone on the set was united by their passion for the book.” Though he worries about not living up to the moniker of “Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon,” he has several projects in the pipeline that should solidify his place in the film industry. This year alone he will appear in films like The Missing Person, 13 and The Greatest, costarring with the likes of Mickey Rourke, Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan. Currently, Shannon is filming Werner Herzog’s My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? On top of all that, he is tentatively attached to star in the new HBO series Boardwalk Empire, the pilot of which will be directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese. Even if his numerous future endeavors somehow manage to disappoint, Shannon points out that he already has a healthy acting résumé both on and off screen to fall back on. “There are people who come up to me and say, ‘I saw you in a play!’ There are also those people who go ‘Yo! You were in 8 Mile! You were in the trunk in Bad Boys II!’”

FILM

Over-the-top ‘Underworld’ hellishly entertaining ■ Despite its horrible plot, and terrible dialogue, the ﬁlm is outrageous enough to amuse most moviegoers. By DANIEL D. SNYDER JUSTICE EDITOR

It’s no secret that the Oscars, our nation’s most prestigious, pretentious and expensive awards, are floundering. Viewership hits a new low every year, as have the costs of advertising slots during the three hour-plus ceremony; they’ve cycled through multiple potential hosts (arriving at not-so-superstar Hugh Jackman), and worst of all, they’ve become predictable. All of the top films have had an award locked down since they debuted as far back as June. These days, you can spot an Oscar winner a mile away. The ingredi-

ents are pretty simple: Take two parts sensitive subject matter (Nazis, gay rights, global warming), one part big-name actor (DiCaprio, Winslett, Penn), sprinkle household-name director, bake at 350 degrees, and serve it up to a society whose members’ tastes are well known. I say we spice up the Oscars with some snazzy new categories, ones that might actually stir up some controversy among the voters. So, without further ado I submit for “Most Entertaining Viewing Experience”: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. By traditional standards of good taste, character development, convincing performance, emotional attachment and plot, it was a terrible movie. Simply awful. I imagine the creative process for this film went something like this: Writer Alan: Well, the script is due tomorrow. What’ve we got? Writer Bernard: Nothing really. We have like half a page of notes, and I can’t

read your handwriting. It’s more than we had for the other two Underworld movies, but I think we should turn in at least a page this time. I need my Christmas bonus to pay child support. Writer Alan: What about that script we wrote at the meth party? You remember the one. It was a mix of Interview with a Vampire, Teen Wolf, Braveheart, The Rock and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Writer Bernard: Brilliant! It practically writes itself! Cut and paste some dialogue from some other movies. Don’t rip anything too good. We can’t have anyone picking up on our evil scheme. I’m going to go do drugs in the bathroom. Now, fortunately for the degenerates at Screen Gems, the traditional elements of a “good” movie aren’t always what viewers are looking for, and therein lies the strength of Underworld. It’s not that it’s so bad it’s funny; it’s more like the writers, knowing full well they had no chance of

winning any critical acclaim, decided to throw everything into the pot and hope the end result would be outrageous enough to entertain and entice oddball moviegoers. The result? The only film of 2009 (and perhaps ever) to feature a horde of charging werewolves attempting to overtake a castle held by an elite caste of vampire rulers. And as a fan of werewolves, swordplay and acts of impalement, I was willing to see Underworld at the behest of two friends with similar tastes. Much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed myself. If nothing else, Underworld delivers in the impalement category with flying colors. Everyone gets stabbed. Everyone. You can’t go 10 minutes in this movie without one of the characters getting stuck with a sharp object, be it a sword, spear, arrow, dagger, ballista or spinning whirly blade. Lead werewolf Michael Sheen alone should get an Oscar for “Most

Stab Wounds Received in a Feature Film.” One of the scenes even features a kind of impalement obstacle course as a group of canine rebels attempt to flee from their vampiric captors under heavy spear-fire. There’s plenty here for fans of dismemberment as well, with plenty of limbs, even torsos, severed and spurting. Pretty cool. Unfortunately, all the guts and gore are spaced between some seriously unbearable bouts of dialogue, but truthfully, I was too busy laughing it up with my sidekicks to really notice or care. The strength of Underworld isn’t so much the movie itself but the experience it provides the audience. The rest of the world might not take notice, but if you want a good laugh with your friends and you’ve never seen a werewolf tackle a vampire on a castle wall and bite his head off in midair, go see this movie.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

OFF CAMPUS BOOK REVIEW

‘Lark’ is a worthwhile literary romp ■ Jayne Anne Phillip’s latest offering describes the trials of a disabled young man named Termite and his sister Lark. By KRISTEN SMITH JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jayne Anne Phillips’s new novel Lark & Termite does not stand out on the “new fiction” table at the local Barnes & Noble. Its cover isn’t glossy or glamorous; it’s brown, black and blue and looks like it’s made out of a grocery bag. But, as the saying goes, Lark & Termite is much more than its modest cover suggests. Much like William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, Lark & Termite spans only four days in July of 1959, yet we see each day’s events from a different person’s perspective and time. Seventeen-year-old Lark of Winfield, Virginia goes to secretarial school at night and takes care of her disabled brother Termite during the day. Though Termite, chairbound, cannot speak or walk, he hears and senses things other people can’t. He hears the ragged orange alley cat as it creeps on its belly behind the neighborhood houses or rests under Nick Tucci and the Boys’ porch. Lark and Nonie, the siblings’ aunt and caretaker, can’t hear, and Termite “says and says and says.” During the day, Nonie works at Charlie’s, a local restaurant run by its namesake that is constantly haunted by the presence of his mother Gladdy, who disapproves of Charlie’s treatment of Nonie, Lark and Termite. Charlie and Nonie love each other, but won’t marry because things are going well as they are. Nick Tucci, too, stops by Sundays to mow the lawn, following Lark’s movements protectively, becoming one of the other men that make up their extended neighborhood family. And then of course, there’s Lola, Lark and Termite’s mother, who sang nights at Billy Onslow’s club in Louisville and who gave them over to Nonie’s care. Though she is absent, Lola’s name rolls off people’s tongues in Winfield as if she were a reincarnation of Nabokov’s infa-

mous Lolita. Yet all Lark and Termite have left of her are six cardboard boxes marked “Florida” that lie unopened in their basement. Corporal Robert Leavitt, Termite’s father and Lola’s young husband, drifts in and out of consciousness in Korea, wounded by friendly fire and trapped in a tunnel with a self-sacrificing girl and her blind younger brother. Then comes the flood in Winfield that threatens to destroy everything and changes Lark and Termite’s lives forever, as it turns up bits and pieces of their past as furniture and debris float through the town. This may just sound like something you could read on any book jacket; I, myself, was skeptical as to whether it would turn out to be some sentimental, clichéd, soap opera-like drama, a book I felt I had already read a million times before. As I read further and further into their lives, however, all my fears faded away as I became enchanted with Phillips’ prose. Every sight, smell and sound were described with such great detail and care that I gradually felt my world and theirs merging irrevocably. I even found myself on a plane ride down to Florida just as Lark and Termite rode in a boxcar to Florida themselves. And that was how, as the flight attendants told me I had to turn off my computer, I knew I had read a great book. I showed all the signs of what I call a “reader’s high”: a drunken confusion I feel whenever I have finished a good book, one that transports me to another world entirely, so that when it ends I’m not quite sure where I am. I feel like I’ve just woken up from a vivid dream. Perhaps I’m only praising Lark & Termite so much because I’m still riding that high, drunk on Phillips’ words. But, whatever the case, I do know it would be a shame for anyone to pass this book by for the more glamorous books on the “new fiction” tables. At the very least, don’t judge this book by its cover. Some clichés are not nearly as terrible as you think, or even clichés at all, and Lark & Termite is definitely one of those.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RANDOM HOUSE

UNDERCOVER GEM: ‘Lark and Termite’’s modest cover conceals an enchanting saga about strangely named Southern siblings.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

THEATER

Local plays are a polished pair ■ Two expertly produced Boston-area plays, one featuring a Brandeis alumna, take an intimate look at human relationships. By DANIEL BARON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This past week I saw two plays, both with powerful scripts and strong, small casts. They were both done professionally and gave audiences serious issues to ponder. While the theater can be a place to escape the harsh realities of the world, Lowell and Boston are home to a kind of art that did just the opposite. I was taken deeper into my own realities and led through a path of the common existence shared by all humans everywhere. The first show I saw was Bob Clyman’s Tranced by the Merrimack Repertory Theater, a production about a hypnotherapist asked to help a young African student having difficulties in preparing for exams. The girl’s difficulties are likely due to the repression of a traumatic event. A reporter is called in to listen to the patient’s taped sessions, because they are relevant to a politically controversial project being planned by the African government that has been approved by the U.S. The reporter agrees to take on the story and is caught between the psychologist’s office and that of a U.S. bureaucrat connected to the pending endeavor in Africa. What stems out of this plot is a series of conversations that presents us with a very real yet often overlooked insight into humanity: We are all trying to entrance those we are with. In the context of Tranced, the doctor tries to put his patient under a spell in order to ease the transition from repression to memory while the official attempts to distract the reporter in the hopes that she might stop digging for the truth. And even when we think we have someone else under our control, that could just mean we ourselves are under a trance and our apparent control is but an illusion. Tranced is a well-written play. I think some of the scenes dragged on a bit too long and that one was entirely unnecessary, but other than that the production was solid and unique. It’s always a relief to see something unexpected and different. However, many of the lines were fumbled, and there were cases of overacting, especially with the all-toocommon over-movement of the hands. But the lines are probably straightened out by now (I saw Tranced opening night), and hand movement-itis happens. I can forgive these things because they barely bothered me; it was too good a show for me to be concerned with a few imperfections here and there. Straight plays (plays without singing and dancing) are difficult to perform. For one, the actors must reach and maintain levels of energy

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN BERUBE

THE DOCTOR IS IN: A troubled student (Zainab Jah) and her therapist (Mark Zeisler) work through her problems in ‘Tranced.’ that take hard work to pull off when there are no instruments to back them up. Add to that the burden of learning dozens of pages’ worth of lines. And if it’s not a comedy, gauging each audience’s reaction is complicated; in a musical, those on stage can hear the volume and enthusiasm of various applauses, while for a comedy, laughter is the response. Tranced was not devoid of jokes or witty remarks. On the contrary, there were plenty of funny moments that evoked laughter, just not enough to make it a comedy per se. Performing eight times a week requires professionalism. The four actors I witnessed last Sunday were professionals—if someone messed up a line, the mistake was quickly fixed, and the actor moved on. The energy never declined, and the emotions were for the most part genuine. These characteristics were all the more impressive considering that when acting is a job, it takes considerable talent to make it seem as though acting is not a job. The four actors weren’t the only ones who made the night a success. There was never (and I rarely say never) a technical glitch, a problem common in plays by sub-professionals and sometimes, unfortunately, by professionals as well. The frequent booms and background clips of tribal music were well-chosen complements to the theme. The set was simple and relevant to the story. With no superfluity, the desks and few pieces of artwork did not distract my eyes from the action. This is exactly the way a set for this specific show needs to be. And the director, Kyle Fabel, obviously knew what he was doing. The stage direction for each scene reflected the tension or lack thereof between the four good-intentioned characters, a synchronization of walking and sit-

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN BERUBE

BUSINESS CASUAL: In Tranced, a journalist (Kimber Riddle) consults a government ofﬁcial (David Adkins) about the political situation in a ﬁctional African country. ting with nervousness and relief, engagement and departure with comfort and fear. The focus is absolutely a testament to how gifted David Adkins, Zainab Jah, Kimber Riddle and Mark Zeisler are, but it is also further evidence of Fabel’s competence. A week later I went to see the Speakeasy Stage Company’s production of Blackbird, a Boston-area premiere co-produced with the Boston Center for the Arts. This was another professionally done show. It was written by David Harrower and included performances by only two leads. Blackbird concerns a specific, universal and deep issue; about 20 minutes into the show the plot explodes with a shocking twist, though I’m not at liberty to give away what it is. I can tell you, however, that it’s about relationships and the power shifts that constantly take place between two desperate, lonely people. Blackbird left me asking questions

and realizing how close to home theater can bring us. It’s a show that kicks the audience in the rear and forces it to pay attention (producing Artistic Director, Paul Daigneault, calls the play “riveting” and “intense.” I agree). It’s a show that anyone can relate to, even though its subject is one that is (hopefully) absent most people’s lives. The past, Blackbird explains, is always with us. Can we really ever get over it? Can we really ever let go of former romances, experiences and disappointments? Will we eternally feel guilty for the things we screwed up? Love, according to Blackbird, is not only complicated because of its timing, because of something as dull yet upsettingly significant as logistics, but because we have yet to figure out what love really is in the first place. Does obsession count? How about passion? And why does hate accompany love so often?

Essentially, Blackbird is all about how our feelings and attitudes change so quickly (and randomly) when we are with our partners. We hurt each other, and we destroy ourselves, as well. Is that our way of making sacrifices, nobly, in order to transcend simple comforts for a more meaningful connection? Harrower suggests otherwise: that life’s interactions are such because we’re just not strong enough and not perfect enough to have ideal relationships. This play, for certain, is not about any kind of ordinary relationship. Then again, is there any such thing as an “ordinary” relationship, anyway? Most couples, we are reminded, are enmeshed in battles that involve aspects that are anything but the norm. And yet most couples, conventional or not, have in common many of these battles: who’s in charge, how to value honesty, ordering priorities, and so on. The idea that straight plays are incredibly difficult is especially true for a show with only two actors; Marianna Bassham (Brandeis MFA ’02) and Bates Wilder delivered Harrower’s words back and forth for 90 minutes, with no intermission, no scene change. From the second they went on stage they were blunt, in your face and full of adrenaline. This is no small feat—beginning with such power takes a lot of preparation and focus, but the script is challenging and calls for it. Bassham and Wilder were challenged and they succeeded. Every once in a while I was unsure of where the energy and script were going, but just when I thought it might all be going downhill, a new fact would hit me in the head and the actors would rise up to even greater heights, making me care even more. The best way to describe the dynamic on stage is that it was a roller coaster of emotions and information. At first I was annoyed, but it grew on me mostly because it was real, raw and represented how unstable everything can become in a delicate situation. Director David R. Gammons understood this concept and took advantage of it, albeit maybe too much from time to time; The stage direction could have been scaled down a tad. One aspect of Blackbird that I hope gets credit from other reviewers, too, is the costume design by Gail Astrid Buckley. Buckley had to dress each character in one set of clothing for the entire show. There were no scene changes and as a result, no need for costume changes. Buckley got it right. The attires subtly completed the picture of who each character really was. I noticed this at the beginning, and near the end it’s actually explicitly mentioned by the characters, though each in a different way, a different context and subtext. I highly suggest you see this show, but I should warn that it contains partial nudity and a plot that puts on the table a disturbing topic not suitable for those under 16. That aside, not only is this great performance taking place right in Boston, but one of the performers was trained here at Brandeis.

MUSIC

Allen settles down, opens up with ‘It’s Not Me’ ■ The British pop star’s most recent album reveals a more mature mindset and surpasses her debut. By BRAD STERN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

After nearly four years, Lily Allen has finally begun to make headlines for all the right reasons again. Feb. 10 saw the release of the original MySpace starlet’s sophomore attempt, It’s Not Me, It’s You, which features the thoughts and fears of a 22-yearold poised at the precipice of adulthood. As a wise woman once said years ago: not a girl, not yet a woman. Accordingly, the new record is rife with turmoil stemming from all avenues of discontent, political, personal and all the glorious goods in

between. This time around, however, the bratty persona from years past has been replaced by a more dedicated musician, a personality often embodied by Allen herself in recent interviews. With “Everyone’s At It“ and “The Fear,” the album’s lead-off tracks, Allen sets the bar high from the beginning. Together, the two brooding electro-pop social critiques bounce off each other in a deliciously dark manner and create an atmosphere that is carried forth for the remainder of the album. “Back To The Start” is a particular highlight of the album. Hovering atop a brittle, breaking chorus, Allen teeters across a slippery string of apologies: “Believe me when I say that I cannot apologize enough ... And if it’s not too late/Can you please find it deep within your heart/To try and go back/Go back to the start?” As soon as the echoing choral bridges between the choruses

chime in, it’s already over. The track is a certified stormer. “Who’d Have Known” is an especially tender, if not surprising moment as we find Allen at the brink of something beautiful: “Even though it’s moving forward, there’s just the right amount of awkward/Today you accidentally called me baby,” she coos with a wisp of girlish excitement. “Chinese” appropriately follows, as Allen opens up once more: “Tomorrow we’ll take the dog for the walk in the afternoon, and maybe we’ll talk. I’ll be exhausted, so I’ll probably sleep. Then we’ll get Chinese and watch TV.” Frank, yet charming nonetheless. “Him” will likely garner the greatest flack from the buttoned-ups as it plays like a modern rendition of the classic Joan Osborne track, “One Of Us.” Reimagining God in more human terms, Allen twirls around through a dizzying, down-tempo

electronica set: “I don’t imagine he’s ever been suicidal/His favorite band is Creedance Clearwater Revival.” Much to my surprise, It’s Not Me is not only a stronger set than Alright, Still, but a more fluid one as well. The melodies and music meld into one another quite effortlessly throughout this album, creating a more satisfying, cohesive follow-up to her debut. And in place of the feelgood, reggae and ska stylings of her former effort is a kind of Western twang, tied along by a string of electronica strands throughout. However, unlike that of, say, Lady Gaga’s record, the recurring electronica samples found throughout the album feel like welcome re-introductions rather than cheaply recycled beats. From time to time, Lily Allen still sweeps her feet into the depths of silly, an aspect that can be found everywhere from the sweetly naughty chastising of a poorly per-

forming lover in “Not Fair” to the whirling, carousel kiss-off known as “Never Gonna Happen.” More often, though, we find the self-created starlet soaring into new reaches of gorgeous, layered vocals with the aid of well-crafted, minimalist lyricism. The craft, no doubt influenced by the masters before her known as the Pet Shop Boys, proves ultimately charming in the end. My only point of contention is that, barring the massive “Back To The Start,” the album’s most memorable tracks remain the ones leaked by the artist herself earlier last year. Not that the other tracks are poor by any means, but there’s still no topping the sensational construction of tracks such as “I Could Say” or “The Fear.” Then again, times were shakier then with the collapse of EMI, and I'm willing to bet even Allen was unsure if the record would ever see the light of day. Thankfully, it has.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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THE JUSTICE

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Try to say as little as possible about the work you’re doing through the end of the month. Then you can make your announcement and accept your welldeserved plaudits. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You face a more difficult challenge than you expected. But with that strong Taurean determination, you should be able to deal with it successfully by week’s end. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Before you act on your “feelings” about that upcoming decision, it might be wise to do a little fact checking first. You could be very much surprised by what you don’t find. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A recent workplace success can open some doors that were previously closed to you. On a personal level, expect to receive some important news from a longtime friend and colleague. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Put your wounded pride aside and do what you must to heal that misunderstanding before it takes a potentially irreversible turn and leaves you regretting the loss of a good friend. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) One way to kick a less-than-active social life into high gear or rebuild an outdated Rolodex file is to throw one of your well-organized get-togethers for friends and associates. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Getting out of an obligation you didn’t really want to take on can be tricky. An honest explanation of the circumstances can help. Next time, pay more attention to your usually keen instincts. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Use your Scorpion logic to push for a no-nonsense approach to a perplexing situation. This could ACROSS 1. Pocket bread 5. Gentle soul 9. Force 12. Tel — 13. Winglike 14. Performance 15. Sheik portrayer 17. Grazing area 18. Main course 19. Indigent 21. “Why should I care?” 22. One of Santa's team 24. Donated 27. Wrestling surface 28. Mounties’ org. 31. Mideast potentate 32. Hearty brew 33. Savings-plan acronym 34. Unescorted 36. Wrigley product 37. History 38. Singer Minogue 40. “That's a laugh!” 41. Fashion 43. Glum 47. Melody 48. Ratified 51. Oahu souvenir 52. Satan’s field 53. Conked out 54. Prior to 55. Welsh veggie 56. Catch sight of DOWN 1. Macadamize 2. Terrible guy? 3. Pinball no-no 4. Loath (to) 5. Tardy 6. Will Smith biopic

help keep present and potential problems from creating more confusion. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A friend’s problem might take more time than you want to give. But staying with it once again proves the depth of your Sagittarian friendship and loyalty. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) The Sea Goat can benefit from an extra dose of self-confidence to unsettle your detractors, giving you the advantage of putting on a strong presentation of your position. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You might want to ask a friend or relative for advice on an ongoing personal matter. But be careful not to give away information you might later wish you had kept secret. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Use the weekend for a creativity break to help restore your spiritual energy. Once that’s done, you'll be back and more than ready to tackle whatever challenge you need to face. BORN THIS WEEK: You get great joy out of creating beautiful things and sharing them with others who appreciate them.

BRANDEIS

Through the Lens

Solution to last issues’s crossword.

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

The Ice of Brandeis Around campus, winter continues to linger in the form of chilling winds and deep freezes that occur overnight. Here, delicate icicles

Sudoku

7. Isle of — 8. Cheery place? 9. Orange variety 10. On the rocks 11. Obedience-school lesson 16. Ultra-modernist 20. Alway 22. Price 23. Particular 24. Petrol 25. Way back when 26. Maiden of Odin 27. Creche trio 29. “— Doubtfire” 30. Vanna’s colleague

35. Olive — 37. Procession 39. Not bumpy 40. Coal carrier 41. Garage event 42. Layer 43. “Got —?” 44. Elevator name 45. Leak slowly 46. Vortex 49. St. 50. Whopper

■ According to the Crayola Company, you can eat 3,500 of its crayons a day and still not reach the level of toxicity found in an ordinary glass of drinking water. The company didn’t mention how—or why—anyone would consume that many crayons in a lifetime, let alone a single day.

■ Some people claim that rubbing the nose of any statue of Abraham Lincoln is good luck. It’s not really known why, though; some speculate that it’s because Lincoln’s children used to pull on his nose for luck. However, only one of his four children survived to adulthood, so it’s questionable whether his nose was ever lucky for anyone.

■ It was 19th-century British author Elizabeth Charles who made the following observation: “To know how to say what others only know how to think is what makes men poets or sages; and to dare to say what others only dare to think makes men martyrs or reformers—or both.”

■ The ubiquitous summertime flip-flop sandals are known in Australia as “pluggers,” are called “slops” in South Africa and “slippers” in Hawaii, and New Zealanders call them “jandals.”

■ Good news for junk food lovers: Beginning in 1996, the United States Department of Agriculture started putting frozen French fries in the “fresh vegetables” category.

■ It’s been reported that on the morning of Friday, Nov. 22, 1963, an American psychic named Jean Dixon predicted, “Something dreadful is going to happen to the president today.” At 12:30 p.m. that day in Dallas, President Kennedy was assassinated.

■ Back in 1935, the owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team predicted that night games were “just a fad.” He wasn't much of a prognosticator, it seems.

Thought for the Day: “The prime purpose of eloquence is to keep other people from talking.”—Louis Vermeil

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into each blank space so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains one of each digit.

hanging from an installment in the Brandeis landscape are a fragile reminder of the staying power of the current season.