The Justice, February 13, 2024

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T h e I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9 Volume LXXVI, Number 14

Tuesday, February 13, 2023

RECENT RENOVATIONS

Waltham, Mass.

MOTIONS DELIBERATED

Faculty meeting discusses budgetary issues, causing graduate admissions pause ■ Faculty voters hold

conversations regarding financial and social issues across campus.

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR

SMILEY HUYNH/The Justice

RENOVATIONS: Numerous community members attended the Embassy Performing Arts Center's ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Embassy Performing Arts Center opens its doors to the Waltham community ■ Smaranda Maria Albeck

renovated parts of the Embassy Cinema to create dance studios and more at 16 Pine Street.

By RANI BALAKRISHNA JUSTICE EDITOR

On a sunny Friday, Feb. 9, members of the Waltham community, city councilors, gymnasts and movie lovers alike came together to celebrate the newly renovated Embassy Performing Arts Center, located in the Embassy Cinema. Smaranda Maria Albeck, founder of the Boston nonprofit Boston Rhythmic, purchased the Embassy Cinema’s property in March 2023 with plans to expand her school.

In September of 2022, the Embassy Cinema closed its doors due to financial struggles. After reopening its doors in October 2023, the Embassy Cinema faces another transformation in an attempt to remain open and accessible to the public.

According to the Boston Rhythmic “Our Story” page, Albeck founded the school to “offer the best training conditions to her daughter Ada.” She graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Business School and in 2001 parted ways from her consulting career with the ambition of starting a rhythmic gym-

nastics studio. Formally known as Rhythmic Dreams, Albeck had 10 students and one coach in 2002. The studio now serves more than 500 students each year, along with local movie goers due to the preservation of two of the screening rooms.

These renovations serve as an attempt to salvage the struggling Embassy Cinema and add a “multifunctional space,” according to a Feb. 8 email from Albeck.

Two of the six theaters in the Embassy Cinema will remain movie theaters, and the remaining four have been converted into dance studio spaces offering gymnastic and dance classes for children and adults, summer camps and event rentals. In her speech to those gathered, Albeck gave many thanks, as the idea for this space has been a long time coming. “Everything starts with a dream,” Albeck said.

Founded in 2002, Boston Rhythmic is the largest gymnastic school on the East Coast, according to their website. With locations in Hyde Park and Westborough, the Waltham location will not only expand their training of future Olympian gymnasts but will also greatly enhance the institutional presence that the Embassy Cinema has in downtown Waltham.

Waltham mayor Jeanette McCarthy, several city council members, 2023 mayoral candidate Jonathan Paz and president of the Waltham Chamber of Commerce Doug Waybright were all in attendance for the

grand re-opening of the space. Mayor McCarthy, leaders of Waltham and members of Boston Rhythmic all spoke in praise of the new possibilities that the Embassy Performing Arts Center holds, citing Albeck as the primary proponent of this massive project.

A member of USA Gymnastics spoke to the transformative power of how “good sport grows great people, and good people are the foundation of community.” Several other speakers noted how these spaces will hopefully bring in revenue to the restaurants located on Moody Street just a few steps away.

Associate Master of Business Administration Director and Coach at Brandeis International Business School Alice Ain Rich also spoke about her avid love for cinema and the Embassy Cinema and thanked Albeck for renovating the space and breathing new life into it.

Located just off Moody Street, those present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were invited to tour the new spaces. Within the dance studios, there is a "pink room," "green room," "blue room" and more, with these studios stretching from the ground floor to the basement. One room is set up for aerial silk performances, while another boasted mirrors and mats for rehearsals and various multipurpose uses.

Last November, the Brandeis Student Union forged a partnership with the Embassy Cinema, where

See MEETING, 7 ☛

BRIEF Shuttle incident overview On the night of Feb. 10, the University’s Cambridge/Boston shuttle route was delayed due to a minor accident in Cambridge near the highway. The shuttle collided with a small car while making a wide right turn in a four-way intersection, hitting the car’s left back door with its front right side. The collision left a dent in the car’s backseat door.

“The shuttle driver said [the car] came out of nowhere and hit him, but from my seat it looked like we were the ones who hit [the car],” Abby Tang ’26, wrote in a Feb. 12 statement to The Justice. She said that the driver called the DPV Transportation company, looked through the shuttle’s emergency procedure guidebook and took pictures of the present students’ identification cards. The Justice could not confirm the driver’s identity as of press time.

Tang also specified that the driver was the same person who drove the shuttle from the University earlier that day. “It felt like we were speeding on the highway (it was also raining) and I definitely felt unsafe,” Tang wrote. “There was another incident in January where he was driving … and we almost crashed into a pole,” she added, emphasizing that the shuttle had been nearly full at the time.

Tang described the incident, stating that the shuttle had been approaching a fork in the road but the driver did not choose a direction in time. Instead, he braked in front of the pole at the last second. “[The driver] apologized and said he had zoned out,” she wrote.

Tang said that no one on the shuttle was hurt, but she was unable to confirm if the other car’s driver and passenger were also unharmed, beyond stating that they seemed to be fine.

The Cambridge police went to the site of the accident and spoke to both drivers. After the police confirmed that none of the shuttle passengers had any “physical problems,” the shuttle continued on its route to Massachusetts Avenue around 12:15 A.M.

Empowering excellence

Novel notions

Angela Davis ’65 teach-in

 The Justice spotlights five

 Octavia Butler's dystopic novel “Parable of the Sower” serves as a reflection of our modern environment.

By ANIKA JAIN

By MINA ROWLAND

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

— Sophia De Lisi

See GRAND OPENING, 7 ☛

Black students and their positive impact on the community.

Photo courtesy of ZAIRE SIMMONDS

On Feb. 9, the Brandeis faculty met with a full agenda, including new and previous motions, a presentation and a Q&A session with administration.

Originally proposed through a motion, the Task Force on Free Expression has continued to advance.

22 faculty members submitted names of those they believed would be strong additions to this group.

These faculty members nominated 52 individuals in total and submitted to President Ron Liebowitz and Provost Carol Fierke on Friday Feb. 9.

Additionally, a community listening session was held to review the administrative response to the Nov. 10 protest and all preceding events. The participants at

this session consisted of faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students. They expected the independent investigators hired by the University to attend this session, but due to a misunderstanding they ended up not being present.

They received the transcript of the listening session, and moderator Prof. Jody Gittell (HELLER) stated “they were only planning to listen anyway so I think they’ll have pretty much the same information they would have had if they had been there.”

Prof. John Plotz (ENG) made a statement about general bias in regards to safety and who feels comfortable on campus. He said, “We need to do better in getting rid of this sense of asymmetry, because if you have an asymmetrical campus for safety, you have a biased campus. If some people feel safe and other people don’t, then there is a state of bias that exists, and that’s not sustainable at a place with the proud social justice tradition of Brandeis.”

Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dine was invited to

MAEVE COAKLEY/The Justice

Social justice on campus

By JUSTICE EDITORIAL BOARD

By MAEVE COAKLEY

Super Bowl LVIII overview

ARTS AND CULTURE 18

By JEFFREY WANG

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NEWS 4 FORUM 10 SPORTS 16

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024 ● NEWS ● THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

Student Union grants probationary status to two clubs, discusses social justice initiative At its Feb. 11 meeting, the Student Union Senate gave probationary status to two new clubs, reviewed an upcoming initiative from the Social Justice Committee and discussed improving the transparency of future Senate meetings.

Bintou Baysmore ’25 and Emmanuel Hernandez ’24, captain and co-captain of the Platinum Step Club respectively, requested that the Senate grant their club probationary status. Step-dancing is a form of dance rooted in African traditions, and the Platinum Step Club at Brandeis’ mission is to teach and improve upon teamwork, unity, community and creativity. Baysmore and Hernandez described the importance of becoming a club and shared the Platinum Step Club’s past accomplishments when making their case. The Senate voted to give the Platinum Step Club

probationary status by acclamation.

Various members of the Brandeis Mixed Martial Arts Club asked that the Senate give their club probationary status. Mixed Martial Arts is a collection of arts that originated from fighters from different martial arts backgrounds competing against each other.

There are currently multiple martial arts clubs at Brandeis, but not all styles of martial arts are represented, nor is there an existing space to mix various aspects of different styles. The MMA Club would offer a broader and more eclectic view of combat and self-defense. They have hopes of reaching out to outside instructors for specialized seminars and potentially working with other martial arts clubs on campus. The Senate voted to give the Mixed Martial Arts Club probationary status by acclimation.

Senator Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27, co-chair of the Social Justice Committee, presented on the Sunflower Lanyard Initiative that SOJO is currently working on. This initiative is designed to bring attention and raise awareness of the presence of hidden disabilities, with a sunflower lanyard and ID card to indicate that students carrying them need more support — be it mental or physical. Students would receive a generic sunflower lanyard, bracelet or pin/badge with a personalized ID card documenting their disability. The vote for this initiative is expected to take place at the next senate meeting on Mar. 3.

Senator Antis Wang ’27 proposed increased transparency of Student Union meetings to the Senate. Wang suggested that an audio or video recording of every senate meeting could be made available to the public to imp-

rove openness and allow other students to see what Senate meetings look like. If they were to be uploaded to the Student Union website, not only could students access a helpful log of every meeting, but students could also determine if they are interested in joining the Student Union.

— Ariana Rich — Editor’s Note: Justice Editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 is the Student Union’s director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and did not contribute to this article.

POLICE LOG MEDICAL EMERGENCY Feb. 2—There was a medical emergency for an individual who felt nauseous. They refused medical treatment.

Feb. 3—A caller reported chest pain. They were transported to a local hospital.

Feb. 4—There was a medical call for a community member experiencing flu-like symptoms.

They were treated by BEMCo staff and transported to a local hospital to receive further care.

Feb. 5—An individual experiencing abdominal pain refused medical treatment.

Feb. 7—There was a medical emergency for an individual who was feeling faint. They were transported to a local hospital.

Feb. 7—A party reported a medical emergency for a back injury and the patient was transported to a local hospital to receive treatment.

Feb. 7—There was a medical emergency for a student who walked into a light pole. They refused medical treatment.

Feb. 8—A caller reported that a community member was not feeling well. They were treated

by BEMCo and refused further medical attention.

Feb. 8—A party requested an ambulance to transport an individual to a nearby hospital.

Feb. 8—There was a medical emergency for an individual experiencing a migraine.

Feb. 8—An individual reported an injury that took place outside of campus. They were advised to drive to the hospital to receive care.

DISTURBANCE Feb. 2—Threats from a community member were reported. There will be an investigation to follow.

Feb. 7—A caller reported that a suspended employee reported to work and was refusing to leave. An investigation is to follow.

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES Feb. 3—A caller reported suspicious activity taking place on their phone. An investigation is to follow.

Feb. 5—A reporting party said that they were receiving texts from someone claiming to be their professor. There will be an investigation to follow.

MISCELLANEOUS Feb. 6—There were street lights out on Loop Road. Maintenance was notified to respond.

— Compiled by Sophia De Lisi

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS ■ The Lunar New Year photos were incorrectly attributed to Byran Wultz. It was corrected to Bryan Wolfe. (Feb. 6, p. 19).

■ The title of the Sports photostory incorrectly said that Brandeis women’s tennis played MIT. It was corrected to Babson. (Feb. 6, p. 14).

■ A Sports article had a misquote that read “point behind the championship winner.” It was corrected to “one point behind the championship winner” (February 6, p. 13).

■ A photo was incorrectly attributed to Eliza Bier. It was corrected to Elizabeth Liu. (Feb. 6, p. 6) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org

Graphics: ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

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From Feb. 5 to Feb. 9, the Office of Study Abroad hosted multiple events and giveaways all around campus in honor of I Love Study Abroad Week. In addition to helping students navigate the application process, the Office of Study Abroad gave away free coffee and mugs to interested students.

THE JUSTICE ● NEWS ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024

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The abstracts of inventing with Where does your tuition go? a purpose: Brandeis Effective Altruism hosts Dr. Ed Boyden ■ Breaking down fiscal statements for 2022-23 school year.

By MOMOCA MAIRAJ

JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

■ The MIT professor and researcher explained the process that led to him working on groundbreaking new technology to navigate the brain.

By ZOE ZACHARY

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

According to an article from Gettysburg College, the average person will spend around 90,000 hours of their life working.

While this is a depressing statistic for many, Dr. Ed Boyden showed how these hours can be used to put good in the world during a Feb. 8 guest lecture hosted by Brandeis Effective Altruism. According to their website, effective altruism is a “social movement that aims to find the best ways to help others through the use of evidence and careful reasoning.” In the past, Boyden worked on neuroimaging technology and its numerous applications in healthcare. In addition to being a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boyden is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and an investigator at both MIT’s McGovern Institute and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

During his talk, Boyden referenced two of his major research endeavors: optogenetics and expansion microscopy. Optogenetics is the study of brain circuits that can be controlled with light. In August 2005, Boyden and his coworkers Paul W. Tillberg and Fei Chen submitted one of the first papers that used opsins — light-sensitive organisms — as tools to manipulate neural systems. As Boyden describes in a National Library of Medicine report, optogenetic tools are currently being used in topics from “Parkinson’s disease to fear to cortical dynamics.”

Additionally, optogenetic tools hold immense promise in helping to restore sight in the visually impaired.

Boyden has also worked on major innovations in neuroimaging, specifically on a technique called expansion microscopy.

By using a polyelectrolyte gel that Boyden described as “similar to the material diapers are made of,” he, Chen and Tillberg were able to develop a method to expand tissue specimens so they can be observed at a higher resolution. An article from the McGovern Institute explains the plethora of potential uses for this technology, including as a diagnostic tool for aggressive forms of brain cancer.

To start his talk, Boyden explained his background and philosophy. He earned his undergraduate degrees in physics, electrical engineering and computer science at MIT and his PhD in neuroscience at Stanford University, which allowed Boyden to develop a reductionist philosophy that he applied to his work process. In other words, Boyden has pinpointed the most basic steps he uses in his process of inventing: Pick

a problem, deconstruct and analyze the problem, and finally, figure out how to solve it.

As Boyden sees it, choosing a problem is not always as simple as it seems. “Sometimes in science we talk ourselves out of obvious problems,” he said. “Sometimes because they’re too obvious, sometimes because they’re too difficult.” When a chosen problem seems daunting, that’s when the second step — learning about and analyzing the problem — kicks in.

Boyden’s method is reliant on breaking the problem down into more manageable parts so that one can “see, control, and map everything we want to build.” Boyden emphasized that even when breaking down a problem into smaller and smaller steps, it’s important not to lose sight of the original problem.

During the analysis step, Boyden also described a thought process he calls the “tiled tree method,” wherein one takes each step to a problem and “chops” it into two parts. This strategy creates multiple solutions and therefore multiple possibilities for a correct solution, making it an efficient problem-solving method. Boyden calls this thought process a “tiled tree” because a visual representation of these growing solutions would expand top to bottom, resembling a pine tree.

Boyden also described a concept which he calls “luck optimization.” While he accepts that there is an element of luck that is purely random, Boyden believes that there are ways to increase the amount of “luck” that one has while trying to solve a problem. For example, the reason that Boyden and his coworkers were able to experiment with the genomes they needed — which were at the time incredibly expensive — was because they knew someone with connections to a lab holding them in China. During the Q&A section of his talk, Boyden cited universities as excellent places to optimize “luck” due to the wide network one can form at a university.

If Boyden’s talk boiled down to one idea, it would be “try as many angles as humanly possible.” Multiple times during the talk he emphasized the need to “[turn] things upside down” to solve a problem, trying the opposite of what others have been pursuing and leaving no stone left unturned during the inventing process. In addition to environment and connections, methods like the tile tree that increase the amount of possible solutions also increase the possibility of a correct solution. This means that thinking creatively is also a part of “luck optimization.”

Currently, Boyden is working on a software that would simulate actual brains, starting with worms, small fish and mice. He hopes to use light signals to figure out how each signal interacts with the others, all contributing to a large and complex map of the brain’s functions.

In November 2023, Brandeis’ Division of Business and Finance released their financial statements for the 2022-23 school year and hosted a town hall meeting to walk through the data. They emphasized working on increasing transparency. While undergraduate net tuition, housing/dining and use of the endowment are relatively stable due to decreasing graduate enrollment, they predict a challenging stretch ahead to hit fundraising goals.

The largest chunk of revenue came from student tuition and fees — not accounting for financial aid — which adds up to $179,867,000. Residence hall and dining costs came second with $50,334,000 and the endowment third with $63,586,000. At the town hall, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Samuel Solomon shared that Brandeis is planning to draw 5.7% of the endowment fund for the 2023-24 year, but is aiming to lower that percentage to 5% within the next few years. At the end of the 2023 fiscal year, the endowment was valued at $1.2 billion.

Solomon emphasized that Brandeis is a “people-driven business,” as 60-65% of Brandeis’s money is spent on staff, faculty and students. However, the team is forecasting a loss of almost $2 million the next fiscal year due to lower graduate enrollment and below-budget undergraduate employment.

Budget cuts have been reflected in delayed gym renovations, cut graduate programs such as the musicology and composition program and struggles to fulfill housing specifications for students.

Solomon explained that Brandeis’ overarching principles are to maintain a balanced budget, meet financial need for all undergraduate students, keep tuition rate increases “reasonable” and ensure that employee well-being is “paramount.” Predictions on enrollment are based on “popular input and trends.”

To account for the $2 million loss last year, for the upcoming years key budget priorities include fundraising, a campaign for advertising Brandeis and account for escalating operating expenses. Furthermore, the Division of Business and Finance is ambitious in their goals to invest in longterm capital projects such as renewing housing and expanding the chemistry lab. They continue to focus on enhancing student life, human resources and other university-wide initiatives.

Graphics courtesy of MOMOCA MAIRAJ/The Justice

Graphics courtesy of ZOE ZACHARY/The Justice

TILE TREE: Methods like the tile tree that increase the amount of possible solutions also increase the possibility of a correct solution, according to Boyden.

Graphics courtesy of BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

BREAKDOWN: The pie charts above break down tuition portion and compensation for 2022-2023.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Graphics couresty of CANVA and NATALIE BRACKEN/The Justice

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024 ● NEWS ● THE JUSTICE

BLACK HISTORY

Brandeis students lead teach-in about legacy of Angela Davis ’65 ■ African and African American Studies students educated community members on one of Brandeis’ most notable alumni.

By ANIKA JAIN JUSTICE EDITOR

On Feb. 6, the students of AAAS 130b: Black Brandeis, Black History organized a lecture about the legacy of Angela Davis ’65, a feminist political activist, philosopher and academic who currently teaches at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The course, taught by Prof. Chad Williams (AAAS), explores the history of African Americans and other people of African descent at Brandeis from 1948 to present.

Prof. Williams reflected on the importance of speaking about activists like Davis. He emphasized the significance of discussions about free speech on Brandeis’ campus in light of the protests against the war in Gaza last semester that ended in seven arrests: “Brandeis likes to tell stories about itself.

Brandeis tells very interesting stories about itself, particularly at this 75th anniversary moment, particularly at this time of questioning freedom of speech, freedom of expression. Brandeis has told very interesting stories about its history, about its identity. Who matters at Brandeis?”

Williams continued, “When we think about Brandeis identity, I would argue, no one embodies Brandeis identity, and what Brandeis should stand for more than Angela Davis.”

Students in the course shared an encompassing lecture of Davis’ early life, experiences at Brandeis, activism, controversies and scholarship.

Raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Davis experienced racial tensions throughout her early childhood, especially considering that she belonged to the only Black family in an all-white neighborhood that came to be known as “Dynamite Hill” after frequent Ku Klux Klan bombings.

Attending a predominantly Jewish high school in New York was a transformative moment for Davis and inspired her decision to attend Brandeis. Davis also wanted to attend a co-ed institution of higher education and received a full scholarship to attend the University.

One of only three Black girls in her class, Davis felt isolated at Brandeis but ultimately found friendships amongst international students who were experiencing a culture shock similar to Davis, who had moved from the South to the North.

In her autobiography, Davis describes her alienation at Brandeis: “There were no roads leading outside.” She also explains the intense emotions the alienation caused: “I felt alienated, angry and alone, and I would have left the campus if I had the courage and had known where to go.”

However, Davis also had “remarkable experiences on campus that were very transformative in terms of her political consciousness as well as her racial consciousness,” Prof.

Williams explained. From 1962 to 1963, many significant civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin and Malcolm X visited campus, inspiring Davis to become involved in Black communities in Boston.

Brandeis is also where Davis met Herbert Marcuse, a German-American professor at Brandeis known for his radical philosophical contributions and associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory. His tenure at Brandeis was characterized by the Cold War, and his critical theory contributions influenced students and faculty alike. Marcuse became Davis’ mentor and inspired her to study philosophy in Germany with Theodore Adorno and some of his other colleagues for two years.

Upon her return to America, she continued to work with Marcuse at University of California, San Diego, where he taught her that she could be an activist and a scholar simultaneously. She lived in southern California at the height of the Black Power Movement and made many connections to Black activists in Los Angeles, leading to her first teaching position at University of California, Los Angeles during the era of McCarthyism.

Ronald Reagan, then governor of California, did not approve of Davis being a professor at UCLA because she was publicly known as a communist, which went against a clause in her contract. The Board of Trustees dismissed her, and Davis sued, thrusting her into the national spotlight over free speech debates. The court sided with Davis — although she would later be fired for her language.

During her time in California, Davis also joined the Black Panther Party, founded in Oakland, California by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. She focused on political and electoral issues as well as organized the education program.

Around the same time that she lost her job, Davis became involved in fighting for justice for George Jackson, Fleeta Drumgo and John Clutchette — popularly known as the Soledad Brothers — who were three inmates at Soledad prison falsely accused with the murder of a prison guard in 1970.

Davis was especially close to Jackson.

Davis was linked to purchasing a firearm for George’s brother, Jonathan Jackson, who was shot by the police when he stormed into a courthouse and took several hostages to barter for his brother’s release.

The Soledad Brothers were transferred to San Quentin and attempted to escape with three other inmates, earning them the name the San Quentin Six. During the escape attempt, a prison guard shot George Jackson, who passed away. The remaining Soledad brothers were found to be innocent and released, although Clutchette was later assassinated.

“Angela Davis finds herself caught in this remarkable web of violence and liberation,” Prof. Williams said.

When Marin County authorities confiscated a .380 automatic registered in her name, Davis was called in for questioning and arrested. The firearm was implicated in the killing of a judge during the hostage situation led by Jonathon Jackson and other convicts. The gun was in Jackson’s possession at the time of the killing; however, he was not responsible for the judge’s death.

Four days after Davis’ arrest, she was put on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “Most Wanted” list — the third woman to make the list — and the Attorney General called for the death penalty.

Davis was held in the Women’s Detention Center, initially

in solitary confinement. The National Conference for Black Lawyers helped organize the legal team for her trial and obtained a court order to be released from the segregated area.

During her trial, a report revealed that the judge was actually killed by San Quentin guards, and Davis was acquitted a year later.

“I wanted to participate in my own defense. It was my life.

I felt like I understood the politics of it better than anyone else, so I need to be part of the team,” Davis later said about her trial.

A campaign of communist parties around the world advocated for her freedom.

Following her release, Davis became active in the prison reform movement, writing about the horrors she endured in prison in her autobiography. She also became a professor at San Francisco State in the Ethnic Studies Department, the first in the country.

Prof. Williams and his students explored the concept of Angela Davis as an icon — and the inspiring and problematic connotations that come with that label. They discussed her afro hairstyle, which represented her autonomy over her own body and how she rejected white beauty standards.

“While the commercialization of her likeness is a little problematic because it intersects with the same capitalist framework she critiques, it also serves to amplify her message across the globe. So I believe it’s more important to focus on the empowerment and awareness of her figure brought to political activism,” one student expressed.

The students also emphasized that Davis is a multifaceted activist, working with multiple human rights movements instead of fixating on one cause or party. Her articles and books demonstrate her intersectional approach to activism.

Some of her more renowned works that the AAAS 130b students explored include “The Black Woman’s Role in the Community of Slaves,” “Women, Race, and Class,” “Blues Legacies and Black Feminism,” “Are Prisons Obsolete?” and “Freedom Is a Constant Struggle.”

The students discussed Davis’ pro-Palestine activism and her emphasis on the intersections between the Black Lives Matter movement and Freedom for Palestine movement.

“I’ve often pointed out that I first learned about Palestine when I was a student here at Brandeis,” Davis said during her keynote speech at the 50th anniversary commemoration of the AAAS Department. “I simultaneously learned about how important it is to challenge anti-semitism and to speak courageously against the continued perpetuation of anti-semitic ideas and practices and at the same time speak out for justice for Palestine.”

The teach-in concluded with a Q&A from the audience, in which students discussed how Brandeis contributes to the commodification of Davis’ legacy. They pointed out that Davis was omitted from the 75th anniversary speeches, yet she remains a top alumni on the University’s website. Students also expressed disdain that her autobiography is in the library but not on display for students to read. They shared that they related to her book and saw themselves in her writing as students of color. “What we do here as Black students matters,” one student said.

Graphics courtesy of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

THE JUSTICE ● NEWS ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024

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GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

Peizhao Li Ph.D. ’24 receives fellowship from National Institute of Justice ■ Li’s research focuses on understanding biases in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON

JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

In the last couple of years, the discussion surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in academic settings has been a point of contention.

For some students, AI has been a source to generate ideas and act as personal editors, while professors have mixed feelings of its usage.

While many have embraced the convenience that AI offers, Peizhao Li Ph.D. ’24 was recently awarded the $55,000 Graduate Research Fellowship Program from the National Institute of Justice for his research to better understand bias in artificial intelligence and machine learning and to better regulate its potential discriminatory impact.

This February, Li graduated from the University with his Ph.D. in computer science. His dissertation titled “Harmonizing Fairness with Utility in Data and Learning” uses data collection and algorithms to develop machine learning models that would provide fair and non-

discriminatory predictions, while minimizing the side effects of its performance. Li’s interest in AI began in 2019 when he began pursuing his Ph.D. “I saw a lot of news saying that AI is the next generation technology. It’s very powerful,” Li said in a Feb. 9 interview with The Justice.

“After I started my Ph.D., this field became a very interesting topic and at that time, there was very limited literature. It’s really important and critical for the later deployment of AI to ensure that such a new technology won’t bring us any negative impact in our daily life.”

Li’s dissertation has every day relevance.

For example, the acceptance or denial of credit card applications could be heavily influenced

by AI software that is not trained as independently from social differences, or what Li says are “sensitive attributes,” like gender, race and age.

Two individuals who share similar financial profiles, but different sensitive attributes, should receive similar treatment; however, the predictions were different for the two applicants. “There are more benefits or more resources allocated to our privileged group compared to [the] under privileged group,” Li said.

“We do expect a system to give a higher probability to assign credit cards to a male applicant, rather than a female applicant.”

The International Business Machines Corpo-

ELECTION SECTION

dict patient behavior and facilitate decisions for patient care. Especially in the medical industry, there has been a long history of gender and racial disparity, disproportionately impacting historically marginalized groups. With the added layer of technology, a focus on AI bias is needed to mitigate the preexisting medical disparities. “It’s a very critical topic in this field as well,” said Li. “Responsible AI is something [GE HealthCare] is considering. They want to ensure all the decisions coming from the health care AI system doesn’t contain any bias towards different races or gender. They want to allocate equal resources to different demographics.”

In addition to continuing a collaboration with Brandeis and Liu, with the NIJ fellowship, Li hopes to expand his research in AI fairness, connect with newly coming Ph.D. students and use the funds from NIJ to develop workshops and events that would bring his findings to a larger audience. “I think that’s a very good opportunity to attract people to get to know about the technology and how we solve the problem programmably and methodologically,” Li said.

Addressing AI is not just an academic pursuit but a necessity for everyday life. Literature surrounding AI remains sparse, but ongoing research will help uncover how AI can be used to create equitable and just systems that benefit all demographics.

BRIEF

Teach-in planning committee members announced

NOTABLE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION UPDATES On Feb. 7, presidential candidate Marianne Williamson announced the end of her run for the Democratic nomination. The decision came in the wake of her second place performance at the South Carolina primary, trailing incumbent President Biden’s 96% win by a 94% difference, since she secured 2.1% of all the votes.

Williamson only defeated Minnesota representative Dean Phillips, and by less than 1%.

Politico describes that Williamson “struggled with raising money” and her campaign suffered from a lack of organization. More specifically, the article points to a lack of consistent staff members running her campaign, stating that a “mix of firings and resignations” reduced personnel to a “skeleton staff.” Williamson’s withdrawal leaves Joe Biden and Dean Phillips to compete for the Democratic ticket, with Biden leading the race.

The South Carolina Republican primary results will be released on Feb. 24. This primary is of particular concern for Republican challenger Nikki Haley, given that she is the former governor of the state. In an effort to bolster support in her home state where support for former president Donald Trump has been widespread, Haley is embarking on a bus tour that intends to “ramp up” voter interest to supplement her “repeated critiques” of Trump for failing to campaign there, according to the Associated Press.

Politico considers South Carolina’s primary to be the “make-or-break moment for anyone other than Trump to remain in the Republican race.” If Haley is unable to close the gap between her and Trump in her home state, the likelihood of her having a chance at winning the Republican nomination is “unlikely.”

ration points out that the bias found within AI could be inherited from human judgment and preferences who develop the programs. Bias in data selection or evaluation can also lead to flawed algorithms that perpetuate errors and unfair outcomes. Additionally, the usage of flawed and biased training data can heighten the inaccurate output. IBM gives the example of how training data for a facial recognition algorithm that over-represents white people can lead to inaccurate results when the same algorithm is used to recognize people of color.

“We want the decision to be entirely independent of the gender or any other sensitive attribute we are considering,” Li said.

Li himself has to keep in mind his bias while conducting his research. “I think everyone [who] does research is biased,” Li told The Justice. “So I’m glad to collaborate with my advisor and many other collaborators. I think that the perspective coming from everyone can help us to ... reduce our bias.” Li worked on his dissertation under the guidance of Hongfu Liu, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, and plans to continue his research in collaboration with Liu. Since finishing his Ph.D., Li has relocated to Bellevue, Washington, working as an AI Scientist at GE HealthCare. His current work focuses on using AI to allocate medical resources, pre-

Despite Trump and Biden’s respective leads within their parties, a rematch between the two candidates is not desired by a sizable number of Americans, according to a Reuters poll. 70% of all respondents believe that Biden should not pursue re-election — with half of total Democrats agreeing. On the other hand, 56% of voters believe that Trump should not run, including a third of Republican respondents.

Reuters stressed that most respondents from both parties think that each candidate is too old for the position. Biden, inaugurated at 78, is already the oldest president in U.S. history, and if Trump were to win this election, he would be inaugurated at 78 as well.

While Biden continues to defend his age and memory to voters, Trump’s legal battles are far from over.

On Feb. 8, the Supreme Court started its hearings on whether or not states are able to restrict Trump from appearing on their ballots. According to Section 3 of Amendment 14, anyone who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the government after taking an oath to uphold the Constitution is ineligible for re-election. Colorado and Maine have invoked this clause, and as of now, Trump will not be appearing on their state ballots. Following these decisions, Trump appealed to the Supreme Court, allowing the justices to deliberate the constitutionality of states’ right to restrict him from their ballots.

— Sophia De Lisi

In a Feb. 5 email to Brandeis community members, Provost Carol Fierke announced the 14 person university-wide teach-in planning committee. The Committee includes graduate and undergraduate students, researchers, faculty and members in diversity equity and inclusion positions from on and off campus offices. According to the email, the 14 members were selected from a pool of around 90 nominees.

The committee will be “providing recommendations for events, topics, and potential presenters/facilitators,” Fierke wrote. “We are grateful for their efforts to develop more pathways to complex and healthy campus dialogues that will strengthen our sense of community.”

The announcement came just under a month after an initial Jan. 10 email from Fierke, welcoming nominations. Fierke’s January email was a follow up to the daylong Teach-In that Brandeis hosted on Dec. 5, 2023, in response to the campus climate becoming increasingly heated after the start of the Oct. 7 Israel-Hamas conflict. “[We] regarded that day as a first — and necessary — step in what would need to be an extended, iterative process designed to generate informed, thoughtful conversation, opportunities for learning about deeper contexts for recent world events and authentic understanding of the deeply held perspectives, grounded in lived experiences, that have both joined and divided so many of us,” Fierke wrote.

The University anticipates that the

efforts of the planning committee will contribute to “(re)build a community grounded in mutual respect, understanding, and learning.”

Members selected to serve on the committee: Ashraf Awawda — Regional and Programming Specialist, Our Generation Speaks Jennifer Cleary — Senior Lecturer, Theater Arts Sanchita Dasgupta — PhD Student, Sociology Yuval Evri — Assistant Professor, NEJS and Schusterman Center Nabeel Khan — Grad Research Assistant, EID Office, Heller Sarah Lamb — Professor and Chair, Anthropology Elena Lewis — EID Director, MBA PM, Heller Chip McNeal — Director, ODEI Yehudah Mirsky — Professor, NEJS and Schusterman Center Naghmeh Sohrabi — Professor, History and Crown Center Sophie Trachtenberg — Presidential Fellow Aaryuj Trehan — Class of ’24, Economics and Biology Major Meshulam Ungar — Class of ’24, History Major Hagit Weihs — Associate Professor, IBS — Lin Lin Hutchinson

Graphics courtesy of CANVA and NATALIE BRACKEN/The Justice

Graphics courtesey of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

THE JUSTICE ● NEWS ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023

7

MEETING: Brandeis staff members express concerns for safety and student life CONTINUED FROM 1 give a presentation during this meeting that reiterated student rights and community standards. This presentation explained the conduct process that the students involved in the Nov. 10 protest are facing.

Prof. Bernadette Brooten (NEJS/WGS) asked Dine if the two senior students facing disciplinary action would be able to graduate this upcoming May, as criminal proceedings span over long periods of time. She explained that “without a college degree, one may not find proper employment, or may earn less, which would be a sanction while they are still considered innocent.” Dine explained that with the consent of the student, it is possible to pause the disciplinary process.

As of Friday, one of the three students facing disciplinary actions had agreed to a pause in their disciplinary process. The other two had not yet provided responses. After further questioning from Brooten, Dine explained that this process would not prevent the students from graduating if a conclusion had not been reached and the students completed all academic requirements. Dine stated that she would have to confirm with the registrar's office, but there is a possibility that these disciplinary processes could extend beyond a student's graduation date.

Plotz stated “It feels hypocritical to say that at this point we are committed to a clear process going forward at the very same moment that there is a rushed non independent investigation, which completely disregards what the University expressed as its desire for the form of investigation that would need to happen [to arrive at a shared understanding].”

Dine declined the request to respond to this comment.

A new motion called for the replacement of all gender specific pronouns in the faculty handbook with gender neutral ones except in the places where external text is being coded.

This motion would institute a total number of 42 changes in the University handbook. This

motion passed the in-meeting vote to be sent out to the faculty for an electronic vote.

The meeting then shifted into a conversation regarding the University’s finances.

Notes were shared from a Jan. 22 meeting between faculty representatives and administration. They had originally projected a surplus for this year last April, but that has turned into a $2 million deficit. Over the past three years, there has been a 50% decline in enrollment for masters programs, resulting in a $12 million decrease from initial estimates.

The University also had fewer undergraduates than expected this year. Undergraduate applications for the coming school year are down by 8%. There has been an increase in Jewish identifying applicants and a decline in non-Jewish applicants.

General unrestricted funding is below the projected target by $1 million. Interest earnings are up by $1 million, and because of unfilled positions the University has saved $4 million in vacancy savings.

In her opening statement, Provost Fierke stated “First and foremost, we need to keep a strong undergraduate liberal arts curriculum, and to be able to recruit undergraduates because we are an undergraduate supported, undergraduate tuition supported institution for the most part.”

When asked to further explain the 8% decline in applications, Fierke explained that there has been an uptick in student interest in public institutions. She believes that this statistic, combined with the University’s decline in the U.S. News and World Report rankings has contributed to this drop. She also explained that the largest decline has been seen in international applicants from China. Fierke stated that “there are multiple reasons for [the decline]. One is the economics in China, and two is that the Chinese choosing where to apply in China is really dependent on these rankings.”

The question arose of the effect that The New York Times' advertising campaign had on general enrollment and admissions this

year. Fierke explained that this campaign was not meant to affect enrollment or admissions and instead was a branding campaign.

Prof. Amy Singer (NEJS) spoke about changes to the budget timeline this year, wondering why administration was notifying faculty about significant cuts so much later on in the process than they have been previously.

She explained that it had been much more predictable and consistent in the past, with an amount of slots for graduate admissions being set and announced in advance. It was later clarified that the timeline is the same as it has been previously, there has just been a lot of back and forth.

Singer also explained the STEM programs have been told they can proceed with graduate admissions, while the social sciences and humanities have not. She asked for an idea of what could be expected for these departments moving forward. She also questioned whether the freeze on the science departments had been lifted, and a message to head of the faculty senate Gittell confirmed that it had at 1:10 p.m. on Feb. 9.

Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Jeffrey Shoulson, said that University administration hopes to receive some clarity on this matter by Feb. 13. He explained that clarity means being able to begin talks with departments about what they know to make admission decisions, which was impossible at the time due to larger decisions needing to be made that will have a large effect on how the slots could be allocated. “I wish I could say more. I really do, and we understand that this is an unsatisfactory answer, and I’m sorry,” Shoulson stated.

Prof. Sarah Lamb (ANTH) explained that in her 26 years at Brandeis she has never seen anything like this. She stated “Ultimately, maybe it’s the Board of Trustees, I mean they are not running the University effectively.”

She explained that they need to make budget related decisions in advance, rather than one or two before other decisions need to be made. This advanced notice would allow for

normal activities of the university to not be disrupted.

Prof. Thomas Pochapsky (CHEM) spoke to disagree with the statement that Fierke made regarding PhD students and programs not generating revenue. He explained that in addition to being teachers assistants, these graduate students help with receiving and renewing of grants that are necessary for conducting research. There was actually an increase in grants over the past year.

Prof. Nina Kammerer (ANTH/HSSP) suggested that all topics discussed in the meeting are related to one another. She stated, “If we are going to solve the whole problem that we have then we need to be more conscientious and creative about thinking about those connections, and I just want to point to one of them. The fact is very clear, we have lots of evidence that our undergraduate students, our graduate students, are not encouraging others that they know to come because of the current situation of people not feeling safe and people feeling the inequity of what voices are heard.” Kammerer explained that she strongly believes that these connections need to be further examined and taken into consideration when moving forward.

Prof. Lynn Kaye (NEJS) made a statement regarding the challenges that budgeting issues present in areas of the university other than staff. She highlighted how being understaffed and having high turnover rates due to elements such as not making enough money makes the University a hard place to work and thrive for everyone, including students.

Kaye stated “our budget issues are affecting lots and lots of people, not just those who are in the faculty meeting.”

This statement was seen as another recognizing the true interdependence of Brandeis and all of its different aspects. The meeting adjourned without any answers or further information regarding the budget cuts and freezes.

GRAND OPENING: Embassy Cinema receives face-lift, expanding its offerings CONTINUED FROM 1 with the Embassy Cinema, where Brandeis students can show their ID and buy a reducedprice movie ticket. Last Dec. to The Justice, Student Union President Noah Risley ’24 said, “I hope that this is the start of more Brandeis

students getting involved in the local Waltham community.” Risley acknowledges how much Brandeis students benefit from Waltham and believes supporting this independent theater is a way to give back.

The renovation of the center lays the groundwork for Brandeis to strengthen current and potential partnerships, while fostering opportunities to unite long-time residents and neighboring college students in their

shared excitement for the arts.

— Justice editorial assistant Lin Lin Hutchinson '25 contributed to the reporting for this article.

SMILEY HUYNH/The Justice

GRAND OPENING: Smaranda Maria Albeck (left), owner of the arts center delivered a speech, welcoming the crowd to the new space. Albeck also invited several guests speakers to offer their own insights.

Graphics courtesy of CANVA and NATALIE BRACKEN/The Justice

features

8 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE

just

VERBATIM | BELL HOOKS

The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is — it’s to imagine what is possible.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

The last “Peanuts” comic strip was published in newspapers in 2000.

Black History Month began as a week-long event during the second week of February.

Empowering excellence: A Black homecoming celebration This Black History Month, The Justice spotlights five student changemakers who work to foster spaces on campus that celebrate their cultural identities and make a lasting impact on the community.

By MINA ROWLAND JUSTICE EDITOR

February is notable as a month-long celebration of Black history and culture. However, it should be noted that our regard of the celebration must not only be reserved for twenty-eight days, but rather for the entire year. Recently I have reflected, not only on history, but on the stories unfolding now, right here at Brandeis. In an attempt to make a small difference I am shining a spotlight on the contributions of Black Brandeisians. I am documenting who they are and how they are making a positive impact on the Brandeis community.

Bernyss Kekah ’24 Bernyss Kekah ’24 is renowned for her role in Black African Student Organization (BASO) which is the Intercultural Centers’ club celebrating Black African students. Kekah has been immensely immersed in her African culture; she speaks Togolese and after matriculating to the University, knew she wanted to join a cultural club. “I wanted to be a part of cultivating a safe space,” Kekah said in a Feb. 5 interview with The Justice. While her initial interaction with the club was primarily online because of COVID-19, she attended every meeting and had a strong desire to work behind the scenes.

Kekah, a double major in Health: Science, Society, and Social Policy and African and African American Studies, now serves as president of BASO and has been proud to see all her work come to fruition through her team at BASO. She takes on the role with gratitude and pride but also admits that behind the glamor, there is work to be done and a need to navigate issues within Brandeis as an institution. “Even with everything beautiful on this campus, there is always a dark side,” she explained.

From funding struggles to not being recognized or not being taken seriously as a club, she is persistent in making change for future leaders.

“Every single time, I would do it again,” Kekah said.

As president, she strives to cultivate a space that ensures that people feel like they belong. She fosters that feeling through showcases of talent and events such as fashion shows. It is not news that Brandeis overlooks fashion as a key piece of culture and identity, which has heavily impacted BASO and other clubs. Nonetheless, Kekah and her team have been relentless in their efforts to continue fostering a community.

“I try my best to maintain a positive environment, especially for my E-board,” she said.

Students sometimes have to make space for themselves. “Through creating cultural clubs [we] find [our] voice,” Kekah expressed.

Academically speaking, Kekah decided to major in AAAS due to the curriculum and the amazing professors she has the opportunity to engage with. However, what she really is passionate about is medicine. She plans on attending medical school after graduating and her dream is to become an OBGYN and emphasize care for the Black and Brown communities.

Parker Jones ’24 Parker Jones ’24 has always been a curious person.

Design: GRACE DOH/The Justice

He began his journey in the sciences as a young boy building legos and exploring the natural world. He fondly recollects “breaking open rocks and looking at insects” and while he is now a young man, his interests and curiosities remain the same. A HSSP major, Jones has gained experiences in research labs at Brandeis and beyond, leading to an informative realization.

Jones credits his passion for STEM research to his educational career. His passion stems (pardon the pun) from wanting to help others. While the sciences are in desperate need of diversifying, Jones feels compelled to create a sense of belonging through his aspirations and expresses d“feel[ing] comfortable to put [his] dreams out there,” as he has a community of family, friends and colleagues supporting him academically and socially.

His impact on Brandeis goes beyond academia, of course. He is not only athletic as seen through his involvement in track and field, but creates community for young people like himself through the Men of Color Alliance as the co-president.

Zaire Simmonds ’26 Zaire Simmonds ’26 is probably most famous for making history as the youngest employee in the New York City Department of Education, but there is much more to his story. Simmonds is the Undergraduate Representative of the Education Studies program and the president and founder of the Brandeis chapter of Aspiring Educators. He has been teaching for nine years and is passionate about being an educator.

In a Feb. 2 interview with The Justice, Simmonds shared his inspiration behind his involvement in education: “My mom was my first student, her room was my first classroom.” While he is a Black man, he explains that Black women were more impactful in his life not only because his community was primarily Black women but because he witnessed Black women making change in the education space first. A prime example is Meisha Ross Porter, who was the first Black woman chancellor and previously worked in Simmonds’ high school.

His advice for students interested in pursuing a career in education is to gain experience before declaring the major and know the challenges and characteristics of the classroom environment. His favorite moments have been working with middle schoolers and specifically witnessing their joy and humor. “I get to watch them grow up and that is the more emotional aspect of education.” When asked about his dreams of becoming a teacher he confidently stated, “For nine years I have been fortunate enough to live that dream.”

Splendid Hall ’24 Splendid Hall ’24, also a double major in HSSP and Anthropology, is president of the Brandeis Black Student Organization.

On Feb 7., Hall shared the challenges of being president in an interview, “I don’t have a vice president and my [executive board] consists of underclassmen who are still figuring out their role and responsibilities.”

Nonetheless, she has performed in her role and helped

guide the e-board in the right direction. “BBSO is near and dear to my heart,” she added. “One of my favorite events is SpeedFriending because networking and building relationships is so important, ‘’ Hall explained.

Clubs like BBSO and BASO provide a platform for marginalized groups to not only be seen and heard but supported and celebrated on campus. They use creativity and freedom of expression as extensions of identity.

As for Hall, she plans to continue to make change within the health system. She addressed the issues within Black maternal health, and through her commitment to BBSO and her academics, she is on the way to achieving her dreams.

Aaron Kelly ’24 Aaron Kelly ’24, who is known to his friends as “Ace,” is a senior majoring in Film, Television, and Interactive Media studies. He is a multi-hyphenate artist creating and producing music as well as creating films. He credits Prof. Lauren Woods (FILM) and her Introduction to Video Art class for igniting his passion for finding his voice in art.

In a Feb. 11 email exchange, he reflected on growing up around art and how his motto “dream big to change the world” has always kept him grounded in his creative ability.

Capturing the moment is a large part of why Kelly is so passionate about creating art. He has worked primarily in the medium of video art. He explained that for him there is an avant garde vision that comes to life with video art because it is not one singular medium but an intersection between the film and art that is experimental. This form allows you to capture a different narrative. He said that “art allows you to think freely and openly.”

He believes that his art is a way to challenge preconceived notions and to create a platform for his work to be seen and appreciated. He is also passionate about creating a space for other Black artists to have their voices heard. He has been a part of Basement Records, which, while not exclusively focused on creatives of color, helps uplift underrepresented artists, musicians and other creatives.

One of the challenges he has faced as a Black artist is being stereotyped which can diminish the way others value his work. “People assume that I do rap or that I don’t take art seriously,” Kelly said.

Regardless of how Blackness is perceived in the art world, nothing is going to stop Kelly from creating. His works often feature music, but his goal is to create powerful messages, such as raising awareness about environmentalism.

His advice for students that are passionate about the arts is to be confident and themselves. Especially as a Black student, being able to “just be yourself because it can be important to the work you make.”

Kelly’s ultimate goal is to have fun with his work. “I just want to create something for everyone, to connect with other people,” he said. He wants to be a creative film director but plans to work his way through screenwriting and editing before creating his own films. But more importantly, he wants to imbue positivity in his work.

THE JUSTICE ● FEATURES ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024 9

Did you know?: A look at the untold truths of Brandeis history Our continuously growing campus is filled with myths and hidden stories, some of which are known by all, and some of which have managed to remain a secret.

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR

On March 16, 1966, tragedy struck the Brandeis community as the lives of two were taken at the center of campus. Graduate anthropology students Elgin N. Annis, 25, and Dora Roslow, 22, took off from Hanscom Field in Bedford in a small airplane. They spent some time flying around the Brandeis campus, before clipping the plane on the roof of the Goldfarb Library and hitting a tree. It was said that there were between 30 and 40 witnesses. The airplane then crashed into the concrete embankment of the reservoir and caught on fire. This man-made reservoir was in the same location as the current Usdan Student Center, which was opened in 1970.

The three chapels at Brandeis were one of the most contested additions to the campus, as it began to grow. The original plan was for one building with separate sections for students of different religions with different seating areas and altars.

That idea was not taken well, and an alternative plan for just one large Jewish structure was proposed. Many students who were opposed to the decision protested against it. They wanted some sort of interdenominational space that would provide for multiple groups of students. Some Catholic representatives also protested because they were unhappy with a Catholic chapel being built on Jewish soil. In the end, the University went with three structures exactly equal in size that will never cast shadows over one another for the structures. They are loved by the community, as is as the heartshaped pond that can be found in the middle.

Brandeis used to have a building called the “Banana House,” where the current science complex.

The building gained its name because of the green and yellow coloring and crescent shape. It used to be a small animal clinic and eventually transitioned into the first university bookstore and student newspaper offices. This structure was next to the grape arbor and wishing well, both of which can also no longer be found.

Many often speculate that the Spingold Theater Center was built to look like a top hat worn by a traditional entertainer. This myth can be debunked because the original architectural plans for the building did not include the same circular structure that we see on the building today. One more common arts building myth is that the Slosberg Music Center was built to resemble a piano.

This myth has been debunked, as the building does not and has not ever held 88 windows.

Brandeis’ first president Abram Leon Sachar molded the University into what it is today. He built it from the ground up, playing a pivotal role in the school’s foundation until his death. Upon his passing, both Abram Sachar and his wife Thelma Sachar were buried in the Sachar Woods on campus.

As this campus continues to grow, more and more myths rise to the surface. In our 75th year, it is vital to look back at where this university started. While many of the buildings have changed over time, the stories remain part of the University’s identity.

SKETCH: Three different chapels currently stand on Chapel’s Field.

BLUEPRINT: The original design for the threepronged chapel.

WELL: Students study near old the wishing well.

STRUCTURE: A student reads by the grape arbor.

THEATER: Spingold Theater appears to have a hat-shaped roof.

PRESIDENT: Abram L. Sachar was the founding president of Brandeis.

PIANO: Slosberg was thought to have been modeled off a piano.

Photos courtesy of BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY. Design: GRACE DOH/The Justice

10 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE

Justice

the

Brandeis University

Established 1949

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

EDITORIALS

The University is constantly lagging in accessbility Accessible infrastructure and quality accessibility support services are essential for a campus to be inclusive and welcoming to students with disabilities. However, the University has been slow to implement more accessibility renovations and to staff the Student Accessibility Support Office. This board believes that helping students with disabilities thrive on campus needs to be a higher priority for the administration.

Brandeis often advertises itself as an institution that champions social justice and fosters a diverse student body. However, an inaccessible campus demonstrates that more progress is needed in order to honor these values.

Many on-campus housing options lack important accessibility features. Few of them have elevators, automatic doors or accessible pathways to the dorms. Academic buildings have the same problems –– it’s difficult to enter the Mandel Quad, and many buildings in the quad do not have a ramp, such as the Mandel Center for the Humanities, Shiffman, Golding Judaica and Olin-Sang. While there is yellow paint on the edges of the stairs leading to the Mandel Center, many other staircases lack paint to make the contrast between stairs more visible for people with visual impairments.

There is also a lack of tactile walking surface indicators, and adding them near crosswalks and stairs could help students with disabilities.

While it’s true that the Brandeis Counseling Center installed a ramp due much in part to the Student Union’s efforts, most other buildings do not have said features. The stairwells in certain buildings can be an issue as well.

The Farber Library has two flights of steps leading to the Farber Mezzanine with railings attached to the wall in such a way that one cannot grip it continuously when using the stairs. Libraries and other study spots should be more accessible to provide students with disabilities the spaces they need to complete their work.

Additionally, while the Brandeis Counseling Center finally has gotten a ramp, it is still up to Americans with Disabilities Act standards as they don’t have handrails on both sides.

The Student Accessibility Support Office does not have a director, which leaves an important office without permanent leadership.

While the board recognizes the hard work of the SAS and its student SAS Fellows, the office needs more staff in order to run smoothly.

Communication is also a key component.

Strong advertising of what disability services are available and how to contact people for requests is needed in order for students with disabilities to receive the resources they need. Interdepartmental communication is essential, so departments like Academic Services are aware of accessibility features they can implement in their emails, events and services.

The lack of adequate accessibility policies is concerning in three respects. First of

all, having proper housing on campus is extremely important since all students have a right to safe, functioning dorms. Juniors and seniors with disability accommodations are not guaranteed housing, and while the board understands that the University does not have the capacity to house all students, finding off-campus housing could be burdensome for students with disabilities. As discussed in a previous editorial, this off-campus housing can also come with its own safety hazards and health concerns.

Not only is off-campus housing not affordable for everyone, it also may not come with the requisite features for students with disabilities, and landlords can exhibit bias against them. Moreover, living off campus introduces many more areas where students need accessibility. Transportation to and from the University must be consistent, allow enough time to get on and get off for students who need it, include accessibility features such as ramps, ensure there is extra space for wheelchairs, and include signage in accessible formats. Extending more routes, such as including the campus route on the weekends, allows students’ schedules to be more flexible. In addition, delays caused by Massachusetts winter weather increase the amount of time it takes to get to school, which already adds to the time students need to get to classes in buildings that are inaccessible.

Additionally, requiring students with disabilities to plan ahead to get to a class or make a reservation for a service is time and energy consuming. Students with disabilities should be able to do these things automatically, and asking them to put in more effort on their part adds an extra element of stress on top of stress from academics. Much of the more “accessible” housing, including Ziv Quad and Ridgewood Quad which have elevators, are located at the bottom of campus, an accessibility issue in and of itself because it’s at the base of a hill.

Other quads on campus that may be located in more accessible locations are not accessible themselves. Both Deroy and Renfield Halls in Massell Quad have doors with ramps that open into a stairwell. This board questions the purpose of such a feature if someone with a wheelchair or mobility issues can get up a ramp but not any further into the building.

As noted in a previous editorial, the administration does not provide strong support for clubs and organizations. This is problematic for students with disabilities because events may not be held in accessible places.

This cuts off students with disabilities from social, academic and career-building events and causes them to miss out on important opportunities. Moreover, not being able to engage with the community adds a sense of isolation which can negatively impact mental health.

All students deserve access to the academics, extracurriculars, and social life offered by this community, and the administration must create more accessibility initiatives that facilitate success for students with disabilities.

All talk no action: Social justice on campus On Feb. 6, the students of “Black Brandeis, Black History” (AAAS) led a teach-in about Angela Davis ’65 at the Mandel Center of Humanities Forum. The teach-in — which centered the life and activist work of one of Brandeis’ most famed alumni — prompted student and audience discussion about the University’s public treatment of Davis. The overwhelming sentiment was that Davis’ work has historically gone unrecognized by the University and is only acknowledged in a performative context. One student commented on Davis not being invited to speak at the 75th anniversary weekend. Another criticized the University’s tendency to pick and choose which causes to align itself with, depending on what is most “in vogue” and uncontroversial at the time.

Pauli Murray, a hero of the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Rights Movement, is another Black feminist figure in Brandeis’ history. Her work has been neglected in both her life and in her legacy, as she was initially denied tenure at Brandeis, until she got support from a co-founder of the American Studies department, Lawrence Fuchs, and to this day goes largely unmentioned. This board condemns the use of Brandeis community members such as Angela Davis and Pauli Murray as symbols of its social and political virtue, rather than honoring these individuals in meaningful ways and attributing their accomplishments to their efforts.

As many of us understand, Brandeis has cultivated a reputation over the years for its students’ outspokenness on social justice issues, having made national news multiple times since 2014 for its divisive campus climate. Since then, there have been changes in the administration’s leadership followed by stricter limitations placed on students’ speech and activist endeavors. The University also frequently reminds community members

and prospective students of the Occupation of Ford Hall in 1969: an 11-day sit-in led by Black students and students of color, calling for racial equality at the University. They presented administration with 10 demands, and the 2015 Ford Hall sit-in lasted for 13 days and included 13 demands. However, what Brandeis administration fails to recognize is that said students were the ones responsible for the activism, and that the students were protesting against the University. It is inaccurate for the University to claim that they support and encourage student dissent, given its impulse to police rather than collaborate and work with students’ social justice initiatives. It is especially inaccurate to assume credit for student and faculty activist work by attributing it to the institution’s moral infrastructure.

We firmly believe that the University ought to demonstrate more follow-through with its commitment to its founding principle of social justice. It has established itself as one that supports diversity, equity and inclusion, and much of the draw for prospective students lies within this assumption. We condemn the often performative nature of Brandeis’ alignment with these principles, which we have seen with its framing of student and faculty work towards social justice as mere pins on its lapel.

Black History Month should mean more to this University than an obligatory email blast reminder.

We encourage more active engagement from the administration with the values it purports to have, which means acting on the promises it makes to students in a timely fashion, rather than setting out to make changes and allowing those provisions to fade out as students graduate. More than this, it means adopting real initiatives which will produce tangible results that honor the true meaning of “social justice.”

Photo courtesy of BRANDEISNOW

Photo courtesy of BRANDEISNOW

THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023 11

The devil’s advocate: Debating further Ukraine aid

By JACK GRANAHAN and STEPHEN GAUGHAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITERS

Context: On Feb.4. senators unveiled the text of a bipartisan bill connecting border security and immigration reform measures to further military aid to Ukraine and Israel, among other features. More right-leaning Republican leaders in the House immediately declared it “dead on arrival.” While this in great part demonstrates the more complicated political negotiations and broader concerns of each party, it also emphasizes the controversy that has developed surrounding U.S. military aid to Ukraine in the war (or at least, phase of war) initiated by Russia’s full-scale invasion that began on February 24, 2022.

For this article, Gaughan and Granahan will debate whether the U.S. should continue to provide military aid to Ukraine in the forms it has thus far. While Gaughan will argue in favor, and Granahan against, both stringently reject the argument the latter presents, and endorse that of the former.

Both believe unequivocally that the U.S. should continue to support Ukraine in its defensive war against Russian aggression.

For (Gaughan): On a cold day in February, disguised Russian troops in unmarked uniforms invaded the Crimean Peninsula and seized control of its government.

This wasn’t 2022 – it was 2014. In the immediate aftermath of this invasion of a sovereign democratic neighbor, Russia received little more backlash than a few sanctions, a disinvitation from certain groups such as the former G8, and overall, a slap on the wrist. Its act of outright aggression, not dissimilar to that demonstrated against another neighbor, Georgia, in 2008, was met with an unwillingness of the West to take a firm stand for its supposed beliefs. In sum, Putin got away with it virtually scot-free, and uncovered the deep extent of the erosion of liberal values to which the postWorld War II Western world had sworn itself.

When Russian forces stormed across Ukraine’s border from almost all sides, and nearly took Kyiv, it appeared that Russia at last took its unobstructed ambitions to their natural next step. Afterall, who would stop it? While the US still rode high on its supposed victory in the Cold War, Russian democracy swiftly crumbled, and the “evil empire” of which we were once warned dusted off its ferociously imperialistic visions for the world. In the meantime, the other largest country in Europe took its stand.

In 2014, Russian troops seized control of a significant Ukrainian territory that — along with every other region of the country — had voted for independence from the former USSR with a clear majority. Occasionally obscured, however, is the fact that while Russia plotted its conquest, Ukrainians protested and revolted in the streets against their corrupt, dictatorial and Russophilic president Viktor Yanukovych.

The Russian incursion coincided almost perfectly (as doubtlessly intended) with the flight and ouster of a leader later to be convicted in absentia of treason. But while the world looked on, despite Russia’s return to the imperialistic essence that had driven it during the Cold War, Ukraine stood alone.

Against (Granahan): The second half of August 2021 was perhaps the darkest period in the post-9/11 Islamic world.

For weeks, the world watched as Afghan civilians clinging to U.S. military aircraft fell to their deaths while trying to escape the wrath of the Taliban, who had just taken control of Afghanistan. These horrifying events marked the culmination of a withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan that spanned the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. Although different fingers were pointed at different presidents to assign blame for the evacuation’s deadly turn, all three recognized that American forces could not remain in Afghanistan forever. And yet, no decision between relinquishing control of Afghanistan to extremist militants who harbored the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks or sending American soldiers not even born prior 9/11 to die in combat, would have been necessary had the U.S. government not been too trusting of rebels fighting against a Russian invasion.

Following the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, the U.S. government began collaborating with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence to provide funding and arms to the mujahideen, a loose and unorganized collection of Afghan guerillas, to fight against the Soviets. By 1987, American assistance to the Mujahideen topped out at $715 million a year. Despite the ideological differences between the American political mainstream and the Mujahideen–an organization adhering strictly to Pashtun, Tajik and Hazara tribal values, as well as a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam–the Mujahideen were lauded for their anti-Soviet resistance, with U.S. president Jimmy Carter referring to them as “freedom fighters.”

Later, Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto would warn U.S. president George H.W. Bush against “creating a Frankenstein” in the mujahideen. In 1996, seven years after the Mujahideen’s victory in the Soviet-Afghan War, the Taliban, a M+ujahideen offshoot, seized power.

I will concede that it is entirely disingenuous to compare the broad Ukrainian national resistance against the Russian invasion to a terrorist

We were in theory acting as much for our interests as for the world’s writ large when we spearheaded the 1994 Budapest Memorandum that stipulated a relinquishment of Ukraine’s post-Soviet nuclear arsenal in exchange for guarantees of its border. The continued flow of military aid is the least we can do to uphold this commitment, and the sanctity of our oath as a great power. Ukraine has proved its willingness and determination with its desperate fight against invading forces over these last two years. The West must, at the very minimum, continue to enable Kyiv’s drive toward fully sovereign democracy.

Americans wondering whether it is our place to aid in Ukraine’s defense should cease. The question at hand is not whether the U.S. should return to its old strategy of Kennanite containment, it is whether the supreme power of the free world should support and defend Ukraine and whether it will afford those who strive for the freedom it has long championed its due support.

On the cusp of the first World War, President Wilson declared that “The world must be made safe for democracy.” Then, as now, he was right.

The rejection of this notion in that war’s aftermath drew us down the inevitable path to another. In this new, post-Soviet age of the internet, we must still hold close the lessons we have learned and remember that our allies, and our ideals, are what drive this great country.

Russian aggression shows no signs of stopping, whether in the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, its support for terrorist groups in the Middle East, its attempts to subvert the Balkan move toward Western-oriented democracy or its intervention in free elections the world over.

Russia is an aggressor state that seeks to undermine every principle the US holds dear. Ukraine stands firmly in its way, determined to fight on.

We must continue to aid in this fight for liberty against our historic adversary.

organization like the Taliban. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is based on the pseudohistorical irredentism of the Putin regime, and the bodies of those killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War can be laid at the door of Vladimir Putin. That said, it only takes one small, malicious group within a large, diverse movement to, in Prime Minister Bhutto’s words, create a Frankenstein. As proof of this, one needs to look no further than the self-proclaimed Afghan Arabs, a collection of foreign volunteers from the Arab world who traveled to Afghanistan to fight for the mujahideen. One Afghan Arab leader, a young Saudi engineering student, was reportedly on the receiving end of American funding to the mujahideen, although it is unlikely this funding was intended specifically for the Afghan Arabs.

Using his wealth, that man – Osama bin Laden – would go on to establish the Islamist terrorist organization al-Qaeda and mastermind the events of 9/11.

While the Russian government’s large-scale accusations of inherent Ukrainian neo-Nazism are overwhelmingly baseless, there is still a noninsignificant presence of far-right elements in Ukraine’s military. The Azov Brigade, a fighting force of over 2,000 that was incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine in 2014, has long been controversial for the group’s endemic neo-Nazi affiliations, Holocaust denial, and brazen use of Nazi iconography. Azov represents a small fraction of Ukrainians fighting against the Russian invasion, but as more aid is sent to Ukraine by the U.S. government, it is hard to believe that absolutely none of these resources will end up in the hands of a neoNazi militia.

It is entirely understandable as to why so many Americans see financial assistance to Ukraine as a proper response to Russia’s brutal and unjustifiable invasion. But as the old adage goes: The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. And as demonstrated by the Afghanistan debacle, sometimes that Hell is not the realm of Satan, but instead Frankenstein.

Graphiic courtesy of ANNA MARTIN

Incredible Inventors and their illuminating inventions

By MIRABELL ROWLAND JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In celebrating Black History Month, it is important to recognize and remember the struggles, achievements and contributions of African Americans. It was not until looking at the internet sensation Because of Them We Can — a website dedicated to exploring Black excellence from the past and present and producing content on Black inventors — I was inspired to do my own research. Not surprisingly, so many of our day-to-day lives revolve around inventions made by African Americans and quite often people are blindly unaware. So in that vein, today I am delving into some notable Black inventors.

1. Madame C. J. Walker - Hair Straightening Formula According to the National Women’s History Museum, Walker rose out of poverty, eventually becoming one of the wealthiest African American women of her time. After struggling financially and facing terrible hair loss from strenuous physical labor, she began to use Annie Malone’s “Wonderful Hair Grower.” After witnessing the miraculous growth, she decided to market a line of hair care products for African American women calling it “Madame Walker’s wonderful Hair grower.” She also founded the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company, which became the first national Black business. She was also a strong advocate for women’s rights and philanthropy. I highly suggest watching the amazing Netflix series “Self Made” with Octavia Spencer the role of Madame Walker.

2. Marie van Brittan Brown: CCT Security Systems The Association for Women in Space explains that Mrs. Brown was the inventor of the first home security system. Hailing from Queens, New York and working odd shifts as a nurse, she was consistently finding new ways to always stay safe and secure.

It was in 1966 that she applied for a patent for her idea and invented the camera that would project images from outside the apartment or house. She was interviewed by The New York Times and went on to receive an award from the National Scientists Committee.

3. Garett Morgan - Tri-color traffic lights Despite only having a sixth-grade education, Morgan was very bright and ingenuitive, Scientific American explains. In the early 1920’s, automobiles were relatively new and Garrett Morgan was the only Black person to have one at the time in Cleveland, Ohio.

Back then, the traffic lights had two colors, with one meaning “go” and the other meaning “stop.” After watching an accident he thought of an improvement: a third light. This was patented in 1932 and later sold to General Motors.

4. Sarah Boone - Ironing Board Sarah Boone was among the first African American women to receive a patent in the history of the U.S. That in itself is an incredible accomplishment. So what exactly did she invent? An improvement of the ironing board, originally patented in 1856 her renewed version was patented in 1892. BlackPast clarifies her design essentially changed the board to accommodate for ironing women’s clothing by curving the edges. This should come as no surprise as she became a dressmaker and designer early in her life.

5. Charles R. Drew - Blood Banks It was not until his biology class in college that he gained an interest in medicine. From then on, his journey into the medical field continued. He graduated second in his class and later in his life, he became the first African American to earn a doctorate at Columbia University. During World War II, Drew was able to work with other scientists to collect and process plasma. The procedures he used are still seen today, and has been adopted by the American Red Cross.

By celebrating the legacy of these contemporaries, we can acknowledge the creativity and resilience of African American scientists who have paved the way for a better future. If you are captivated by all of these amazing inventors, you should not stop here. Do your research! Read more. Watch more. Learn more.

And remember: Black history happens every single day.

Madame C. J. Walker Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.

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Editorial Assistants

Sports: Benjamin Vidal Calderon, Benie Cohen,

News: Lin Lin Hutchinson, Momoca Mairaj

Zachary Goldstein*, Smiley Huynh*, Jeffrey

Forum: Cindy Nie

Wang, Jackson Wu*

Photography: Jonas Kaplin, Bryan Wolfe

Arts and Culture: Julia Hardy, Dahlia Ramirez,

Copy: Sara Samuel

Ellen Richards, Triona Suiter. Mikey Terrenzi

Staff News: Amanda Chen*, Grace Doh, Max Feigelson*, Anna Martin*, Isabel Roseth*, River Simard, Sophia Stewart, Hedy Yang*, Zoe Zachary* Features: Zev Carlyle, Ria Escamilla-Gil, Jessie Gabel, Meshulam Ungar*, Lea Zaharoni Forum: Jack Granahan*, Stephen Gaughan*, Mirabell Rowland*, Lauryn Williams*

Photography: Natalie Bracken*, Owen Chan*, Smiley Huynh*, Gianna Morales, Daniel Oren Copy: Francesca Auricchio, Lily Chafe, Brynn Domsky, Alyssa Golden, Miriam Grodin, Kika Singer, Zoe Zachary, Daniela Zavlun*, Nataniela Zavlun* Layout: Emily Hou, Hedy Yang* Ads: Natalie Bracken, Sophia Stewart Online: Sabrina Waddell

Graphics courtesey of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024

13

JUDGES: Carleo and Lee earn Judge of the Week CONTINUED FROM 16 -ern Reserve University. Recently, he was Brandeis’ fastest cross-country runner at the NCAA Division III East Region Cross Country Championships, held in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, and placed 40th out of 229 total runners.

With great speed comes a great risk of injury, something which Carleo wants to avoid. His biggest challenge thus far is keeping track of his health.

“It’s really important to ensure that your body is recovering, and this can be challenging to do every day,” he explained.

That being said, achievements and titles are not all that matter. Carleo’s favorite memory from this season is when he ran the 4x400 with his teammates. “I really enjoy relays, and it’s great that I can compete with my friends,” he told The Justice. Carleo is also looking forward to traveling to New York City with his teammates for the upcoming UAAs at the end of February break.

Calla Lee ’25 While you were working, Calla Lee ’25 was studying the blade. Epeeist, saberist and Judge of the Week, Lee is a star on the strip — and her prowess has grown since she began at Brandeis. Hailing from Duluth, Georgia, the Lambert High School alumna started off as an epeeist and was a Big One Tournament Quarterfinalist in the 2021-22 season.

Lee did not try out sabre until her sophomore year, but she put in the work and was eventually able to compete in sabre as well as epee. Venturing to try a new weapon is one of her favorite fencing memories she has made at Brandeis.

Sabre and epee are two of the three disciplines of fencing, along with foil. The names of the disciplines refer to the three different weapons used.

Sabrists cut and thrust with the cutting edge of their blade, and the discipline is characterized by

its slashing technique. Points are scored when a fencer hits their opponent with the blade’s front edge, tip or the last one-third of its back edge. The epee is similar to foil — in both disciplines, points are scored by hits made with the blade’s tip only — but with epee, the entire body is a target.

This season has already proved itself important in Lee’s career as both a fencer and a Brandeis student. She’s proven more than proficient at both blades; she fenced sabre at the Brandeis Invitational on Dec. 3, where she went 5-0 in sabre and earned three wins in epee, for a total of eight wins overall.

This semester, she impressed the Jury by delivering a 5-4 victory over Wellesley University’s Alisha Li — the school’s winningest fencer this season — to earn the Judges a win, doing so coming off the bench for an injury. In the meantime, Lee is focusing on studying for her biology major.

Balancing epee and sabre is a challenge in and of itself. The differences between the two disciplines mean Lee has to switch mindsets depending on which weapon she is fencing with, but the challenge is worth it — Lee says that overall, fencing with both weapons has been “very fun.”

The season is far from over, and Lee hopes to take advantage of the remaining time. She hopes to get stronger and break her old records for “vertical/ long jump at the weight room.” Aside from athletic feats, Lee looks forward to spending time with the rest of the fencing team.

— Editor’s Note: Justice managing editor Smiley Huynh ’24 and Justice News editorial assistant Lin Lin Hutchinson ’25 are members of the track and field team and did not edit nor contribute to this story. Justice editor Rani Balakrishna '25 contributed reporting to this story.

ATHLETES: TJ Carleo '26 (left) and Calla Lee '25 (right) in their roster pictures.

Photos courtesy of BRANDEIS ATHLETICS

The NBA scoring boom: Offensive overload ■ Recently the NBA has boasted highpowered offenses, putting up scores consistently in the triple digits, with stars regularly scoring over 50 points per game.

By EZEKIEL BLOOM

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

73 points in a game by a single player in a mere 45 minutes. A score of 157 to 152 in a game that did not even extend to overtime. For NBA fans 25 years ago, these statistics would seem otherworldly. They would be so significant that they would dominate news headlines for weeks. However, this is now the reality and norm in the 2023-2024 NBA season.

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic poured in 73 points in his team’s 148-143 victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 26. This tied for the fourth-highest individual scoring performance in NBA history, and it occurred on the same night that Phoenix Suns guard, Devin Booker, scored 62 points. What’s most shocking is a 70-point game from Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and a 62-point explosion from Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns that happened just the week prior. These performances have been both record-breaking and highly entertaining. Where did this exponential scoring boost come from? Why are players reaching new heights with their ability to put up stat-stuffing performances at rates never seen before? Some believe they have the answer to these questions. There is debate over whether or not this trend is beneficial for the NBA product as a whole.

The NBA’s increase in scoring is a polarizing topic among fans, players and coaches. Detractors lament that the boom in scoring is indicative of a greater problem: teams no longer put in enough effort defensively. They also cite that players are unable to be as physical defensively to stop scorers.

Players in previous eras were able to handcheck and guard their opponents with more intensity without having to worry about a referee’s whistle disrupting their efforts.

15-year NBA veteran and current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed this sentiment, saying, “The NBA has really slanted the rules towards the offensive player…I think it’s become almost impossible to play defense in a lot of cases.” Kerr’s thoughts are supported by the league average in scoring being on a path of exponential growth. According to Basketball Reference, in an

NBA game in the 2013-2014 season, the average team scored 101 points per game. This number has now ballooned to an astronomical 115.6 this season.

Supporters of the NBA’s offensive revolution do not believe that defenses have declined, but rather that offenses are now reaching new heights in terms of efficiency. Teams have moved away from shooting a variety of inefficient mid-range jump shots to shooting three pointers and layups (which guarantee higher offensive output) at a frenetic pace. This style of play, termed “pace and space,” has transformed NBA offense.

The influence of Stephen Curry and other elite outside shooters is also evident with how many more three pointers NBA teams now shoot. According to Basketball Reference, the average NBA team this season shoots 35 three-pointers per game. This number in the 1999-2000 season? 13.7. No matter how stifling the opponent’s defense is, the average NBA team is almost guaranteed to score more because of the emphasis on three-point shooting.

So, how do these players feel after their gigantic scoring performances? Do they feel validated for their achievements or do they think that there is an asterisk because of the NBA’s current state? Doncic, for one, seems to believe that the rule changes restricting defense make his scoring outputs much higher. On JJ Redick and Tommy Alter’s podcast The Old Man and the Three, he said, “Scoring 30 points in a Euroleague game, it’s harder than in an NBA game, 100% percent. I’m just saying this because of the rules.” Doncic then goes on to cite how with the presence of a defensive three-second violation in the NBA — the defense can only stand in the paint for 3 seconds if an offensive player is not in the paint — “you can have 10 more points easily.”

This is where I believe the NBA needs to make some swift changes in regard to defensive rules. You cannot have superstars in the world’s best league admitting to a lack of defense.

Regardless of your position on this scoring explosion, I guarantee you that it will not permanently damage the NBA as a product. There is nothing to worry about for NBA fans who tune in for defensive intensity and physical play. While the past few years have seen offense dominate defense at unprecedented levels, the defense is bound to catch up eventually. Great offensive talents matched up against defensive stalwarts have always made the NBA the electrifying brand it remains. For every Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, there will always be a Gary Payton or Ron Artest willing to stop scoring at all costs. The game does not decline or diminish, it only moves forward and evolves.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

GUARD: Luka Doncic, high scorer for the Dallas Mavericks comes down the court.

Graphic courtesy of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

14 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024 ● SPORTS ● THE JUSTICE

Women’s basketball snaps 10-game losing streak On Friday, Feb. 9, the Brandeis University Judges faced the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans, and the Judges claimed their first conference victory after a thrilling comeback from a 13 point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Photos: DANIEL OREN/The Justice. Design: MARINA ROSENTHAL/The Justice.

THE JUSTICE ● SPORTS ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024

STANLEY YOUTH FIND MENTORS IN JUDGES

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

15

TEAM STATS

UAA Conf. Overall W L D W L D Pct. 8 3 0 18 4 0 .818 7 4 0 18 4 0 .818 6 5 0 14 8 0 .636 5 6 0 15 7 0 .682 5 6 0 14 8 0 .636 5 6 0 13 9 0 .591 4 7 0 13 9 0 .591 4 7 0 10 12 0 .455

Total Points Sam Adusei ’24 leads the team with 250 total points.

Player PTS Sam Adusei 250 Gilbert Otoo 243 Quron Zene 213 Jake Bender 179 Total Rebounds Aedan Using ’24 leads the team with 135 total rebounds.

Player Aedan Using Gilbert Otoo Sam Adusei Quron Zene

UPCOMING GAMES:

Friday at Chicago Sunday at WashU Saturday, Feb. 24 vs. NYU

REB 135 94 92 85

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS UAA Conf.

W L D NYU 11 0 0 Chicago 8 3 0 WashU 8 3 0 Emory 7 4 0 Rochester 5 6 0 Carnegie 2 9 0 Case 2 9 0 JUDGES 1 10 0

TEAM STATS Overall W L D Pct. 22 0 0 1.000 15 7 0 .682 15 7 0 .682 17 5 0 .773 10 12 0 .455 10 12 0 .455 9 13 0 .409 5 17 0 .227

UPCOMING GAMES:

Friday at Chicago Sunday at WashU Saturday, Feb. 24 vs. NYU

Total Points

Caitlin Gresko ’25 leads the team with 195 total points.

Player Caitlin Gresko Katherine Vaughan Lulu Ohm Selenya Gonzalez

PTS 195 168 166 117

Total Rebounds Brooke Reed ’26 leads the team with 146 total rebounds.

Player REB Brooke Reed 146 Molly James 120 Katherine Vaughan 112 Lulu Ohm 66 Photo courtesy of SALLY LOBO

SWIM AND DIVE

LEADERS: Members of the Brandeis softball team pose for a picture at Stanley Elementary.

Results from meet at Clark University on Jan. 27.

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

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

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

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

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

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

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

FENCING

ATHLETICS: Fun at recess CONTINUED FROM 16

engaging with the youth at Stanley Elementary. These student athletes aim to impart the significance of a college education and the possibility of pursuing one's passion in sports simultaneously.

The impact of this initiative is evident in the positive feedback received from coaches, student athletes and the administration at Stanley Elementary.

The mutual benefits of this relationship are palpable, with smiles on the faces of elementary students when they see the athletes eagerly awaiting the start of recess.

Anna Kolb '25, co-captain of the Brandeis softball team, commented, “Volunteering at Stanley has given me a way to relate back to when I was their age. Often growing up, we forget what

it was even like being a kid, and much less how it would be in today's crazy world. I love how they see things for what they are, instead of all the overthinking and stress adults have. Being with them makes me laugh and always has me smiling. I hope I give them as much joy as they give me.”

Each team is currently in charge of two days to send three groups of at least five student athletes to three different recess times at Stanley.

Looking ahead, Brandeis Athletics expresses enthusiasm for the continued collaboration with Stanley Elementary and Waltham Public Schools.

The commitment to finding new and creative ways to give back to the local community remains a cornerstone of

Brandeis Athletics, showcasing the positive influence student-athletes can have beyond the playing field.

— Editor’s Note: Justice Managing editor Smiley Huynh ’24 and Justice News editorial assistant Lin Lin Hutchinson ’25 are members of the track and field team, and Justice Sports editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 is a member of the softball team. None of them edited nor contributed to this story.

Results from the Duke Invitational on Feb. 11.

MEN'S RESULTS

WOMEN'S RESULTS

Air Force 15, Brandeis 12 Brandeis 14, Duke 13 Brandeis 14, John Hopkins 13

Brandeis 14, Air Force 13 Duke 22, Brandeis 5 Johns Hopkins 14, Brandeis 13 Temple University 22, Brandeis 5

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

Dean Carey ’25

UPCOMING MEETS:

NEIFC Championships at MIT on Saturday, Feb. 24 NIWA Championship at Drew University on Saturday, March 2 NCAA Regionals at Long Island University on Sunday, March 10 NCAA Championships at Ohio State from March 21 - March 24

By RANI BALAKRISHNA JUSTICE EDITOR

TRACK AND FIELD Results from the Valentine Invitational at Boston University on Feb. 9.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

STANDOUTS 800 Meters TJ Carleo '26 ran a 1:51.58 for the ninth fastest time in Division III this season so far, beating his indoor personal record by 1.51 seconds.

200 Meters Dean Carey '25 ran a team season's best with a time of 23.03 seconds, beating his indoor personal record by 0.32 seconds.

STANDOUTS 200 Meters Shaniece Nugent '26 ran a team season's best with a time of 26.67 seconds, beating her old personal record by 0.27 seconds.

400 Meters Hannah Bohbot-Dridi 25' ran a team season's best with a time of 59.87 seconds, beating her personal record by 0.25 seconds.

UPCOMING MEETS:

Wheaton Invitational on Saturday at Wheaton College Data courtesy of THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION, the BRANDEIS ATHLETICS WEBSITE, and the TRACK & FIELD REPORTING SYSTEM website; Graphics courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS ATHLETICS

Want to nominate someone? Send them this form!

Dean Carey ’25, a member of the Brandeis men’s track and field team, recently came back to compete after suffering from medical setbacks and adversity the past two years. A sprinter from New York, Carey came back the weekend of Feb. 2 at Tufts University after taking nearly two years off for medical absence.

Carey battled chronic heart conditions linked to long COVID-19 from March 2022 but showed up at the Cupid Invitational like he never left the track.

A 2022-2023 University Athletic Association Winter AllAcademic Recognition Honoree, Carey also stood out recently in the Boston University Valentine Invitational on Feb. 10. After his comeback the prior weekend, he ran a personal record in the 200 with a time of 23.20 seconds. This 0.5-second improvement along

with a heartwarming recovery story has made Carey worthy of recognition many times over.

Prior to his medical absence, Carey had strong performances for the Judges, taking part in relays and other events. Following his return, his future looks bright as he gets acclimated to the track again.

Off of the track, you can find Carey resting in the Skyline Commons or listening to Billy Joel, his favorite artist. When the weather gets warmer, Carey loves black raspberry ice cream from Lizzy’s on Moody Street.

Looking beyond athletics and academics, the junior is a proud member of Brandeis VoiceMale, a masculine-centered acapella group on campus. Support Carey’s comeback story on the track at Gosman or at VoiceMale’s semester show on April 19. And don’t hesitate to say hello if you see him around campus! Go Judges!

just Sports Page 16

BRANDEIS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PHOTO STORY Women's basketball hosted the Carnegie Mellon Tartans at Auerbach Arena and came away with a thrilling victory, p. 14.

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

ATHLETICS

Brandeis Athletics scores big in community service ■ Varsity teams have been helping out at recess at Stanley Elementary School on South Street as part of community service efforts for the Judges.

By BENJAMIN VIDAL CALDERON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In a showcase of community engagement, Brandeis Athletics has been making significant strides in giving back to the local community.

This commitment to service has taken various forms over the years, involving student-athletes in programs such as Team Impact and You're With Us, where they serve as mentors to youngsters facing serious illnesses or disabilities.

Andrew Vatistas, assistant director of Athletics for External Relations, highlighted the diverse range of initiatives that Brandeis student athletes have been involved in. These include contributing to clothing donations through the Cradles 2 Crayons nonprofit organization, participating in city clean-up efforts in Waltham and actively engaging in Read Across America initiatives in local schools and daycare facilities.

CHIEFS WIN BACK-TO-BACK SUPER BOWLS

That being said, a new and impactful partnership has emerged between Brandeis Athletics and nearby Stanley Elementary School this academic year.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee spearheaded this collaboration, fostering frequent visits to the school where student-athletes spend quality time with children during their recess periods. President of SAAC Tristan Boyer ’25 has remained a primary organizer and coordinated logistics for all of the teams alongside Vatistas.

The Department of Student Engagement played a crucial role in facilitating background checks, ensuring the safety and security of all participants With nearly 100 student-athletes already volunteering at Stanley Elementary, the initiative plans to continue its positive impact throughout the school year. The goal is to maintain a consistent presence by visiting at least once per week on average, allowing the student athletes to build meaningful connections with the children.

The motivation behind this initiative is rooted in the athletes' deep appreciation for the opportunities they have at Brandeis. Through the program, student athletes come to reflect on their privileges of higher education and community through sports that ignites a nature of selflessness. In turn, they are inspired to give back, often

See ATHLETICS, 15 ☛

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

STAR QUARTERBACK: Patrick Mahomes had a stellar performance leading the Chiefs to victory on Sunday.

Chiefs triumph over the Judges of the Week: TJ Carleo ’26 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII and Calla Lee ’25

BRANDEIS

■ Carleo and Lee were recognized as Judges of the Week last week, an award presented by Jake n JOES, Chateau Dining and Brandeis Athletics.

By ISABEL ROSETH

JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Following their outstanding performances on the track and on the fencing strip, TJ Carleo ’26 and Calla Lee ’25 were honored as Judges of the Week. The title is bestowed on various student-athletes at the University for notable accomplishments in their respective sports.

TJ Carleo ’26 For some, ball is life. For others — including TJ Carleo ’26 — it’s distance running. He has no time for other extracurriculars; being part of a sports team is a “massive commitment” on top of his academics. His passion and talent is evident in the sheer number of accomplishments he has racked up this season thus far. His academic accolades include a UAA All-Academic recognition and a US Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association

All-Academic Athlete — which is not a small feat.

While Carleo has not officially selected a major, what is not undeclared is the recognition he has attracted these past two seasons. His most recent feat took place at the Boston University Valentine Invitational on Feb. 9. Out of nearly 300 runners from all three divisions, Carleo placed 52nd with a time of 1:51.58. This was only 1.37 seconds off his personal record, 1:20.21, which he ran in the previous outdoor season, and 2.51 seconds under his indoor personal record. This accomplishment placed him as ninth in all of Division III. This time was also a mere 0.51 seconds off the indoor school record, which was achieved by Geoff Getz ’99 with a time of 1:51.04.

He was named the 2023 Outdoor UAA 800-meter champion, at the University of Chicago, and placed 18th in the 800-meter at the 2023 Outdoor DIII NCAAs held in Rochester, New York.

Carleo also currently holds the track and field team’s season’s best for the 800, 1000, mile and part of the 4x400. He has also been named a UAA track athlete of the week multiple times.

Carleo made an impact in his first season as one of the seven runners sent to cross country’s UAAs hosted

by Emory University in the 2022 season. During his first indoor season, he scored 8 points in three separate events at the indoor UAA held at Case West-

See BRANDEIS, 13 ☛

■ Super Bowl LVIII was a competitive nail-biter, with the two best teams in the NFL duking it out for the championship.

By BENIE COHEN

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, the Kansas City Chiefs emerged victorious over the San Francisco 49ers in a thrilling contest that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the game's end.

The final score, 25-22, showcased the resilience and determination of both teams as they battled through four quarters and into overtime --- marking the second game in Super Bowl history to ever go into overtime.

The game started with the 49ers taking control, holding a 10-3 lead at halftime. However, the Chiefs rallied in the second half, scoring 10 unanswered points to gain a 13-10 edge. San Francisco responded with a touchdown to reclaim the lead, though a blocked extra point left them with a narrow three-point advantage.

Over the course of the game, both teams relied heavily on their kickers and defenses. Jake Moody of the 49ers kicked a Super Bowl record-breaking 55-yard field goal early in the game, only to have it surpassed by Harrison Butker of the Chiefs with a 57-yard field goal in the third quarter.

The Chiefs' block of an extra point from the 49ers in the fourth quarter proved to be pivotal, leading to the game being tied at 19 and ultimately forcing overtime. With the tension mounting, the Chiefs seized the moment in overtime, orchestrating a dramatic drive down the field that culminated in a game-winning touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Mecole Hardman with just six seconds remaining.

Super Bowl LVIII will be remembered as one of the most exhilarating matchups in recent history, marked by the resilience and skill of both teams. For the Chiefs, it marks their second consecutive championship and their third in the last five years, solidifying their status as a dominant force in the NFL. In the history of the Super Bowl, no team has won three games in a row, few even coming close.

If the Chiefs continue their impressive record, viewers could truly be witnessing history in the making.

The Super Bowl, however, is not simply a football event; it is also a marketing and musical extravaganza.

Advertisers vie for prime slots during the game, with the average cost of a 30-second ad spot hitting a staggering $7 million for the second consecutive year. According to The New York Times, this year's Super Bowl viewership broke records with 123.4 million viewers.

This year, consumer packaged goods like Oreos, Pringles, Mountain Dew, Doritos and M&Ms dominated the ad lineup, featuring celebrity en-

dorsements from the likes of Christopher Walken, Ben Affleck, Beyoncé, Quinta Brunson, Jenna Ortega, Kate McKinnon and Jennifer Aniston.

Some brands, like Dove, even opted for emotional appeals, highlighting the challenges girls face in losing confidence while participating in sports.

Notably, Temu had a total of six ad slots during the Super Bowl, with many commenting on the oddities of its repetitive and robotic-esque nature.

Usher headlined the halftime show, delivering a captivating performance of his timeless hits, including fan favorites like “Yeah” and “OMG”.

Joined by Alicia Keys for a rendition of "If I Ain’t Got You" and "My Boo," Usher also featured Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R. and Lil Jon, creating a memorable spectacle.

Although he initially struggled with technological issues, and many fans struggled to hear him over their cheers, he persisted, delivering a memorable performance that matched the high energy of the game itself. Adding to the star-studded atmosphere, celebrities like Taylor Swift, Paul Rudd, Blake Lively, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Ice Spice, Queen Latifah, Luke Combs and Post Malone were proudly broadcasted throughout the game, cheering on players from the audience.

As confetti rained down and celebrations ensued, Super Bowl LVIII left an indelible mark on football history, combining thrilling competition with unforgettable entertainment and advertising spectacles.

Vol. LXXVI #14

Waltham, Mass.

Feburary 13, 2024

Photos: Serenity Dimatulac/The Justice. Design: Ceci Xilei Chen and Jonas Kaplin/The Justice.

FEBRUARY 13, 2024 I ARTS & JANUARY CULTURE I 31, THE2017 JUSTICE THE JUSTICE | ARTS | TUESDAY, 18 TUESDAY,

NOVEL NOTIONS

‘Parable of the Sower’: A review

BY MAEVE COAKLEY

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Typically, the imagined setting for a dystopian science fiction novel is the far future — perhaps Earth in the year 3000 or even on an entirely new planet. In contrast, it can be jarring to discover such a novel written in the near future, especially if that near future is this coming summer.

Published in 1993, Octavia Butler’s novel “Parable of the Sower” takes place from 2024 to 2027, years that were three long decades in the future but are now the rapidly approaching present.

“Parable of the Sower” is Butler’s tenth novel and was originally meant to be part of a six-part series. However, Butler only wrote one sequel, “Parable of the Talents,” published in 1998 before she died in 2006. She began writing the third book but cited writer’s block as the reason she stopped. As it is, “Parable of the Sower” can be read as a standalone with no trouble.

Butler’s imagined America in 2024 is a society rife with violence torn apart by climate change and economic inequality. The novel follows teenage protagonist Lauren Olamina who must survive on the road after the destruction of her neighborhood. The journey is already perilous enough without Lauren’s condition of “hyperempathy,” which causes her to share the pain and pleasure of others.

Throughout her hardships, Lauren clings to her newly invented religion, “Earthseed,” which she spends much of the novel developing. Earthseed’s metaphorical God is change, and the religious teachings stress reactivity and adaptability.

The emphasis on “God is Change” makes sense when considering the novel’s other themes. As a whole, “Parable of the Sower” is an effective commentary on what American society might look like in the future if we refuse to change.

In particular, Butler focuses her criticism on racism, classism, and nostalgia. “Parable of the Sower” emphasizes that society fractures along its fault lines in times of crisis. Butler identifies two of these fault lines in American society as race and class. “Parable of the Sower” illustrates what society might look like if divisions between race and class radically increased.

Many characters treat race as a defining characteristic in deciding whether or not to trust one another. Lauren repeatedly mentions that traveling in a mixed-race group on the road is dangerous. In the Earthseed verses, she writes that one must embrace diversity or be destroyed. Regarding class, “Parable of the Sower” exists in an America where

the poor are abundant and the rich are very few. Lauren’s neighborhood, which was barely making ends meet, was targeted and then destroyed because they were perceived as being rich. The poor are too busy tearing down one another to bother with those who are actually wealthy — perhaps because the rich have the money to pay for police or other hired protection or because they sequester themselves away behind impenetrable walls while the world outside descends into madness.

Most poignant of all is the commentary surrounding the “politics of nostalgia.” Lauren is often frustrated with the adults around her because of their refusal to let go of the past. To Lauren, this is personal: She has no memory of the America the adults in her life are longing for, and she perceives their refusal to move on a negative effect on their actions in the present. “Parable of the Sower” was written coming out of the ‘90s when the country was transitioning from Reagan to Bush. Right-wing Christian cultural politics had dominated the political landscape and privatization of the economy, or “trickle-down economics,” was on the rise.

These issues that Butler saw around her while writing “Parable of the Sower” still plague America today.

Since then, politics have only become more polarizing, especially regarding race and racism, and we still face an ever-increasing class gap. Just a few short years ago, we had a president who built his platform on the politics of nostalgia or “making America great again.” In this vein, “Parable of the Sower” reads as an effective critique of the present moment in America today. Interestingly, Butler never explicitly states what happened to drive American society to the point we see it in “Parable of the Sower.” The implied slow decline into chaos makes Butler’s commentary all the more believable and compelling.

Unfortunately, the most frustrating part of the novel is its protagonist. Lauren’s narration can be difficult. There are multiple instances where she contradicts herself or rapidly changes formerly stubborn opinions for little reason despite her previous obstinacy. Her commitment to preaching Earthseed can also be grating, especially because although Earthseed is a religion, many of its core beliefs sound more philosophic. Some readers may manage to look past this by reminding themselves that Lauren is a teenage girl and not free from the flaws of adolescence. A second way to make her narration less frustrating is to remember she is an unreliable narrator. Every journal entry Lauren writes, she does so with the mindset that her writings will one day be read and used to preach about Earthseed. With this in mind, Lauren would write her journal entries and depict Earthseed

as positively as possible. The novel can be read enjoyably while overlooking Earthseed in favor of focusing on other events in the novel, but some readers may find this difficult.

That being said, overlooking Earthseed entirely would be a mistake as a reader.

Overall, “Parable of the Sower” is an interesting and thought-provoking read despite the frustration caused by the narrator. Consider giving it a try if you are a fan of dystopian science fiction and want a compelling near-future take on the genre.

MAEVE COAKLEY/The Justice

VISONS FROM VIETNAMESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION

ELIZA BIER/The Justice ELIZA BIER/The Justice

FOOD FOR CELEBRATION: Student Jess Li ’26 reigns in the New Year with good food and smiles.

ELIZA BIER/The Justice

FESTIVE GAMES: Students play the classic Vietnamese horse race game, “Coa Dua Ngua.”

By Dahlia Ramirez JUSTICE STAFF ARTIST

Graphics: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice. Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.

CHEERS FOR THE NEW YEAR: Taiwanese Student Association E-Board representatives Emily Hou ’27 and Nick Chen ’26 enjoy the New Year festivites.

THE JUSTICE I ARTS & CULTURE I TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024

19

CONVERSATIONS WITH CREATIVES

Food for thought: THE JUSTICE | ARTS | TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017

An interview with the director of Food Tank’s “Little Peasants”

By NEMMA KALRA JUSTICE EDITOR

The fight for fair and equitable treatment of laborers is an ongoing struggle. In 2023, we have seen numerous strikes and strike threats, including those by SAG-AFTRA, United Postal Service workers and Starbucks Workers United. It is amidst this backdrop of labor activism and the pursuit of workers’ rights that the play “Little Peasants” emerged.

“Little Peasants” is an immersive performance presented in Somerville by the research and advocacy organization Food Tank. Food Tank’s work is dedicated to using art and storytelling to explore the intersection of food and social justice. Their previous production “WeCameToDance” was an interactive musical examining sustainable agriculture. In that same vein, “Little Peasants” gives the audience a seat at the table of a union-organizing campaign at a fictional coffee shop. Following the complete play, audience members are given the opportunity to vote on the union negotiations alongside the characters.

Given the unconventional nature of this production and its aspirations to engage with and challenge the audience, the manner in which the play is handled is critical. On Feb. 7, The Justice had the pleasure of speaking with the production’s director and Brandeis alumni Dori A. Robinson ’00 about how the team behind “Little Peasants” approached these goals.

Although she did not start in theater, by her senior year at Brandeis Robinson discovered how storytelling could be used to make a positive impact on communities. To her, theater has the profound ability to “create a community and create a world in a short amount of time and build empathy and connection that can never again be replaced because every audience is different.” With this mindset of fostering community and empathy, Robinson developed her senior thesis. Inspired by political theater pieces, Robinson explored the spectrum of Jewish religious identity among students at Brandeis. She had a set of Jewish students volunteer to be actors in the play; however, her casting process was quite unique. They did workshops together, discussing their conceptions of their faith and identity, on which Robinson based her script. She then cast each person as “opposite” to who they were. This production challenged the actors and the audience to put themselves in the shoes of their peers — to listen and attempt to understand perspec-

tives different from their own. It is this convergence of art and community, between cast and audience, that Robinson worked with on “Little Peasants.”

Robinson joined the “Little Peasants” team in late 2023 after the writer and co-founder of Food Tank, Bernard Pollack, had completed the script. She was drawn both to the play’s style and the content of worker justice. Robinson stated, “I think it was just so interesting to me because it’s not something that gets talked about a lot in theater even though it’s such a big, important part of our lives.” In merging worker’s justice with immersive theater, it was vital to create characters that felt real and sympathetic. Pollack interviewed numerous people involved in unions and based all the characters on real people. From this, the actors learned to embody these authentic characters, so the audience will hopefully resonate with their dreams and experiences.

The production team of “Little Peasants” also took extra care crafting each character because, being an immersive production, it is inevitable that audience members will bring their own opinions about union negotiations to the table. In order to create an authentic experience and challenge these preconceived biases, each character needed to read as a real human being — one that the audience could empathize with and even agree with. According to Robinson, the goal was to create characters that would allow audience members to hear each person’s thoughts and say, “I have the opportunity to change my mind about this.” Her dream at the end of the two performances is for the audience to vote differently each time.

Casting was the next component in bringing the experience of “Little Peasants” to life. Robinson, alongside the dramaturg and producer Elena Morris, curated a cast of entirely non-equity actors local to Boston. Not only was this a way to elevate Boston-based artists, but as Robinson stated, “When you’re thinking about how we produce and consume food, I think we automatically think about caring about what’s local — what’s happening locally.” Though the play itself is not set in Boston, Robinson feels that the locality of the actors brings familiarity and relevance to the performance. This closeness between actors and audience was essential to constructing the final performance. To Robinson, theater works like a triangle: There is the content,

ART ANNOUCEMENT

ART ACTIVISM

Deconstructing “Deconstructed Anthems”

By NEMMA KALRA JUSTICE EDITOR

In the coming days of Feb. 13 through Feb. 17, the thought-provoking and moving immersive art installation, “Deconstructed Anthems: Massachusetts” will be debuted at the Cyclorama in the Boston Center for Arts.

“Deconstructed Anthems” is a series of exhibitions created by artist, professor and Director of the Poetic Justice Group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab Ekene Ijeoma. Ijeoma, whose background is in technology and interaction design, develops multimedia artwork designed to expose the inequities that riddle the United States and challenge his audience to change them. Through “Deconstructed Anthems,” Ijeoma depicts the immense scale of mass incarceration, as well as the gross racial disparities ingrained in the U.S. carceral system. Each site-specific iteration of “Deconstructed Anthems” uses data from the U.S. Department of Justice, combined with conceptual, multimedia art, to give voice to the over 1.5 million (disproportionately Black) individuals incarcerated in the U.S. since 1925. Ijeoma’s exhibit highlights the hypocrisy of the U.S. being the “land of the free” while having such high incarceration rates by centering the installation around the classic “Star Spangled Banner.” The exhibit combines an algorithmic composition programmed by Ijeoma and numerous musicians who methodically omit notes while playing “Star Spangled Banner” to reflect the escalation in national incarceration rates from 1925 to the present. Ijeoma achieves this by using a custom piano “retrofitted with hardware and software programmed to hold down keys at the same rates in the composition as a pianist is playing it.”

“Deconstructing Anthems: Massachusetts” will be a solo exhibit at the Cyclorama in which Ijeoma’s custom piano, as well as hundreds of drawings of compositions generated from the software, will be on display from Feb. 13 through Feb. 17, 2024. This exhibit is completely free to the public.

There will be public performances of the installation each evening from 7-8 p.m. featuring renowned musicians such as James Fancies (piano), Jeremy Dutton (drums), William Mabuza (bass) and Angel Bat Dawid. In bringing “Deconstructing Anthems: Massachusetts” to the greater Boston area for free, Ekene Ijeoma is challenging audiences to confront the harsh realities of mass incarceration in the United States. Be sure to catch this installation at the Cyclorama while it is in Boston!

Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.

the performance and the audience. The goal is to connect all three. Especially within the context of the audience, one must ask what is needed to best understand the narrative being shared.

Robinson believes that the key to directing a piece that engages the audience in such an interactive way is asking questions — and, of course, saying, “Yes, and.” She stressed the importance of creating a working environment completely open to questions. Robinson consistently asked for feedback from her actors and thought critically about what each moment needed in order to touch the audience. Just as immersive as the final performance, the directorial process was filled with interaction and engagement from the entire team behind “Little Peasants.”

Looking beyond the rehearsal room, at the core of “Little Peasants” is a deep desire to create awareness for issues of social justice in a medium more accessible to audiences.

Robinson noted how each of the artists involved with “Little Peasants” have worked at the intersection of theater and advocacy in the past. As the production moves to the stage, Robinson believes that “Little Peasants” can be translated to different cities and touch audiences all over the nation.

She thinks that “everyone would benefit from it, and not just benefit from what they learn from it. I think it’s also fun and exciting and funny. So, I think that there would be a joy to sharing it everywhere.”

That being said, the reach of “Little Peasants” can even transcend the four walls of the theater. From theater festivals to conferences to local bars, “Little Peasants” has relevance in various circles. Robinson’s dream for the project is for it to have its own website with study packets, resources and educational videos. As workers rights evolve and labor environments change, the performance will always have a different impact. However, as she pushes audiences to question and think critically through theater, Robinson “does not need all the answers. [She] just needs us all to ask the questions and put it out there.” So my question for you is: Would you like a chance to see the Feb. 21 sold-out “Little Peasants” at The Burren in Somerville, Massachusetts? The Justice has two free tickets available to anyone willing to write a review for an upcoming issue of the paper. Please email arts@thejustice.org for more information.

MoMA faces pressure from protestors n Pro-Palestine protesters held demon-

strations at both the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR

Hundreds of protesters gathered on Feb. 10 inside the Museum of Modern Art and outside of the Brooklyn Museum in response to the continuing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The protest at the Brooklyn Museum took place outside and was run by Within Our Lifetime, a New-York based community-led organization that has been active since 2015, building the movement for Palestine. About 300 people were estimated to be in attendance.

Stephanie Keith, a New York City based photographer, was present at the Brooklyn Museum protest and posted many photos to her Instagram. She stated that the arrests started “when a small red truck with a loud speaker on top showed up.” The police had explained that amplification devices were not allowed and ended up impounding the truck. According to Kieth, around 10 arrests on the sidewalk followed, One of the people arrested was journalist Reed Dunlea, who was wearing a press pass.

At 3:30 p.m., between 500 and 800 protesters entered the Museum of Modern Art. They made their way to the first and second floor atriums, filling the museum. The MoMA closed all of its galleries within 15 minutes and began to turn away paying customers.

As seen on Instagram, protestors hung up large banners with messages such as “Cultural

Workers Stand with Gaza,” “Free Palestine,” “From the River to the Sea” and “Ceasefire Now.” One on the second floor stated “MoMA Trustees Fund Genocide, Apartheid, and Settler Colonialism.” The protestors also set up similar displays on the third and fifth floors of the museum.

Additionally, protestors made and handed out approximately 1,000 copies of a mock museum guide that called out the board of trustees of the museum. The brochure stated “While MoMA purports ideologies of ‘change’ and ‘creativity,’ the Board of Trustees directly fund Zionist occupation via arms manufacturing, lobbying, and corporate investment. At the same time, the museum derives its legitimacy from artists and cultural workers, including those actively engaged in anti-colonial struggle.”

According to the official press release, this protest demanded that the museum take action against genocide, apartheid and settler colonialism. They called for the “immediate removal of board members Ronald S. Lauder, Paula Crown, Marie-Josée Kravis, Leon Black, and Larry Fink.”

According to Artnet, these board members were called out due to “their alleged financial investments in Israeli weapons and surveillance technology.” These trustees include a millionaire with ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the Chief Executive Officer of multinational investment corporation BlackRock, and more.

The protesters remained inside the museum until approximately 5:15 p.m., when they exited and marched uptown. This caused the MoMA to remain shut until closing time, preventing any new patrons from entering.

20 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE JUSTICE

STAFF’S Top Ten

STUDENT ART SPOTLIGHT

CECI XILEI CHEN/The Justice

Top 10 comfort TV shows

By SARA SAMUEL

JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Wheter you’re craving laughter, nostalgia or just a feel-good atmosphere, the best comfort TV shows help accomplish exactly that. They’re always there for you, in good times and bad.

Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order!

1. Grey’s Anatomy 2. Gilmore Girls 3. Modern Family 4. New Girl 5. The Good Place 6. Friends 7. The Office 8. Glee 9. Ted Lasso 10. This Is Us

Photo courtesy of EFOSA OLOGBOSERE

Efosa Ologbosere ’27 is a politics major at Brandeis, as well as a recipient of the BIPOC Creator Grant from Arts Engagement. The picture was taken the first time she accompanied her friend to see a cultural presentation on Hispanic heritage. While they were there, she loved the city scene and wanted to capture it. It was a pretty gloomy day and raining, but the city was still full of activities.

CROSSWORD

Need a way to celebrate?

Try this Lunar New Year x Valentines Day crossword

By SMILEY HUYNH

JUSTICE MANAGING EDITOR

Across

Visit our website: thejustice.org for crossword solutions.

Down 1. Greek god famous for his sexual prowess, also something you use to cook food for your date :) 2. Something you’ll need if you don’t have elaborate plans for your partner tomorrow, a legal defense for the accused to show they couldn’t have committed the crime 3. In humans, composed of four chambers and two valves, mainly composed of cardiomyocytes and connective tissue, plural 4. Often below an arch where a couple exchange vows and get married 6. Spidey Ham, Wilbur, and Pumbaa have this in common, oink oink 7. Phoenician “seduced” by the god Zeus in the form of a bull because he fell in “love” with her 8. Eight billion of these heart candies are made every year and yet they have the same texture as chalk 11. Tiny citrus fruit sometimes said to resemble a small gold nugget (in canto the literal translation is gold orange) and a symbol of prosperity 12. The top export from Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Ghana which make up about 70% of the world’s supply to make this product 13. Accident that might occur if one is distracted by a partner in a car 14. Meal name in the evening 16. Hugs and kisses 18. What you may write to your love, or even to Juliet (2010) Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.

1. Another word for fake love, what many of the gifts given on Across 32 are likely made of, it’s also everywhere, including in you 5. Used to send letters 8. A type of white lily native to southern Africa representing innocence and meaning that you really love each other and being around each other, also said to convey admiration and appreciation, also often seen alongside tulips during Easter, and the traditional choice for funeral arrangements and expressions of sympathy.

9. A type of message you send to your long distance relationship partner 10. The capital, largest city and chief port of Thailand 12. Roman version of eros, in modern times depicted as a baby with wings holding a bow and arrow 15. Something you put on or do to hide your insincerity, especially if you’re playing a part, most movies can be broken into three of these 17. The annual Korean holiday celebrating the first day of the lunisolar calendar 19. The annual Vietnamese holiday based on the lunisolar calendar 20. Something you should do before inviting someone over tomorrow, or something you shouldn’t have done during Down 27 22. Male bird that had a comb AND a wattle, COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO 24. An animal known for being deceitful and dishonest but historically have been a symbol for heath, medicine, pharmacy, immortality, among other things. Also the symbol of Taylor Swift’s “reputation” album, HISSSSS 25. A couple, a pair, a duo, deuce 26. Ancient Roman festival celebrating the

Roman god of agriculture and celebrated by sacrificing animals and hitting people with animal hide, which some believed helped with fertility 28. Supposedly man’s best friend, BARK BARK, WOOF WOOF 30. To be chivalrous, one pull this out for their date, a two person couch is also called a love____ 32. Day about love 34. Pegasus, Bojack and Centaurs all are partially this animal, NEIGH 38. Action usually done at a restaurant 39. Something some people believe will get them more dates, but actually only get them more compliments from other gym bros 41. Zodiac animal honored in Vietnam instead of the rabbit, MEOW 42. An east Asian country that doesn’t celebrate the new cycle of the moon 45. Opposite of love, how photos editor Eliza Bier feels about me perpetuating that cows are her favorite animal 46. Makes a cow milk alternative, they also have rectangular pupils, BAAAA not a sheep 49. Past tense of a word to describe something you can do to your partner if you put too much or too little effort into a holiday this week 50. Curious George, Abu, Rafiki are all of this species which also contains baboons, macaques, marmosets, tamarins, capuchins and mandrills, OOH OOH AH AH 52. Agapornis bird, one of the smallest parrot species 54. Southeast Asian country that will celebrating the year of the Naga this year 55. A nickname given to a partner, brought to you by BUZZ BUZZ bees 56. Something you need in order to start the enemies to lovers trope

21. The first zodiac animal to cross the finish line using its cunning intelligence, also allegedly infests Mods and some Zivs 22. Color shared by both holidays this week 23. The first name of Gran’ma Ben, Thorn Harvestar’s grandma, in the Bone Series by Jeff Smith 27. Rings in the new year based on the cycles of the moon 29. Something you say after opening a present to express admiration of the gift 31. The Egyptian goddess of fertility 33. Dance accompanied by drums, cymbals and gongs to bring good luck, can often be seen going into restaurants and eating from a bowl of cabbage 35. Lucky fruit, also a color 36. Auspicious to eat, especially when hard boiled and red, as they represent new beginnings, fertility and growth, singular 37. Type of gift given by fiber artists that may lead to the “sweater curse” 40. An expression of regret you probably give when you turn someone down 43. This year’s zodiac animal 44. A nickname used to indicate someone is just a friend, also a name you call a dog 47. Striped beast 48. Something you get done during a manicure or pedicure 51. Past tense for jump into a pool, bird in the same family of pigeons, a British soap company’s namesake and logo, when found dead don’t eat 53. Something a man may become if they’re not careful tomorrow