The Justice, March 5, 2024

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2024 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life, delivers address

■ Kimmerer inspires the Brandeis community to explore their connection with the natural world.

By ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Famous for her synthesis of scientific knowledge and Indigenous wisdom, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer stands at the forefront of modern ecology. She holds a doctoral degree in plant biology and currently works as a State University of New York Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology. Kimmerer is also the author of “Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Moss” and “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.” In recent years, “Braiding Sweetgrass” has become well-known for elevating the use of Indigenous teachings along-

BRIEF

side traditional scientific knowledge. The overarching metaphor in the book compares the three strands of braided sweetgrass to three essential elements of understanding the natural world: scientific knowledge, Indigenous knowledge and knowledge of the plants themselves. Her writing has given over 300,000 readers access to a new understanding of how they can better understand the world around them.

Kimmerer has been named the 2024 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life. The fellowship, created by Dr. Carol Richman Saivetz ’69, highlights an individual whose contributions have had a significant impact on improving American society. On Feb. 28, 2024, Kimmerer accepted the award and gave her keynote speech to a fully-packed Levin Ballroom. She was introduced by Dr. Colleen Hitchcock (BIOL), who nominated Kimmerer for the fellowship. Hitchcock highlighted how Kimmer-

See SPEECH, 7 ☛

Students for Justice in Palestine announce return

The University’s former chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine posted a “statement of return” on Instagram on Feb. 29, announcing their intent to continue as an organization despite the branch’s derecognition as a club last semester.

Along with the Revolutionary Student Organization, who organized the Nov. 10 protest that ended in seven arrests, SJP posted about a “Vigil for Palestine” that will take place in the Shapiro Campus Center on March 6.

Administration decided to derecognize SJP on Nov. 7 “because it openly supports Hamas,” according to Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dine. As a result, SJP no longer receives funding from the University, is not permitted to “conduct activities on campus” and cannot associate itself with Brandeis.

Following the derecognition, the RSO held a protest on Nov. 10. Three of the seven arrested are students at Brandeis, and they are still facing charges, although they may be permitted to graduate.

In the statement of return, SJP wrote that they remain “committed to the Palestinian liberation” and “an immediate ceasefire” despite the University’s efforts to “fragment [their] collective response.” They cited the “roughly 19,878 additional Palestinians” that “have been martyred” since their derecognition and claimed that the need for a free Palestine “is illuminated more than ever.”

As of March 1, a total of 30,228 Palestinian fatalities have resulted from the Israel-Hamas war, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“While Brandeis continues its pattern of censorship, the siege on

the Gaza strip continues to claim innocent lives,” the post said. SJP further wrote that the derecognition was “unjust” but that its timing was “not a coincidence.”

“Brandeis understands through its history that the power of student-led collective action is insurmountable,” they wrote. “As our brothers and sisters in occupied Palestine have taught us, the fight for liberation is relentless and unwavering.”

They questioned Brandeis’ commitment to its stated mission of social justice, citing the student arrests made at the protest. They claimed that the “active persecution” of said students from the University “highlights a fundamental disconnect” between the University’s purported values and its actions. They further called on the community to support them and “take the necessary leap to continue to advocate for Palestinian rights.”

“The SJP will be no different,” the post declared.

Wednesday’s vigil will be held to mourn “30,000 martyrs in Gaza,” according to the RSO and SJP’s joint post. In the caption, the organizations asked the community to submit statements for a “collective art piece that will be displayed” during the vigil.

On March 1, SJP and RSO uploaded a post entitled “Brandeis Speaks Up” on Instagram to encourage submissions for the art piece. The piece is intended as “an expression of our [community’s] earnest pain and grief through the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza.” They hope to gather printed statements through an anonymous form.

— Isabel Roseth

Guccione honored

By GRACE DOH

UNISSUED DIPLOMAS

University reinstalls exhibit in honor of Ukranian

students who lost their lives

■ Photographs of Ukranian students who lost their lives as a result of the war are on display in the Mandel Center for the Humanities.

By SOPHIA DE LISI JUSTICE EDITOR

Two years into the Russo-Ukraine War, the University re-created the “Unissued Diplomas” exhibit, displaying students who lost their lives as a result of this invasion. The University displayed the exhibit almost one year ago, created by Ukrainian graduate student Sofiia Tarasiuk MBA ’24 and Prof. Irina Dubinina (RUS), but since the war has yet to conclude, Tarasiuk worked with Ukrainian graduate students Kamila Haieva MBA ’25 and Yuliia Stelmakh MBA ’25 to re-install the exhibit.

The updated exhibition opened on Feb. 29 in the Mandel Center for the Humanities and displays 40 Ukrainians’ photographs — compared to last year’s 36 — paired with a short passage about their character and how they died. Since each individual was a student who died before they could graduate, the profiles are formatted as diplomas.

“We decided to do this exhibition again because unfortunately, we still have war in our country,” Tarasiuk said in a Feb. 28 interview with The Justice. She said that finding ways to keep the public engaged with the war has been challenging, since people are “used to” the conflict whereas the war is Ukraine’s reality. “It’s very hard to explain to people why they need to support us even now,” Tarasiuk said, “So we think that through stories, through such cultural events, we can touch more hearts and explain more. I think storytelling is the most powerful through the ages.”

Tarasiuk recalled that she did not have a lot of support when she created the exhibition last year. However, with Haieva and Stelmakh, Tarasiuk said that “everything changed” and they were able to “[unite] their strengths.”

This exhibition comes to campus at a particularly notable point during the Russo-Ukrainian war, considering Russia made what The New York Times reports as its

Sounds of Brandeis

largest advance since May on Feb. 17. Russian forces captured the Ukrainian city Avdiivka and have since been pushing past the city center, with The Times noting “rudimentary earthen fortifications” with a trench for infantry troops “but little else.” The same article notes that these defenses could be lacking for a number of reasons: an overall focus on offensive efforts, the cost of added defense and a lack of manpower to build them.

The Washington Post stated that Ukraine’s lack of clear plan to find new soldiers has created dissent within Ukrainian society because it has “left the military relying on a hodgepodge of recruiting efforts and sown panic among fighting-age men,” causing some to go into hiding for fear of dying as a conscripted soldier.

Regarding the international aid Ukraine has received to mitigate its smaller pool of resources, Tarasiuk spoke about how she appreciates the support, but “compared to the scale of Russia, it’s unfortunately not enough. And that is why a small country … it’s harder to defend and support people,” she said.

Support for Ukraine has also been a divisive issue in the U.S., splitting between party lines. The Associated Press explains that Democrats are more likely to say the government is not spending enough on aid for Ukraine, whereas most Republicans believe that it is.

In the same Feb. 28 interview, Stelmakh said that while she expected the war to proceed for as long as it has, she felt many Ukrainians did not feel the same way. Rather, she explained that most Ukrainians did not expect the war to last longer than a month, telling The Justice that her mother continued to go to work during the invasion’s early days. Tarasiuk added that she didn’t expect the war to start in the first place, recalling her disbelief when her father, a history teacher, mentioned the possibility of an invasion.

“I was laughing, I thought, ‘That’s impossible in the 21st century because we’re … thinking about launching rockets into the universe to learn about new territories, but not to still fighting against each other.’” Tarasiuk said. She described that after spending the first month of the war in a bomb shelter, her family realized that [they]

Looking beyond our differences

LIN HUTCHINSON

 Alumna Leslie Martin ’76 led protests against Brandeis honoring Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione in 1975.

GIANNA MORALES/The Justice

EXHIBIT: The gallery incorporates photos of Ukranian students, a passage about their character and the cause of death.

SENATE LOG

Student Union considers new initiatives and committee leaders provide recent updates

At the Student Union’s March 3 meeting, the Senate discussed hosting a clothing exchange event, most likely in the Sherman Function Hall for March 20. Students would bring in old clothes in exchange for new clothes.

During the meeting, there were reports from each committee. Senator Rachel Gao ’25, the chair of the Club Support Committee, reported that many clubs were chartered during this time. Senator Chloe Doonan ’26, the chair of the Event Committee, stated that the committee was working on a guide for internal and external events that the student union hosts.

Senator Allison Wiener ’25, chair of the Rules Committee, discussed meeting a consultant named Micheal Miller to work on a constitutional review. They have worked with many universities, particularly student governments, including the University. They

POLICE LOG

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

plan to fix the Constitution’s bylaws.

Senator Kat Xikes ’26, the chair of the Facilities, Housing, and Transportation Committee, reported that they have talked to public safety and the Department of Community Living about how bike-friendly the campus is. They discussed how many bike racks are on campus and where they are located.

Senator Sahil Muthuswami ’24, the chair of the Health and Safety Committee, had a couple meetings with the Brandeis Counseling Center. They discussed how to spread more awareness about their free services to students. They are planning a tabling event in upper Usdan on March 27. The service dog, Teddy, will be at this event.

Senator Yoni Kahn ’24, co-chair of the Social Justice and Diversity Committee, expedited an initiative to have an event for International Women’s Day. The event will occur

this Friday, March 8 and will include chocolate, stickers, trivia, a photo booth and custom cards students can give to friends. The Senate passed the initiative.

Senator Kahn ’24 also discussed an event for The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation on April 4. At this event, students would be assisted in signing up for a digital platform that encourages civic engagement through a points system. Students would be awarded points for writing to a senator or going to a debate.

Senator Cameron Sherman ’26, co-chair of the Dining Committee, is looking for ways to communicate better with the dining administration on students’ concerns. The committee is working on an initiative to fix the feedback wall in the Sherman Dining Hall and find a new way to address allergy concerns. This initiative is still in progress and will be

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES

Feb. 9—There was a medical call for a party who was not feeling well. They were treated by BEMCo and transported to a local hospital for further care via ambulance.

Feb. 9—A caller reported a medical emergency at the gym. Brandeis Police reported that a party had a broken nose. BEMCo treated the patient, and the patient refused further care.

Feb. 10—There was a medical emergency for a party who was not feeling well. They were treated by BEMCo and refused further care.

Feb. 13—There was a medical emergency for a party who was not feeling well. Waltham Fire Department and Armstrong Ambulance responded. The patient refused medical treatment.

Feb. 15—A party was hit in the head with a freezer door. They were conscious and alert and applied an ice pack. The patient was transported to a local hospital for further care via ambulance.

Feb. 15—A party slipped and fell on the Rabb steps. The patient refused medical treatment.

Feb. 16—There was a medical emergency for a party experiencing chest pains. The patient refused medical treatment.

Feb. 21—A party reported a small laceration on their stomach while using a kitchen knife. The patient refused medical treatment.

Feb. 25—A party experienced dizziness. The patient refused medical treatment.

Feb. 26—A party had a panic attack. The patient refused medical treatment.

Feb. 28—There was a medical emergency for a party who was not feeling well. The patient refused medical treatment.

Feb. 28—There was a medical emergency for a party who was not feeling well. The patient was transported to a local hospital for further care via ambulance.

ACCIDENT/NO PERSONAL INJURY

Feb. 10—A party reported that their spouse’s car was hit on the campus roadway. An investigation is to follow.

Feb. 11—The DPV Boston/Cambridge Shuttle reported an accident with another vehicle.

NOISE COMPLAINT

Feb. 10—Multiple calls from community members and Waltham residents complained of fireworks going off in the area. Brandeis Police checked the area and notified Waltham Police.

Feb. 11—A party reported a neighbor having a loud party and refusing to quiet down when requested. The area coordinator on call was notified to handle the situation.

Feb. 18—A party complained of loud music. All appeared to be in order.

Feb. 25—There was a report of a loud party. No police action was taken.

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

discussed again at a future meeting.

The Sunflower Lanyard Initiative was passed, presented by Senator Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27, co-chair of the Social Justice Committee, at the last Student Union Meeting. The initiative’s purpose is to raise awareness of people with non-visible disabilities. With this initiative, a person with a hidden disability would wear a sunflower lanyard with an ID describing their hidden disabilities as well as what support they need.

— Kelsey Stevens

Editor’s Note: Justice staff writer Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27 is a Student Union senator, and did not contribute to this article.

Feb. 20—There was a report of vandalism. An investigation is to follow.

Feb. 23—An Uber driver was denied access to the Ridgewood Quad. The driver began forcibly raising the gate with their hands. Brandeis Police made contact with the driver and sent them on their way. No damage was done to the gate.

Feb. 26—A party reported a DoorDash driver acting aggressively and refusing to leave. The driver was gone on arrival.

Feb. 27—Administration reported vandalism in the Shapiro Campus Center. An investigation is to follow.

STOLEN PROPERTY

Feb. 14—A party reported that their takeout order had been stolen. An investigation is to follow.

Feb. 26—A student reported their laundry was stolen from the laundry room. An investigation is to follow.

Feb. 27—A scooter was stolen. An investigation is to follow.

HARASSMENT

Feb. 12—There was a case of forcible fondling. An investigation is to follow.

Feb. 18—There were reports of a party making hurtful statements toward others. The case was cleared.

Feb. 28—A party reported a vehicle that drove by and yelled an antisemitic statement at them. An investigation is to follow.

MISCELLANEOUS

Feb. 11—A party reported being transported back to Stoneman to file a report. An investigation is to follow.

Feb. 15—A community advisor reported a possibly smashed water fountain. An investigation is to follow.

Feb. 15—Waltham Police called to inform that they received a 911 call from a community member. There was no answer on a callback made. The party’s roommate reported that the party had left and was fine.

— Compiled by Anika Jain

On March 3, Up the Octave hosted Acappellooza, in which seven Brandeis accapella groups showcased musical pieces they have been arranging through out the semester. They performed in front of an audience of students, families and other community members. —Editor’s Note: Justice Editors Ceci Xilei Chen ’26 and Grace Doh ’26 did not contribute to this photostory.

‘Dialogue & Action in an Age of Divides’: Beyond our differences

■ Prof. Alexandra Pineros-Shields (Heller) joined panelists to explore the network of human interconnectedness, emphasizing collaboration in addressing differences.

By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

On Feb. 13, scholars from Massachusetts-based universities convened online for the second installment of the recently developed discussion series titled “Dialogue and Action in an Age of Divides.” The first session, which took place on Jan. 29, featured panelists from the University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston College Law School and Boston University School of Law, and delved into the contentious topics of hate speech and the boundaries of free expression. Moderated by Layli Maparyan — the executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women and professor of Africana studies at Wellesley College — the second session, titled “Coming Together Across Difference,” emphasized a crucial message: despite differences and disagreements, individuals are fundamentally interconnected, and true progress stems from unity rather than division. Panelists provided insight drawn from research and personal experience and shared ways for audience members to work toward bridging together differences.

Prof. Alexandra Pineros-Shields (Heller), associate professor of the practice of racial equity at the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, was one of the panelists. Before joining Brandeis University, Pineros-Shields served as the executive director of the Essex County Community Organization, a mission-driven organization focused on racial and economic justice. ECCO boasted a network of 40 congregations, spanning interfaith, interracial and interclass communities.

Pineros-Shields drew from personal anecdotes during her role as executive director. She recounted the challenging journey of ensuring all Lynn, Massachusetts police officers received implicit bias training following the 2014 police shooting of Michael

GAME SHOW CONTESTANT

Brown. The initial community gathering turned hostile with a sense of ambush upon the Chief of Police’s arrival, when a Boston Globe reporter began asking questions. Despite setbacks, community leaders persisted and gave testimonies of their experience with the Lynn Police Department. In concluding the community gathering, leaders asked whether or not the police department would hold implicit bias training, but the Chief of Police declined.

In brainstorming next steps, one leader posed the question of “instead of asking to get the police to hold an implicit bias training and inviting ourselves to it, why don’t we host an implicit bias training and invite the police to ours?” The shift in approach led to a transformative meeting where ECCO leaders shared, with the police department, stories of internalized racism, prompting the realization that they too could benefit from implicit bias training. They also asked the police department to join and this time around, the chief said yes.

“I asked the chief what happened at that April meeting to make today possible,” Pineros-Shields said. “He quickly responded, ‘That’s easy. You saw us as human beings.’”

ECCO has successfully gotten police officers in the city of Lynn to participate in implicit bias training, secured the usage of police body cameras, and gained the city council’s support to develop and fund an unarmed crisis response team. Pineros-Shields said ECCO’s success in bridging the divide between police officers and marginalized communities stems from acknowledging and taking responsibility for racism and violence, recognizing their own roles in these dynamics.

“We stepped into our own vulnerability to establish trust with the person we had seen as the enemy.”

In her opening remarks, Danielle Allen, a James Bryant Conant University professor and professor of government at Harvard University, highlighted her personal background steeped in activism and civic engagement.

Allen said that her grandparents founded the first NAACP chapters in northern Florida in the forties, as well as helped fight for women’s right to vote. “I was lucky to grow up in a universe of super civically engaged people,” Allen said. However, with that, she noticed that the following generations came to have increasing political disagreements.

According to Allen, her aunt lived in the Bay Area in 1992 and was running for Congress for the Peace and Freedom party, while her father was running for the U.S. Senate from Southern California as a Regan-era republican. She recalled that her politically opposing family members “argue fiercely” about market liberties, civic virtues and public sector investments at the dinner table.

“I was a young person … trying to make sense of … this debate,” Allen remembered. “I loved them, so it wasn’t as if I could just sort of pick sides because [of] which person I like better.” Despite growing political differences within her family, Allen witnessed the importance of engaging across divides and preserving human dignity. She came to learn that no matter the severity of the disagreement, the dignity of the human is more sacred. “They share this cross generational project of empowerment,” Allen said. “They were both pursuing empowerment for themselves, their families and their community.”

Expanding her reflection to a broader context, Allen commented on the prevalent perception of the United States as deeply polarized along political lines. “We just hear stories over and over and over again of how we really are just sort of at each other’s throat all the time,” said Allen. She challenged this narrative by pointing to instances of bipartisan cooperation at the state level. Citing examples such as Florida’s 2018 Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to individuals with completed felony convictions, and Mississippi’s overwhelming support for a new state flag, parting ways of the Confederate symbols, Allen showed the potential for collaboration and consensus-building. She emphasized that “the way people are actually able to turn that common purpose into concrete result is by focusing on the human, by building relationships, by forming coalitions and ally ships and really doing that work to keep that core commitment to human dignity front and center.”

The third panelist, David Lazer, a distinguished professor of political science and computer science at Northeastern University, addressed the significant political divide that has expanded over the past four decades. This division is marked by substantial disparities along spatial, class, urban-rural, racial, regional and religious lines, all of which align with partisan affiliations that were not

as pronounced 40 years ago. On college campuses, the close proximity of strong disagreements often leads to friction, exacerbating the widening difference of political discord.

Using his political science and computer science background, Lazer noted that technologies have evolved to bring together individuals who share similar perspectives; however, they often fail to foster connections among those with divergent viewpoints, and instead place them in “conflictual juxtaposition.” He worries that as a society, that we are retreating from the possibility of connection. This concern is underscored by Instagram’s Feb. 9 update to the political content policy, signifying a shift away from what Lazer sees as fostering political discussions.

“Abandoning the field as it were for political discussion and that incidental contact with activity and so on, is, I think potentially a [turn] for the worse,” Lazer shared. “I actually think social media for all their problems have also been taken for protest and for petition and for political mobilization.”

For one of his books, Lazer hosted virtual online town halls with members of Congress with randomly selected constituents talking about controversial issues such as immigration. He drew upon this example as a meaningful way where technology helps connect and enable the discussions in a meaningful way.

“[Constituents] were like, ‘oh my gosh, it’s delightful that they would invite me and want to hear from me,’’’ Lazer recalled hearing. “We’re not all gonna agree, but we all have to live under the same rules and that’s part of the challenge of democracy. We owe it to each other to talk and to listen and that is very hard in the current moment.”

All three panelists’ remarks share the common theme of the power of invitation. In order to make any good effort in “coming together across differences,” inviting others to engage and participate is a critical first step.

A recording of the panel discussion can be found at Northeastern University’s website, under “Dialogue and Action Panel Series.” The next part of the series, “Constructive Dialogue in the Ager of Social Media,” will take place April 2, from 5 to 6 p.m. EST. More information can be found on Northeastern’s website.

From Brandeis to ‘Jeopardy!’: Alum shares trivia success strategy

■ Brandeis alumni Dr. Andrew Tirrell ’02 has made his mark on “Jeopardy!” with four appearances.

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR

Children and adults alike sit in front of the television nightly to watch the entertainment program that has been running for 60 years: “Jeopardy!”. Dr. Andrew Tirrell ’02 has been a contestant on “Jeopardy!” four times and grew up watching it with his mom. In a Feb. 19 interview with The Justice, Tirrell stated that being on the show was “always something [he] thought [would be] an amazing thing to do, but honestly didn’t really imagine that [he] would have the chance.” The selection process for the has changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing Tirrell to apply. Previously, the required testing to secure a position was held in person and required travel and advanced planning. The new online format has a more accessible and convenient application process.

After first applying during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tirrell moved through the recruitment process, participating in tests proctored over Zoom and group interviews that served as personality assessments. He ended up being a contestant on the show four times, meeting over 100 fellow contestants from across the country. Tirrell said,“I think I was pretty lucky … that I got selected my first time,” as many others that he had met

tried multiple times over the course of many years. He spoke in particular about a woman who had begun the process of testing out of college and was around 50 when they met on set.

Tirrell also explained that some contestants try to prepare themselves for challenging questions through the usage of flashcards for many hours per day. However, that was not possible for him, as he “has a five year old, which is a pretty busy job,” in addition to his position as a political science and international relations professor at The University of San Diego. Tirrell explained that was a large amount of time to invest for a potential one or two extra correct answers. He also told The Justice about the “Jeopardy!” Fight Club, a group of future contestants that became connected to each other through word of mouth. This group met over Zoom for practice games in preparation for the competition. While not a fan of the flashcard method, Tirrell took some time to consume pieces of literature. He branched out from his usual studies by reading books on topics that are frequently on the show, such as the British monarchy.

When asked about the preparation process and studying that goes into becoming a successful contestant, Tirrell explained that every contestant has a different personal process of practice. He practiced the usage of the buzzer at home using a toilet paper roll as it is a test of reaction time to a light being turned on rather than just who is able to press the button the fastest. Tirrell explained that the buzzer is not automatic and has to be manually opened after the conclusion of the reading of the question. An early buzz can lead to a contestant being locked out.

Tirrell once again spoke about the connections that he was able to make with the other contestants through this experience. He stated, “people might assume that we are not very friendly, but it’s actually completely the opposite. You get thrown in together, it’s very hectic, and you’re sequestered together for a whole week. It’s hard not to get to know people pretty well.” The contestants have all remained in touch with one another, having reunions over Zoom and in person as they bond over their “Jeopardy!” experience.

While speaking highly of his experience, Tirrell explained that he has had negative experiences with viewers online. People have managed to contact him through his social media accounts and his faculty email commenting on his looks, sending him messages saying things such as “[he] was a hippie and … needed a haircut.” He also had a woman write to him and say that he “was not as handsome as the last champion.” Tirrell also received messages claiming that he wasn’t deserving of the win and less intelligent than those that he was competing against and bested.

”It’s a lot of luck,” Tirrell said in response to the online harassment. He goes on to explained that what was said could very much be true; there are many aspects of the game not controlled by the contestant. Anyone could win any day. Tirrell stated, “This is a terrible way of determining who’s smart. There’s so many different ways to be smart.” He then went on to explain that “Jeopardy!” isn’t even just about mastering trivia questions, or “even to determine who knows more trivia, it’s TV. It’s supposed to be entertaining. It’s not supposed to be a perfect test of knowledge.” Tirrell acknowledged

that he comes from a privileged place due to his identity. He explained that many of his friends of different identities “got very, very unkind [responses]. Certainly insensitive comments about [contestants] lead into stereotypes.”

When asked if this is an experience that he would recommend others to pursue, Tirrell stated that “the ones who seem to do well are the ones who are doing it for the just the love of knowledge. I don’t think it’s the kind of thing you could really prepare for if you weren’t curious about the world, or it would be miserable.” He explained that he used this process as an excuse to read more and get in the spirit, as it is “a fun way to celebrate curiosity and learn more about the world.”

Tirrell’s love for learning grew through his professors and classes at the University where he studied history. In particular, he mentioned Prof. William Kapelle (HIST), who was both the inspiration behind his major and his general love of the subject. In addition to taking about seven of his classes, Tirrell chose Kapelle as his thesis advisor. “If you’re at Brandeis right now, you can’t help but be surrounded by a lot of intellectual curiosity, and students and the professors,” Tirrell said. “That’s really what it’s all about, … the very best of ‘Jeopardy!’ is the celebration of intellectual curiosity.”

Tirrell said he admires that Brandeis focuses on intellectual curiosity and dialogue, rather than the career focus of other comparable universities. He says he gives his “gratitude to the university, to all [his] great professors and to the people [he] studied with.” Tirrell says his time at Brandeis was an important part of his development not only as a scholar, but as a person.

Jha D Amazi from the MASS Design Group discusses the power of public memorials to facilitate national healing

■ The Richard Saivetz ’69 Memorial Architectural Lecture explores how public memorials can address dark moments in American history and spur policy change.

By AMANDA CHEN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Racial injustice, gun violence and civil rights –– these heavy topics hold a significant place in U.S. history. Monuments and memorials provide opportunities for citizens to grapple with the complex history of the nation and connect it back to the present. Jha D Amazi, a principal and the director of the Public Memory and Memorials Lab for Model of Architecture Serving Society Design Group, specializes in answering questions revolving around how spatializing memory can spark future collective action and provide a more accurate and diverse portrayal of the U.S.’ past.

This year’s annual Richard Saivetz ’69 Memorial Architectural Lecture, titled “Spatializing Memory,” was held on Feb. 12 and explores the power of these public spaces. Prof. Muna Güvenç (FA) gave a brief introductory speech on the life of Richard Saivetz ’69 and Amazi’s background. Saivetz was an architect and deeply involved with the University. At the time of his death, he was the national president of the Brandeis University Alumni Association and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees.

Amazi discussed four projects, starting off with the National Memorial for Peace and Justice located in Montgomery, Alabama. According to MASS Design Group’s website, “The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is … the first national memorial to victims of lynching in the U.S.” By highlighting the brutal history of white supremacy and racial terrorism, the site challenges narratives presented by statues that commemorate the Confederate South and encourages the construction of more memorials that confront slavery’s legacy.

The Monument Lab worked with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to examine the current monument landscape of the United States. Monument Lab is a nonprofit public art and history studio who view monuments as dynamic pieces and wish to facilitate critical conversations on their evolution. According to their 2021 National Monument Audit, based on an assessment of 50,000 conventional monuments, half of the top 50 represented individuals who enslaved other people, and only five of the top 50 were Black or Indigenous: Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Tecumseh, Sacagawea and Frederick Douglass. 0.5% of recorded monuments were dedicated to enslaved people and abolition efforts, and 3% of recorded Confederate monuments used the word “defeat.” In 2022, there were 2,089 Confederate memorials throughout the U.S. and its territories, according to The Southern Poverty Law Center.

The memorial “recognize[s] and spatialize[s] the truth-telling that is necessary for hope and reconciliation,” Amazi stated. The structure resides on a hill that is the second tallest elevation sight in Montgomery. The memorial consists of 800 hanging Corten steel columns, each repre-

BRIEF

senting a county where lynchings took place and the names of lynching victims in those respective counties. The memorial honors “more than 4,400 Black people killed in racial terror lynchings between 1877 and 1950,” according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

As visitors walk into the memorial, the ground slopes downward, so the columns rise above spectators to evoke the public hangings that often happened in public squares. A wall lists out the reasons for why people were lynched, and Amazi noted how horrifyingly mundane some of these reasons were. For instance in 1922, Parks Banks was lynched in Mississippi for carrying a photograph of a white woman. In 1894, Caleb Gadly was lynched in Kentucky because he walked behind his white employer’s wife. At the end, there is a place of reflection and contemplation where visitors are positioned towards the open sky, symbolizing hope for the future.

Acting beyond a place for people to learn and reconcile with the lynching of Black people, it also becomes a “living memorial” whose landscape changes as people confront the nation’s history of racial injustice. Outside of the memorial, “duplicates of each of the monuments lie in the memory bank outside of the primary structure. The corresponding counties are invited to engage in this process of acknowledgment and reconciliation by claiming their monument and placing it as a marker in their own community.” People can see which counties engaged with the process based on whose markers have been moved away from the memorial and to the corresponding county. Some counties have started the process with the EJI; they must prove that they have the resources to receive the marker and programming that contextualizes the marker. Today, not a single marker has been relocated.

Prior to construction, MASS Design Group worked with the EJI to design an engagement strategy involving soil collection. Community members, students and families of lynching victims collected soil from known sites of lynching in Alabama to draw “active connections to unmarked spaces of terror and…to reclaim those spaces.” Eight hundred jars of soil are on display in the Legacy Museum in Montgomery.

The next project discussed was the Gun Violence Memorial Project. At the opening of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, MASS Design Group met the co-founders of Purpose Over Pain, Pamela Bosley and Annette Nance Holt. Bosley and Holt wondered what a memorial dedicated to victims of gun violence would look like. Both of them had sons who passed away due to gun violence.

According to Amazi, in 2018, there were 100 gun deaths per day in America. Moreover, twothirds of gun violence deaths were suicides.

While “these numbers are shocking [and] powerful … unfortunately, our media [and] our policymakers tend to make it relatively abstract, and it flattens individuals who had full lives into simple numbers, statistics [and] points of data on endless spreadsheets,” she said. “So a question emerged for us, how do we tell the story of the vastness of the epidemic without losing the beauty of the individual lives?” Ultimately, the goal is to transform “statistics into souls.”

This project drew inspiration from AIDS memorial quilts. Human rights activist Cleve

January Board of Trustees meeting recap

On Feb. 21, President Ronald Liebowitz sent an email to the Brandeis community regarding the recent Board of Trustees meetings held on Jan. 29 and 30. The meeting focused on the University’s current budgetary challenges, particularly due to the significant decrease in graduate enrollment over the past two years. The Board also accepted recommendations to grant promotions to Profs. Aparna Baskaran (PHYS), Thomas Fai (MATH), Grace Han (CHEM) and Maria-Eirini Pandelia (BCHEM) to Associate Professor with tenure in their respective departments.

The Board discussed the Hamas-Israel conflict during the meeting, particularly in how it is affecting higher education. Liebowitz emphasized the University’s history as a secular institution founded on Jewish values and how those values stand for “openness to all qualified students, faculty, and staff.” He described how the trustees showed “unflinching support” for Brandeis.

Challenges to higher education discussed include “the cost of a fouryear degree, the loss of public trust in the academy, and the coming ‘demographic cliff (‘decline in the number

Jones created the idea of a quilt in Nov. 1985. Loved ones made a single square representing someone they knew who died from AIDS. On Oct. 11, 1987, a quilt made up of 1,920 panels was spread out on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., demonstrating the uniqueness of every life lost as well as the nation’s collective failure to address the epidemic.

The Gun Violence Memorial Project’s goal is to end the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. The piece consists of four glass houses made out of 700 glass bricks. They chose houses because they are symbols of domesticity and familiarity. Additionally, homes play an important role in gun safety, such as making sure that personal guns are locked up. There is no distinction between different types of gun violence, such as suicides or homicides, on the bricks displayed. Most feedback from families states that they do not want the bricks to be differentiated in that manner, as the priority is to celebrate their loved ones.

Families have the opportunity to contribute an object that represents the personality, interests or skills of loved ones who passed away due to gun violence. Each glass brick would then include the object and an inscription of the victim’s name, birth year and date of their death. Amazi commented on how moving the process was. “The fact that people were willing to contribute precious objects to this project and do so in a way that was both challenging and cathartic for them was truly inspiring for me,” she said. Recordings of families’ memories of their loved ones and explanations of the objects’ significance are played in the exhibit to create a multisensory experience. Currently, they have collected 1,000 objects, worked in approximately 50 different communities and hosted 30 object collection events. Eventually, they want to construct 52 glass houses in total to represent every state and jurisdiction in the U.S., as well as every week of the year to illustrate the enormity of the gun violence epidemic.

The memorial was displayed in the Chicago Architecture Biennial in 2019 until it moved to the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. in 2021. The project’s next stop is Boston with two glass houses at the Institute of Contemporary Art, one at Boston City Hall and the last one at the MASS Design Group’s Boston studio’s gallery. Boston is particularly meaningful for Amazi since she is a native Bostonian and the daughter of a Boston police officer who has survived a gunshot wound.

Next, Amazi discussed the Sugar Land 95 Memorial Cemetery in Sugar Land, Texas, which is currently unfinished. On Feb. 29, 2018, during the construction of the James Reese Career and Technical Center in Fort Bend Independent School District, they discovered a historic cemetery and found 95 individuals who are now known as The Sugar Land 95. Two and a half years of research concluded that The Sugar Land 95 are most likely Black citizens sentenced to work in convict labor camps in Fort Bend County, Texas. The district welcomed the idea to utilize the cemetery discovery to educate people on The Sugar Land 95 and the convict leasing program that operated in Texas from 1867 to 1910. To Amazi’s knowledge, this would be the first memorial to commemorate an unmarked grave.

To properly honor the deceased, the MASS Design Group wanted to replicate a homegoing.

As opposed to a funeral, a homegoing emphasizes a celebratory nature. Some people thought that death offered freedom for enslaved people. The emotional journey will be reflected in the memorial through four stages. Firstly, the wake is where people come to accept their loss. After that there will be the service, which Amazi described as “A celebratory remembrance of the deceased and an emotional expression through song, dance, shouting, story sharing and so forth.” The third phase is the procession, representing the journey to a burial ground. Lastly, the repast is the gathering after the funeral and symbolizes the height of the celebratory moment.

There is a strong educational component to the memorial, and it is designed to act as an outdoor classroom. To pair with the structure, they plan to develop a curriculum and instructional resources that analyze the historical significance of the site and its connection to slavery, convict leasing and modern incarceration. Identifying The Sugar Land 95 and possible descendants through DNA analysis and genealogical studies is a priority as well.

Ending on a local note, “The Embrace” and the 1965 Freedom Plaza are located in the Boston Common. MASS Design Group and artist Hank Willis Thomas entered a design competition for a monument honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King in Boston that was kickstarted by the nonprofit Embrace Boston. Embrace Boston works to make the city more equitable. There were over 163 national and international entries, but MASS Design Group’s proposal was chosen on March 4, 2019. This project will be the first to be completed in the Boston Common in over 30 years.

Amazi pointed out the Kings’ rich history in the city of Boston –– it’s where they first met, fell in love and had their first home. Thomas’ inspiration for “The Embrace” originates from a photo taken during a news conference following the announcement that Dr. King had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. In the image, Dr. King is hugging Mrs. King, and Thomas wanted to capture the power of love evoked by the gesture.

Locals could nominate individuals to be recognized in the 1965 Freedom Plaza. The plaza pays tribute to 65 local civil rights activists and leaders, and Amazi stated that “This inclusion intentionally moves us away from the singular hero worship that we often see in memorials like this and towards an honoring of collective action.” The structure intends to celebrate the Kings’ contribution to the Civil Rights Movement and acknowledge the vital collective action needed for the movement’s success.

Similar to the previously discussed memorials, the project has a second phase that augments the memorial’s mission of promoting social justice values. The Embrace Center in Roxbury will support Embrace Boston’s mission and is currently in construction.

Amazi encourages people to think about memorials and monuments with a more active and forward-looking perspective. Spatializing history is a crucial first step to recognizing key issues that remain relevant today. However, for long-term change, implementing initiatives within these public structures that invite community engagement and reconciliation transforms these static spaces into living ones.

of eighteen years to apply to college’).’” The trustees focused on budgetary challenges, particularly the decline in graduate school enrollment which will require “reductions in expenses university-wide” will be further elaborated on in coming weeks. Jennifer Walker, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, shared that these challenges require Brandeis to dedicate more time and resources into student recruitment.

In addition to discussing campus climate, The Student Life Committee discussed plans for a potential new residence hall. Other committee highlights include the Academy Committee on “[identifying] opportunities for enrollment growth in programs,” the Nominating and Governance Committee’s plans for nominating other trustees and the Institutional Advancement Committee on fundraising updates and regional 75th year anniversary events.

SPEECH : What Earth asks of us: Kimmerer explores sustainability

er’s work parallels Brandeis’ focus on social justice, as well as the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam: using one’s gifts to repair the world.

“Bozho!” — pronounced bo-jo — was the first word Kimmerer used to greet her audience, sharing a greeting from the Potawatomi language. Before launching into her speech, she led the audience in the practice of Miigwetch, or gratitude.

As she explained, it is essential to acknowledge the fact that “we woke up and had everything we needed.” Kimmerer made it immediately clear that her speech would emulate her writing style: captivating, poetic and unabashed.

Kimmerer then introduced herself as a Potawatomi woman and member of the Awashinabee Three Fires community. She currently lives in Haudenosaunee territory in Syracuse, New York. To introduce her teachings, Kimmerer highlighted the “Dish with One Spoon” treaty, a land agreement between the Anishinaabek and Haudenosaunee peoples. As she explained, the center of the wampum belt is in the shape of feast dishes — one bowl for two nations. It represents the two nations’ agreement that Mother Nature is the bowl that must fill for them. In other words, this treaty recognizes the collective responsibility which the two nations hold to the land. But what exactly is that responsibility? As Kimmerer prompted the audience, “What does the Earth ask of us?”

In answering this question, Kimmerer started

by breaking down modern definitions of sustainability. For example, Merriam-Webster defines sustainability as “of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”

In her analysis of these definitions, Kimmerer told a story wherein a tribal council discussed the true meaning of sustainability. In response to modern definitions, the elders said, “This sustainability just sounds like a way to keep taking.” In other words, modern definitions of sustainability lack reciprocity. Diving deeper into this concept, Kimmerer explained the tradition of braiding sweetgrass. She compared it to braiding hair, an act that is rooted in love, reciprocity and thankfulness. According to Kimmerer, that is the kind of love which we must show the Earth and that is missing from modern definitions of sustainability. The Earth, put simply, asks us for gratitude.

So how do we show the Earth gratitude? As

Kimmerer discussed, the process of reciprocity requires teachings both from Indigenous science and Western science, a concept that Kimmer calls “two-eyed view.” It was from this philosophy that she founded the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, which is dedicated to this kind of intellectual pluralism. Kimmerer fleshed out the elements of reciprocity that are missing in Western education, starting with how land is viewed. In conventional Western framework, land is property, capital and natural resources. In Kimmerer’s framework, derived from her heritage,

land is identity, a sustainer, a teacher, a healer and a residence to non-human relatives. She then introduced the audience to the medicine wheel, a hallmark of Indigenous education. The wheel has four quadrants: body, mind, spirit and emotion. According to Kimmerer, only half of the body and mind circle is represented in Western education. To fully appreciate and love the world so that it might be restored properly, one needs the whole medicine wheel.

Kimmerer then introduced what she calls “values-based restoration,” a holistic interpretation of how we can heal the natural world. A multifaceted concept, it starts with the idea that in healing the land, we are healing ourselves. Restoration is an opportunity to tell a different story about our relationship to land — a concept which Kimmerer calls “re-story-ation.” In her words, “I think of it as doing dishes in Mother Earth’s kitchen … That’s really where you have fun after Thanksgiving, because you’re doing the work together.” Another part of values-based restoration is the recognition of Indigenous science, and giving Indigenous people access to the land so that they can incorporate traditional knowledge in healing it. As Kimmerer put it, “a lot of my ancestors would have been arrested for burning the land” in reference to cultural burnings, which actually help revitalize the ecosystem.

A large part of Kimmerer’s teachings centered around language, more specifically how it can be decolonized. According to Kimmerer, the most

insidious example of linguistic imperialism lies in one simple word: “it.” As she described, “What if my grandma was here, and I said ‘it’ is bringing me cookies?” She explained that using the word “it” perpetuates human exceptionalism, which she called “a profound othering of the rest of the world.” In Potawatomi, it is impossible to use “it” for other life forms, because the language distinguishes between animate and inanimate nouns. Through anecdotes of teaching, Kimmerer illustrated how referring to natural beings as “someones” rather than “somethings” cultivated respect and admiration for the natural world in her students. Kimmerer even suggested a way to insert the concept of animacy into the English language: using the pronoun “ki/kin” for natural beings. “Ki” is derived from Bmaadizaki, a Potawatomi term for “a being wandering around.” For example, instead of saying “they are blossoming,” one would say “kin are blossoming.” “I’m not talking about anthropomorphism; I’m talking about recognition,” she said.

Kimmerer’s visit was a two-day residency over Feb. 28 and Feb. 29, during which she visited multiple Brandeis courses. On Feb. 28, select students from the environmental studies department were chosen to have lunch with Kimmerer. Abby Cooper ’27, who attended the lunch, described Kimmerer as a warm presence. According to Cooper, the majority of the lunch was spent discussing the concept of reciprocity as well as the themes of “Braiding Sweetgrass.”

EXHIBIT: Reinstated gallery honors victims in Ukraine

CONTINUED FROM 1

would have to “create another plan for [their] life,” which led to her applying for a scholarship to study in the U.S. She said that she had to leave her home in the middle of her renovation plan for it.

“I don’t know where we have the strength, but sometimes … being here I am more worried about what’s going on there than being there,” Stelmakh added. “When you’re in Ukraine, you see how life is going. Even under bombing, it’s more or less easier [to know what is happening] because you’re with your family and friends.

But here, you don’t know what’s going on.” She clarified that the news often upsets her more than it informs her.

Building on how the war forced her to change her life and career trajectories, Stelmakh emphasized the psychological scars that many Ukrainians have from the war. She revealed that she, and many others, can now identify different military rockets based on the sounds they made.

To manage the emotional strain the war has put on her while managing her studies at the University, Tarasiuk shared that she tries to “think on three levels.” She considers the po-

tential level of impact her actions can make on a personal, local and global level.

“Of course, I’m not a very powerful person,” Tarasiuk admitted, “but I also understand that we are all people and together, we unite our power so we can also change something.” She recognized the “Unissued Diplomas” project as a local level action, since she was able to work with Haieva and Stelmakh to bring this gallery back to the Brandeis community.

Haieva expressed, “I believe when you feel that others support you, you understand that you shouldn’t give up and that is the main reason that we know what we are doing and why

we are doing that, and we don’t want to lose our freedom … by supporting others, we feel we can have more energy for that.”

Brandeis’ gallery is one of 16 currently in the U.S., with numerous others globally. 17 countries — from Nigeria to South Korea to Ireland to the United Kingdom — have their own “Unissued Diplomas” exhibitions in various universities and museums to spread awareness for the Ukrainian cause. According to Tarasiuk, the organization plans to have the exhibition erected within over 250 universities around the world including all continents.

JONAS KAPLIN/The Justice

SUSTAINABILITY: Kimmerer stands behind the podium, delivering her keynote address before a large audience assembled in Levin Ballroom. She prompted the audience, “What does the Earth ask of us?”

Women’s history at Brandeis: the student outcry against Brandeis naming BoB guccione “PuBlisher of the year” in 1975

Alumna Leslie Martin ’76 drove student protests against Brandeis honoring publisher of Penthouse Magazine Bob Guccione as the 1975 “Publisher of the Year.” In a March 3 interview with The Justice, Martin shared her recollections of student pushback following the award, the political climate on campus and her experiences as a long time activist.

By GRACE DOH JUSTICE EDITOR

In 1975, Leslie Martin ’76 was sprawled on her bed in her dorm reading a copy of The Justice when she learned that founder and publisher of Penthouse Magazine, Bob Guccione was going to be named Brandeis’ Publisher of the Year.

Penthouse is a men’s magazine which is known for publishing pornographic content as well as editorial lifestyle pieces. Prior to the age of the internet, its reputation rivaled that of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy, and in 1982 — at the peak of its popularity — Guccione was named in the “Forbes 400” ranking of wealthiest people. His money happened to be a major part of his consideration as a recipient of the award. A Justice article from Nov. 4 1975 reads: “[President Marver] Berstein noted that Guccione was a poor choice for the distinction, but since the University was depending on the dinner to raise $100,000 in scholarship money for this year, the decision would not be reversed.” Guccione was chosen after other considered honorees turned the offer down.

When Martin first learned about the award, she was more than stunned. “I read that thing over probably three times. And I just couldn’t believe it. What was this esteemed university doing? Honoring someone who was a pornographer?” Martin recalled in a March 3 interview with The Justice. She noted, “There’s always been a place for that in society. But given how women were treated in those days and how much we had to fight for, I couldn’t believe that Brandeis would choose him of all people.”

Martin had read in The Justice that Berstein was holding open office hours. “I’ve

never done anything so bold before, I don’t think. And it’s a big office, a big desk, and he’s in a big chair, and he was smoking a big cigar. And I asked, ‘how did this happen?’” Berstein, in addition to explaining how Penthouse had published a series of articles about the Vietnam veterans and the injustices they suffered, said that Guccione was going to make a sizable contribution to the school. The administration saw honoring the publisher as a lucrative choice given that the University was in the midst of a financial crisis, largely due to the fact that in the 70s, many Jewish donors “turned their attention and money toward Israel,” according to a 1998 New York Times article regarding the University’s 50th year.

At a special meeting with Bernstein on Oct. 30, 1975, the Student Senate — the Brandeis student government at the time — expressed its disapproval of the award. Senator Ellen Feinberg ’76 read a statement which was published in The Justice as a Letter to the Editor, addressing the matter of financial pressure: “We realize the financial exigencies of Brandeis University. However, to alleviate this financial crisis through this immoral and vile association will result in an economically sound university that is morally bankrupt.” Feinberg also remarked that the University was essentially “prostituting itself to maintain economic solvency.”

Multiple students who came to The Justice to voice their concerns echoed Feinberg’s statement, stressing the irony of the event. In reference to the Oct. 29, 1975 Penthouse advertisement in the New York Times, Mark Pearlman ’76 and Feinberg’s

EDITORIAL: The 1975 editorial board of The Justice expresses concerns about Brandeis’ choice of “Publisher of the Year.”

CLIPPING: Leslie Martin ’76 is quoted in a Nov. 4, 1975 article in The Justice written by editor Neil Pickett ’78.

Letter to the Editor noted that “Brandeis will be ‘uncovered’ [...] like one of Guccione’s ‘pretty women’.”

Martin recalls the community outcry following the full-page advertisement that Penthouse took out in The New York Times. She noted the sense of shame felt not only amongst herself and her fellow students, but also amongst donors, alumni, and parents alike.

Martin described her initial conversation with Berstein as “a lot of nothing,” with statements along the lines of “it’s going to happen” and “this is how things are.” Despite this, she was determined to fight the decision. “I wasn’t going to let it go,” she said. Martin took the matter to the Student Union: “They rallied around me. It was an amazing feeling, validation of my take on this whole situation, and a great feeling to know that there were other likeminded students all around me.” Upon this gathering, they immediately started planning to take action.

A representative of the Women’s Caucus under the Student Union, Martin presented Berstein with a petition signed by over 450 students demanding that an alternative honoree be selected. Students also led a march and takeover of the administrative building, and a list of demands was drawn up. The protesters demanded that the award not go forward, that Brandeis establish a Women’s Studies program — which faculty had been working to establish for years at that point — and that a Women’s Center be set up on campus. At

the time, most other esteemed universities already had Women’s Studies programs and women’s centers. “We felt that Brandeis was very much behind the times, and this award was a shining example of it,” Martin said. Though not a direct nor immediate result of the protests, both a Women’s and Gender Studies minor and Women’s Center were established shortly after Martin graduated in 1976.

She describes the campus environment during her time as an undergraduate, explaining that it was the very beginning of the second wave of the women’s movement and “not much had sunk in yet.” There were active consciousness-raising groups on campus, including the Brandeis Women’s Caucus and the Brandeis Women’s Coalition who both contested the Guccione award. These groups sought out to teach women about safety, sexual assault and other gender imbalances that permeated society. Martin and her then-boyfriend had suspected that the signs for these groups

were being taken down. “We set a trap for some signs, and we caught somebody tearing them down.”

“Those days we were still very much second class citizens,” she added. There was little legislation supporting women’s freedoms — let it be noted that this was a time when women were not able to attain a credit card in their own name without their husband’s approval. “Back in those days, it was nothing for men to whistle at women and yell out comments about their bodies.

In general, our bodies weren’t our own,” said Martin. As she remembers it, there was an “unfathomable” amount of advertising that used nearly naked women to sell products. When Martin was 17, she came across a full-page advertisement in Newsweek of a barely clothed woman, warrior-like in demeanor, holding a chain with a wolf at the other end of it. The advertisement was for motor oil. She recalls fondly of her high school self: “I wrote a letter to the company,

saying something along the lines of ‘How dare you, this is ridiculous. My friends and I are all going to be driving soon, and we will never buy your brand of motor oil!’” She said that it was the first thing she ever did as a woman’s advocate.

Martin has been a long-time “rabblerouser,” as she puts it. With this longheld proclivity towards social justice, this episode in Brandeis history was a turning point that determined the trajectory of her life. Her interests are vast, including issues such as the Vietnam war, farm workers’ rights, nuclear weapons, the Equal Rights Amendment, reproductive rights, civil rights, immigrant rights, climate change, gun control and more.

The physical award, which was presented to Guccione at a November fund-raising dinner, reads: “BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY SALUTES BOB GUCCIONE / Talented entrepreneur and new force in the world of publishing he has increasingly focused his editorial attention on such critical issues of

our day as the welfare of the Vietnam veteran and problems of criminality in modern society / November 18, 1975.” The plaque — estimated to be worth $350 to $500 — was auctioned off for $68 in 2014.

“Poetic justice,” Martin remarked.

After the 1975 protest, Martin was interviewed by a Boston Globe reporter whose accuracy and integrity in his coverage influenced her to pursue journalism rather than become a French teacher as originally planned. She finished her degree at Brandeis in French language and literature and moved on to study journalism and mass communication at University of Minnesota.

After having had a lengthy career in journalism at various publications, Martin now lives with her husband and two cats in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. While she is still working to expose injustices as a freelance journalist, she happily considers watching over her granddaughter two days a week the “best job ever.”

Artificial Intelligence, Real Consequences:

The use of Artificial Intelligence platforms in higher-education

Throughout February, The Justice spoke to three professors who voiced their thoughts on the usage of ChatGPT in their respective fields of study and classrooms.

By RIA ESCAMILLA-GIL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Before I began to write this article, one of my professors had given me the suggestion to use ChatGPT to create a title for this piece. I did not do that, and will be very offended if you think I did. However, I did decide to give ChatGPT a chance and typed, “Can you please create a title for a school newspaper article which features three interviews with professors at Brandeis University discussing the potential benefits and drawback of ChatGPT in their respective fields of study and the classrooms in which they teach in?” In response, I got:

“Exploring the Impact of ChatGPT: Perspectives from Brandeis University Professors”

Aside from the use of title making and the temptation of lightening one’s neverending workload, AI usage has been a rising concern in the education sector, which can both serve as a resource and threaten the purpose of education in the first place. I was able to speak with three Brandeis professors community, all teaching different subjects and with different experiences regarding the use of ChatGPT and other forms of artificial intelligence in their classrooms.

On Feb. 13, I spoke with Prof. Elizabeth Bradfield (ENG). As a poet, Bradfield believes that AI should have no role in the creative process of writing poetry and other creative writing pieces. ChatGPT could be useful for things like getting lists of poems or finding useful information for a poem, but Bradfield said,“I still have to do the reading and the thinking.” She said using artificial intelligence would be “the opposite of creating art.”

When talking about the joy and emotions that accompany writing and the writing process, Bradfield added on, “Why would I give that away to AI?” As an educator, Bradfield would not en-

courage her students in the use of AI to create a poem. If she found out that someone had handed her a poem created by AI, Bradfield stated that it would be “a huge betrayal of trust. And why would I want to waste my time writing feedback for an AI poem?”

After speaking with Bradfield, I also got the opportunity to have a conversation with Prof. Dylan

the ethical and professional questions that have risen out of its increased usage. When asked about what measures he would take in the case that a student handed a coded assignment using AI, Cashman replied with, “I think we are still learning what to do in that case.”

On the use of artificial intelligence in elective computer science

case basis by class.” Cashman also mentioned the concern of the fairness of grading when grading an assignment with AI usage versus one without one, as many “AI detecting” softwares are not very accurate, according to Cashman. An increasing concern for Cashman has been maintaining the essence of the learning process, where he stated, “In

Cashman (COSI) on Feb. 29. Cashman teaches two Computer Science elective courses as well as a few introductory courses. When first discussing the invention of AI and its rising popularity, Cashman stated that “it has changed a lot of people’s lives,” regarding

courses versus introductory ones, Cashman said his greatest concern with the usage of AI in computer science classrooms would be, “Do you care about the product that they are producing, or the process that they undergo while doing it? And I think it’s a case by

a formative assessment: I want them to hit a wall and I want them to get over that wall. That is truly the value of education. If someone uses AI … I worry about that a lot.”

However, Cashman believes that in some cases, like editing,

writing and advanced electives more concerned with short-term research, using artificial intelligence can have an optimistic outcome. As a final remark, Cashman stated, “I think people are trying to decide what policies and cultural norms about AI should be based on how AI is being used right now. And people should get aware of how it will get better.”

Finally, on March 1, I was able to speak briefly about AI in the field of legal studies with Prof. Douglas Smith (LGLS), who began working at Brandeis as a Guberman Teaching Fellow. Smith works as the director of Legal and Education Programs with The Right to Immigration Institute. When asked about the use of AI in his professional career, Smith replied, “I used it at a conference we just had, a law and society conference in Puerto Rico. I think it’s great. I don’t think I would rely on it, but it’s great to talk to.”

As an educator, Smith is not opposed to the use of ChatGPT by his students when used properly. “I love ChatGPT. I encourage students to use it as a tool, as a research tool, and as a research tool they should cite it,” said Smith.

From the various insights of these three educators, the common consensus seems to be that we are still figuring it out. ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence platforms and applications can be useful as a guide or aiding resource, but also presents bigger problems like corrupting academic integrity and presenting bigger implications for professional fields such as medicine and law.

— Editor’s Note: Justice Arts & Culture Editor Nemma Kalra ’26 is associated with The Right to Immigration Institute and was not consulted, did not contribute to, nor edit any parts of this article.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Isabel Roseth, Editor in Chief Smiley Huynh, Managing Editor

Anna Martion, Lauryn Williams, Deputy Editor

Owen Chan, Zachary Goldstein, Julia Hardy

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

Sara Samuel, Madison Sirois, Copy Editors

Marina Rosenthal, Layout Editor

Elizabeth Liu, Ads Editor

Amanda Chen, Eden Osiason, Online Editors

EDITORIALS

Transparency and trust in outreach to incoming students

As college admissions decisions are being released, Brandeis has been abuzz with campus tours and upcoming admitted student days. The University works very hard to curate a specific image for all prospective students during these events, showing them the nicest buildings and sparing no expenses. However, as first-year students begin their Brandeis journeys, they are often disappointed, causing many to consider alternative higher education pathways, including transferring to other institutions.

As an editorial board, we urge the administration to proceed with transparency. While the University is not perfect, it holds many amazing things.

Taking moments to celebrate the great things instead of working hard to cover up the bad would make all students feel more comfortable in their decision to attend this university.

As current students, we often feel that prospective students are prioritized over us. A prime example of this would be the engineering program that Brandeis is adding, including a new building.

While current students are once again fighting tooth and nail for an available bed in outdated dormitories, millions of dollars are being set aside for brand new facilities that will never be used by those of us on campus today.

This has caused students to feel unsupported and has had detrimental effects on the University as a whole. Word of mouth is vital to the recruitment of students, and we are aware that the University needs us to recommend the school to our peers. As seen in recent reports, application rates for the class of 2028 have dropped significantly when compared to previous years. The University relies on the support of current students, which can not be granted if we do not feel supported ourselves.

Brandeis is also not transparent about what is offered, which frequently leads to disappointment. For example, there is a lack of information available to those selecting housing. No pictures of dorm rooms are

available for viewing online, and the floorplans are now only available on MyHousing.

As the housing options are not changing, we urge the Department of Community Living to replace these materials, supporting students through the selection process and helping them to make informed decisions.

As a student body, we ask for more transparency and accountability in terms of what is promised. Not being honest with us as students causes a loss of trust, when in reality all we want is the truth.

This honesty also needs to extend to potential students. Members of this board have received admissions tours and do not believe that they are transparent. Rather, they spread inaccuracies regarding what the University has to offer. This is not the fault of the student tour guides, who work incredibly hard and help the University attract new students.

We urge administration to reexamine and reevaluate the content of these tours and work with students to create a representation that we feel is accurate of the institution.

Additionally, we ask to be put first. The needs of current students need to come above those who haven’t even committed to Brandeis yet. Spreading misinformation regarding what can be expected to incoming students is setting them up for disappointment and failure. This board encourages administration to celebrate what we do well and take accountability for what could be improved. Keeping students informed and being honest about shortcomings will build trust and allow students to feel more comfortable in their place at this institution.

— Editor’s note: Justice Photography editor

Eliza Bier is employed by the Department of Orientation and First Year Experience and did not contribute to nor edit any parts of this article . Justice News Editorial Assistant Lin Lin Hutchinson ’25 is employed by the Department of Community Living, and did not contribute to edit any parts of this article.

A look at the Brandeis student experience and what needs to change

Whether we choose to admit it or not, a university’s prestige matters greatly to students and faculty when considering their enrollment or employment. However, one look at Brandeis’ Niche reviews and the message is clear. Our C-minus-rated student life and Dminus-rated dorms are not a positive reflection on who we wish to be as a school. What was once envisioned as a nurturing environment for students has devolved into a landscape of neglect and systemic frustration.

What is our University prioritizing when it comes to student life? When you look at the Brandeis homepage, their message seems apparent.

Brandeis prides itself on their commitment to maintaining residential communities, facilitating student-led clubs, and providing proper care and support for student’s health. However, the rollout of these “commitments” has not been as smooth sailing as the website makes it seem.

While an unspoken rule, a large component of a college’s student life involves a student’s perceived comfort in existing without pushback on campus.

Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case at Brandeis. Upon the first glimpse at the website alone, many have qualms with “offerings” listed in each section. With routine failures on the part of the University to provide housing for those in need or food free of allergen contamination, the most crucial aspects of a student’s needs are not met on campus. But the problems don’t stop there.

In regard to student health and wellness on campus, the Brandeis Counseling Center makes it close to impossible for students to create sustainable support plans as the center offers less than is needed by our student body.

There is an enforced short-term action plan and group therapy sessions, both of which tend to fail to provide students with adequate support. Understaffing is a significant issue as well, which is incredibly unfair to both the students and professionals.

When it comes to activities on campus, clubs and organizations struggle to secure adequate funding for their programs, leaving many groups unprepared for the upcoming year. Marathon budget results leave students feeling underwhelmed, as their budgets routinely fall short of their reasonable requests.

The Student Activities Fund, the source of the Allocations Board budget, is a fixed number, and increasing the SAF would mean increasing tuition — something no one wants to do. Issues with finding consistent rooms in the Shapiro Campus Center, alongside frustrations in adapting to platform changes for communication and treasury requests, only add fuel to this fire.

It is no secret that Brandeis’ residential life has faced a myriad of issues in recent years. This has been acknowledged by the administration in last year’s decision to open up segments of Lassell University for Brandeis students due to unexpected results of the traditional housing lottery. Students are left stressed and uneasy about the following year, leading them to consider plans out of their price range, comfort and routine. With minimal solutions, they feel helpless with few places to turn.

Brandeis brags about their close studentto-professor ratios and relationships between administration and students, so it is sensible to believe that when students are in need of immediate resources, they will be granted support.

This is simply not the case. “Student life” at a university must foster a student’s growth and development, in addition to ensuring that they feel comfortable expressing needed feedback with the hope of correction.

— Editor’s note: Justice Sports editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 is a member of Student Union and did not contribute to or edit any parts of this article pertaining to Student Union.

The historical hyper-sexualization of Asian women in Western film

as an equal but as an exotic toy. Pinkerton even describes her as a diminutive, delicate “flower” whose “exotic perfume” intoxicates him.

Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have become the target of racism and hate crimes. We have become numb to the numerous accounts of violence against Asian American communities, especially elders.

On March 16 2021, eight people at three massage parlors were shot to death at the Gold Spa in Atlanta, six of whom were Asian. All but one was a woman.

In the gunman’s words, his actions were “not racially motivated,” but caused by “sexual addiction.” Deeply hurt and in disbelief of such a tragedy, I became interested in the aspects that made Asian American women particularly vulnerable to media sexualization.

Asian American women have long been stereotyped as meek and sexually submissive. The portrayal of Asian American women in 20th-century films can be summarized into two stereotypes: the delicate lotus blossom and the seductive dragon lady. This article will chronologically focus on the films “Madame Butterfly,” “PICCADILLY,” “Daughter of the Dragon” and “The World of Suzie Wong.”

“Madame Butterfly,” began as a one-act play before being adapted into a silent film directed by Sidney Olcott. Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, an American navy officer, is the film’s protagonist. He visits a marriage broker to rent himself a bride, a geisha named Cho-Cho-San which translates to “butterfly” in Japanese. He admires his little butterfly’s innocence and beauty, but he only intended their marriage for entertainment before he could find a proper American wife. Pinkerton departs Japan soon after meeting his butterfly, but Cho-Cho-San feels she has found love and waits three years. When Pinkerton returned to Japan with an American wife, Cho-Cho-San couldn’t bear the pain of this reality and stabbed herself to death.

The film essentially created the butterfly trope of a pitiful and submissive oriental woman: Cho-Cho-San believes she met the love of her life, only to realize she was never treated

“PICCADILLY” is another silent film, created in 1929 and set in the roaring twenties. In Piccadilly nightclub, in the scullery downstairs, a Chinese girl named Shosho dazzles the kitchen crew while washing dishes. The panning shot in this scene showcases the “mesmerized faces” of the kitchen staff. Furthermore, Shosho’s dance moves fascinate the nightclub owner, who hires her as a dancer. The nightclub owner takes Shosho to the slums where “oriental clothes” are sold, where she finds a costume inspired by a Thai goddess. Shosho is an instant success in the nightclub, enthralling the crowd with her exotic clothing and seductive dancing moves. Shosho is objectified as exotic and alluring in the film and similarly portrayed as a submissive Asian doll eager to please and satisfy the demands of the white male lead.

As seen in “PICCADILLY,” the costume was an important aspect that created the image of the exotic oriental women. In the “Daughter of the Dragon,” the outfit also reinforced the exotic nature of Asian women.

The main character in this movie, Princess Ling Moy, who is better known as the “dragon lady,” is portrayed as an “other-worldly beauty” who wears a “Chinese goddess gown with a huge pomp-style hairdress.” Contrary to the narrative of the submissive butterfly, Princess Ling Moy is portrayed as a deceitful character who uses her sexuality as a “weapon” to seduce and destroy morality.

Dressed in this costume, Princess Ling Moy dances on stage. Mesmerized by her exotic performance, the white male lead falls in love with her despite having a fiancé.

He falls in love due to his irresistible temptation to obtain Princess Ling Moy, further demonstrating the objectification of Asian women.

The “dragon lady” stereotype emerged from the longstanding prejudice against Asian Americans as a threat to job opportunities and the American lifestyle, also known as the Yellow Peril. More closely related to women is the fear of

“excessive sexuality” and “sexual diseases.” Due to the prevalence of Asian women as sex workers around military bases, they were seen as the “forbidden fruit” because of the temptations they served for men. Asian women became seen as objects to be “conquered” with unlimited sexual access.

In the film “The World of Suzie Wong,” costumes especially made Chinese women “objects of desire” and an exotic fetish for men. The film tells the story of an English artist named Robert Lomax, who meets his China Doll, Suzie Wong, in Hong Kong. He hires her as a model before falling in love with her, claiming he is the “white knight” who saves her from the world of prostitution. This film portrays a popular plot that revolves around the Asian woman “literally needing to be saved” and the white male savior “needing to both romance her and do things for her.”

In the film, Suzie frequently wears a cheongsam, a tightly fitted dress meant to show a woman’s figure. The thick silk fabric of the dress perfectly wraps around the women’s body. The dress became the marker of “Chineseness” and exotic appeal. Lomax, in his words, “finds himself stirred in primitive, sexual ways.”

The cheongsam and other “authentic” Chinese clothing were an external manifestation and solidified the image of Chinese women.

A common thread in these four films is the skewed power dynamic between the East and the West. Asian women in Hollywood movies are always depicted as singular stereotypes. They are described as either the “Dragon Lady,” a seductive image, or a “Delicate Butterfly,” a submissive image. There are only binaries and no middle ground.

Historically, the Western attitude towards the East has always been the opposite. While the West perceived itself as dominating, progressive and strong, the East has been portrayed as submissive, backward and weak, like in the previous movies the article has discussed. In this way, the West has given itself the male role and assigned the East the more vulnerable female role.

Nancy Kwan (left) as Suzie Wong and William Holden (right) as Robert Lomax

New Boston women’s professional hockey team

■ A new league of professional women’s hockey players led the Boston Professional Women's Hockey League team to find a home at UMass Lowell.

By RANI BALAKRISHNA JUSTICE EDITOR

The seats of University of Massachusetts Amherst Lowell's Tsongas Center were filled with cheering girls' hockey teams and posters in support of Boston's new professional women's hockey league, Boston Professional Women’s Hockey League. Their heartwarming cheers and smiles touched my heart as I attended a Boston PWLH game on Feb. 14, 2024 against Toronto PWHL.

Women’s professional hockey in North America has evolved and grown over the past three decades, but this inaugural 2023-2024 season is now based in six cities — Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, New York, Minnesota and Boston. According to CP24, a Canadian news outlet, the leagues that preceded the PWHL were the first National Women’s Hockey League (1999-2007), the Western Women’s Hockey League (2004-20011), the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (2007-2019) and the Premier Hockey Federation (2015-2023).

However, the PWHL shows promise that these prior leagues never had — this is in part due to the large investments from Mark Walter, controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, CEO of Guggenheim Partners and an investor in several other sports organizations. Walter’s investments have allowed salaries to start between $35,000 and $80,000 for players, which pales in comparison to National Hockey League counterparts, but it is a remarkable step for the league’s first season.

The six teams each have a 23-person active roster, and the puck dropped in January 2024 with playoffs or finals concluding in June, according to the PWHL website. A 15-round draft took place on Sept. 18, 2023, and the Board that governs the league boasts female sports legend Billie Jean King as well as other notable sports administrators and figures.

The PWHL “brings together the best players in the world,” and is paving the way for a sustainable future for professional women’s hockey. The

pace of the game that I attended on February 14 was competitive and both the Boston and Toronto PWHL teams stayed physical throughout the matchup.

A Valentine’s Day game, the evening match at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell was competitive but the Toronto PWHL pulled away with a 4-2 win. Boston stayed physical throughout the entire matchup of three 20-minute periods and used the newly allowed checking under the PWHL to their advantage. Checking is not allowed in NCAA women’s hockey games, but this rule allows players to be more physically aggressive, something that puts the pace of PWHL games on par with NHL games.

Hilary Knight — a member of the U.S. National Women’s Hockey team and a former member of the Boston Pride, a member of the PHF before it was dissolved — was a founding member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Player Association. The four-time Olympian and experienced defender was named a captain of the Boston PWHL team. Her leadership to help found the league has been built on top of the work of those who came before her. In a podcast with NBC Sports Boston, she commented that throughout this process she has maintained that “You have to be super confident that you are exactly where you are, at the exact time, and where you’re supposed to be.”

This confidence will certainly be needed as the PWHL sets out, and as building a fan base is no joke. The Tsongas Center appeared at around 40 percent capacity, and although the crowd was rousing, the PWHL’s fan base, support and viewership will be a testament to how they fare in the future.

While some critics may say there is a difference in ability or technical skill between genders, and that contributes to a lack of viewers and fans, I would attribute that to the age of this league and its players. The NHL has extensive training and recruitment through its extensive minor leagues that have been set up since its founding in 1917. It is unfair to assume that a new women’s professional hockey league, picking up pieces of its failed former counterparts, will be a replica of the NHL.

Instead, I think that the PWHL is creating a new narrative and a new sustainable economic model that will pave the way for generations of female hockey players to come. I think that their motto,“Ice Time. Earned,” is a powerful one that will push these young girls’ hockey players to earn their time on the ice as well.

Sexual abuse lawsuits in figure skating

■ The long running sport of figure skating has resulted in many sexual abuse and harrassment lawsuits, with some going as far as the federal level.

By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR

CONTENT WARNINGS: The content of this article discusses sensitive subjects such as sexual assault of a minor, rape, harrassment, grooming, suicide and eating dissorders. Some of these lawsuits are currently ongoing.

When choosing a sport for their child, parents often consider factors such as financial commitments, practice schedules and the child’s interests. One thing that should never have to be considered is the rate of sexual assault within the sport, but recent investigations have proved this statement to be untrue. Figure skating has become a pillar of winter athletics, being the first ever winter sport to compete at the Olympics in 1908.

Many lawsuits have been filed in recent months against figure skating coaches, with several of these lawsuits involving allegations of rape and sexual assault against minors. Often, defendants are accused of having knowledge of assault, harassment and failing to act.

A federal lawsuit has recently been filed in the

state of South Carolina on behalf of two figure skaters who have claimed years of sexual abuse from their coach, a former Olympic skater. He was recently identified as Mark Cockerell. Cockerell met the first of the two skaters in 2020 and immediately began a grooming pattern that ultimately led to her rape on Jan. 28, 2023, after he convinced her to meet him at a hotel.

The second skater had been coached by Cockerell from the young age of 14. He frequently made comments about her body, both praising and shaming her. According to an article by NBC News, the civil action that was filed claimed that his dietary instructions and comments led to the development of body dysmorphia and an eating disorder that the skater is still battling today.

The lawsuit explains that in addition to the verbal comments from Cockerell the two skaters suffered from inappropriate touching in many different ways throughout practices. This led to a mental breakdown of one of the skaters, causing her to quit the sport completely. The lawsuit also expressed that these skaters “have suffered immeasurable loss,” resulting in the need for “psychiatric/psychological care for the rest of their lives.”

The lawsuit alleges that neither the skating rink nor the governing body appropriately investigated the sexual misconduct violations filed against Cockerell prior to 2018 when he met these two skaters. It can be assumed that if a proper investigation had been conducted in a timely manner he would have either been fired or arrested before ever coming into contact with these two skaters.

In a statement published by CBS, sexual assault attorney Randall Hood expressed, “Predators like this coach don’t get caught because the people in charge ignore the repeated complaint against them. If they refuse to protect our young athletes, the courts will do it for them.”

After this lawsuit was filed, other victims of Cockerell have come forward to share their experiences. Two new lawsuits have been filed by these victims. Additionally, according to WSI 10, “two mothers have joined the group suing the U.S. Figure Skating Association, rink, and Olympian.” As of February 2023, Cockerell is no longer providing lessons at the rink in Irmo, South Carolina.

This recent set of lawsuits is just one of the many instances of sexual abuse reported in the figure skating industry. The U.S. Center for SafeSport has produced multiple investigations surrounding abuse that have led to the loss of lives. John Coughlin, a professional skater and multiple-time national champion, received a suspension from the SafeSport organization due to three allegations of sexual assault including two minors. The day after he received this suspension, Coughlin took his own life.

Following this death, there was a lot of confusion within the figure skating community. The SafeSport organization refused to continue with this investigation under the pretense that they could no longer interview Coughlin. However, skaters continued to come forward and share their stories of abuse at his hands over a period of ten years.

Some paid tribute to the skater in ways such

as wearing his signature red hat or ribbons with shattered glass to represent suicide awareness. However, these actions received mixed public responses. Due to the never completed investigation, many questions were never answered. Many were left wondering if grieving for this friend or mentor was acceptable when his past was so unknown.

The social dynamics of the sport are different than those seen in outside society. A major factor in pair skating is age gaps. Many female skaters start their career at a very young age, while their male partners are traditionally older. The age cap for men in pairs in the junior category is three years older than the cap for singular female juniors, at 21 and 18 respectively. Many of the most famous figure skating pairs are in romantic relationships, including Olympic champions Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. As they were competing, the media focused almost as much on their romantic relationship as their skating, in turn setting a dangerous precedent for young girls.

The media normalizes these inappropriate relationships and focuses on them more than the sexual assault allegations. An article from The Guardian states, “While it’s one thing to create policies that protect athletes, it’s quite another to educate people about these policies — and then implement them.”The SafeSport organization has received many sexual misconduct and assault reports from skaters. The organization does not have the budget or the staffing capacity to properly investigate these allegations, and the media has not been covering them.

RANIBALAKRISHNA/The Justice

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: The Tsongas Center prepares before Boston PWHL versus Toronto PWHL.

Brandeis softball takes spring training trip

■ Brandeis Softball’s spring training trip to Los Angeles, California over February break kept players’ eyes on the prize as they prepare for the regular season.

By REBECCA SUAREZ JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Sunday, Feb. 17, 2024, the Brandeis University softball team trained, bonded and competed against notable universities during their annual spring training trip to California. In their first four games of the season, their training paid off by getting the better of the University of La Verne with a final score of 6-5, but were stunned by Chapman University and Whittier College on Feb. 21 with final scores of 1-9 and 3-4 and the University of La Verne on Feb. 22 with a final score of 3-4.

Many individual successes stood out from the rest of their teammates by specific Brandeis players. One player in particular, the 2023 NFCA AllRegion Team and 2023 Brandeis Female Rookie of the Year, from Westford, Massachusetts, Ragini Kannan ’26, one of two pitchers this year, had many notable achievements throughout her time in California. Not only is she an athlete who performs well under pressure, but she recognizes this trip as a fundamental pillar to growth and appreciates it, commenting, “It's nice to have the privilege to play schools from across the country as our field and weather don't allow us to play outside during the month of February.” She spent most of her time after each game and her trip to California reflecting on her personal goals and achievements on the field. Kannan noted the significance of her team and the importance of team bonding, where she describes the highlight of the trip with her teammates by stating they “spend a ton of time together apart from softball.”

When competing and getting the better of the University of La Verne in their first game, Kannan had four strikeouts, gave up one walk, faced 31 hitters, and gave up only six hits. However, in the

second game, although the Brandeis Judges were defeated, Kannan still impressed her opponents by closing the game with 10 pitches, facing three hitters and only giving up one hit and one walk. To Kannan, the team bonding aspect played a significant role in their success and their chance to face adversity. She explains her time with her respective Brandeis Judges as “a time where we all truly bond with one another before our actual season starts. We all live in a big house together and we all get to spend quality time with one another.” Her “favorite thing about the team trip is staying at the Airbnb with the team.”

Not only was Kannan recognized by her teammates at Brandeis, but Haley Nash ’24 from Delmar, New York, was named the University Athletic Association Softball Hitter of the Week for the week of Feb. 25. She allowed history to continue to showcase growth for the Brandeis Judges, where she marks this past weekend as the fourth time in the last six weeks that a Brandeis athlete has been recognized, honored and rewarded by the UAA. In fact, she was awarded this due to the fact of her success offensively during softball’s annual spring training trip. During their four games, Nash went seven-for-12 at the plate with a double and two home runs. In addition, she had four RBIs and scored four runs. Her statistics also showcase these impressive achievements as she posted a 0.615 onbase percentage and 1.167 slugging percentage. More specifically, her two home runs and a gamewinning solo shot in the top of the seventh inning in game one against the University of La Verne broke the five-all tie, putting the Judges ahead for the win. Finally, Nash is now able to say that she is the fifth hitter in Brandeis softball history to surpass 20 total home runs, as her career total is now 21.

The Brandeis University Softball Judges will travel next to Boston, Massachusetts and will compete against Wentworth Institute of Technology on Mar. 16, 2024.

—Editor’sNote:JusticeSportseditorRaniBalakrishna ’25 is a member of the softball team and didnoteditnorcontributetothisstory.

The gymnasts paving the road to Paris 2024

■ Beginning with the 2024 Gymnastics Winter Cup, this year’s gymnastics season has kicked off with a few surprises, disappointments, successes and failures that will all contribute to who will make the Paris Olympic Team for this summer.

By EDEN OSIASON JUSTICE EDITOR

On Feb. 24, 2024, senior gymnasts from around the country traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the 2024 Winter Cup in hopes of qualifying for the 2024 United States Gymnastics Championships and eventually the Olympic trials. The 2024 Winter Cup was the next step in the process of selecting the women’s gymnastics team — which would go on to compete in Paris this summer. With multiple gymnasts making their comebacks, the biggest question waiting to be answered is: Will the U.S. attend this year's Gymnastics Olympic games with three all-around Olympic gold medalists?

The star of the show at the Winter Cup was 20-year-old Kayla DiCello who won by over a twopoint lead — a large gap for gymnastics. DiCello is making her second run for the Olympic team after being chosen as an alternate for Tokyo 2020, but she ended up being unable to compete. Coming off of her win at the 2023 Pan American Games, DiChello was one to watch at this competition, and she did not disappoint. DiCello has been praised throughout this season for her work ethic and has even decided to take a gap year from the University of Florida, where she was on the Gator’s gymnastics team, to make her claim for a secured spot in Paris 2024. She is now well on her way to qualifying for the championships, which are required for gymnasts who want to be selected for Olympic trials and then, possibly, the final team. She has a fight ahead of her as she competes with some of the other best gymnasts in history, and she is not the only gymnast trying to represent the United States in Paris.

One of the biggest disappointments this Winter Cup was the pulling out of Gabby Douglas, the 2012 Olympic all-around champion and 2016 silver medalist behind Simone Biles who won the Gold. Douglas has been admired within and outside of the gymnastics community after making history as the first American to win gold in the team and individual all-around events. She was also the first African American to win the all-around title. In 2017, she came forward as the third member of the historic “Fierce Five” team to be abused by Olympic trainer Larry Nassar in addition to McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman. Nassar is currently in prison after abusing over 130 young girls, including Simone Biles.

This would have been Douglas’ first appearance back since 2016, but she sadly tested positive

for COVID-19 and could not compete on Saturday. Luckily, this does not mark the end of her comeback as there are other routes she can take to earn a qualification spot for the championships later this year. Fans can expect to see Douglas at the national team training camp in April and/or the U.S. Classic to continue her comeback and make it to the big screen. If successful, Douglas will be the oldest female gymnast to attend the Olympics at 28 years old.

Suni Lee, the reigning all-around Olympic champion, did make a comeback from an illness this year. After managing a kidney condition for over a year, Suni Lee had only been back in training for six weeks before the competition and sadly it showed. With Lee already only competing on two out of four events, she set out with only one goal — beginning her comeback, and debuting her newest skill — a full-twisting layout Jaeger on the uneven bars. At only 20 years old, she would be the first female gymnast to ever compete this skill, meaning it would be named “the Lee” in her honor should she successfully complete it at an international competition. However, Lee sadly fell on this skill at the Winter Cup and consequently fell on her next release on the uneven bars as well. Following up on beam, Lee had a devastating fall there as well, leaving her very upset with her performance but hopeful for the future. Notably, Lee was the only member of the 2020 Tokyo team to attend this competition, with Jordan Chiles having to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.

Simone Biles was another member of the Olympic team that could not attend. It is impossible to talk about gymnastics and the possible next Olympic team without mentioning Simone Biles. Biles, crowned the greatest gymnast of all time, did not attend the Winter Cup because she had already qualified for the Championships as a current member of the U.S. National Team. However, she is expected to be seen at future competitions as she makes her play for Paris. Biles has been deemed the "Greatest Of All Time" and has even been seen wearing leotards with the face of a goat on it in rhinestones and embroidery. She has earned this title by breaking more records than any gymnast in history. Biles has received more medals than any other gymnast with 30 overall, 23 being world gold medals. She has also won six world all-around titles in the women's competition, the most out of any female gymnast, and is tied for the most Olympic medals won by any American gymnast with seven. This means if Biles makes this year's Olympic team and wins any medal, she will make history once again by becoming the gymnast with the most Olympic medals ever. Biles has been admired for her contributions to gymnastics history and is idolized for her perseverance. She was placed in foster care before she was adopted by her grandparents due to her mother’s drug addiction, and faced subsequent obstacles but did not waver in her athletic journey. This, in addition to her record breaks, has earned her praise from fans for perseverance. As a result, Biles has even received

the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden.

Due to all of these records, fans are expecting to see Biles on this year’s 2024 Olympic team. This is especially important considering the fact that Biles’ starting values for her routines would give the U.S. team a major advantage against other countries. Her predicted scores are due to the fact that she has five skills named after her which can only happen by being the first female gymnast to perform them successfully in an international competition. Simone Biles has done this five times with the Biles I and II on the floor exercise — a double layout with a half twist and a double backflip with a triple twist; the Biles I on the beam a double twisting, double backflip dismount; and the Biles I on vault — Yurchenko half-on with two twists. The latest skill predicted to be deemed the Biles II is on vault and is a Yurchenko double pike. Biles has already competed this successfully at the national level but was unable to perform it in Tokyo or any international competition just yet. This will likely also happen this upcoming summer.

In conclusion, the U.S. is blessed to have incredibly talented women competing for their spot on the Paris Olympic team. Whether that team includes the gymnasts featured in this article, gymnasts still trying for that number one spot or stars that haven’t made their appearance yet, it is without a doubt going to be an Olympic Games you don’t want to miss.

Photo courtesy of SAM SCHACTER

HUDDLE ON THE MOUND: The defense comes together before the inning.

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

SPLIT LEAP: Simone Biles competes in the 2016 Rio Olympics for Team USA on the high beam.

Happy International Women’s History Month!

Check out this highlight on the nine women’s varsity sports at Brandeis and go support them in all of their endeavors! Female student athletes work just as hard as their counterparts and deserve to be celebrated a little extra this March.

DANIEL OREN/The Justice

SMILEY HUYNH/The Justice

SMILEY HUYNH/The Justice

Photo courtesy of SAM SCHACTER

DANIEL OREN/The Justice

DANIEL OREN/The Justice

DANIEL OREN/The Justice

Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS ATHLETICS

SMILEY HUYNH/The Justice

Today

SOFTBALL

TENNIS

EQUITY: breaking the silence

CONTINUED FROM 16

need to open discussion and break the stigma of speaking about menstruation so that female athletes are not shamed. Without proper support and dialogue, menstruating athletes, unlike other athletes, can also be susceptible to quitting and giving up on athletic careers much earlier than their peers.

These issues are not only persistent in the larger sports landscape but also in our own courts and fields at Brandeis. Erin Hunt ’26, a softball player, spoke with The Justice about her own experiences. In response to whether or not she feels the effects of her period on her athletic performance,

Hunt noted, “Yes! I feel both physically and mentally affected by my period, which has many implications for my athletic performance. Often I feel quite a bit weaker, slower and more easily fatigued when I’m on [my period].”

While it may seem that the sports industry is changing, there is a severe problem growing and its growth is only possible through silence. Luckily, change is coming and more athletes are raising their voices about this important social issue. One recent example is the term “cycle syncing workout” becoming a top Google Search term in 2022. As women have increasingly be-

gun to want to work with their body’s natural biological rhythms, they have recognized ways to alleviate their struggles. Through these methods, symptoms are easier managed and better training can happen.

As women move from working against periods and menstruation to working in tandem with hormones, the possibilities are endless for menstruating athletes. Athletics are all about enhancing one’s performance and competing to the very best of one’s ability. Therefore, menstruation should be a part of every conversation regarding menstruating athlete’s performance.

STANDOUTS

Singles

UPCOMING

Sunday

NCAA: Clark is all time scorer

CONTINUED FROM

Feb. 28 and surpassing Plum to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history on Feb. 15, with a remarkable 49-point performance against Michigan University.

Last season, Clark set the record for the most points scored in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament with 191 points in six games, including backto-back games with 40-plus points.

UPCOMING MATCHES:

Saturday vs. Franklin Pierce

Saturday, March 16 vs RPI

Saturday, March 23 at Skidmore

Clark’s shooting is unparalleled across women’s and men’s basketball. Her ability to read the situation and her offense makes her a weapon against any defense that she faces. However, even beyond her athletic abilities, Clark finds passion and joy in practicing and building her skills. According to the NPR ar-

ticle, Clark said, “I’ve just had fun and I’ve loved every single second I’ve gone to practice, played in the game.” With Clark’s passion for the sport and flawless techniques, there is no telling what she can achieve. As the basketball community celebrates Caitlin Clark's historic achievement, her journey exemplifies dedication, skilland perseverance, inspiring future generations of athletes to reach for the stars. Clark has proven to be an unstoppable force — nothing we’ve seen before in basketball history. There is no doubt she will continue to showcase these remarkable levels of athleticism and dedication in all sectors of her life ahead.

2-1 today, 16-17 overall

Brandeis 14, Air Force 13

Brandeis 5, Duke 22

Brandeis 13, Johns Hopkins 14

Brandeis 5, Temple 22

NEIFC Championships

Women's Sabre, women's Foil take 5th, 6th overall.

first attempt.

Franchesca Marchese M’24, a member of the Brandeis women’s basketball team, just concluded an impressive basketball career at Brandeis and recently broke the program’s three-point record with 171 three-pointers. Camila Casanueva ’22 previously held the record at 169 career threepointers made, but Marchese’s sharp shooting shattered that in her final home game/senior game on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024.

Marchese’s Brandeis basketball career is topped off not only with this record-breaking achievement, but she also has accumulated accolades such as the 2023 Athletic Director’s Award and she was a 2022-2023 University Athletic Association Winter All-Academic Recognition Honoree. A four-time member of the Dean’s List and two-time UAA All-Academic recipient, the Business and Psychology major will be an MBA candidate at the Brandeis International Business

School and plans to graduate in the fall of 2024.

Off the court, Marchese spends most of her time at the Brandeis International Business School but used to love hanging out in the Mandel Center for Humanities. Her favorite artists are primarily country artists, such as Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Dan & Shay. When the weather gets warmer, Marchese loves to cool down with some cookie dough ice cream.

Throughout her five-year career, Marchese was a three time captain for Brandeis women’s basketball, and as an undergraduate she was a sportswriter for the Hoot, a member of Student Union in 2021-2022 and a DEI Intern in 2022-2023. She is heavily involved in leadership development, and Marchese has been a teaching assistant for two graduate

a

Brandeis career! And don’t hesitate to say hello if you see her around campus! Go Judges!

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

VOCAL: Mikaela Shiffrin spoke to The Times briefly about her period affecting her performance.

Photo

Sports just

HAPPY WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH!

Check out a highlight photostory on the nine Brandeis women's varsity sports on p. 14.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Mass.

A note from the Sports editor

In honor of those who have played and fought for a better world of women’s sports and all those who continue to fight for gender equity, I decided to devote this issue of the sports section of The Justice to female athletes and women in sports. The passing of Title IX in 1972 only opened doors for women and equity in education and sports — there are many glass ceilings still waiting to be shattered. As a little girl, I dreamed of writing about the sports I loved playing — yet, as the Dove Super Bowl commercial noted, 45 % of girls quit playing sports by age 14.

Women continue to face obstacles, discrimination and harassment to no end in the media industry, management industry and at the professional and collegiate level of play. Nevertheless, we persist. We forge new paths, built on the backs of those who

came before us and fought for the same thing — equity. Brandeis’ nine women’s sports teams — basketball, cross country, fencing, softball, soccer, swim and dive, tennis, track and field and volleyball — all display excellence both on and off the playing field.

I recently started reading “Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America” by Julie DiCaro, and the sexual harassment and discrimination that she writes about not only in the media industry but also in the professional sports industry, is still present to this day. For women of color, queer women, disabled women and other marginalized identities, this harassment and discrimination is only amplified.

As much as there are disheartening statistics of how far we will need to go in order to achieve equity, there are great

Caitlin Clark shatters records, becoming all time leading scorer

■ Clark can be considered the greatest offensive player of all time after breaking the record, regardless of gender, with two free throws on March 3, 2024.

By BENIE COHEN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa's standout guard, has etched her name in NCAA history books by surpassing a 54-year-old record to become the alltime leading scorer in Division I basketball. In a stunning performance against Ohio State University on March 3, the 22-year-old Clark scored 35 points, leading the Hawkeyes to a 93-83 victory over the Buckeyes and eclipsing the legendary "Pistol Pete" Maravich's previous record of 3,667 points. Clark now boasts a record 3,685 career points, with more games still ahead.

The anticipation for Clark's historic achievement was palpable, as seen by the unprecedented demand for tickets, which reached record highs on TickPick with some seats fetching upwards

of $6,000. Additionally, big-name celebrities such as Maya Moore — a WNBA champion — and rapper Travis Scott also came to see Clark play. While the crowd was overcome with excitement at the prospect of observing history, according to an NPR article, “. . . Clark said she wasn’t aware she’d broken the record in that moment.”

Throughout the season, Clark has been a dominant force on the court, averaging 32.2 points per game, leading all of Division I women’s basketball. Her illustrious career spans 130 games over four seasons, demonstrating her enduring impact on the Iowa team. Clark's decision to enter the 2024 WNBA draft marks the next chapter in her career, with many projecting her as the potential No. 1 overall pick. While her departure from Iowa signifies the end of an era, her legacy as one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history is firmly established.

In addition to surpassing Maravich's record, Clark has shattered records held by women’s basketball luminaries such as Lynette Woodard and Kelsey Plum. Her achievements include passing Woodard’s collegiate women’s scoring record in a game against Minnesota on

strides being taken. Media organizations such as Just Women’s Sports have begun to focus solely on women’s sports, and every day women’s sports gain more and more viewers. The Big Ten women’s basketball tournament has sold out, and the 2023 women’s soccer World Cup garnered an estimated 2 billion viewers this past summer.

Growing up as a young queer woman of color, I played baseball with boys who were great peers, but once I switched over to softball, I truly found my family. No matter what happened off the field, I could always find a community in softball. I curated this collection of articles to highlight the achievements of women around the world and right here at Brandeis have overcome and what we are still struggling with. We come in all shapes and sizes, and I created this special issue in an

attempt to showcase and celebrate a diverse array of women. Not only this women’s history month, but in the future, I encourage everyone to support women in sports and female student-athletes, both at Brandeis and off campus — we play with just as much intensity and passion as men do, and deserve equity. And for any little girls reading this, go be you and be proud to play — everyone who has come before you will be cheering you on.

The intersection between menstruation and athletes

■ Menstruating athletes tend to shy away from speaking about how their cycle affects their athletic ability, which puts these athletes at a disadvantage in comparison to their peers who do not have periods.

By RANI BALAKRISHNA JUSTICE EDITOR

Although an often taboo topic, menstruating athletes and student-athletes are relearning to ‘sync’ up their cycles with their workout routines and become more in tune with their bodies. Professional athletes are beginning to voice their perspectives and they are in turn empowering younger athletes to speak up about the topic.

Mikaela Shiffrin, a two-time gold medal winner and no stranger to slopes, only recently shared her experiences navigating her menstruation while being an athlete. The skier, who has the most wins in World Cup history regardless of gender, spoke to The Times about her performance following her 88th victory and said that she was exhausted and felt ‘off’ before the race, noting it was “an unfortunate time of

my monthly cycle.” She expressed some embarrassment while commenting on this, and noted that she maybe should not speak about this topic.

Female athletes are subject to disproportionate treatment and different questions than their male counterparts, but the effect of menstrual cycles and hormone fluctuations on sports and their athletic performance is often overlooked. Anatomy and physiology are typically taken into account for the differences between sexes, however, hormonal changes play a larger role in athletic performance than many think.

The National Library of Medicine recently published new findings about the challenges that menstruation can create. The authors, many of whom are women working in sports medicine, laid out the three phases of hormonal fluctuation during the four stages of menstruation. This detailed summary not only recognized that estrogen promotes muscle strength but also that the lack or loss of estrogen in menopause, detracts from an athlete’s overall capabilities.

The findings from this article found a slight, imperceptible difference between performance at differing levels of estrogen and progesterone. Thus, there is no clear scientific effect that can be claimed, but for elite athletes or Olympians like Mikaela Shiffrin, this small difference in hormones can certainly

make a difference in performance.

Downplaying symptoms and invalidating the physical and mental effects of menstruation is unfortunately all too common in menstruating athletes. Symptoms such as fatigue, headache, abdominal cramps, nausea and breast pain all affect performance, and these are just as important as more commonly talked about areas such as nutrition, injury and recovery. Menstruation also affects energy levels.

In February 2023, professional golfer “Tiger Woods slipped a tampon into fellow player Justin Thomas’s hand after outdriving him on the ninth hole during the first round of the Genesis Invitational. Not only did Woods imply that Thomas played like a girl, but he did so by reinforcing the notion that the menstrual cycle is a handicap to athletic performance.” This blatant discrimination, and sexism hinders progress and is just one instance of discrimination in history. This goes all the way back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who proclaimed that women should not exercise while menstruating.

The overall discussion of women’s reproduction and menstrual cycles is nearly forbidden within society, and the lack of dialogue as a whole is incredibly discouraging to young athletes. To combat this, athletes, coaches and parents need to open discussion and break the

Rani Balakrishna

Graphic courtesy of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice

Photo: SKYE ENTWOOD/The Justice. Design: JONAS KAPLIN/The

Museu M s or Mean Girls? s ocietal worship of public art M useu M s

By MIKEY TERRENZI JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

To the readers who have enjoyed my museum reviews in the past, thank you! I am happy that there have been so many opportunities through The Justice that have allowed me to talk about art in a way that I usually wouldn’t. However, in my time going to many of these museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I have found a particular trend in the structure and the purpose of the museum that I find interesting. I would like to define my meaning of worship in this paragraph. When I say worship, I am describing the actions of the devout museum goers. When I went to see an exhibition at the Met in December 2023, I saw many people standing and ambulating around the art, but I saw even more with jaws wide, hands over mouths and speechless “ohs” spilling from their mouths. Yes, art is beautiful, important and meaningful and I would probably be very upset in a world without art, but museums inspire us to look up at art, placing it beyond us in a way that is to separate us and the art.

I am not advocating against museums; I am just cautioning the impressionable student who is looking for something better to do on the weekend. Second, everything I say in this article is my opinion. I simply hope to make you think critically and to show a different perspective of the places we all know well. Third, my credentials in this area are very slim — I am an Art History student, but I am in no way an expert on architecture, I mainly just wish to share my thoughts and opinions moving forward.

Museums as a western concept have existed since the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The genesis of the museum in 530 BC was in modern day Iraq under Princess Ennigaldi. To our understanding, this museum held artifacts from previous civilizations in the area including the Mesopotamians. Ennigaldi-Nanna’s museum sets the precedent for our modern notion of a “museum” — a place to house objects of the past,from our culture and others. This system exists now across the world, but how did it develop into enormous buildings with thousands of visitors every day, and why do we flock to them as a bunch of Catholics on a Sunday morning?

Museums have developed over the millennia into multistory buildings with massive acreage. But there are still galleries throughout the world whose buildings are small, and less gaudy. There must be something inherently different about the museum that makes it so revered. I believe there is something to be said about this difference coming from the patronage of the art that has been seen across European history. From marriage portraits, the Medici’s, the Salon, and even horse racing, art had been for a long time serving as property of the upper middle class and upward.

CURATION CRITIQUE

There have been some incredible works of art meant for the people in recent centuries, but for the majority of European history, art has been reserved solely for those with the time and capital to enjoy it.

Some may argue that the museum counters this perspective — that it is offered as the center of learning for the underprivileged — but I would argue against this. The museum as a space may be open to the public, but with member statuses and ticket prices jumping, the gap between the museum and the working class widens. Moreover, the museum is positioned as a space for “cultured” people, rather than a space for education. This all culminates into my personal feeling of “belonging” that can be compared to being at the popular table at lunch.

Many other art-historians have described this feeling as well, but no author writes it better than Carol Duncan. Written in 1995, Duncan’s work “Civilizing Rituals: Inside the Public Art Museum” describes how the museum as a space of ritual and reverence are interconnected with the western concept of a museum. This work describes the differences between the museum and other secular buildings, mainly in architecture and attitude.

Duncan describes the architectural similarities between museums and ancient Greek and Roman temples, citing their formal similarities.

Above is a Doric temple from modern day Sicily, Italy. The friezes and columns reflect how they were in antiquity, yet the infamous British Museum uses the same friezes and columns to reflect the same reverence. Duncan argues that the museum could share this architectural similarity on account of tastes at the time, but it is far more likely that there is a desire to encourage worship in a museum, as there is in a temple.

Duncan writes how the museum has a “popular crowd.” This is a group of people who perform “the museum ritual,”

Duncan’s description of the worship, habit and attitude in a museum. They are the people who have been within the echelons of society for long enough to have the disposition for a museum and perform it dramatically. For all intents and purposes, they are the dudes on dates “mansplaining” art history to their partners whenever you go to the MFA. While it is more serious than that, the point remains clear: The temple-goers perform the ritual of the museum and congregate in groups.

I believe that museums use this relationship with religion in a way that may seem harmless, but in reality it is potentially damaging. The idea that art needs to be revered to be viewed is one that I personally don’t agree with, and it conjures up the idea that the “great” artists had some skill that the average person does not. As a result, I believe that the average person, then, devalues the art they themselves can produce. It is a theme with attitudes towards modern art of, “Oh well, I could do that!” has been said a million times looking at an Ellsworth Kelly. I would like to encourage everyone to look at every piece of art — Giotto, a Rembrandt, a Manet or anything and say, “Oh well, I could do that!” because you can. These artists, while they are culturally important and their work deserves to be appreciated, were people with time. Devote enough time and you could be as skilled as Rembrandt. Anyone can make art; it is not something meant for the high class that belongs in the museum.

I would like to conclude this article by saying I will still go to museums every weekend. I love museums. They are definitely a little cultish, but art is important to appreciate. I will still write about museum exhibitions around Boston in hopes of getting more people to go to them. But I want to encourage everyone to consider their place in the museum, how this institution expects you to feel and if it matters that you don’t sit at the popular table. In my opinion, none of it matters. Keep in mind that art is by the people and for the people and not some deity in front of you.

r epatriation and r eplicas

BY ELIZA BIER JUSTICE EDITOR

Museums and stolen objects

Museums have a long history of showcasing looted and stolen objects. Places such as the British Museum in England and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City are some of the biggest offenders. Often these stolen objects are items of cultural importance and were obtained through raiding archaeological sites, such as the Rosetta Stone — a fragment of a stone slab that has allowed researchers to translate portions of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The Rosetta Stone was taken by force from Egypt, first discovered by the French in 1799 and then later given to England in the 1801 Capitulation of Alexandria. While many have questioned the British Museum’s legal claim to the Rosetta Stone, in the early 2000s the British Museum confirmed its claim of the Rosetta Stone based on an agreement with the French in 1801. However, since then, there has been an increasing demand for the British Museum to return the Rosetta Stone to Egypt.

Demands for repatriation of looted or stolen artifacts to their countries of origin are not specific to the Rosetta Stone. Many cite the need to repatriate artifacts on the grounds of returning stolen pieces of culture to their original countries. In a 2022 interview with PBS, Monica Hanna, dean at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, described the British Museum’s possession of the Rosetta Stone as “a symbol of Western cultural violence against Egypt.” Hanna’s view is in line with those who are also in favor of the repatriation of stolen artifacts from Western museums. Repatriating items returns not only cultural artifacts to cultures that have been historically exploited by Western countries but is also a way of recovering history that may have been destroyed elsewhere, often by the same countries that exploited them.

In the 1970 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, UNESCO passed a treaty to provide “an international framework for the prevention of theft and looting and the return and restitution of stolen property.” This treaty drastically reduced the amount of looting on the account of Western museums, however in

terms of repatriation of stolen artifacts there is still a long way to go. The British Museum for example is to this day notorious for the copious amounts of stolen artifacts still in their possession. In fact, the British Museum has so many items they are not even able to display the majority of them — to the point that many collections are shelved for solely research purposes. This year the British Museum fired several employees after several artifacts were found missing or damaged. This inability to safeguard items of foreign cultural patrimony only strengthens the argument of those who continue to fight for the repatriation of stolen artifacts.

Why museums?

With all of the ethical concerns surrounding museums that are ever increasing, the question becomes: Why museums? New technologies allow for digital copies of items of cultural patrimony through a variety of methods. In addition, with rapid technological advances near identical replicas can be made. This includes using the original materials as opposed to 3D printing when ethical. The ability to make replicas theoretically should allow for further repatriation of stolen artifacts. If almost exact replicas can be made, why do museums continue to hold onto the original items? For that matter, why even make physical replicas when digital replicas can be made?

One answer to this question lies in how museum goers create connections to artifacts based on how they perceive them. Influenced by how museum’s showcase items, people build relationships with museum artifacts through relating them to their own lives, often by how important they deem artifacts to be and whether or not they have a connection to the artifacts culture of origin. Additionally, museum spectators get drawn in by the novelty of seeing the actual artifacts people several hundreds or even thousands of used. It is not so much that people connect to the artifacts but that they make a human connection to the people who originally used them.

However, museums intentionally manipulate the perception of these objects. Just like living things, artifacts also have their own history, often extending far beyond the living things and the people that created them. Logically as

different people and often different cultures use objects, artifacts tend to outgrow their original purpose.

An example of a museum’s manipulation of how objects are perceived can be seen in the Worcester Art Museum. In their collections, the Worcester Art Museum has on display an artifact labeled as a sarcophagus. Interestingly enough, in the description of the object, the museum notes that at one point in its history the object was modified to be used as a water trough for livestock. Much of the information available about the object is only related to when it was a sarcophagus. Objects have complex histories and to only view them through a specific historical context excludes part of its history and cultural significance. This also questions how objects are displayed and what information is excluded based on the way they are displayed. For example, the Parthenon in Greece has been used for several purposes and by several different cultures. However, Greece chooses only to present the classical history of the Parthenon. By choosing to only display the Parthenon’s classical history Greece has erased cultural knowledge from when the Parthenon was used by other cultures and purposes.

Who gets to decide what part of an object’s history is important enough to be displayed? Is one time period of history more important than another? Is learning about the ancient world more valuable than learning about modern history? Will a culture be hurt by erasing an object’s history though displaying it through a specific lens? Is presenting this project’s object as a sarcophagus instead of a water trough more valuable? These are all questions that should be considered when evaluating an object or collection of objects. Further, by assigning different values to different uses of artifacts, museums actively participate in the erasure of culture and history.

In total, while museums have made many strides in recent years to operate more ethically, through both the acquisition of artifacts and how those artifacts are displayed, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. New technologies and continued demands for further repatriation of artifacts are already making some reevaluate what exactly museums should be. These questions are already causing change in the museum world and sure to create more in the future.

GREEK ARCHITECTURE: The Segesta is a Doric temple located in Sicily.

Sounds of Brandeis

The Kaleidoscope Concert

By ESTHER BALABAN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Brandeis Concert Series is an incredible and rare opportunity to see free live music every weekend in the Slosberg Recital Hall. The series includes both student and faculty performances with a diverse line-up including jazz, chamber singing, a Ghanaian drum and dance ensemble and neverbefore-seen pieces that were composed by Brandeis students, faculty and alumni. Upcoming performances include Hypercube, a Brandeis original composition, on Mar. 2 and Evan Hirsch’s piano recital on Mar. 8, with various other performances on Mar. 16, 17, 23 and 24.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with two members of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble who performed on Feb. 11 to learn more about Kaleidoscope and music at Brandeis. Kaleidoscope’s flutist, Jill Dreeben, is a faculty member who teaches Brandeis students flute and body mapping. Body mapping is the conscious correction and refinement of one’s body map. It helps musicians play without injuries by understanding their own anatomy and how best to move their bodies during practices and performances. Jill spoke about what she’s learned from her students in her teaching here at Brandeis, “Everybody learns differently, so I have to find ways to get into what they need. I try to think about it the way they think about it so I’m always learning new ways of figuring out how to reach somebody and I really like that. I feel like in teaching you have this relationship with your student where you want to know as much about them as you can so that you can help them. You want to find what the easiest way is for them to learn. For my body mapping class, I have them write journals so I can really get a sense of how they’re thinking about it and I can find a way to respond and give them feedback in the way that will direct the way they want to learn the next thing. It’s very important to know how students think and how they respond. You’re trying to figure them out as much as they’re trying to figure themselves out.”

Kaleidoscope’s cellist and one of their founding members, Sandi-Jo Malmon, is a Librarian for Collection Development at Harvard’s Loeb Music Library. Malmon, along with a handful of other musicians, created Kaleidoscope in 1991. Over the years, the Ensemble has added and subtracted instruments. While they started out as a string trio with a flutist and a pianist, they’ve grown to include everyone from a clarinetist to a bassoonist. It is from this diverse array of instruments that the name of the Ensemble was born. Malmon recounted, “We thought of all kinds of names and then we said, ‘Hey, it’s kind of a kaleidoscope.’ It was very simple.” To Malmon, the beauty of the Ensemble’s name is that “it gives us an enormous amount of flexibility.”

Dreeben shared the same sentiment when I asked her about what differentiates the Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble from others. She explained,“This group is called Kaleidoscope, which means colors, so we do a lot of combinations of pieces with different combinations of instruments.” The Ensem -

ble rarely does a performance consisting of only one type of piece. They blend modern and earlier music, along with composers of different backgrounds, to truly create a colorful and dynamic performance.

Malmon broke down the process of creating these performance programs. To start, “We have brainstorming meetings, and we talk about the pieces we’d like to play. We have a list of those and then we look to see what might be a good combination of pieces.” From there, the Ensemble pays attention to how they can reinvent the conventional musical canon. Maloman shared, “The standard canon used to be Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn, but now the canon is changing. All of the language is changing in the same way that at the beginning of the 20th century the language of music and art and writing and literature was so diverse and now it’s becoming so as well.”

The first piece from composer Eugene Bozza, “Contrastes I pour Flute et Bassoon,” included eight parts that came together to form a dreamy, woodland-like sound. Throughout all eight parts the musicians, Tracy McGinnis on bassoon and Dreeben on flute, would play with contrasting melodies that would come together in beautiful harmony as the deep hum of the bassoon complimented the airiness of the flute. The first part, Andante, felt like a walk in the woods, overhearing a light and airy conversation between friends. The duo moved on to the second part, Moderato, a lower piece ending in an unresolved air of mystery. The fourth and seventh parts, both Allegretto, brought back childhood adventures with their bright and lively energies, with the seventh part’s fast pace and sudden end feeling like a euphoric run ending with a fall in the grass.

The next piece, “American Canvas for flute, cello and piano” by contemporary composer Jennifer Higdon, includes three sections inspired by different artists. The first section, O’Keefe was prefaced with a quote from Georgia O’Keefe, “Nobody sees a flower — really — it is so small it takes time — we haven’t time — and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” The low tones of the cello played by Malmon with the harmonies and melodies of the piano and flute were reminiscent of O’Keefe’s blossoming flowers. A cello solo then took the listeners to the desert scenes of New Mexico before an explosion of controlled chaos brought the flowers back to life. A piano solo took us into O’Keeffe’s dark scenes of New York’s nightlife with a bright moon illuminating the environment. This musical ekphrasis revealed to us the great power found in female artistry and displayed flowers in a new light — not as delicate ornaments, but as explosions of color.

The following section, named after Jackson Pollock, stayed true to the artist’s nature with its splattering of notes mimicking his famous paint splatters. This section was a journey the musicians took their audience on, similar to how Pollock would lay his canvas down and take pictures of his artistic process. The next piece, inspired by Andrew Wyeth, included the pianist

Elizabeth Skavish plucking at the internal strings of the piano, a technique I had never seen before that created a sound similar to the plucked strings of a viola. The plucked, bouncy sounds of the piano and cello coincided beautifully with the airy, melodious flute. The section provided a wonderful soundtrack to Wyeth’s midwestern paintings with sections evocative of wind blowing through grass and running through corn fields.

After “American Canvas” evoked so many images in the listener’s mind, we were given a calming rest and reset with Arvo Pärt’s “Spiegel im Spiegel” performed by the piano and cello. Before the piece began, the audience was invited to take this time to meditate and sit in stillness and peace. True to their invitation, the soft, comforting piano and the crying vibrato of the cello felt like a warm hug after a long period of homesickness. The performance built up emotions, but always resolved them, bringing a sense of healing that would be impossible outside of live music. This piece, and the genuine, wholesome comfort and hope it provided, stayed with me and helped relieve my stress for the rest of that day.

I asked Malmon about their motivation for adding this meditation to their program. According to her, in the past they have played around with accompanying a singular instrument with the piano. The Ensemble loved the tranquility that resulted from this combination, especially in contrast with the more lively music often included in their programs. As such, they decided to try something similar in their recent performance. Malmon explained the reasoning behind specifically choosing a piece by the Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt. She stated, “The musical language he uses is called tintinnabuli. He never followed a school of composition, so it’s just interesting to work on something that is really different. And I probably would venture to say that he’s sort of minimalist, I don’t know if he would like that interpretation of it. I think it does lend itself to meditation and a different way of self-expression.”

After a fifteen-minute intermission, the viola, played by Dani Rimoni, entered the ensemble with the piece “Drobnosti for flute, viola and cello Op. 75a” by composer Antonin Dvorak. The starting Cavatina held a dramatic tone with the viola and cello that was balanced by the flute’s lightness. The following Capriccio was instantly more active, keeping listeners guessing with the jumping strings and alternating roles with a bouncy melody and smooth backing. The final Romance, true to its name, was reminiscent of a smooth dance in a castle ball.

The final “Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano” from Andre Previn brought the oboe, played by Charlyn Bethell, into the mix. The three parts, “Lively,” “Slow,” and “Jaunty” all contained jazz influences that brought to mind the soundtracks of Studio Ghibli films like “My Neighbor Totoro” or “Spirited Away.” “Lively” offered an electric “La La Land” type of intro with the piano jumping along to the smooth melodies of the oboe and

bassoon before ending in a conversational game with the three instruments. This trio was by far my favorite combination of instruments in a live performance and a combination absolutely worth hearing. “Slow” was nostalgic and down-to-earth with some mesmerizing oboe sections. Finally, “Jaunty” acted as the perfect closer, calling to mind a fairy tale battle scene with toy soldiers commanded by the kings of a distant playground where magic still prevails. The battle built up and up before ending in an effortlessly playful trill of the piano.

The program interestingly didn’t include any music from the canon, so I asked Malmon if the ensemble feels the need to share canon composers or if they prefer less famous ones. Malmon responded, “The thing as a performer that’s always a challenge is what’s good for the audience in terms of listening and what is good for the performer. And sometimes they’re the same and sometimes they’re not.” In their performances, the Ensemble recognizes that there’s a need to recognize and honor the audience they’re playing for. Just as they believe in varying instruments to create a unique sound, Kaleidoscope blends musical styles and periods to create a unique experience for each audience.

As an active part of Brandeis’ music department, I asked Dreeben how she felt the Brandeis administration could better support our music program. It came down to a matter of highlighting and advertising faculty performances, as well as setting aside more funding for faculty that do concerts. According to Dreeben, “For the musicians that don’t teach classes and just teach their instruments, if we want to do something, we have to set it up ourselves and the school doesn’t pay for it.” Honoring the talent of our music faculty and creating spaces for students to enjoy live music on campus are both incredibly important. The faculty wants to perform, however, as Dreeben noted, their concerts are not a financial priority for the University.

Dreeben’s final statement to Brandeis students regarding what the music department has to offer is “When I was studying music and my teacher played in a concert, I would change my life to go see my teacher playing in that concert. I don’t think students do that now and I know it’s because they’re drowning and everything else, but live music is an experience that’s completely different from any other musical experience.” Ultimately, the connection fostered in spaces of live music is invaluable and absolutely worth taking advantage of.

I’d like to thank the Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble for both their incredible performances and their insightful responses. This performance was the perfect way to escape from the typical college stress in a way that excites, stimulates and motivates me rather than tires and bores me. These free shows are a true gift, so I urge my peers to make the most of it and experience the unique joys of live performance during their time at Brandeis.

MEDITATIVE MASH-UP: Cellist and founding member of Kaleidoscope, Sandi-Jo Malman, performs Arvo Pärt’s “Spigel im Spiegel” alongside pianist Elizabeth Skavish.

TRIO OF MUSICIANS: The Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble performs a piece with Jill Debreen on flute, Sandi-Jo Malmon on cellist and Dani Rimoni on viola.

BASSOON: A new addition to the Ensemble, Tracy McGinnis plays the bassoon in the concert.

6.

Top Ten STAFF’S

Top 10 campus bathrooms

By BRYAN WOLFE JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

By Dahlia Ramirez

Women in Sports Crossword

By ELIZABETH LIU and SMILEY HUYNH JUSTICE EDITOR AND JUSTICE MANAGING EDITOR

Across

1. 2020 Olympic and 2022 World champion in the 400 meter hurdles; holds the world record in the 400 meter hurdles; broke the world record four times in 13 months and the only woman to break 51 seconds; holds six out of the nine fastest times on the world all-time list; voted 2022 World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year

3. The first American foil fencer to win an individual Olympic gold medal in history; four time NCAA champion and nine time individual Pan American champion; ten time team Pan American champion and 2018 team world champion.

5. Former professional tennis player, has won 23 Grand Slam women’s singles titles; the only player to accomplish a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles; won 14 major women’s doubles titles with her sister; the world’s highest paid woman athlete in 2016.

7. The 2024 National champion in figure skating and the sixth American woman to land a clean triple Axel in international competition.

8. The North American indoor record holder for the pentathlon; won the silver medal in the heptathlon at the 2023 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships; three-time U.S. national champion and two time NCAA Division I champion.

10. Lacrosse player who won a national championship with the Boston College Eagles in 2021; became the NCAA’s all-time goals scored leader; two-time Tewaaraton Award winner.

12. Professional beach volleyball player; won Olympic gold medals in three consecutive games and three FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships with teammate Misty May-Treanor, and set a win streak of 112 consecutive matches together.

18. Professional golfer who won the LPGA Tour seven times; won gold at the 2020 Olympics in the women’s individual golf event; reached number one in the Women’s World Golf Rankings.

19. Hawaiian American surfer who won the first ever Olympic Gold Medal in women’s short board surfing in 2020; five time WSL Women’s World Tour Champion; the first surfer in history to win a WSL world title and the Olympic title in the same year.

21. The youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal and the first woman to win two gold medals in halfpipe; the World, Olympic, Youth Olympic, and X Games champion in the halfpipe and the first to win the title at all four major events.

22. The youngest woman in history to become an Olympic and World champion in an individual track and field event; the 2020 Olympic champion and national record holder in the 800 meters.

23. Professional soccer player in the NWSL and US National Team; named The Best FIFA Women’s Player in 2019, one of the Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022 from Joe Biden.

15. Most decorated track athlete in history, one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and 2021, and prompted sportswear brands to expand their maternity policy to guarantee salary protections for their athletes.

16. Professional tennis player who was ranked world No. 3 in singles and of world No. 1 in doubles by the WTA; won seven WTA Tour singles titles, a major, and eight doubles titles; became the youngest player in Wimbledon’s history to qualify for the main draw.

17. Swimmer that has 7 Olympic and 21 World Championship gold medals — the most for any female swimmer; has broken 16 world records; was the most decorated US female athlete of the 2020 Olympic Games.

JONAS KAPLIN/The Justice

Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.

Visit our website: thejustice.org for crossword solutions.

Down

2. Former UNC field hockey midfielder and won four national championships during her time as a player; led the Tar Heels to another national championship as the head coach a year after graduating; was selected to be in the U.S. Women’s National Team at the age of 16.

4. The first Black woman to win an individual gold medal in winter Olympic history; the 2018 Olympic 500m speed skating champion; the first Black American woman to medal in speed skating.

6. 2017 World Champion and 10 time US National champion in the 3000 meter steeplechase; set a championship record and broke her own American record by five seconds at the 2017 World Championships.

9. The head softball coach at the University of Oklahoma; led the Sooners to seven national championships and a winning percentage of .808.

10. College basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes that is the NCAA Division I all-time scorer; a first-team All-American that was the first women’s player to lead Division I in both single season points and assists.

11. The first African American to become an Olympic individual all-around champion in ar-

tistic gymnastics; part of the “Fierce Five” and “Final Five” teams.

13. The most decorated American artistic gymnast in history; seven time Olympic medalist; holds the most World Championship medals in gymnastics with 30; six time World all around champion; was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden in 2022.

14. Alpine skier with the most world cup wins ever in history, and a 2-time Olympic gold medalist.

20. The first Hmong-American Olympian and 2020 Olympic all-around artistic gymnastics champion.