The Justice, May 15, 2018

ARTS Page 18

FORUM Address ‘ATTWN’ articles 11

YEAR IN REVIEW

SPORTS Track sprints to a strong finish 16 The Independent Student Newspaper

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Volume LXX, Number 24

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Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Waltham, Mass.

board of trustees

67TH COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES

Trustees discuss Univ. finances ■ The Board also discussed Brian Meehan's firing and divestment.

By jen geller JUSTICE editor

On April 24 and April 25, the Board of Trustees met for what University President Ron Liebowitz called “the most productive board meetings in [his] time at the university” in a May 10 email.

The Investment Committee met to start off the meetings, reviewing risk exposure, investment returns, expected cash flow, investment manager news and liquidity. Additionally, in terms of the University's endowment,

Brandeis has performed better in generating returns than many of its peer institutions.

The Investment Committee also identified the need for “an enterpriselevel review of the current conservative investment posture in light of the fact that peer universities have portfolios with higher risk levels and therefore higher expected returns,” per the May 10 email.

Following this meeting, the Board members and Liebowitz met in an executive session. Along with Board Chair Meyer Koplow, Liebowitz provided an update regarding the town hall meeting that followed the termination of men’s basketball coach Brian Meehan: The investigators are

See Trustees, 5 ☛

student union

Amendments alter Union Constitution

natalia wiater/the Justice

STORIES: Hrabowski’s speech was brought to life by stories of civil rights activism from his youth and his mother's life.

Hrabowski urges grads to stand up for justice ■ The civil rights activist

spoke of the importance of remembering our stories and always pursuing truth.

By Jocelyn gould and sam stockbridge JUSTICE EDITORs

“Each of us is a collection of stories,” Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III told the Class of 2018 during his address for the University’s 67th commencement. Hrabowski’s speech was shaped by and grounded in stories from his mother’s life as well as his own. The address explored the importance of justice, truth and a strong sense of self to improving the world.

Hrabowski has lived a life of determined activism, pursuing the values his speech proclaimed. In 1963, 12-year-old Hrabowski became a freedom fighter when he marched in the Children’s Crusade for civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama. He went on to become the president of the University

of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he continues to improve minority access, participation and performance in higher education, especially in science, technology, engineering and math.

The ceremony took place on Mother’s Day, so Hrabowski highlighted his mother’s life as a teacher and civil rights activist in his speech. In 1948, the same year that Brandeis was founded, his mother led a protest against the disparity between Black and white teachers’ wages and was consequently fired.

Luckily, she was hired by another school district just days later. “She stood up for justice,” Hrabowski said.

Hrabowski also drew lessons from his own life, centering on the moment in his youth when he was jailed for participating in the Children’s Crusade. He recounted his struggle to understand his identity after being treated brutally in jail.

“I had to be taught that I was not an animal, that I could not allow other people to define who I am,” he said, adding, “Don’t you ever allow anyone to define who you are.”

or reject changes suggested by the Constitutional Review Task Force.

By Eliana padwa JUSTICE EDITOR

While in jail, Hrabowski was visited by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who told him and the other imprisoned children, “What you do this day as children will have an impact on young people who have not yet been born.”

This idea of making an impact beyond oneself was prevalent throughout Hrabowski’s speech as he challenged graduates to never stop learning and pursuing the truth. Highlighting the importance of paying attention to one’s internal self, Hrabowski told graduates, “I challenge you to watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny, dreams and values.”

University President Ron Liebowitz spoke to the graduates about the future significance of their Brandeis education. He noted that “unlike other speakers, I do not stand here to share advice. But

See COMMENCEMENT, 8

The Student Union’s Constitutional Review Task Force proposed 19 amendments on April 23, each accompanied by the Union Constitution’s original text and a justification for the change. Four amendments failed and 15 succeeded.

Every four years, a Constitutional Review Task Force composed of students, alumni and Student Union members gathered to review the Constitution. The spring 2018 task force released its proposed amendments on April 23. The student body was given a two-day window to review the amendments and anonymously submit arguments supporting or opposing any given change. Amendments needed a two-thirds vote in favor to pass. Voting opened at 11:30 p.m. on April 29 and was open for 24 hours.

Adding an additional Racial Minority Senator to the Senate: PASSED The task force’s justification explained that the 49 percent of Brandeis students who identify as members of a racial minority group are not adequately represented in the

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Union. Adding a second racial minority senator would help rectify this, the justification asserted.

Adding language to the Constitution regarding the Brandeis Sustainability Fund: PASSED The amendment proposed adding rules to the Constitution regarding the Brandeis Sustainability Fund and its board. With the passage of these rules, undergraduates can access BSF funding by submitting a proposal to the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board, which consists of faculty, staff and students. Project proposals will be evaluated by the BSF’s board and constitution. The Union president can veto any BSF allocation, but the veto can be overridden by a twothirds vote of the BSF board.

Changing “Undergraduate Student Union” to “Undergraduate Student Government”: FAILED This amendment claimed that “Union” is an ambiguous term. At other universities, “student union” tends to refer to campus centers and gathering spaces analogous to Brandeis’ Carl J. Shapiro Campus Center, according to the justification.

The Student Union at Brandeis is a governing body, and the task force felt that its name should reflect that.

Changing benchmarks to guidelines regarding Secured Clubs and funds, adjusting the guideline values of Secured Clubs, and bet-

See union, 5 ☛

Remembering Bernstein

Baseball is Optimistic

Commencement

 A controversial figure and hero, Bernstein left a legacy that is still visible today.

 The Judges look forward to major improvements in their 2019 season with returning players.

Graduates and their families celebrated at Brandeis' 67th Commencement on Sunday.

Photo Courtesy of University Archives

For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

■ Students voted to accept

Let your voice be heard!

Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

FEATURES 6

INDEX

SPORTS 16

hEATHER SCHILLER/the Justice

ARTS SPORTS

17 13

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 OPINION 8 POLICE LOG

10 2

News 8 COPYRIGHT 2018 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

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TUESDAY, May 15, 2018

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the justice

NEWS BRIEF

POLICE LOG

International Business School gains Prof. Kathryn Graddy as new dean

Medical Emergency

Prof. Kathryn Graddy (ECON), the Fred and Rita Richman distinguished professor in economics and senior associate dean at the Brandeis International Business School, has been appointed the school’s new dean, according to a May 1 email from University President Ron Liebowitz and University Provost Lisa M. Lynch.

Since coming to Brandeis in 2007, Graddy has served as chair of the economics department and program director for the IBS doctoral program. At IBS, Graddy developed a new master’s degree in business analytics and strengthened the school’s partnerships with other colleges and universities around the world.

In a press release included in the May 1 email, Graddy said that IBS is “built on a solid foundation of being rigorous, global and experimental.”

Moving forward, IBS will rely on those principles as they prepare students to “succeed in the global economy.”

Lynch affirmed her support for Graddy in the same release, asserting that Graddy would increase Brandeis’ impact on the “global marketplace of ideas” and uphold Justice Louis D. Brandeis’ belief that business can serve as a positive societal force.

Graddy’s academic focuses are the economics of art and culture and industrial organization, per the press release. Graddy is an editor emeritus of the Journal of Cultural Economics and has published in the RAND Journal of Economics, Management Science, the American Economic Review and other highly regarded publications.

Prior to arriving at Brandeis, Graddy was a fellow of Exeter College at Oxford University and an assistant professor at the London Business School.

Graddy received her bachelor’s degree from Tulane University with majors in mathematics and Russian, her MBA from Columbia University and her doctoral degree in economics from Princeton University. She also has an honorary doctorate from Copenhagen Business School.

The search committee that chose Graddy was led

by Prof. Blake LeBaron (IBS), the Abram L. and Thelma Sachar professor of international economics at IBS. —Eliana Padwa

The Justice is on hiatus for the summer.

Our next issue will be published in the fall semester.

April 22—BEMCo staff responded to an unresponsive, vomiting party in Massell Quad.

The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

April 22—BEMCo staff treated a vomiting party in the Foster Mods. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

April 22—BEMCo staff responded to a fall on Chapels Field. The party was treated and transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

April 22—A vomiting party in the Foster Mods was treated

by BEMCo staff. The party, a guest of a Brandeis student, was treated and signed a refusal for further care.

April 22—BEMCo staff responded to a vomiting party on Chapels Field. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via ambulance for further care.

April 22—An intoxicated party was transported from Chapels Field to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital emergency room by BEMCo staff for further care.

April 22—BEMCo staff treated a vomiting party in Rosenthal Quad. The party signed a refusal for further care.

April 22—An intoxicated party was treated and transported from Chapels Field to the NewtonWellesley Hospital emergency room for further care by BEMCo staff.

April 22— BEMCo staff responded to an intoxicated party on Chapels Field. The party signed a refusal for further care.

April 22—While dancing on Chapels Field, a party was struck in the head. BEMCo staff treated the party, who refused further care.

April 22—A party fell near Loop Road and refused medical attention by BEMCo staff. University Police escorted the party back to their apartment.

April 22—A party with a hand injury on Chapels Field refused further care by BEMCo staff.

April 22—University Police received a call about an unconscious intoxicated party. The party was treated by EMS staff and transported to the NewtonWellesley Hospital ER for further care.

April 22—A party in Massell Quad reported feeling faint, and was treated by emergency medical services staff before being transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

April 22—EMS staff treated an intoxicated party after receiving a request for assistance. The party signed a refusal for further care.

April 22—A party with a bruised ankle was treated by BEMCo staff and refused further care.

April 23—BEMCo staff treated a party reporting malaise at the Castle. The party refused further care.

April 24—A party in East Quad was treated for abdominal pains

by BEMCo staff. University Police escorted the party to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care.

April 25—BEMCo staff treated a possible panic attack in Massell Quad. The party refused further care.

April 25—A party in the Charles River Apartments who was feeling ill requested BEMCo attention. The party was treated and refused further care.

April 26—A party with difficulty swallowing arrived at the police station requesting care.

BEMCo staff treated the party, who was then transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

April 27— BEMCo staff treated a party with chest pain in Usdan.

The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

April 28—An arm injury in Rosenthal Quad was responded to by BEMCo staff. University Police transported the party to an urgent care facility for further care.

April 28— BEMCo staff re-

sponded to a party with stomach pain in Spingold Theater Center.

The party was treated and the area coordinator on call was notified. The party was transported by ambulance to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

April 28—A party entered the police station reporting chest pains, where they were treated

by BEMCo staff. After the area coordinator on call was notified, the party was transported by ambulance to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

May 1— BEMCo staff treated a party in Massell Quad for a partially knocked-out tooth. University Police escorted the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

May 2—Health center staff requested an ambulance for a patient experiencing abdominal pain. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

May 2—A party having a seizure in the Mandel Center for the Humanities was treated by emergency medical services staff and refused further care.

May 4—BEMCo staff, Cataldo Ambulance staff and the Waltham Fire Department responded to a party having an allergic reaction. The party was treated and transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

May 4—BEMCo staff and Cataldo Ambulance staff treated an intoxicated party. The party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care, and the area coordinator on call was notified.

May 5—A party was treated

by BEMCo staff after being accidentally struck in the head. The party refused further care.

May 7—A party requested BEMCo staff after not feeling well.

The party requested an ambulance, but was treated and refused further care.

May 7—BEMCo staff treated a party with a hand injury sustained in a fall near the Charles River Apartments. The party was

take a bow

n A Forum article incorrectly labeled Hannah Moser’s class year as ’20 instead of ’18. (April 24, Page 10). n An Arts article incorrectly spelled Eli Kengmana’s name. (April 24, Page 18). n An Arts article incorrectly spelled Lilia Shrayfer’s name. (April 24, Page 18). n A News article incorrectly punctuated the title of TedxBrandeisUniversity as Tedx Brandeis. (April 24, Pages 1 and 3).

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification.

Email editor@thejustice.org.

the

www.thejustice.org

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. editor@thejustice.org news@thejustice.org forum@thejustice.org features@thejustice.org sports@thejustice.org arts@thejustice.org ads@thejustice.org photos@thejustice.org managing@thejustice.org copy@thejustice.org layout@thejustice.org

The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 Phone: (781) 736-3750 The Managing Editor holds office hours on Mondays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

April 25—University Police responded to a noise complaint at 567 South Street. The building was found to be quiet upon University Police arrival.

May 1—University Police responded to a complaint of parties screaming and running around Massell Quad. The scene was quiet upon University Police arrival.

May 1—A verbal argument near the Charles River Apartments was reported to University Police. University Police checked in with the residents but took no further action.

May 2—Loud voices were reported near the Charles River Apartments. Upon University Police arrival, the scene was quiet.

May 4—University Police received a report of loud music and talking in the Charles River Apartments. The area was quiet upon police arrival.

May 5—University Police dispersed a group from the Foster Mods after receiving a noise complaint.

May 5—University Police told parties in the Charles River Apartments to quiet down their video games. The parties compiled without incident.

See police log, 5 ☛

Sodexo reassures Univ. that its romaine lettuce is unaffected by E. coli outbreak

n A Forum article incorrectly spelled Evan Mahnken’s name. (April 24, Page 11).

Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing Copy Layout

Disturbance

BRIEF

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

Justice

transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via University Police for further care.

May 7—A party with a severe headache in Massell Quad requested BEMCo assistance and was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care.

May 9—BEMCo staff treated a party for an ankle injury near the athletic fields. The party refused further care.

May 9—An intoxicated party was treated by BEMCo staff at Foster Mods, then transported by ambulance to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care.

May 10—A party was treated

by BEMCo staff at the athletic fields for a leg injury.

jen geller/the Justice

Seniors enjoyed a carnival at the athletic fields during Senior Week.

On April 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began investigating an outbreak of E. coli which, according to the CDC website, was traced back to “whole heads of romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region.”

Stan Park, the operations director of Brandeis Sodexo, verified in an email to the Justice that the food service provider received written confirmation from Russo’s, their produce supplier, that Brandeis’ romaine comes from Salinas Valley, California instead of Yuma, Arizona.

“As soon as we became aware of the situation we reached out to our local produce supplier to verify the source of the romaine we purchased,” Park wrote in the email. “Once it was confirmed that the romaine we serve did not come from Yuma, Arizona, we deemed it to be safe for consumption.”

After Brandeis Sodexo received this confirmation, they posted signs around undergraduate dining locations confirming that their lettuce was “not affected by the recall.”

The CDC determined the source of the infection on April 20. The CDC website for the outbreak recommended that consumers not “eat or buy romaine lettuce unless [they] can confirm it is not from the Yuma growing region.” The website also noted that produce labels frequently do not indicate region of origin.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s information about the outbreak, there have been 64 hospitalizations and one death during the months of March and April.

—Jocelyn Gould

the justice

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changing leadership

BRIEF Univ. experiences network outage for five hours on first day of finals On Monday, April 30, the University experienced severe network outages that interfered with the University Wi-Fi and other online services, such as LATTE and PeopleSoft. According to an email from Provost Lisa Lynch, the network outage lasted roughly from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

At 12:44 p.m., Chief Information Officer Jim La Creta sent an email to the community explaining that prior to 11 a.m., Internet and Technology Services had begun to investigate reports of a network outage. At the time, the investigation determined that the internet was down and could be intermittently available.

The cause of the outage and plan for remediation remained unknown until 3:20 p.m., when La Creta notified the community that ITS had isolated the incident as a malfunction in the network hardware. At this point, ITS had begun working to restore the services.

The email explained that “priority for restoring services [would] start with basic networking, including eduroam and then core institutional services, LATTE, PeopleSoft, etc.”

Because the outage occurred on the first day of finals, Lynch requested that all April 30 course submission deadlines be extended to the same time on Tuesday,

May 1, so that students could have the opportunity to complete and submit their work. The outage did lead to the cancellation of at least one class’s final exam — COSI 12B, “Advanced Programming Techniques.”

La Creta sent out another email at 6:59 p.m. in which he announced that eduroam and LATTE were both fully functional. He added that PeopleSoft and some other modules would still require a few more hours before becoming fully functional and residual delays would still exist. He apologized for the inconvenience that the five-hour delay caused to students.

In an email to the Justice, La Creta further detailed the specific causes of the outage, which began at exactly 10:45 a.m. According to the email, a network switch — which enables communications between devices — in the Feldberg Communication Center malfunctioned, causing servers and all on-site systems and services (LATTE, BUSS, sage, PeopleSoft, etc.) to stop working.

To resolve the issue, all servers and associated systems on campus were restarted, and the corrupted data was restored to its original state in the restart process.

—Jen Geller

Natalia wiater/the Justice

NEW PRESIDENT: Outgoing Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18 swore in incoming President Hannah Brown ’19.

Senators examine the State of the Union ■ Union leaders reflected

ANDREW BAXTER/Justice File Photo

on the accomplishments of the last year and swore in new members for the coming academic year.

By Emily Blumenthal Justice production assistant

The Justice needs your help: Take a quick survey on the relationship between Brandeis and Waltham!

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The Student Union hosted its annual State of the Union address on April 24, in which Union leaders spoke to the student body about the organization’s accomplishments during the past academic year and looked to the future of the Union.

Outgoing Student Union President Jacob Edelman ’18 made the introductory remarks, highlighting two essential tasks of the Union: handling “a giant sum of money,” which it gives to student groups so they can “have fun, … create … and… explore with it,” and aiding undergraduates’ advocacy work when students “aren’t up there advocating for themselves.”

Edelman then introduced Executive Senator Aaron Finkel ’20 to speak about the Senate’s accomplishments.

Finkel began by calling the past year “the year of good news,” and stated that there have been “wonderful things going on in our Senate.” He then proceeded to discuss the accomplishments of the Senate committees, which he said worked “really diligently to address a variety of issues and plan specific projects and initiatives.”

Starting with his own Services and Outreach Committee, co-chaired by Union Communications Director Callahan Cox ’18 during the spring semester, Finkel stated that its accomplishments included two Midnight Buffets and the new “Take Your Professor Out to Lunch” initiative.

Moving to the Bylaws Committee, chaired by Class of 2018 Senator Abhishek Kulkarni, Finkel commended its extensive review and standardization of the Union bylaws.

Next, Finkel highlighted the accomplishments of the Club Support Committee, chaired by Class of 2020 Senator Tal Richtman and incoming Racial Minority Senator Geraldine Bogard ’20. This year, the Club Support Committee created “probationary status,” held two highly attended workshops and is currently drafting a proposal for a club advisor network.

Finkel stated that the Social Justice and Diversity Committee, led by Rosenthal Quad Senator Elizabeth Dabanka ’20, brought a “powerful” guest speaker to campus to speak about Islamophobia.

Drawing attention to the Health and Safety Committee chaired by East Quad Senator Samantha Barrett ’20, Finkel announced that the committee is working on lifting an on-campus ban on pepper spray and tackling the

issue of smoking.

Finkel then spoke about the Campus Operations Working Group, stating that chair Shaquan McDowell ’18 led the committee in a successful trial run of providing free menstrual products in bathrooms. The committee, Finkel continued, is in the midst of discussions with administrators to make the initiative permanent.

Concerning the Sustainability Committee, chaired by Vice President-elect Benedikt Reynolds ’19, Finkel underlined its “numerous green initiatives,” including Meatless Mondays and the Green Ambassadors orientation program. The committee, Finkel added, also assisted in allocating $180,000 for on-campus green initiatives.

Last, Finkel discussed the accomplishments of the Dining Committee, chaired by Class of 2020 Senator Jonathan Chen. The committee planned “numerous events in the dining halls,” held regular meetings with Sodexo and addressed meal plan requirements and affordability.

Finkel concluded by thanking the senators for a year of “good news and unprecedented progress,” and then emphasized the importance of trust amid disagreement to the future success of the Union. Overall, Finkel declared, “The state of our Union is strong.”

Allocations Board Chair Aseem Kumar ’20 then took the stage, imploring Union members to appreciate the long hours of work put in by A-Board members, especially during the marathon process. During this semester, Kumar said, policy work has revolved around transparency, consistency, efficiency and accountability, which has resulted in A-Board policies becoming more consistent and less biased. Kumar concluded by congratulating ABoard members and announcing that A-Board will be sending out a budget outlining club costs.

Office of Student Rights and Advocacy Director Zosia Busé ’20 spoke next, evaluating the first year of the office’s revival. Busé stated that she was honored to create a vision for the new organization, but emphasized that her work could not have been done without the help of her team of advocates.

This semester, she created a more comprehensive structure for the office by adding positions for assistant directors and deputies. She also established a relationship with the Ombuds Office and trained with the Office of Rights and Responsibilities.

Cox spoke briefly, focusing on her efforts to make the Union more visible and respected. Cox stated that through regular social media posts and forums, she successfully reached out to the student body and Union members about their projects to increase awareness and enthusiasm. She concluded by telling students that “we are here to advocate for [you], and it’s important for us to remember that we are trying

to make Brandeis better.”

Speaking on behalf of the Judiciary, Justice Avraham Tsikhanovski ’21 declared that one of its accomplishments was helping the Jewish Feminist Association of Brandeis become a club and investigating its troubles in the process of attaining that status.

Edelman read remarks by Union Diversity and Inclusion Officer Amber Abernathy ’18. In her remarks, Abernathy stated that she had worked with A-Board and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to give a presentation responding to the demands of Ford Hall 2015 on how funding could be more equitably distributed to racial minority-focused clubs, along with facilitating discussions about intersectionality in the Senate.

Edelman thanked Union leaders and stepped aside for incoming Union President Hannah Brown ’19 to present the Senate Awards. Newly elected Student Union leaders and senators were then sworn in, vowing to strive to make Brandeis better and advocate for the voiceless.

After the new officers were inducted, Edelman addressed the Union and evaluated his presidency. Edelman highlighted the Union’s introduction of a Union Diversity and Inclusion officer, the revival of OSRA and the assessment of A-Board funding for racial minority-focused clubs. The Union also met with members of the Board of Trustees and administration concerning financial aid and provided more support to the Brandeis Counseling Center, Edelman stated. While much progress has been made this year, Edelman said, there is much more to be made, affirming that he is confident in the abilities of next year’s leadership to make Brandeis better.

Edelman concluded by thanking the student body for giving him the opportunity to serve, before stepping aside for Brown, saying, “The Union is yours.”

Professing that it had been a difficult year, Brown stated that “many of us had our beliefs challenged at one point, many of us had to make difficult decisions and many of us saw or heard discouraging things,” but believes that these difficulties can test character and teach lessons. For her term, Brown wishes to use the lessons learned from these challenges to grow as a community.

Concluding her speech and the State of the Union, Brown stated that she wants community members to “continue facing challenges, … continue achieving and take a moment to celebrate our successes… as the Brandeis community.”

Brown added, “If anything makes Brandeis special, it’s our community. …It’s just full of people that really want to do good things for the world, and I think that makes for a strong Brandeis community and for a really strong Student Union.”

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TUESDAY, may 15, 2018

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the justice

finals de-stresser

Graduate Students

Grad students negotiate contract ■ Negotiations between

the administration and the graduate student union entered their eighth month.

By natalia wiater Justice Editor

Graduate students and representatives from the administration are entering their eighth month of contract negotiations, according to an email to the Justice from Eric Chasalow, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

The parties reached a Tentative Agreement on 15 articles, or roughly half the contract, as of May 2. Compensation, benefits and paid leave have not yet been agreed upon, Dominick Knowles, a graduate student involved in the negotiations, explained in an email to the Justice.

The process will continue through the summer, but the pace of these talks is “not unusual,” according to Chasalow, who wrote in the same email that the negotiations for adjunct faculty contracts lasted 12 months and were considered “expeditious.”

“Parties in negotiation share many common goals and we are having very productive talks,” Chasalow added.

There are over 200 graduate students involved in the Union, which is a branch of Services Employees International Union Local 509.

These students include teaching assistants, PhD candidates, teaching fellows and other graduate students who hold teaching positions.

One of the students’ primary goals is to receive fair compensation, Knowles explained in an interview with the Justice. Humanities students do not receive summer funding, and while many take up additional jobs throughout the year, financial security is not assured.

In a letter to the Justice, Sasha Albert, a PhD candidate at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, wrote, “Even while working, I spend half my monthly stipend on rent alone. My colleagues face similar challenges –

they work long hours for low pay, go without seeing the dentist, and struggle to afford things like transportation and childcare.”

The Brandeis Labor Coalition has been actively involved in campaigning on the graduate students’ behalf. They coordinated with the Union to hold a march on May 1, encouraging participants to wear orange to “show the administration that a fair contract for graduate workers matters to the entire Brandeis community,” according to the Facebook page for the event.

In an interview with the Justice, BLC member Phoebe Dolan ’20 explained that graduate student working conditions are “our learning conditions.”

The BLC also shared a Google Form that asked for undergraduate student feedback, recording responses anonymously. They received over two dozen responses and delivered them to the administration during the May 1 rally.

“Every week the graduate students welcomed me and helped me navigate the new expectations of college life and learning. … It is incredibly important that graduate students are supported by the university. If they are not provided the resources that they need, then I, as a student, will not have the learning environment that will best benefit me,” one of the responses, shared with the Justice

by Dolan, read.

During admitted students day, members of the BLC worked with graduate students to gather signatures from prospective students and parents in support of the union efforts. Knowles praised the undergraduate students he worked with. “We wouldn’t be half as successful if it wasn’t for the BLC. …

They were so incredible; I cannot speak highly enough of their efforts. They were relentless.” The group received over 100 signatures in under two hours, and they campaigned from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. that day.

“Their support speaks to a larger codependency of the graduate and undergraduate students,” Knowles commented. “We form bonds that are more intimate than between a student and professor.”

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Therapy farm animals visited students outside the Goldfarb Library on Monday, April 30.

New initiative explores Latinx Jewish culture ■ The Hadassah-Brandeis

Institute began their most recent initiative to study Latin American Jewish life.

By leigH salomon Justice staff writer

After more than two decades of engaging with scholars, authors, artists and community members to develop “fresh ways of thinking about Jews and gender worldwide,” the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute is launching its newest initiative: the HBI Project in Latin American Jewish & Gender Studies.

Previous HBI initiatives include the Project on Gender, Culture, Religion and the Law in 2007 and the Project on Families, Children and the Holocaust in 2009.

According to the HBI’s website, LAJGS is a “pioneering initiative for the study and exploration of Jewish life and gender in Latin America (Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean) and among Latin American Jewish immigrants worldwide.” In a joint interview with the Justice, Prof. Dalia Wassner (NEJS) and Mendy Bandel ’18 discussed the academic and cultural pursuits of LAJGS. According to Wassner, Europe was a demographic center of Jewish life prior to the Holocaust, but the tragedy encompassed both individual losses of life and the loss of whole communities. “So not only, demographically, do you have Jews moving to Latin America,” she explained, “but also, the idea of who we are as a Jewish diaspora is shifting, and it’s important to consider different regions of the world that are now home to Jews that maybe weren’t in such higher numbers.”

Additionally, Latin America has recently experienced a significant demographic shift: 50 years ago, it was home to over 500,000 Jews, but now has a population of only around 400,000. Wassner asked, “Why have those Jews left? What happens to the Jews that remain? How do those identities with those that stay evolve?

How do those identities of those that leave, maintain themselves, evolve and change?”

The HBI approved LAJGS last spring. Wassner, a research associate who is currently directing the project, created it after realizing that Brandeis would be the perfect institution to house it. “If we’re going to understand world Jewry … within Brandeis, [it] should include a ro-

bust and really serious component of Latin American Jewish Studies,” she said. She envisions LAJGS being “both an academic center of studying those Jews and a cultural center for bringing to life that culture from Jews of Latin America and from Latino Jews.”

Bandel, a student assistant for LAJGS, became involved in the project last summer. “My grandparents are Holocaust survivors, so I always felt that I had to do something,” said Bandel. He said coming to Brandeis “was a big culture shock,” describing the disparity between the small number of Latinx Jews on campus and the larger number in the Miami area where he used to live. Bandel explained that he is now happy to be able to play his part in raising awareness of the Jewish diaspora.

Bandel described his general role with LAJGS as assisting Wassner with whatever she needs. He develops fundraising and marketing strategies for the project, and creates and organizes work files to support its ongoing efficiency. Wassner sees Bandel as a “partner who understands all of these parts … [and] the value of this for Brandeis going forward.” With Bandel’s feedback and fine-tuning, Wassner was able to update and teach NEJS 132A, “The Jews of Latin America,” this semester. The course, which Wassner believes is the first Near Eastern and Judaic Studies course on Latin American Jewish history, explores the multiple understandings of Jewishness that arose in Latin America from colonial times to the present through historical analysis of literature, theater and art.

She emphasized that the course would not have been possible without Targum Shlishi, a foundation dedicated to providing a range of creative solutions to problems facing contemporary Jewry that generously funded the course this year.

Wassner went on to say that “a huge mission is to support the work of other scholars.” After securing enough funding, she hopes to invite others to apply to be scholars and residents within the project and receive all the accompanying benefits.

They would be able to explore their own questions within the field, have research space, access the laboratory, participate in conferences, give public lectures, publish in the HBI’s series within the University Press and more.

The University library has already created a database to support scholarly research within LAJGS topi-

cally and allocated $1,500 to purchase books within the field of study.

Wassner and Bandel have participated in and planned a number of cultural events since the project was approved last spring. Most recently, on May 9 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Massachusetts, HBI and the National Center for Jewish Film co-presented a sold-out screening of the award-winning documentary, “Cuba’s Forgotten Jewels: A Haven in Havana.” The film, which explores the story of Jewish refugees who escaped Nazi-occupied Europe and found a safe haven in Cuba, was followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Judy Kreith and Robin Truesdale, moderated by Wassner.

The fall 2018 launch event for LAJGS, “A Latin American Pen, A Global Memory: Imagining Anne Frank Today,” will take place on Nov. 1 at Jewish Community Center of Greater Boston. Summarized on the HBI website, it will feature a “dramatic reading of Marjorie Agosín’s illustrated book ‘Anne: Imagining the Diary of Anne Frank’” and “a moderated conversation about the ongoing relevance of Anne Frank in Latin America.”

This winter, at Temple Emanuel in Newton, Massachusetts, Wassner will moderate a conversation between Latinx rabbis and cantors.

Wassner explained that this will show how Latin American Jews “are not just surviving and thriving but also, … in some cases, are leading American Jewish communities.”

Wassner and Bandel revealed they are collaborating with the Brandeis University Alumni Association and the Theater Arts department to try to bring Ruth Behar to campus for next year’s Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts. The first Latina to win a MacArthur “genius” grant, Behar is an anthropologist and academic by training but also a storyteller, traveler, memoirist, poet, teacher and public speaker. “She’s really someone who embodies a lot of what the program is interested in supporting,” Wassner said.

According to Wassner, the value of LAJGS comes from its combination of community involvement, cultural programs and academic exploration.

A graduating senior, Bandel will not be there to personally experience it all, but he finds value in laying the groundwork of LAJGS for others to benefit from. He sees the project as an opportunity to “bring the whole Latin Jewish community together” by “having a space for people to express their Latin Jewry.”

THE JUSTICE

Trustees: Board meeting is ‘productive,’ Liebowitz says CONTINUED FROM 1 continuing to interview individuals who step forward with complaints and experiences, and reports are then forwarded to Koplow.

Following the executive meeting, the Academic Committee convened to tour the library, learn about the improvements made in the library over the past two years, visit the Maker Lab and discuss a proposal to establish a new program for a Bachelors of Science in applied mathematics.

During the Risk Management and Audit Committee meeting, trustees heard an update on the Workday system implementation, as well as a report from internal auditors on executive expenses and an internal audit plan for the upcoming year.

The Institutional Advancement Committee then heard a report on this year’s fundraising efforts. Compared to last year, the University received a similar number of gifts from friends of the University but fewer gifts from foundations and corporations. Phonathons, direct mail and online giving programs were more successful than in prior years, mostly due to last December’s “Giving Tuesday” event. According to the email, the committee will also reinstate a Gift Acceptance Committee to “meet regularly and make recommendations to the IA Committee and senior leadership regarding all matters related to fundraising.”

The Nominating and Governance Committee recommended an amendment to the bylaws requiring that each standing committee charge be approved annually by the full board.

They also discussed restructuring board meetings to make them more effective, reviewed candidates they recommended to become trustees for the full board and talked about recruitment efforts for trustees.

The Resource Committee meeting consisted of many different financial

reviews, including a review of their 2018 fiscal year financial and administrative goals, an update of the 2018 financial budget, a report on endowment policy and practice and an update on the implementation of the ERP-Workday.

On the second day of meetings, trustees focused on two issues. The first was a report from an ad-hoc committee that recommended solutions to issues relating to the suspension of retirement benefits in the 2009-10 academic year. The second was a proposal to divest fossil fuel holdings from the University’s endowment.

Stewart Uretsky, Brandeis’ executive vice president for Finance and Administration, and Sam Solomon, the University’s chief financial officer, presented a “financial primer” to the trustees on the basis of Brandeis’ financial model for obtaining revenues, spending money and maintaining a relationship with the University community. A similar presentation will be made to the faculty in the fall.

Divestment was then discussed in an executive session. A subcommittee was appointed to consider multiple options with the goal of arriving “at a decision on the divestment of fossil fuels within 60 days,” according to Leibowitz’s email.

An April 25 BrandeisNOW article detailed the election of five new members to the University’s Board of Trustees. Bonnie Berger ’83 is the Simons Professor of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Deborah Bial ’87 H’12 is the president and founder of the Posse Foundation. Jonathan Davis ’75 is a former vice chair of the Brandeis Board of Trustees and has now been re-elected to the board. Josh Kraft is the Nicholas president and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs in Boston, and Lan Xue ’90 MA ’91 is a founding partner at Trivest Advisor with 24 years of investing research experience in Chinese financial markets.

POLICE LOG CONTINUED FROM 2

Vandalism

May 8—A party outside Ziv Quad was reported for playing loud music.

The area was empty upon police arrival.

May 9—University Police asked a party playing a board game in the Charles River Apartments to reduce their volume. The party complied without incident.

May 9—A live band was reported for unauthorized playing outside Foster Mods. The area coordinator on call requested the party relocate inside. No further action was taken by University Police.

May 9—A party reported loud music at the Charles River Apartments.

No noise was observed upon University Police arrival.

May 11—A party near the Foster Mods reported loud noises. Upon University Police arrival, the area was quiet.

May 11—University Police asked the Foster Mods residents to quiet down after receiving complaints from their neighbors.

May 12—Residents of the Foster Mods were asked to quiet down by University Police after receiving a noise complaint.

May 13—University Police dispersed a gathering in the Foster Mods after receiving a noise complaint.

May 1—University Police responded to reports of a broken window in the common area of the Charles River Apartments. Facilities was informed of the incident.

Larceny

April 29—A party reported stolen laptop charger in the Usdan Student Center. University Police compiled a report on the missing item.

May 8—University Police received a report that two watches had been stolen from an unlocked room in the Village. A report was compiled on the theft.

Harassment

April 23—University Police received a report of a party leaving a harassing voicemail message for an unknown party. Police proceeded to compile a report on the incident.

May 9—A harassing message was left on a Rose Art Museum extension voicemail. LTS was notified, and University Police compiled a report on the incident.

Other April 23—University Police responded to a report of a suspicious purple suitcase left near the power plant. The suitcase was found to be empty and was disposed of.

April 28—University Police received a report of a suspicious person sleeping in the Village. They determined the party was a University student and took no further action.

April 30—University Police responded to a report of a disgruntled party at the International Business School who had not been accepted to the University. Upon University Police arrival, the party was spoken to.

Police compiled a report afterward.

May 9—A party reported seeing a person in a pink dress lying on the Great Lawn who appeared to be “on drugs.” The person was gone by the time University Police arrived.

—Compiled by Jocelyn Gould and Sam Stockbridge

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TUESDAY, May 15, 2018

5

phi beta kappa induction

Andrew baxter/the Justice

Prof. William E. Kapelle (HIST) compared modern collegiate education to medieval educational traditions in his speech at the 2018 Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony.

UNION: Students vote to clarify constitution language CONTINUED FROM 1 ter enforcing Allocations Board policy: FAILED The proposal would have changed the word “benchmarks” to “guidelines” and further defined it. The amendment would have also created a Club Sports Fund to reflect that club sports is an entity rather than one club. The amendment would also have enabled A-Board to enforce funding and documentation procedures by allowing them to lower guideline values or decrease funding in the following fiscal year.

The amendment was nullified and put up to a second vote because it originally misstated the secured values for WBRS and BTV. It failed to pass the second vote.

Clarifying and redistributing of the roles of Executive Senator and Vice President: PASSED The amendment, meant to clarify the roles of Union executive senator and vice president, established the executive senator as a “clerical, concrete and useful role.” The executive senator’s new duties include presiding over the Senate in the vice president’s absence and maintaining the Senate’s minutes and attendance log. The vice president’s expanded role includes serving as the chair of the Senate and the Executive Board’s liaison to it.

Clarifying the definition and privileges of Secured Clubs: PASSED The amendment defines secured clubs as organizations “recognized by students as sufficiently important to necessitate annual funding.” Previously, secured clubs had “[provided] an essential service to the entire student body.” This change was justified by the claim that the proposed wording would be better aligned with the actual function of secured clubs.

Secured clubs are also now officially able to budget through the Allocations Board on an annual basis and cannot be de-chartered unless their secured status is first removed through an amendment.

Clarifying the language regarding Union Clubs: PASSED In their justification for the amendment, the task force claimed that Article VI of the Constitution, the section regarding Union clubs, uses the word “recognized” inconsistently. The amendment aimed to clarify the article’s language, to remove a rule forbidding clubs from “[duplicating] the purpose or goals” of any other club, to expand every secured club’s protection from Senate regulations and to explicitly allow the Senate to dissolve clubs.

Clarifying the language surrounding Racial Minority positions: PASSED This amendment was intended to clarify Constitution language. It added a requirement that students may only vote and run for racial minority senator if they have self-identified as such through the University Registrar.

Clarifying the line of succession to the Presidency and clarifying in-

terim positions: PASSED Under this amendment, the vice president will serve as president if the office of Union president is vacant. If the vice president cannot serve for the remainder of the term, they serve as interim president until a new president is elected according to the Constitution’s specifications.

If the vice president cannot serve as interim president, the executive senator fulfills the role, and if they cannot, the Union secretary serves. If none of the listed senators are able to serve as interim president, the Judiciary may appoint a Union member to the role.

Clarifying the procedure of the Community Enhancement and Emergency Fund and increasing representation: PASSED The amendment was meant to make the Community Enhancement and Emergency Fund “clearer and more effective” for the student body to access. The CEEF exists to “ensure the stability of Union funds in case of emergencies” and allow the University community to fund projects for communal benefit. CEEF funding is capped at $250,000; unused Student Activities Fund money is re-allocated to it until the cap is reached.

Correcting the definition and implications of the motion “abstain” and adding the motion of “vote of no confidence” to allow the option to vote against all candidates: PASSED The task force sought to clarify the difference between choosing not to vote in an election and voting against every potential candidate in the election. Prior to the amendment, abstentions had penalized candidates; should abstain receive a majority, the seat would be kept vacant until the next election. Adding a “vote of no confidence” option will allow voters to choose between actively voting against every candidate and simply abstaining from the election.

Eliminating the unnecessary section of “Additional Representative Positions”: PASSED This amendment removed “vague text” concerning the power balance between the Senate and the President.

The task force justified the amendment by explaining that the power difference between the two is “better defined” in the Senate bylaws.

Increasing the frequency of the Constitutional Review, including measures to solicit student opinions in the Constitutional Review, and clarifying the role of Secretary regarding Constitutional Amendments: PASSED This amendment changed the frequency of the constitutional review process from every four years to every three years in order to maintain the Constitution as a “living document.”

The amendment also requires the task force to publish a survey to the student body in order to maintain the Constitution’s relevance and responsiveness to student need. It also transfers responsibility for maintaining the Constitution to the Senate; previously,

it had been under jurisdiction of the Judiciary.

Reforming Quad Senator Positions: PASSED The task force explained that this amendment was created to streamline the Senate by reducing the number of quad senators. It groups residence quads by number and approximate class year of residents.

Reforming the Judiciary: PASSED The task force explained that a “fundamental lack of structure” has impeded the Judiciary’s fulfillment of its duties. The rewritten clauses about the Judiciary clarify roles and responsibilities, protect privacy rights of people involved in cases and create specific requirements for the execution of a trial.

Requiring all elected and appointed Union officials to officially accept positions to then be bound to the governing documents of the Student Union: PASSED Prior to this amendment, there was no procedure requiring Union officials to formally accept positions after being elected. This amendment stated that elected officials will not be held to the Union rights and responsibilities until they have accepted the role electronically or in writing.

Securing the Hoot and establishing a News Publishing Fund: FAILED Before The Brandeis Hoot was established, the Justice Publishing Expenses Fund was created to allow the Justice to function as an independent newspaper on campus without being beholden to the Union for funding. The task force explained that they wanted to reflect the current reality of campus news organizations by securing The Hoot and combining the two newspapers’ funding into a News Publishing Fund, which would be entitled to up to eight percent of the Student Activities Fund.

Arguments against the amendment claimed that this would force the two newspapers to compete for funding, undermining journalistic integrity, and that The Hoot violates the duality of purpose clause in the bylaws.

Securing the Undergraduate Theater Collective: FAILED The task force explained that the Undergraduate Theater Collective used to be a collection of separate clubs, each with their own shows and funding; this was an inefficient system that drained clubs' resources. Now that campus theater clubs have combined into the more- streamlined UTC, its funding needs are more predictable and security would ease its internal processes. Arguments against security claimed that the UTC does not provide a more necessary or essential campus service than other unsecured clubs do.

Updating language on the Allocations Board to reflect current practices: PASSED This amendment updated the Constitution to reflect the current structure of the A-Board, expand its responsibilities and clarify the role of Union treasurer.

6

TUESDAY, May 15, 2018 | THE JUSTICE

just

features

Leonard Bern

Educator, Cond

By VIC

Ju

POLITICAL NOTE: Throughout his life Bernstein was deeply political, and he believed strongly that music was an answer to the violence occurring in the world.

RUNNING INTO CONTROVERSY When he was just 21 years old, the age of many graduates of the Brandeis Class of 2018, Leonard Bernstein found himself the target of the Red Scare. He would spend the rest of his life dealing in controversy — but as a senior at Harvard, it wasn’t just that his opinions strayed from convention; they endangered his life and career. In a soon-to-be-published essay about Bernstein’s life provided to the Justice, Brandeis Prof. Steven Whitefield (AMST) writes that just after graduating college, “‘Life’ magazine had already exposed [Bernstein] as a fellow-traveling Progressive in 1949, and the FBI placed him on its security index which meant that — in case of a national emergency — he could be arrested and placed in a detention camp as an enemy sympathizer.” President Truman’s State Department stepped in to further punish Bernstein by revoking his passport and pressuring CBS into blacklisting him from their airwaves for four years during the 1950s. Whitfield explains how, eventually, Bernstein convinced the FBI that he regretted his support for allegedly communist causes and, in return, got his passport renewed. While the investigations hindered Bernstein’s career early on,

his successful appearances on CBS’s “Omnibus” and writing the music for “On the Waterfront,” the major film release of 1954, helped establish the young and photogenic conductor as what Whitfield calls “the most influential of all educators into the mysteries of classical or ‘serious’ music.” Having survived McCarthyism, Bernstein was free to champion not only the importance of musical education, but his support for the Civil Rights Movement and fierce opposition to the Vietnam War. Bernstein was deeply political in both his opinions and his approach to music. A day after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Bernstein conducted the first televised symphony performance featuring Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony.” After the show, Bernstein addressed the audience, saying, “We musicians, like everyone else, are numb with sorrow at this murder and with rage at the senselessness of the crime. But this sorrow and rage will not inflame us to seek retribution; rather they will inflame our art. … This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before. And with each note we will honor the spirit of John F. Kennedy, commemorate his courage and reaffirm his faith in the Triumph of the Mind.”

THE MAESTRO: Leonard Bernstein served as the music director for the New York Philharmonic for 11 seasons.

LEGACY Bernstein died in 1990 at the age of 72. Last October, in a kickoff to a Leonard Bernstein Centennial, “New Yorker” art critic Alex Ross reviewed a performance of suites from Bernstein’s “On the Waterfront” and “West Side Story.” The author noted that “This music seems destined to last, because it thrives on its own inner tensions and conflicts. The abiding regret is that there is not more of it: Bernstein owed us more than four musicals and three operas.” Bernstein served as the music director for the New York Philharmonic for 11 seasons, composing

the music for “West Side Story,” “Peter Pan,” “Candide,” “Wonderful Town,” “On The Waterfront” and “Mass” as well as three symphonies and numerous other compositions. He was proud of his Judaism, believed strongly in racial equality and participated in the Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights in 1965. He educated a generation on modern and classical music in Slosberg as well as through his CBS TV series, “Young People’s Concerts.” It should come as no surprise that in the second presidential debate of 1988, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis named Leonard Bernstein as one of his heroes.

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, May 15, 2018

7

nstein at Brandeis

ductor and Advocate

CTOR FELDMAN

ustice editor

RULES OF THE GAME: At a Brandeis Fellows’ Dinner in 1961, Leonard Bernstein delivered a speech on the six elements that define what he called “an old fashioned artist.”

COMING TO BRANDEIS Leonard Bernstein joined Brandeis in 1951 as one of the University’s first 71 faculty members. Despite the controversy that surrounded him, the Brandeis administration was eager to attract the most talented, passionate and outspoken thinkers to campus, and at the time, Bernstein was a sensation. He was initially hired to join an advisory committee of the nation’s foremost thinkers in fields from physics to American studies and, for the young conductor, music and the arts. It was on this committee that Bernstein met Abraham Sachar, who would become Bernstein’s close friend and the University’s next president. In an interview with the Justice, Prof. Jonathan Sarna (NEJS) explained that “Bernstein was brought to the University in part because he knew what educational quotas had done to Jews, and to make sure that Brandeis would be particularly different.” Bernstein approached the task of building the music department with the belief that composers would be better teachers than musicologists. As a result, he

spent most of his resources hiring some of the bestknown composers of his generation, including Arthur Berger and Harold Shapero. Soon Bernstein began teaching classes, and in a 1952 Justice review of Bernstein’s class on modern music, the reporter described his manner of teaching as both “forceful” and “informal.” Whitfield’s paper recounts the same Justice reporter, going as far as to say that “When ‘the mood of the music’ makes Bernstein joyous, ‘the class follows the movements and roars with laughter.

Yet when he finds himself swept ‘in a sea of torment and despair, his students weep passionate tears.’”

In 1953, Bernstein approached Sachar, who had become the new University president and said that while he loved teaching, it was time for him to move on. Though he left the University later that year, Bernstein received an honorary degree in 1959 and served on the Board of Trustees from 1976-1981. Last month, Brandeis celebrated Bernstein’s 100th Birthday at a festival of the arts named after and dedicated to Bernstein who, despite his short tenure at the University, left what Sarna calls “An indelible impression upon his students and the community.”

THE CAMERA LOVED HIM: Outside the classroom, Bernstein educated a generation on the importance of classical music through his TV series on PBS.

REMEMBERING BERNSTEIN: When Bernstein died at 72, Interim President Stuart Altman wrote an obituary about the conductor and composer, who had received an honorary degree from the University two decades earlier.

THE EDUCATOR: While Bernstein only taught at Brandeis for four years, his legacy lives on at the University through the Festival of the Arts named after him.

All images courtesy of the Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections Department, Brandeis University

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TUESDAY, May 15, 2018

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news

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the justice

COMMENCEMENT 2018 BRIEF

Prof. William E. Kapelle addresses 2018 Phi Beta Kappa inductees In a ceremony on Saturday, the University inducted 92 students to the Mu Massachusetts chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Family and friends celebrated with the inductees at the event in Spingold Theater.

There were 84 new members from the Class of 2018 and eight new members from the Class of 2019. According to Prof. Craig Blocker (PHYS), Secretary of the Mu Chapter, 10 percent of the Class of 2018 and one percent of the Class of 2019 are members of this select group of students, which includes seven members inducted in last year’s ceremony.

Mu chapter President Prof. Alice Kelikian (HIST) and University President Ron Liebowitz welcomed the students and attendees with opening remarks.

“Phi Beta Kappa was born the year of America’s independence. ... For 100 years, [it] recognized only men, and only white men. A century later, Phi Beta Kappa was finally open to women and subsequently to Blacks and other excluded groups,” Liebowitz explained.

Today, he noted, the majority of inductees to the Mu chapter are women.

Brandeis took only 13 years after its founding to be admitted into the PBK community in 1961. No other university founded in the 20th century was asked to join in such a short amount of time, Leibowitz highlighted.

PBK was founded in December 1776 as a fraternity at the The College of William and Mary, making it only five months younger than the United States.

In English, its motto means “love of learning is the guide of life.” Students must show proficiency in the arts and

the sciences, Blocker explained, and a “well-rounded program of study” to be inducted.

Prof. William E. Kapelle (HIST) highlighted that by attending a university, students “are graduating from one of the oldest institutions of Western society.”

Kapelle then compared the modern university experience to the process that students went through to become scholars in medieval Europe. Students began in their mid-teens and studied “the seven liberal arts” that Kapelle described as an “ideal curriculum.” Lectures began at 6 a.m., and students sat on straw instead of chairs. Books were too expensive for individal students to own, so they took notes by reading and commenting on the master’s book.

After four years, students could undergo examination to become junior masters, who could read books to students in the afternoon but were not allowed to interpret the passages. Most students sought employment before this point, but those who continued studying for another two years could apply for teaching licenses. A student who received a license would be given his attire, hat and book, before giving an address in the cathedral that was followed by a party.

Kapelle said that the students’ caps and gowns “are not authentic medieval garb.” The gown is comparable to undergarments in the Middle Ages. He called the four-cornered cap a “tasteless parody” of the medieval headdress.

“But you should wear it with pride,” Kapelle finished.

—Jen Geller

Good luck, Class

COMMENCEMENT: Jones who struggled” and rem Hall protests in his stud CONTINUED FROM 1 I do want to leave you with a thought and a hope of mine. … Brandeis is not an impersonal thing. It’s not an object. It is people.”

Before praising the “talent and accomplishments” of the Class of 2018, Liebowitz called for a moment of silence for the two members of the Class of 2018 who took their own lives. “Their absence is like a hole in our heart,” he said.

Liebowitz also highlighted the diverse accomplishments of the Class of 2018, including scientific research, global health advocacy, entrepreneurship and achievement in the arts.

He expressed his belief in the graduating class, saying that “even the most cynical among us would feel hope for the future.”

While Liebowitz focused on graduates’

bright futures, during his student address William Jones ’18 focused on “the students who struggled” in the last four years.

“This speech is written for first generation students; for students with vouchers; for students of color with no scholarship cohort, sports teams or support programs; for students whose high school curriculums failed to prepare them for intro-level college courses; … for the students who felt disconnected from their peers,” Jones said. He described a variety of economic and social struggles faced by many University students.

Jones drew attention to the way these difficulties force students to “negotiate the terms of their survival,” which might involve choosing between social justice principles or plans for the future and the economic necessities of the

present.

“These student reckoned with con yet to imagine, yet Jones said, honori Jones also cele dents and faculty and 2015 Ford Ha increase access, for Black student faculty members a nounced the crea mary documents fr by dedicated mem Archives Collectiv brandeis.edu.

Jones explained site so that “if you

“Don’t ever forget your stories. Tell your mothers, your grandm know their stories, because you stand on their shoulders. They university is a collection of so many wonderful stories from al

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

UNITED: Brandeis students sang the University’s alma mater together at the conclusion of the ceremony.

N

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

FACING CHALLENGES: Graduate speaker Sarah Elizabeth Mabry MA’18 reminded the audience that “life is uncomfortable sometimes.”

ANDREW BAXTER/the Justice

WE MADE IT: Wil Jones ’1 graduates to celebrate th ment of graduating, while struggles they faced alon

THE JUSTICE

s honors “those members Ford dent address

ts have made choices and nsequences many of us have t they stand here, beside us,” ing their achievements. ebrated the activism of stuy of color during the 1969 all protests, which aimed to equity and fair treatment ts and the number of Black at the University. Jones anation of a website with prifrom the 1969 protest, created mbers of the Brandeis BLK ve: blackspaceportal.library.

d that they created the webou ever need to stand up for

your rights again, you’ll know where to go, you’ll know what we did and you’ll know how we did it.”

Finally, Jones drew attention to the importance of campus resources that support students of color, especially Student Support Services advisors, Academic Services, Posse mentors and Transitional Year Program directors. “Support them,” Jones urged in the final note of his speech.

Sarah Elizabeth Mabry MA’18 drew on the same theme of struggle in her graduate student address. She shared Louis D. Brandeis’ quote: “If you would only recognize life is hard, things would be so much easier for you,” and urged graduates not to “remain complacent about the pursuit of [their] dreams.”

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TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2018

2018

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS Chava Alberstein Chava Alberstein is a popular Israeli folk singer-songwriter. She has recorded over 70 albums, singing in English, Hebrew and Yiddish. Born in Poland, Alberstein immigrated to Israel at the age of four and has enjoyed a five-decades-long career there. University President Ron Liebowitz likened her life story to that of Israel itself due to the way both flourished after their births in the middle of the twentieth century. The Israel Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers of Musical Works awarded Alberstein the Lifetime Achievement Music Award; she already has two honorary degrees from Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Mary sue coleman Mary Sue Coleman is the president of the Association of American Universities, a selective group of over 60 American and Canadian universities. Previously, she served as president of the Universities of Michigan and Iowa, earning a spot on Time magazine’s 2009 list of the 10 best college presidents in America. Before becoming a university administrator, Coleman was a biochemist. She has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Grinnell College and a doctorate degree in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Liebowitz hailed Coleman as “one of the most respected figures in American higher education.”

freeman a. hrabowski III

mothers, your fathers you want to y have struggled over generations. This ll over the world.”

18 encouraged he accomplishe also honoring the ng the way.

News

COMMENCEMENT 2018

s of 2018!

NATALIA WIATER/the Justice

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Freeman A. Hrabowski III has been a civil rights activist since age 12, when he joined the Children’s Crusade march in Birmingham, Alabama. Hrabowski was jailed as a young freedom fighter and visited by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is currently the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and was included in a 2009 Time magazine list of the 10 best college presidents. In his introduction, Liebowitz said Hrabowski has “fought hard to improve minority participation and performance in sciences, technology, engineering and math.”

—Freeman A. Hrabowski III

Jay Ruderman ’88 YVETTE SEI/the Justice

As president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, Jay Ruderman advocates for inclusion and disability rights in America and Israel. The foundation focuses on disability activism and connecting the American Jewish community with Israel. Ruderman received his undergraduate education at Brandeis and his law degree from Boston University Law School. He previously worked as an assistant district attorney and as the leadership director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Israel.

SHIRA RUDERMAN Shira Ruderman is the executive director of the Ruderman Family Foundation. A professional philanthropist, Ruderman is a chair of the Fulbright Foundation and was named one of the 100 most influential women in Israel, according to the commencement program. She earned both a BA and MA from Hebrew University and has an honorary degree from the University of Haifa. Ruderman was a commander in the intelligence unit of the Israeli Defense Forces. In his introduction, Liebowitz described Ruderman as “a prominent figure in Jewish communal leadership.”

—Jocelyn Gould

Photos by natalia wiater/the Justice

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10 TUESDAY, May 15, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

the

Justice Established 1949

Brandeis University

Avraham Penso, Editor in Chief Natalia Wiater, Managing Editor Amber Miles, Senior Editor Ben Katcher, Pamela Klahr, Robbie lurie, Nia Lyn and Hannah Kressel, Associate Editors Jocelyn Gould, News Editor, Sam Stockbridge, Acting News Editor Victor Feldman, Features Editor Judah Weinerman, Acting Forum Editor, Zach Kaufman, Sports Editor Maya Zanger-Nandis, Acting Arts Editor Yvette Sei and Andrew Baxter, Photography Editors Morgan Mayback, Layout Editor, Liat Fischer and Devo Meyers, Acting Ads Editors Eliana Padwa and Lily Swartz, Copy Editors, Jen Geller, Online Editor

EDITORIALS

Recognize accomplishments of graduating Justice editors As the academic year comes to a close, it is time to say goodbye to the graduating Justice seniors. All were essential members of the paper, and this board wants to take the time to appreciate their hard work and passionate personalities, both in and out of the office.

Maintaining an eye for detail and a high journalistic standard, Kirby Kochanowski led the Justice’s Features section with the grace and ease of a professional. Her fluid writing style and command of prose made for compelling Features articles and powerful editorials.

Kirby welcomed and guided new writers, showing them the crucial work student journalists engage in every day. Under Kirby’s leadership, stories about Pulitzer Prize and Oscar winners made the Features pages stand out. Her kind personality, coupled with her sense of authority, made Kirby an invaluable member of the Justice, and we know she will succeed in any avenue of life she pursues.

Since becoming Copy editor his during first year, Carmi Rothberg has brought to the Justice his impeccable understanding of grammar, exemplified by his “Big Fun Guide to Commas.” Carmi is starkly attentive to detail, with the ability to pick out fallacies in anything, from a controversial article to a University email to a silly debate. Throughout his tenure as editor in chief during the 2016-17 year, Carmi ran the Justice with a sense of humor, beautiful justShabbat meals and a real interest in attaining journalistic excellence. We will miss Carmi, but his parting gift of a potted plant ensures his presence will always be felt in the Justice office.

The Brandeis campus simply won’t be the same without Noah Hessdorf. Warm and inviting to all, and not afraid to break out an awesome jersey, Noah is the type of guy who will always have your back.

Whether it was at the Justice, where he served as Sports editor from January 2015 to January 2016 or anywhere else on campus, Noah was as loyal as they come and was always available to lend a helping hand. He is a great editor, a great guy and someone who will most definitely go on to do amazing things.

Sabrina Sung initially brought her impressive attention to detail to the Justice when she became copy editor.

In that position, she implemented new practices — including the introduction of a second copy editor — to streamline the Justice’s editing process. After completing her tenure, Sabrina continued to help the Justice by lending a rational, wellreasoned voice to editorial discussions as deputy editor. Her ability to articulate wide-ranging perspectives on complex issues made her an invaluable member of the editorial board and an incredible deputy editor, and her wit and knowledge of obscure facts made her a delight on late production nights.

Michelle Banayan served as the Justice’s photography editor from the fall of 2015 until March 2016 and brought much color to the section with her easy laughs and quick sense of humor. After leaving the photos section, Michelle continued to contribute to the Justice as an associate editor, spicing up general meetings with her hilarious B-Talks questions and shining poetry. Michelle was always easygoing and flexible, providing a hand to her former section and countless smiles

Appreciate dedication to the rest of the office. We are all going to miss her dearly and hope she comes back to see us!

A talented reporter with an eye for a scoop, Abby Patkin lent her incredible drive and considerable writing abilites to the Justice, running the News section for two years before serving as editor in chief for the 2017-18 school year. Fueled by an unwavering commitment to covering and uncovering the most important stories on campus, Abby researched and wrote hundreds of articles in her time at the Justice. With her natural grasp of news style and journalistic ethics, she has been an invaluable source of guidance to staff and editors looking to improve at reporting. We will miss Abby’s strong leadership and are certain of her success in all she pursues, beginning with her new job at GateHouse Media.

Who better to head the photography section than someone who’s been photographing since he was young? Mihir Khanna’s camera might as well have been a fifth limb; he brought exceptional talent to the paper, whether it was from behind the camera or through Photoshopping intricate arts covers. But his contributions to the Justice did not stop there; MK became managing editor at the end of his sophomore year and introduced color to all pages of the Justice, bringing additional vibrancy and life to the paper.

Photographer and fixer by night, physicist by day, MK will no doubt continue to accomplish great things, starting with his new job at CERN. Abby Grinberg was a staple of the Photography section before being chosen to be one of its editors. When she went abroad to Milan, Italy, for the year we missed her then, and we’ll miss her now! Her bubbly personality and upbeat attitude brightened up the office, especially on late production nights. Abby has been the Justice’s resident “aesthetic goddess,” after all. Have you seen her blog?

And Instagram? And Facebook? This girl is not only gorgeous herself but helps put so much beauty into this world. We will all miss Abby and her optimism.

Lizzie Grossman first joined the Justice as a Features and Arts writer her sophomore year. Soon after, she was promoted to editor of the Arts section, a position she served in from spring 2016 until fall 2016. Returning from abroad for her senior year, Lizzie served as an associate editor. Throughout her time at the Justice, Lizzie was both a wonderful addition to office morale and a capable, excited writer. Never one to sit around, Lizzie wrote a number of articles for many different sections. Her excitement for the arts at Brandeis and her commitment to the Justice continually shone throughout her time as writer and editor, and we know she will continue to bring positivity to her work in Boston next year. We will miss her bright personality during late production nights next year and hope she visits often.

Change is a fact of life, especially at a campus newspaper, but the Justice would not have been the same without these talented individuals, who put in so much time and effort to make this paper the best it could be. They will, without a doubt, go on to be as successful in life as they have been during their years as undergraduates.

ABBY PATKIN/the Justice

Views the News on

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2018! Looking back at your college experience, and your senior year specifically, what experiences and people stand out to you the most? In the course of your Brandeis experience, what moments will you look back on most fondly?

Caroline Kaye ’18

What’s amazing about my time at Brandeis is that in four short years, I experienced a lifetime of wonderful and meaningful experiences, including ones that have helped me figure out my career path, friends that I will keep forever and connections with faculty that are invaluable to me. Special shout out to the incredible people I have met through the rowing team, psychology and education. In spite of gaining clarity, there is still much in life that by nature that is uncertain, but what has changed is that, thanks to Brandeis, I feel empowered and optimistic about the prospect of taking on whatever is put before me or the challenges that I seek out. Thank you to my amazing classmates – you are some of the most hard-working, passionate, well-rounded, empathetic and smart people I know. You inspire me by your example.

Caroline Kaye ’18 was a Psychology Undergraduate Departmental Representative.

Abraham Cheloff ’18 Four years ago, as I moved into Gordon Hall in North Quad, I never imagined that I would be where I am today. Graduating with three majors and two degrees, and starting medical school in the fall, Brandeis has given me more opportunities to succeed academically than many of us would have thought possible. However, it also became clear that surprises can appear around any corner at any time, for better or for worse. The faculty and staff at Brandeis, providing their mentorship and expertise to any student who seeks it, are instrumental in helping students achieve their dreams, and I would not be where I am without their support and guidance. If there is anything I took away from my time at Brandeis, it is that this world is filled with people who want to see you fall, but many more others who want to see you thrive.

Abraham Cheloff ’18 was a Biology Undergraduate Departmental Representative. He was also a teacher’s assistant for General Biology Lab and an undergraduate researcher in the Miller Lab.

Alice Nam ’18 I remember in senior year of high school when I was deciding between colleges, I had absolutely no expectations for Brandeis. On a whim, my family and I came to Boston and visited. We were so surprised by how friendly everyone was, and how it felt like family. Now looking back on the past four years, family is exactly what comes to mind when I think of Brandeis. In my senior year, I was fortunate to take advantage of the great academic scene at Brandeis, being able to TA for “Physiology” and work as a research assistant in Prof. Stephen Van Hooser’s (BIOL) lab. It was the busiest and most difficult year by far, but it also led to the most self development. These experiences allowed me to foster leadership skills, and made me realize that teaching and mentoring is ultimately what I want to do as a career! I can’t lie, it was a stressful four years, but it challenged me to try and accomplish things I never thought were possible. I’ll always cherish the strong friendships I made here, and will be forever grateful for all the opportunities! PEACE. Alice Nam ’18 was an event coordinator and Korean language table coordinator for the Brandeis Korean Students Association as well as a Korean Fan Dance leader. She was also an undergraduate research assistant in the Van Hooser lab.

Sarah Zainelabdin ’18 I entered Brandeis as an eager pre-med STEM Posse scholar four years ago, determined to dive headfirst into the sciences. By the time sophomore year came around, you can imagine how I felt — burned out. This is when I discovered Anthropology. Brandeis’ interdisciplinary atmosphere allowed me to take the discussions I’ve had in my Anthropology courses and apply them to my Biology and Health: Science, Society and Policy majors. Yes, I’m a triple major, a very “Brandeisan” thing to be. Anthropology pushed me to study abroad in the United Kingdom at King’s College London’s health and society program. As I continue my education at SUNY Upstate Medical University pursuing my medical degree, my journey in Anthropology at Brandeis will illuminate that singular bullet requiring physicians to be “culturally competent.” Thank you to the department, to my professors, my TAs and to my peers for the stimulating conversations that helped me look beyond my “familiar.” And to the Class of 2018: Thank you, and congratulations.

Sarah Zainelabdin ’18 was the publicity coordinator for Brandeis’ Minority Association for Pre-Medical Students, an Undergraduate Departmental Representative for Biology, the Upperclassmen Representative for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and a supplemental instruction leader in Chemistry.

She was also a Student Support Services peer tutor in General and Organic Chemistry.

Photos: Caroline Kaye; Alice Nam; Sarah Zainelabdin; the Justice

THE JUSTICE ● fORUM ● TUESDAY, may 15, 2018

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Recognize safety risks of virtual personal assistants Nia

lyn purpose

When Apple unveiled their virtual personal assistant, Siri, in 2011, they unwittingly opened the door for society’s growing dependence on such devices. Now, both Amazon and Google — multibillion-dollar companies — have similar technologies with capabilities that even extend to opening one’s home doors. While this new technology is certainly useful, it comes with a safety risk.

In the past, this same technology was used in harmless marketing techniques, such as Burger King prompting Google Home to direct devices to the Wikipedia page for one of their burgers, the Whopper. An April 12, 2017 New York Times article further detailed the advertisement and stated that Burger King did not work with Google on the ad and instead took it upon themselves to utilize Google Home’s voice controls. The inception of the ad led to Wikipedia users taking to the Whopper’s page to edit the contents. Shortly there after, the ad was changed to no longer activate Google Home devices. While this is a harmless use of the technology, it opens the door for conversation about cyber security, and it leads users to question what individuals with malicious intent might be able to do with this same technology.

According to a May 10 New York Times article, over the past two years, researchers in the U.S. and China have tested the ability to send signals to Siri, Alexa and Google Home that cannot be detected by the human ear.

The researchers have been able to secretly manipulate the technology to open websites or dial phone numbers. Researchers from Princeton University and Zhejiang University in China demonstrated the capabilities of a “DolphinAttack” — an inaudible command that modulates voice commands on ultrasonic carriers. The same New York Times article also discusses an experiment carried out by the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign that demonstrated the possibility of a “DolphinAttack” from 25 feet away, as well as a similar experiment from China’s Academy of the Sciences that demonstrates

YVETTE SEI/the Justice

voice controls being embedded in songs.

Sadly, these are not just concerns stemming from a fear of technology; attacks on these devices have occurred in the past. In 2017, a hack known as BlueBorne managed to infiltrate several virtual home assistants, according to a Nov. 16, 2017 gearbrain article.

Bluetooth attacks of this sort allow hackers to compromise not just the efficiency of Bluetooth devices, but other devices in the home, as well. Once a hacker has access to one Bluetooth device, they can subsequently access other devices on the same network.

To put this into perspective, both Google and Amazon store credit cards and addresses on file, and an attack on these devices puts people at risk of identity theft, or worse. While Google, Amazon and other companies patched the Blueborne vulnerabilities following the attack, who is to say that something like that cannot happen again?

The problem manifests itself in the growing reliance on technology. This is not to say that saving your password or credit card number on file in Google Chrome is an issue, but limiting the amount of vulnerable devices that have access to this information is a start. Even within the devices that one owns, it would be wise to look at the permissions that are actually embedded in the terms and conditions that several people barely gloss over before choosing to accept. In the light of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, more people should review just what information companies have access to and how and where it is stored. One such example is Google. According to an Oct. 29, 2015 CNET article, Google saves voice recordings every time a user asks a question using its virtual assistant. Though this information is saved to a page only accessible through the email address that the account is linked to,

individuals might feel uneasy with the content that is being saved. Each individual has the responsibility to ensure that they are taking proper security measures, just as companies have the job of ensuring that their clients’ information is safe.

Security company Symantec published a blog post on Nov. 20, 2017, detailing the steps that individuals should take to ensure their own safety when using devices like Amazon’s Alexa. It is recommended that devices not be connected to the front door or any homesecurity functions, and that individuals do not store any credit card information on these devices. They also recommend deleting saved recordings from time to time in addition to muting the device when it is not in use. Just as one protects their home, protecting sensitive information online should be taken seriously, despite the false sense of security that Google or Amazon provide.

READER COMMENTARY Clarify misconceptions in ‘And Then There Were None’ Justice articles I write in response to Evan Mahnken’s article “Criticize poor handling of ‘And Then There Were None,’” published in the Justice on April 24. Mahnken not only misrepresents our department’s letter to the Undergraduate Theater Collective regarding the production of “And Then There Were None,” he also grossly distorts the events leading up to the sole performance of the play on Saturday, April 14th, as well as my comments at the postperformance talkback.

First, let me state for the record: Nowhere in our letter did we call on the UTC to cancel the play. Indeed, we affirmed their right to mount the production, a right enshrined in Brandeis’ Principles of Free Speech and Free Expression. What we asked them to consider was if, given everything they knew about the play’s deeply racist and dehumanizing history, it was just and right to mount the play, and if the answer was yes, whether they had mounted it in a way that “bear[ed] the moral responsibility for their actions and the impact those actions have on the community.” The UTC’s decision to suspend production of the play on the opening night and subsequently to offer a single public showing is one that they have ownership over. It appears that this pause in the production offered the UTC an opportunity to reflect on a process that was,

by their own admission, deeply flawed.

We did not force them to take this course of action, and Mahnken’s suggestion that we bullied them is wrongheaded. Bullying and intimidation manifest themselves in myriad ways; our letter is simply not one of them.

Mahnken also faults us for not being in attendance at the forum held in lieu of the play’s premiere on Thursday, April 12 at 8 p.m. What he neglects to tell readers is that we were invited to attend the forum in an email sent to us at 6:20 p.m. on Thursday evening. Needless to say, the timing of the email rendered it impossible for our faculty, including myself, to be there. This, I am told, was pointed out at the forum. It is not clear why Mahnken omitted this from his article. He also conflates the proposed faculty panel, which never took place, with the talkback which occurred on April 14. Having received adequate advance notice that the play was going to be staged on the 14th and followed by a talkback, I was able to attend. There was nothing disingenuous, as Mahnken claims, about this. It was important for me to be there, having engaged with the process since early March, when I was first contacted by the play’s producer. I was well within my rights to decline participating in the proposed faculty panel, but I nonetheless

continued to be in dialogue with the play’s producer. This included arranging and participating in a lengthy discussion with Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mark Brimhall-Vargas and the play’s producer and director.

The night of the play, I appreciated having the opportunity to speak with the cast members and their families, to hear their concerns and to explain our’s directly to them. Far from the “trainwreck” that Mahnken describes, there was just the kind of open dialogue that he calls for in his article. It is disheartening that he felt the need to disparage that conversation, and to misrepresent my contributions to it.

Finally, in the Justice’s editorial, “Criticize entire ‘And Then There Were None’ process,” also published on April 24, the editorial board criticizes the African and Afro-American Studies faculty for “not reaching out earlier...and...failing to advise students when they had requested help with a contentious issue.” Allow me to state for the record, again, that as a faculty member and chair of the department I did engage in a forthright conversation with the play’s producer when she reached out to me in early March. I not only suggested that she meet with Brimhall-Vargas, I arranged the meeting, and then I participated in it for its entirety. During that meeting I made the

same points that our letter went on to make again. I am at a loss for how this constitutes a failure on our part.

I recognize that this was difficult for the UTC, and especially disappointing for the students who put so much of their time and energy into the production. Much of the intervening conversation has centered their frustrations amid concerns about the UTC’s internal processes and broader questions about freedom of speech and expression. What has gotten lost in the mix are the play’s horrifying roots in the long history of dehumanization and extermination of Black and Native peoples.

The more the conversation loses sight of this history and the manifold ways in which the past remains present, the easier it is to misinterpret or mischaracterize our letter.

So allow me to end with a reminder of where Agatha Christie’s novel first began: a racist nursery rhyme about the serial murder of 10 Black children. It should never be easy to look past that.

— Prof. Carina Ray (AAAS) is an associate professor of African and Afro-American Studies.

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

Write to us

The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www.thejustice.org. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted.

Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from offcampus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and op-ed submissions that have been submitted to other publications. Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community­— that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice — are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words. All submissions are due Friday at noon.

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the last page of the newspaper, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers.

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,500 undergraduates, 900 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff.

The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods.

Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication.

All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors.

The Staff

For information on joining the Justice, write to editor@ thejustice.org.

Editorial Assistants

Arts: Kent Dinlenc*, Mariah Manter, Emily See,

Layout: Shinji Rho

Isabelle Truong, Mendel Weintraub Photography: Lucy Frenkel, Chelsea Madera,

Production Assistants

Kalianni Neal-Desatnik, Clements Park, Yuran Shi

News: Emily Blumenthal

Copy: Erica Breyman, Sarah Fine, Sara Fulton, Klarissa Hollander, Shoshana Reich, Emily See

Staff

Layout: Winnie Qin

News: Will Hodgkinson, Mack Schoenfeld, Liat Shapiro,

Illustrations: Mara Khayter, Aaron Marks, Julianna Scionti

Maurice Windley Features: Christine Kim, Leah Leybzon, Leigh Salomon Forum: Ben Feshbach*, Tafara Gava, Somar Hadid, Elias Rosenfeld*, Ravi Simon Sports: Cahler Fruchtman

* denotes a senior staff member.

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TUESDAY, may 15, 2018 ● forum ● THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Recognize importance of Massachusetts environmental regulations

By G. Amogha Rao SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE

The commonwealth of Massachusetts has a responsibility to its citizens and the world at large to reduce its reliance on carbon-based sources of energy. So far, this environmental mandate is being implemented in the form of renewable portfolio standards and renewable fuel standards. RPS are used to target households and industries in their acquisition of clean energy. Within the energy market, suppliers are required to increase their acquisition of renewable sources of energy as a part of their overall portfolio. Currently, suppliers must increase their clean energy supplies at a rate of one percent on an annual basis. In other words, energy suppliers must reduce their reliance on carbon-based energy platforms at a rate of one percent per year as a part of their compliance to RPS regulations.

However, RPS mandates change at a pace too slow for a significant change or improvement to occur. As ocean levels rise and natural disasters increase in frequency, Massachusetts’ coastal inhabitants have had to face loss of life, property and opportunity. In essence, Massachusetts is not fulfilling its constitutionally guaranteed obligations to its citizens. Implementing the solution will only become harder as time passes. In fact, the Global Warming Solutions Act prescribes that Massachusetts’ carbon emissions be reduced to 80 percent of its 1990 base emission levels by 2050. Under the current mandate, this is not only impossible but would also be extremely counterproductive as it allows for higher emission levels, which would require an even more costly transition process to clean energy. This is a major problem affecting all of us now. If we want the story of our generation and our civilization to be an inspirational one, it is our responsibility to mitigate this impending existential tragedy plaguing our time.

Massachusetts’ commitment to solving the problem and contributing toward a realistic solution is significantly falling behind. Earth is the only home that humankind has ever known, and it is the only home we will ever know in the foreseeable distant future. Letting it fall to pollution and global warming would be a disaster of epic proportions. If there is any state that understands the principle of using collective action to solve a systemically collective problem, it is Massachusetts. To see a state that would otherwise consider itself a pioneering moral force falling behind — to the extent that it is becoming a part of the problem — is sad. In the larger scheme of things, Massachusetts’ contribution might appear to be insignificant, but, if history has shown us anything, it is that the power of humanistic leadership has an appeal like no other. One strong action can inspire a wave of imitators, and in the case of global warming, imitation of sound policies is needed.

JUDAH WEINERMAN/the Justice

At the cost of appearing idealistic, I submit that the movement to legalize same-sex marriage is a clear-cut illustration of how the contribution of one state in one nation can impact the world’s outlook toward issues that affect society and its sense of common humanity. If Massachusetts can lead the charge for LGBTQ people, what is preventing it from leading the charge on environmental issues? Even a simple move forward into market-based climate initiatives could make a real difference.

“

The RPS regulatory platform is a set of tools that have shown significant signs of success.

If Massachusetts opens its doors to marketbased or semi-market-based solutions to climate change, it stands a great chance of becoming an

instant a success story, inspiring other states to join in. The Northeast is one of the richest and most influential regions in the United States.

Massachusetts’ political leadership has the intellectual capacity and practical ability to lead the way in finding a solution that can be replicated across jurisdictions and nations.

The RPS regulatory platform is a set of tools that have shown significant signs of success.

From an economic and political perspective, the RPS mandate in Massachusetts has been unanimously endorsed across the political spectrum with only minor reservations on implementation procedures. This nonpartisan approach is essential if we want to use existing political frameworks and economic infrastructure in searching for a cohesive solution that does not undermine either our democratic federalism or our robust economic institutions. The deadlock that we see in other climate change legislation is not at all present in the discourse with respect to RPS. It is a simple process of artificially encouraging the demand for green energy within an energy market framework without altering other costs and incentives.

The Massachusetts legislature has a

number of bills on its docket that propose RPS acceleration to at least a two-percent increase on a yearly basis. These legislative items must be given priority consideration given the high levels of daily carbon emissions and the high minimum time it would take businesses and households to adjust to the new regulations. The sooner we pass these policies, the easier it will be for the economy to adjust to the new norms.

This consideration is further underscored if the eventual aim is to inspire other states to adopt and adapt this path-breaking policy measure in earnest. It is undeniably imperative for all stakeholders — citizens, businesses, energy suppliers and governmental authorities — to support these policies as a means of preserving their own way of life as well as securing the future of their children and other future citizens.

History may remember Boston for its democratic fight against taxation without representation and its contribution to the American Revolution. Hopefully, it may also accredit Massachusetts to be the pioneering force behind the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Therefore, it would be the greatest travesty if history records Massachusetts for its inaction against the greatest threat to humankind.

Acknowledge growing need for Israel-Palestine peace talks Judah

weinerman chatterbox

Recently, the successful preliminary peace talks between the Republic of Korea’s President Moon Jae-in and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have paved a potential path to the official end of the Korean War, technically ongoing since 1950. While this is certainly an inspirational and exciting moment in international diplomacy, another post-World War II sectarian conflict has only shown signs of getting worse. Persistently bedeviling world leaders since 1948 and contributing to a great deal of misery in the region itself, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appears to be going nowhere.

While constant tensions over the blockade of Gaza and the continued encroachment of Israeli settlers into the West Bank had already begun to boil over once more into outright anger, the recent outbreak of violence in the region can be entirely traced back to our incompetent-in-chief. Aiming to win over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud Party, and to reward wealthy Jewish Republican donors like Sheldon Adelson, then-candidate Donald Trump announced in April 2016 that he would move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem if elected.

Although Israel claims Jerusalem as its undivided capital, Palestinians maintain that East Jerusalem is the only foreseeable capital for a potential Palestinian state. As such,

all but a select few international partners conduct government affairs in Tel Aviv.

Setting up shop in Jerusalem would be an incredible slap in the face to the Palestinians, tantamount to declaring that there is no future for a Palestinian state. Although Congress in the Clinton era had passed legislation recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital, the White House had always declined to act on the recommendation, citing the obvious diplomatic and security concerns involved.

While the close alliance between Israel and the U.S. is obvious to all, previous presidential administrations had at least paid lip service to the idea of considering the needs and wants of both the Israelis and Palestinians. Until now, that is.

Unfortunately, the Jerusalem embassy is one of the scant few campaign promises President Trump has followed through on. On December 6, 2017, Trump officially ordered the American embassy to be transferred to Jerusalem. On May 14, the embassy officially opened for business, albeit in an understated manner. The majority of American diplomats and staffers will remain in Tel Aviv, with ambassador David Friedman splitting his time between the two cities. In terms of actual statecraft, this changes little. What is far more important here is the messaging involved.

Essentially, the Trump administration has given the green light to Netanyahu’s hardline control of the West Bank and Gaza, and basically admitted to the Palestinian Authority that realistic peace negotiations are off the table.

While living in the open-air prison that is Gaza has never been an easy task, recent events have truly revealed to Palestinians how little the international community thinks about their plight. Obviously, the embassy move is a huge insult, but the U.S. is hardly alone in this regard. Egypt, which

has recognized Israel since the Camp David Accords in 1979, openly collaborates with the Israel Defense Forces on anti-terrorist initiatives in the region and steadfastly maintains its end of the total blockade of Gaza.

Once firmly committed to the Palestinian cause, former Israeli antagonists like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have begun something of a detente with the Jewish state, unified by their mutual concern over Iran’s military exploits.

Interviewed by the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg during his April tour of the United States, Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, took a surprising position on the disputed territory. When asked if he believed that the Jewish people had the right to a homeland in the Middle East, Salman responded in the positive, stating, “I believe that each people, anywhere, has a right to live in their peaceful nation. I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land.” For the future leader of Saudi Arabia, a once-staunch opponent of Israel, to publicly proclaim that Israel deserves to exist in some form is a real turnaround. Neither the Palestinian Authority, the U.N.-recognized entity which controls the West Bank, or Hamas, the terrorist organization that rules Gaza, appear to have any real means of winning the rest of the Arab world back over.

Bereft of allies and cut out of the peace process, Palestinians have turned to collective anger. Throughout the past month, Palestinian activists have organized mass protests they call the “Great March of Return” along the Gaza border, seeking the right of return granted to Israelis, but denied to Palestinians. If neither the U.S. nor Israel is willing to come to the negotiation table, the logic goes, the issues will come to both countries instead. Israel has responded by upping its already heavy military presence

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

alongside the border, citing the risk of potential terrorist activity and a breach of the thin chain-link border fence. Over nearly a month of protests, Israeli military fire has killed nearly 80 Gazans and injured over 5,000, according to a May 14 Times of Israel article. Why highly skilled troops are using live fire against civilians throwing rocks and flying burning kites remains unanswered.

Protesters are planning a climactic demonstration on May 15, a day of significant importance to the local populace. For the Palestinians, the 15th is Nakba Day. Translated from the Arabic, “nakba” best comes out to “catastrophe,” which should speak volumes as to how Palestinians see the foundation of Israel. Given the prior bloodshed and chaos, and the high volume of Palestinians expected to come to protest, Nakba Day will likely be an ugly affair as long as the Israeli military continues to use live fire. If Israel is willing to extend the right of peaceful protests to its own citizens without question, why should the Palestinians be exempt?

Currently, the United States has shown no indication of criticizing or punishing Israel for its brutal response toward protests. If anything, the embassy opening has served to embolden the worst aspects of Israel’s political and military sphere. If the American diplomatic community wants to create a realistic path for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, it cannot allow the kind of shortsighted behavior practiced by the Trump administration to continue. Most Israelis are keenly aware that the current situation in Gaza is untenable and that the status quo will only hurt all involved. It is too bad, then, that Netanyahu and his buddies in the Knesset do not seem to care.

Unless significant action is taken, the kind of violence we are currently seeing in Gaza will continue to worsen.

THE JUSTICE ● Sports ● Tuesday, MAY 15, 2018

SOFTBALL:

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PITCHERS DUEL

Team ends season with 11-21 record CONTINUED FROM 16 look to dominate the conference next spring.

Shortstop Jolie Fujita ’21 The rookie shortstop burst onto the scene for the Judges with a .333 average, one home run and 15 RBIs. Both her RBI total and batting average were enough for third on the team as she established herself as a key hitter for the Judges.

The Judges are filled with talented players, and many have not even reached their full potential

yet. With unhittable workhorses on the mound and dominant bats at the plate, Brandeis will look to be a feared team in 2019. There is work to be done – especially after only two wins in the conference this past season – but the team already has all the necessary tools for success on its roster. With plenty of up and coming stars to watch, as well as optimism for a successful offseason of recruiting, fans have every reason to be excited for the 2019 softball season.

ANDREW BAXTER/Justice File Photo

THROWING HEAT: Pitcher Brandon Musto ’20 winds up for a throw in a game against Case Western Reserve on April 8.

TRACK: Looking BASEBALL: Judges finish ahead to a very season with 3-25 record bright future CONTINUED FROM 16

CONTINUED FROM 16 Carter ’18 capped off a dominant shotput season by finishing 21st with a throw of 10.66m. Lydia Harris ’20 finished 13th in the 400m hurdles with a time of 68.44 seconds, while Kanya Brown ’19 finished 26th in the 100m running 13.08 seconds.

The New England InterCollegiate Amataure Athletics Association tournament took place this past weekend but ended too

late to be covered in this issue.

The Judges still have a few more events left in the outdoor season.

On Thursday, some will travel to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to participate in the outdoor season’s last chance meet. Following that will be the NCAA national Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Lacrosse, Wisconsin from May 24-26.

its batting average by 43 points and hit 10 more home runs in just one more game. Even more impressively, Brandeis scored 70 more runs this season compared to last season.

Why should fans be ready for a breakout year in 2019? The Judges’ offensive leaders this past season consisted of four first-years and their sophomore captain, Oppenheimer.

Oppenheimer had the third-highest batting average on the team at

.280 and drove in 13 runs.

Sand was a constant force at the plate, with a couple of long balls and a six-tonine strikeout-to-walk ratio. Khoury led the team with a .308 average, .936 OPS, 23 walks (compared to 19 strikeouts) and four home runs. He also added 16 RBIs on the year, which was the third highest total on the team. Outfielder Dan Frey ’21 was tied for the team lead with three steals and led the team in RBIs with 19, thanks in part to his two home runs. First baseman Isaac

Fossas ’21 was a constant threat for the Judges, with 18 RBIs for the season.

While the team has some work to do on the mound in the offseason, the Judges have a lot of young arms ready to go. For example, coming off of an injury, pitcher Albert Gutierrez ’20 will look to get back to the dominant shape of his rookie campaign. In 2017, Gutierrez earned one of the team’s wins and sported a pristine 3.38 ERA. In addition, southpaw pitcher Greg Tobin ’20 will look to keep

missing bats after posting a 9.0 K/9 mark this past season.

Things might not have always been pretty this season for the Judges, but an avid fan would just call it growing pains.

This is a young team with a lot of fight in it, and the Judges will look to assert themselves in the University Athletic Association conference this coming season. Look for a powerful offense and a resilient pitching staff to take the league by storm next spring.

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● Sports ●

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

15

TENNIS

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS BASEBALL TEAM STATS

UAA STANDINGS

Runs Batted In

UAA Conference

W L Case

12 4 Emory 11 5 WashU 10 6 NYU 7 10 JUDGES 1 15

W 29 20 21 28 3

Overall L Pct. 10 .744 18 .526 14 .600 12 .700 25 .107

UPCOMING GAMES: The team has concluded its season.

Dan Frey ’21 leads the team with 19 runs batted in.

Player RBI Dan Frey 19 Issac Fossas 18 Mike Khoury 16

Strikeouts Greg Tobin ’20 leads all pitchers with 47 strikeouts.

Player Ks Greg Tobin 47 Bradley Bousquet 20 Tim Lopez 20

SOFTBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Runs Batted In

UAA Conference

W L W Emory

15 1 29 Case 10 6 35 NYU 5 11 21 JUDGES 2 14 11 WashU 8 8 16

Overall L Pct. 12 .707 9 .795 20 .512 21 .344 14 .533

Marissa DeLaurentis ’19 has a team-high 22 runs batted in.

Player RBI Marissa DeLaurentis 22 Keri Lehtonen 17 Jolie Fujita 15

Strikeouts

UPCOMING GAMES: The team has concluded its season.

Scottie Todd ’20 has a teamhigh 52 strikeouts on the hill.

Player Ks Scottie Todd 52 Callie MacDonald 17 Sadie-Rose Apfel 13

TRACK AND FIELD Results from the UUA outdoor championships.

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s) 200-meter dash

RUNNER Irie Gourde Regan Charie Jacob Ward

TIME 22.32 11.15 11.59

1500-meter run

RUNNER TIME Emily Bryson 4:45:23 Meaghan Barry 4:52.22 Julia Bryson 4:53.85

UPCOMING MEETS: Thursday at Massachusetts Institute of Technology May 24-26 at University of Wisconsin La Crosse

TENNIS Results from UAA outdoor championships.

TOP PERFORMERS (Men’s)

TOP PERFORMERS (Women’s)

MEN’S SINGLES Rajan Vohra

RECORD 14-9

WOMEN’S SINGLES RECORD Lauren Bertsch 13-8

MEN’S DOUBLES RECORD Coramutla/Aizenberg 25-6

WOMEN’S DOUBLES RECORD Leavitt/Bertsch 6-3

UPCOMING MEETS:

May 24-26 NCAA championships in Claremont, California

ANDREW BAXTER/Justice File Photo

ACES HIGH: Tennis star David Aizenberg ’20 serves the ball in a match versus Colby Sawyer College on March 23.

Teams conclude best season in decades ■ Aizenberg and Coramutla continue their seasons at NCAA championships.

By Zach Kaufman JUSTICE EDITOR

Except for the men’s doubles duo of David Aizenberg ’20 and Anupreeth Coramutla ’21, the season has come to an end for the the men’s and women’s tennis teams.

The dynamic duo was selected to travel to Claremont, California in two weeks to compete in the NCAA national tennis tournament against students from all across the nation.

For everyone else, now is the time to reflect on one of the most successful tennis seasons in decades, in which both teams spent much of the campaign in the national rankings.

Here are how the last few weeks of the season went down for the tennis team.

The men’s team entered the University Athletic Association tournament as a fifth seed. Their first game was against the fourth seeded Washington University in St. Louis. After a long battle between two of the top teams in the conference, the Judges were dispatched by the WashU Bears. The usually reliable tandem of Aizenberg and Coramulta did not muster a win,

but the other two doubles teams did, putting the Judges up 2-1. However, in singles action, the Judges were less successful, losing four of the six matches.

In the next round, the team faced the University of Rochester in a consolation game and easily won 8-1. The three doubles teams all won their games, and Aizenberg, Jackson Kogan ’19, Tyler Ng ’19, Benjamin Wolfe ’20 and Ethan Saal ’19 all won their respective singles matches.

The team then went on to face Case Western Reserve University in the fifth-place match. This is the fourth year in a row that the Judges and the Case Western Tartans have met in this exact game. The doubles teams continued their dominance and, for the 18th time in 19 games, the Judges entered singles play in the lead.

However, the singles games were a different story, with only Kogan securing a win for Brandeis. Four out of the six singles matches went to a marathon super tiebreaker, but only Kogan came out of the third round victorious. This 6-3 loss ended the Brandeis men’s tennis season.

The women’s team entered the UAA tournament as a seventh seed looking to upset some of the higherranked opponents. They faced second-seeded Carnegie Mellon University in the first round, and were very close to achieving their goal. The Judges quickly fell behind

2-1 in doubles action, with the duo of Lauren Bertsch ’21 and Olivia Leavitt ’19 providing the one win.

Bertsch, Michele Lehat ’19 and Haley Cohen ’18 were all victorious in singles action, and the match would come down to the last set. Leavitt was unfortunately unable to win the super tiebreaker, and the judges were downed 5-4.

The team then advanced to take on New York University and, this time, their hunger for an upset was satisfied. The team came into the game with a chip on their shoulder, as the NYU Violets had already recorded a 5-4 win over the Judges earlier in the season. Brandeis continued their doubles dominance, sweeping all three matches on the day. In singles action, the teams split the games, resulting in a 6-3 win for the Judges. The team then advanced to the fifth-place match against Case Western. The Judges found themselves quickly behind 3-0 after doubles action and would never regain momentum, losing the match 7-2 and placing Brandeis sixth.

Overall, both teams had their share of successes despite facing many worthy opponents. The Judges are on a positive trend, and the Brandeis tennis program looks to be on the brink of greatness. Only time will tell if the Judges can put the final pieces together to win a championship.

PRO SPORTS BRIEF The Raptors fire head coach Casey in a move that proves that the NBA has no job security Early Friday morning, the NBA world received the startling news that Toronto Raptors head coach Dwayne Casey, winner of a franchise-record 59 games and recently named “Coach of the Year” by his peers, had been fired. Casey had given the Raptors unprecedented success in the regular season, coaching the team to all three 50-win seasons in franchise history, but that all changed when the playoffs came around. Each of the last three seasons ended with the Cleveland Cavaliers reveling in the confetti while Casey’s Raptors were mired in defeat.

In 2016, the Raptors finished with 56 wins, only one behind the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Cavaliers. The first round was a nailbiter as the Raptors snuck by the seventh-seeded Indiana Pacers in seven games. The next round pitted Casey’s Raptors against the thirdseeded Miami Heat for a spot in the Eastern Conference finals. Yet again, the Raptors pushed to a seventh game, but were able to find a way through into the conference finals where LeB-

ron James and his team, the Cavaliers, waited. The Cavaliers blitzed through the first two games easily, but the Raptors tied it up with two wins at home.

Games five and six proved destructive for the Raptors as the Cavaliers ran through the Toronto franchise, eliminating them from the playoffs. Despite the failure to advance, the season was seen as a success, arguably the best season in Raptors franchise history.

The next season, the Raptors finished as the third seed, just behind the Cavaliers. For the first round, the Raptors were able to finish off the young Milwaukee Bucks in six games, winning the final three games of the series. But around the corner in the semi-finals was “King” James, and he made his presence felt. The Cavaliers steamrolled the Raptors to a sweep, while LeBron never scored less than 35 points in any game of the series. The ineptitude of Casey’s team in the playoffs, and especially against Lebron, was beginning to show through. Despite stars such as Demar Derozan and Kyle

Lowry, as well as mid-season pickup Serge Ibaka, the team was unable to win even a single game against the Cavaliers and struggled to finish off teams in the previous playoff appearances.

2018 shaped up to be the Raptors’ season; they cruised through the regular season to the tune of a franchise record 59 wins, the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the secondbest record in all of the NBA. The best season in Raptor history was entering the playoffs with Casey at the helm all season, who oversaw career years from Derozan and Jonas Valanciunas and saw the emergence of young players Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby.

Their first round opponent was the last-seeded Washington Wizards, who pushed the Raptors to six games, again casting some doubt over the Raptors’ and Casey’s ability in the playoffs.

Only furthering the narrative, the Raptors’ subsequent opponent was none other than the Cleveland Cavaliers. This season’s iteration of the Cavaliers proved a stark contrast to the

dominant teams of past seasons. Hurt by the loss of Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, the Cavaliers came into the season with a supporting cast of veterans that seemed to provide a questionable fit alongside LeBron. The regular season went all but according to plan for the Cavaliers, as new acquisitions Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder stumbled leading to mid-season trades for Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance, Rodney Hood and George Hill. The Cavaliers rebounded in the second half but, alas, finished as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and all in all were a much weaker Cavalier unit. Game one in Toronto came down to the wire, with Cleveland winning in overtime. But in the second game, LeBron came out in full force scoring 43 points as Cleveland took a 2-0 series lead. The matchup again came down to the wire in game three with LeBron hitting a circus shot to finish off the Raptors. Game four was the final straw for Raptor management, as the Cavaliers obliterated the Raptors by 35 points, ending the sweep and

the Raptors’ season. In the final game, stars Derozan and Lowry demonstrated extremely poor efforts, as did the entire team— a microcosm of Raptor playoff basketball. Throughout the series, LeBron had himself nearly outperformed Derozan and Lowry combined.

The first strike came down on Friday when Casey was fired. More reshuffling of the Raptors is surely in the works. With three consecutive defeats at the hands of LeBron James, something had to change. In order to overcome back-to-back defeats against the Pistons, Michael Jordan and the Bulls implemented the Triangle Offense but, moreover, learned how to deal with adversity from their defeats. Obviously the Raptors don’t have a Michael Jordan-esque player, but Raptor management felt Dwayne Casey’s playoff ineptitude was enough to warrant removal.

Someone else will have to attempt to bring Toronto out of LeBron’s shadow.

—Zach Kaufman

just

Sports

Page 16

TENNIS HAS BEST FINISH IN YEARS Aizenberg and Comutla headed to nationals, p. 15.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

SWING FOR THE FENCES

Baseball

Judges look to take the league by storm in 2019 ■ Strong first-year class looks to be foundation for future success.

By Ben katcher Justice Editor

The Brandeis baseball team ended its season losing eight of its last nine games. (This article is not for the cynics, who will want to examine the reasons for the Judges’ 25-loss season.)

Judges 7, NYU 5 The Judges collected their third win of the season on April 21 against the New York University Violets at home, with a score of 7-5. This was an especially impressive victory seeing as the Violets came into the game with a remarkable 24-7 record, while the Judges had a 2-20 mark. However, showing that they should not be ignored, the Judges put their numerous talents on full display to come out on top.

At the plate, leadoff-hitting left fielder Donnie Weisse ’20 led the way for Brandeis with a single, walk and stolen base, as well as an RBI. Shortstop and team captain Victor Oppenheimer ’20 followed

Waltham, Mass.

his teammate’s lead with a pair of hits and three RBIs on the day.

Third baseman Mike Khoury ’21 continued his impressive rookie campaign with two hits, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.

However, second baseman Tommy Sand ’21 stole the show, going 3-3 with a walk, his second home run of the year, three RBIs and four runs scored.

On the mound, Tim Lopez ’20 and Mason Newman ’21 masterfully shut down the Violets’ bats. Lopez started the game, allowing three earned runs across 5.1 innings while striking out four. Newman followed that up with 3.2 innings of work, allowing two earned runs while striking out three and picking up the win. In a true David-andGoliath battle, the Judges proved that they should never be counted out and put on an outstanding show for their home crowd.

Looking at the season statistics, there is a lot that the Judges should be excited about. Offensively, the team batted .251 on the year with 14 home runs in 28 games. Compared to last year, the team improved

See BASEBALL, 13 ☛

TRACK AND FIELD

Brandeis performs well in championship meets ■ Athletes will continue

their seasons at last chance and NCAA national championship meets.

By ZACH KAUFMAN JUSTICE EDITOR

The Brandeis men’s and women’s track teams are right in the midst of a series of championship tournaments which will last until late May. So far, they have been very successful at both the University Athletic Association and New England Division III meets.

UAA Championships Both teams found great success at the UAA outdoor championships.

For the men’s team, their fifthplace finish was the team’s highest since 1999. The women’s sixthplace finish was their highest since 2011.

Graduate student Irie Gourde ’17 was once again a standout, completing the double crown that he missed so narrowly in the winter. Gourde won both the 200m and the 400m, moving into sole possession of the school record for the 400m, in the process. These were Gourde’s second and third conference wins after finishing as the runner up in the previous five events he ran.

Two other Brandeis runners finished in scoring position behind Gourde. Regan Charie ’19 finished fifth, while Churchill Perry ’19 came in at eighth. Emily Bryson ’19 also left the meet as a UAA champion, defending her 1500m title with ease and racking up an incredible seventh UAA title in her decorated collegiate career.

Meaghan Barry ’19 and Julia Bryson ’19 also finished in scoring

positions, making the 1500m a 17-point event for the Judges. As a triple jumper, Perry provided the final win for the Judges in his best event. He came into the meet as the clear favorite and defended his winter title; each of his attempts would have won him the event.

New England Division III Championships Many runners and other athletes concluded, Gourde continued his dominant year by winning and setting new personal and new school records in the 200m dash. He also contributed to the 4x100 relay team, which set a new school record of 42.58 seconds.

Gourde, along with Charie, Perry and Lorenzo Maddox ’20, placed sixth overall at the event. Danielle Bertaux ’20 nearly set a personal best in the 5000m and her run was good, earning third overall at the meet. Niamh Kenny ’21 also finished ninth in the same race.

The women’s 4x400 relay team also performed very well at the event. The team of Leinni Valdez ’21, Maya Sands-Bliss ’20, Doyin Ogundiran ’19 and Lisbeth Valdez ’21 recorded a time of 4:01.52 to place seventh. Scote Grote ’19 reset a personal best from the UAA championships in the discus to finish third. His 48.08m toss puts him at 26th nationally.

A few other Judges also capped off their seasons at this event.

Captain Ryan Stender ’18 placed 12th in the 5000m with a season best 15:15.25. Jack Allan ’20 also had his season best in two events: hurdles and long jump. He ran 15.52 for the 110m hurdles to place 14th and jumped 6.47m for 13th. In the pole vault, Breylen Ammen ’21 jumped 4.40m (14’5.25”) for 11th while Aaron Corin ’20 cleared 4.10m (13’5.25”) for 17th. Jordin

See TRACK, 13 ☛

HEATHER SCHILLER/Justice File Photo

RUN IT OUT: Scottie Todd ’20 makes contact in a game against Washington University in St. Louis on April 28.

Team is stacked with talent for years to come ■ Young core looks to power the team in future seasons.

By BEN KATCHER JUSTICE EDITOR

The Brandeis softball team finished its season with 11 wins and a wide array of accomplishments.

The following key contributors were warriors from start to finish and gave fans reasons to hope for a dominant season in 2019.

Pitcher Scottie Todd ’20 The legendary Scottie Todd continued to win in 2018. This stud pitcher earned second-team All-UAA honors after racking up more than half of her team’s wins. Todd posted a 6-8 record, but her peripherals tell the true tale. Todd followed her unprecedented rookie ERA of 1.41 with a 1.52 mark in 2018 and recorded 52 strikeouts. Furthermore, Todd topped 100 innings for the first time in her stellar career. After two unbelievable seasons, Todd now has the two lowest single-season ERA marks in Brandeis history. With one of the greatest pitchers in Brandeis

softball history, the team will be in very capable hands next spring.

Pitcher Callie MacDonald ’20 MacDonald was a workhorse all season long, racking up 69.1 innings – 15 more than in her rookie campaign. In her second season on the mound, MacDonald had twice as many wins and four times as many complete games as in the 2017 season. She also struck out 17 batters on her way to lowering her ERA from 2017 to 2018. She will be an invaluable contributor to the success of this team moving forward.

Catcher Keri Lehtonen ’19 Lehtonen, along with Todd, also earned second-team All-UAA honors after another stellar season for the Judges. The stud catcher led the team in batting average, runs scored, extra-base hits and stolen bases. She improved her average from last season by 38 points, drove in two more runs, had six more runs scored and made 11 more hits. She also upped her slugging percentage by 76 points while striking out five fewer times. Behind the plate, Lehtonen posted a pristine .991 fielding percentage. There is simply no arguing about the team captain’s

monster production over the past three years. She will enter her final season with a career average of .385, an OPS of 1.000, 22 doubles, eight home runs, 52 RBIs and 72 runs scored. Lehtonen does not simply lead the offense – she is the offense.

Outfielder Marissa DeLaurentis ’19

The other team captain for the Judges, DeLaurentis went on an extreme power surge this season.

After four home runs total in her first two seasons, the outfielder erupted for four home runs, six doubles and a team-high 22 RBIs this season. Her powerful batting will be necessary for the continued success of the team during her senior season, in the spring.

Third baseman PJ Ross ’20 Ross was an equally powerful force for the Judges this season, her sophomore campaign. Ross hit twice as many home runs this year as she did last year, and tied for the team-lead with four for the season.

The third baseman increased her slugging percentage by 128 points while simultaneously lifting her batting average up by 47 points. Her growth in production is showing no signs of slowing down, and she will

See SOFTBALL, 13 ☛

Vol. LXX #24

May 15, 2018

Vol. LXX #2

September 12, 2017

Thanks for the Memories

just just

Waltham, Mass.

S T R A

Images: Creative Commons, Yvette, Sei/the Justice, Lucy Frenkel/the Justice, Natalia Wiater/the Justice, Ydalia Colon/the Justice and Chelsea Madera/the Justice. Design: Yvette Sei/the Justice.

18

TUESDAY, may 15, 2018 | THE JUSTICE

justArts 2017-2018

YEAR IN REVIEW Writers and editors share their 2017-2018 favorites!

Critic loves this season’s films

By Kent dinlenc justice Staff writer

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

AMERICAN HERO: Captain America, a popular figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is featured in the most recent Avengers film.

While the past few months have been devoid of the indie films I was anticipating, I was pleasantly surprised by what has been released. I have spouted enough praise for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and thoroughly reviewed 2017 as a whole, so I’ve decided to solely cover the films that came out during the spring semester.

My favorite film of 2018 by far has been “Death of Stalin.” Directed by Armando Iannucci, creator of “In the Loop” and “Veep,” the film centers around the transfer of power to the Russian council of ministers after Stalin’s sudden death in 1953. You may imagine that it’s a dark drama about the horrid treatment of the Russian people under corrupt and untrustworthy leadership, but it is actually a satirical look at the inner workings of the Russian government of the time — similar to the aforementioned projects Iannucci was responsible for.

Standout performances came from Steve Buscemi as Nikita Khrushchev and Jason Isaacs as General Georgy Zhukov, as well as a welcome return to the limelight for Michael Palin and an Oscar-worthy supporting role by Simon Russell Beale as Lavrenti Beria.

“You Were Never Really Here” also took my breath away, though through tension rather than hilarity. The story reminds me of “Taxi Driver” thanks to similar tones and plot points. Lead actor Joaquin Phoenix delivers one of his best performances as a tortured veteran who spends his time searching for kidnapped girls in the most unholy of places.

I expect director Lynne Ramsay to receive a lot of attention for the poignant and brutal story she told in the seedy underbelly of New York. The film occasionally veers into style-over-substance storytelling but is engaging and hair-raising overall.

Finally, I can’t really summarize the first half of 2018 without at least mentioning the phenome-

non of “Avengers: Infinity Wars.”

It’s already broken records and exceeded expectations. I would deem it the best Marvel movie to date, though not my favorite.

From a filmmaking standpoint, it is a triumph and a feat that should be lauded. The computergenerated imagery is colorful and breathtaking. Thanos easily exceeds Marvel’s poor villain track record, and the almost- 25 main characters all get adequate screen time. The film is rarely subject to bathos, which is to say that the dramatic weight of a scene isn’t always undercut with humor.

Stakes were realized (though that isn’t a high bar for Marvel).

A large crutch, however, is that you must first watch a majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, or else you WILL be lost.

Go out and see any of these movies. They’re a great time, and each one has garnered an A- from me. Oh, and “A Quiet Place” is highly recommended as well — it’s almost as scary as post-graduation prospects. Good luck, Class of 2018!

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

POP COUNTRY: Kacey Musgraves, the artist responsible for “Golden Hour,” a pop-country album available on iTunes and Spotify.

Spend an hour listening to ‘Golden Hour’

By Valerie Janovic justice contributing writer

Kacey Musgraves’ newest album, “Golden Hour,” shines with effortless beauty and genuine emotion.

The innovative album blends country and pop styles — combining a simple singer-songwriter vibe and a catchy

tune with strings, vocoders and disco beats. The lyrics are personal and specific to the artist, yet vague enough to be relatable without seeming commercial and derivative. The thoughtfully and honestly crafted melodies are undoubtedly Musgraves’ greatest talent. Featuring ballads like “Rainbow” and upbeat energetic beats like “High Horse,” her album is both

eclectic and dynamic. One of my favorite songs on the album is “Space Cowboy,” an authentic portrayal of heartbreak with a clever hook.

Throughout “Golden Hour,” Musgraves composes her songs as though revealing the hidden melodies that always existed in her lyrics, instead of forcing her poetry to mix with the music. The album’s title song, “Golden

Hour,” incorporates elements of jazz into the pop-country style and demonstrates more advanced compositional integrity than the songs from her previous albums. The variety of songs on the album creates a cohesive and thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. While I am not a fan of country music in general, I found “Golden Hour” delightful and touching.

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, May 15, 2018

19

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

DISOBEDIENT: Rachel Weisz, an Academy Award-winning British actress, played Ronit in the film “Disobedience.”

‘Disobedience’ disappoints By lily swartz justice editor

“Disobedience” begins when an elderly rabbi falls to his death in front of his Orthodox congregation. Soon after, the rabbi’s estranged daughter, Ronit, returns to London from New York to mourn her father’s death. At the house of mourning, Ronit runs into her childhood lover, Esti.

Unlike Ronit, who fled Orthodoxy to become a photographer in New York, Esti remained within the Orthodox fold and married Ronit’s father’s most dedicated student, Dovid.

Although the film dealt with interesting themes, it lacked depth and nuance. For instance, many of the prayer scenes did not accurately depict the reality of ultra-Orthodox Jewish communal

Photo Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

prayer. Moreover, I found it confusing when Ronit and Esti kissed for the first time in the film — there were no flashbacks to give background for their romantic history, and the plot jumped right into their love affair without sufficient development. I also did not appreciate how the film merely revolved around the forbidden lesbian relationship, ignoring other critical components of the plot. The film failed to touch upon other aspects of the characters’ identities that needed unpacking: the relationship between Esti and Dovid, Ronit’s life in New York and Ronit’s relationship with her late father.

Overall, I felt although the film was about forbidden love between two random women: a no-longer-Orthodox photographer and a married woman from the ultra-Orthodox community in London.

‘Three Little Words,’ finding the right home By jen geller justice editor

Spending nine years of her childhood in 14 different foster homes, Ashley Rhodes-Courter experienced inhumane conditions. Her memoir, “Three Little Words,” begins with the chilling story of how she and her brother, Luke, were taken

by Florida’s department of Children and Families after their mother’s arrest. The reader is dragged through the horrors

that Rhodes-Carter faced. She encountered various caseworkers, some good and some bad, and suffered physical abuse from a terrible foster family.

This particular family manipulated the authorities into believing that they were providing a hospitable home for their foster children. Rhodes-Courter lost her few possessions and was repeatedly separated and reunited with Luke.

Ultimately, the story traces Rhodes-Courter’s childhood

through to her adoption. The reader has the opportunity to analyze how her lack of a permanent home impacted her ability to trust those around her. For a long time, she thought that the Courters would abandon her, as so many others had already done.

This memoir is eye-opening for depicting the flaws of the foster care system and shedding light on a topic not typically addressed in mainstream literature.

Brontë still captivates in 2018 By avraham penso

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Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

STILL IN STYLE: An old edition of a timeless classic.

Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

Rivera’s ‘The Tiger’s Daughter’ thrills and excites fantasy lovers

By Shoshi finkel

justice contributing writer

“The Tiger’s Daughter” by K. Arsenault Rivera was a refreshing and exhilarating fantasy novel set in a world inspired by China, Japan and Mongolia. It was a much-needed break from the cliched, pseudoEuropean backdrops of typical high fantasy; the two female protagonists, who were born into a tumultuous world of demons and family responsibilities in the aftermath of a great war, must fight their way through prejudice, betrayal and awkward adolescent crushes. This book, published in October 2017, satisfied my love for court drama, mystery, adventure and queer romance. “The Tiger’s Daughter” is a force of nature, and I can’t wait to see what the author brings in the remaining two books of the trilogy.

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TUESDAY, May 15, 2018 | Arts | THE JUSTIce

INTERVIEW

Brandeis TALKS What is your fondest memory of your time at Brandeis?

Rebecca Myers ’18 Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Myers

Alex Shapiro ’18 “Voices of Soul!”

This week, justArts spoke with Rebecca Myers ’18, a graduating senior who held the position of production manager on the Undergraduate Theater Collective executive board and was active in several shows put on by the Department of Theater Arts, most recently “Into the Woods.”

Qionying Jiang ’18 “There are actually a lot. ... I met so many awesome people here and we hung around and we took classes together. ... I enjoyed every moment at Brandeis.”

Sydney Exler ’18 “There are definitely too many to choose from, but they all involve good times with friends laughing really hard. That sounds so cliche, but I mean it!”

Xuyang Xia ’18 “It’s probably seeing my final scores every semester because I’ve [gotten] pretty [good] scores, so every time I check my scores on Sage and see the A and A+, that’s a ... great memory.”

—Compiled and photographed by Andrew Baxter/the Justice.

STAFF’S Top Ten

Justice File Photo

Top Ten Crimes Against Bagels

By Hannah Kressel justice Editor

MAYA ZANGER-NADIS/the Justice

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Record 5 Currie who wrote “A Parliamentary Affair” 11 Place to find news about the NYSE 14 E Pluribus ____ 15 Lunchtime meeting, informally 16 Ref. work 17 Two options for a hairstylist?

19 ____ al Ghul (“Batman” foe) 20 Use as a bed 21 Means 23 Figure in a Le Carré title 25 1970 Edwin Starr song 26 Words of realization 28 Has too much, briefly 29 Balers?

31 Namesake for a scale of hardness 33 The B of HBO 34 “The nerve!”

35 Footnote abbr.

37 Catch in a trap 38 In the back 40 Embarrassed, perhaps 41 Spanish ms.

44 Tie up someone stupid?

46 “You said it!”

47 Armisen of “Portlandia” 48 Rival suitor’s cry of surprise 49 Breakfast foods with Nutella 52 ______ Harum (prog rock band) 54 In-demand campus living option 55 Oahu souvenir 56 Lollipop-flavored drink?

60 Some on YouTube are unskippable 61 Reggae musician Gregory 62 “Long Day’s Journey ____ Night” 63 Word invented by Homer 64 “I am the ______!” (Palpatine’s cry) 65 N _____ DOWN 1 Taft got stuck in one, apocryphally 2 Year abroad 3 Advice for those seeking tenure 4 One may carry a virus 5 Moon in “Star Wars” 6 One of four in football 7 Problem 8 Kinda sorta 9 “Oh, forget it!”

10 Zone 11 Like a good purchase 12 Ocean-dwelling slug said to look like a bunny 13 Law grads 18 “The Matrix” protagonist 22 They won their 16th NBA championship in 2010

justArts: What was the first production you took part in at Brandeis?

Did it impact you in any lasting way?

Rebecca Myers: My first production at Brandeis was “Conference of the Birds” and it was an amazing experience. Looking back on it, a lot of people were miserable doing it, but the students really banded together and became very close. That was also my introduction into the Department [of Theater Arts,] so it was when I first met all of the theater professors that guided me my past four years.

JA: What was your most awkward moment in your time participating in Brandeis theater?

CROSSWORD COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

23 Every ____, Dick and Harry 24 Hubbub 25 Medium for Madame Tussaud 27 Ukraine, once: Abbr.

29 Attractive 30 Santa ____ winds 32 Coverage of Michael Phelps?

33 Bit of backyard decor 36 21st Presidential monogram 37 “Told ya!”

38 Dog sound 39 One evaded in “The Hunt for Red October” 40 Tach letters 42 Phil Mickelson supporter?

43 Jerkwad 45 Dorothy uses one on the Tin Man 49 “#@&%$!”, in a comic strip 50 Grave letters 51 Needle cases 53 DNA collectors 54 Branch Davidians, e.g.

55 Wee guy 57 Snake in “The Jungle Book” 58 FedEx unit, for short 59 Ad ____

RM: In “Martyr,” I had to take my shirt off during a scene and the first time we ran that scene I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to even do that part.

I didn’t know how we were doing it in rehearsal, so Dmitry [Troanovsky (THA)] ended up having to ask me (and my scene partner Raphael [Stigliano ’18]) how naked we thought my character would get.

JA: What do you feel is your crowning artistic achievement at Brandeis?

RM: My freshman-year role as a cheerleader in “Grease.” Just kidding. “Into The Woods,” definitely.

JA: What is your favorite class that you took at Brandeis, and why?

RM: “Advanced Shakespeare!” Not a theater class, but brilliantly taught.

JA: What advice would you give yourself this time three years ago?

SOLUTION COURTESY OF EVAN MAHNKEN

RM: I should have gotten into tech earlier and declared my majors earlier. And I’d have told myself to take a language class first thing and to not let relationships die as easily as I did.

JA: What are your post-graduation plans, if you have any? If not — what are you looking forward to this summer?

SUDOKU

I am from New Jersey. Bagels are important in New Jersey.

The following list of bagel “flavors” are crimes against all that is good and holy.

INSTRUCTIONS: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

1. Blueberry bagel 2. Chocolate chip bagel 3. Cheetos bagel 4. Strawberry bagel 5. Asiago bagel (do not fight me on this) 6. French Toast bagel (delicious, maybe. Bagels they are not.)

7. Mac & cheese bagel (looking at you, Einstein Bros.)

8. Oreo bagel 9. Rainbow bagels (these make NO sense) 10. Twinkie Bagel (Brooklyn, please chill)

Puzzle courtesy of www.sudokuoftheday.com

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

RM: I’m gonna be auditioning for things! This summer, a play I am writing is going up in a theater and I’m acting in a show.

—Maya Zanger-Nadis