The Justice, October 19, 2021

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the

Justice www.thejustice.org

The Independent Student Newspaper Volume LXXIV, Number 7

of

B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

ACTIVISM

in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day was Chadra Pittman’s presentation. By DALYA KOLLER

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, Brandeis hosted public speaker and activist Chadra Pittman, who gave a talk titled ‘I, Too, Am America’: Stolen Land, Stolen People and the Forced Migrations of the Native & the African.' The talk focused on the history of the oppression, displacement and dehumanization of the Indigenous and African people in America’s past, discussing each of them on their own as well as drawing connections between the two histories. Pittman is the founder and executive director of The Sankofa Projects, where, according to her bio, “she works to preserve the legacy, history, and culture of the African diaspora” as well as the activist organization 4 E.V.E.R. (End Violence End Rape), “which seeks to end sexual violence and eradicate rape culture while advocating for deaf and LGBTQIA+ inclusion.”

Pittman began delivering speeches to the public about the history of Indigenous African people in America in 1991. Through her lectures and writing, she hopes to give a voice to neglected narratives. Her goal is to ensure that those who were wronged and can no longer speak up for themselves find their rightful place within the historical record. The presentation touched on events from the 16th century to the present, covering the history of the treatment of Indigenous and African people in America. Pittman drew many parallels between the histories of the two groups, as well as comparing their cultures. She discussed events like the weaponization of smallpox, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the Indian Removal Act and Andrew Jackson’s policies towards Indigenous Americans. Pittman also mentioned a few recent events that indicate America’s goal of reform and repair. Throughout the presentation, Pittman incorporated music, poetry and the words of other thinkers and activists. The title of the presentation itself was borrowed from

See ACTIVISM, 5 ☛

University honors scientists with the Rosenstiel Award ■ Dr. David Julius and

Dr. Ardem Patapoutian received the award at a ceremony on Oct. 12. By MAX FEIGELSON

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 12, the University held the 49th Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award ceremony virtually, honoring Dr. David Julius and Dr. Ardem Patapoutian “for their remarkable contributions to our understanding of the sensations of temperature, pain and touch.” Julius and Patapoutian received the award in 2019. However, due to COVID-19, the April 2020 award ceremony was postponed to last week. The award, fully named Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Medical Work in Basic Medical Research, was first given in 1971, and recognizes important advancements in fields related to medicine, biology and physiology. The ceremony for the 2020 winners, Dr. Katalin Karikó and Dr. Drew Weissman ’81, was held over Zoom, in spring 2021. Karikó and

Waltham, Mass.

FAMILY WEEKEND

Activist speaks on history of Indigenous people ■ One of the many events

Weissman received the award for their work in “the modification of nucleic acids to develop RNA therapeutics and vaccines.” The ceremony for the 51st winners, who will be announced later this year, will be held in the spring of 2022. University President Ronald Liebowitz opened the ceremony, welcoming Prof. James Haber (BIO) and Prof. Emeritus Christopher Miller (BCHM), to introduce the two awardees. Haber has been at Brandeis for five decades and has done award-winning research in the field of genetics, Liebowitz said. Haber explained that the Rosenstiel Award has frequently been a pathway to a future Nobel Prize. Of the 50 winners, 36 later received a Nobel Prize, at an average of nine years after receiving the Rosenstiel Award, Haber said. The current two awardees were no exception to this trend. Both scientists were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2021 for the same research they were congratulated for in this award. Julius and Patapoutian both conducted research which examined which molecular mechanisms

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JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

ACTIVITIES: Caricature artists were available to draw portraits of students and their families.

University holds programming for families on Family Weekend ■ Families attended

faculty presentations, performances and various other events on campus. By JACKLYN GOLOBORODSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 regulations at the University, the annual Brandeis Family Weekend was cancelled during the fall 2020 semester. Fortunately, the University hosted students' parents and families for a weekend of on-campus activities this year. Family Weekend officially began on Friday, Oct. 15, with a family check in at 10 a.m. at the Shapiro Campus Center. University staff provided families with name tags, a schedule for the weekend and some Brandeis merchandise. Later in the day, at 4 p.m., there was a welcome reception with complimentary food and drinks outside

"Gone Girl" author

of the SCC. For families observing Shabbat, both the Hillel Club and Chabad Club hosted visitors for dinner. Other Friday night activities included a performance by Craig Karges, an award-winning entertainer, speaker and author, according to the Family Weekend schedule. Saturday, Oct. 16, was packed with faculty speakers and other events hosted by the University. The faculty presentations all took place in Spingold Theater, starting with a faculty presentation by Prof. Dan Breen (LGS). Breen’s presentation, titled “The King of the Puget Sound Bootleggers: Roy Olmstead, Louis Brandeis and the Forging of the Modern Fourth Amendment,” discussed the modernization of the Fourth Amendment. The following faculty presenter was Prof. Sabine von Mering (CGES), who discussed the rapid effects of climate change. The event description on the Family Weekend schedule website said that von Mer-

ing focused specifically on the 2015 Paris Agreement and the reality of what commitments countries need to make to create a livable climate for the future. Next, families had the opportunity to hear from the director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Dalia Wassner, about her recent research regarding Latin American Jewry. The event description states that Wassner gave an overview of the American Jewish diaspora and “explored her vision for founding a pioneering initiative on Latin American Jewry that bridges the academy and the community.” The last faculty presentation was by Prof. Don Katz (NPSY), in which he used psychology and neuroscience to defend the idea that everything is an illusion. Katz said that he aimed to show viewers “how easy it is to change what something tastes and even looks like.” To end a day of faculty presentations on a wide range of topics, fami-

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Families enjoy the weekend

Musical Meltdowns

 This year's musical movies have missed the mark.

Gillian Flynn visited Brandeis to speak about her experiences as a journalist, author and producer.

By JASON FRANK

By JACK YUANWEI CHENG

The inaccessibility of the ballot box By LAUYRN WILLIAMS

By CAYENN LANDAU

Image Courtesy of BRANDEIS JOURNALISM PROGRAM

Waltham, Mass.

NEWS 3 FORUM 9

Men's Ultimate Frisbee wins

FEATURES 6

Image Courtesy of CEATIVE COMMONS

For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

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ARTS 15

By LIDDY GROSSMAN

COPYRIGHT 2021 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

SPORTS 11


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