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The Independent Student Newspaper Volume LXXIV, Number 5
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 5, 2021
JEWISH HIGH HOLIDAYS
■ Brandeis, unlike many
neighboring schools, gave days off for the Jewish holidays. By LEAH BREAKSTONE
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
One of the holiest days for Jewish students, Rosh Hashanah, fell on one of the first days of classes this year. Yom Kippur, another one of the holiest holidays, came 10 days later, and Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah all came less than two weeks after that. When the Justice spoke to some Jewish students at Brandeis, they voiced their gratitude for the University’s support of their holidays and religious practices. Such support included offering kosher dining options, canceling classes on major holidays and planning vibrant and varied Jewish religious, educational, cultural and social programming. The majority of American universities do not cancel classes for major Jewish holidays. Jewish students at these schools were faced with a tough decision: observe the holiday and miss some of the first days of classes, or attend classes at the expense of their religious obligations. Molly Khabie, a freshman at Boston University — which, according to Hillel International, has a Jewish population of about 22% — told the Justice that she grappled with balancing going to class and observing the holidays, and expressed disapproval for BU’s decision. “I don’t think that the university made the right decision to have classes because many of my friends struggled with going to classes, and it also forced me to
use my computer/phone, which I would have rather not used on the holidays,” she told the Justice on Sept. 26. Jewish life on campus is very important to Khabie, she said, and was influential in her decision to attend BU. She believes that the university should “take off for high holidays [so] that [you] don’t force Jews to compromise their practices in order to keep up with classes.” For students celebrating holidays for the first time away from their families, the opportunity to attend services at college among their peers is a great comfort, said Brandeis first-year Dina Millerman in an interview with the Justice on Sept. 29. “It was strange to celebrate away from home and I missed my family and my synagogue. That being said, I still felt like I was in a supportive Jewish community and that I celebrated the holidays in an adequate way,” Millerman explained. While Brandeis is officially nonsectarian, the strength of the Jewish community often plays a large role in the decision of Jewish students to apply and/or commit to Brandeis, according to Brandeis Hillel President Sarah Bernstein ’23. “When looking into colleges, I wanted an experience similar to what I was used to. I wanted somewhere that had a big Jewish community and a community where I wouldn't feel isolated for being Jewish, and that community was and still is Brandeis,” she told the Justice on Sept. 25. While not the deciding factor for her, Millerman said that “knowing that Brandeis has a large and lively Jewish population definitely made it stand out against schools that have constant reports of antisemitism. I never feel unsafe as a Jew on campus.”
Students participate in global climate protest ■ Climate activists at Brandeis
retold their experience protesting at climate strike. By JACKLYN GOLOBORODSKY JUSTICE EDITOR
On Friday, Sept. 24, young people across different countries protested for government action for the ongoing climate crisis. According to Reuters, this was the largest global climate protest since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A climate activism organization, Fridays for the Future, was responsible for organizing many of the strikes across the world, including the one in Boston. Their
website states that their mission is a “struggle for a better future for all; a future where people and the planet are prioritized.” The University’s commitment to social justice shone through when over 100 Brandeis students participated in the Boston climate strike. Prof. Sabine Von Mering (GRALL) organized for Brandeis to provide transportation for students from the University to the strike, Maggie Del Re ’22 said. “Considering how our world leaders are failing to take action, failing to distribute budgets properly, failing to uplift voices of indigenous activists, failing to listen to our youth and failing to act on scientists' recommendations, it just felt like our duty to be out in the streets,” Aileen Cahill ’23 said. See CLIMATE, 5 ☛
Waltham, Mass.
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PROFESSOR IN NEWS: Hill's new book "Believing: Our Thirty Year Journey to End Gender Violence" discusses change.
Anita Hill speaks about new book ‘Believing’ ■ The Justice spoke with Hill
about her new book, "Believing: Our Thirty Year Journey to End Gender Violence." By ARIELLA WEISS
JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
In 1991, a 35-year-old Anita Hill testified against United States Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas at his Senate confirmation hearing. She was the first person to ever testify against a Supreme Court Justice nominee with claims of sexual harassment, but she would not be the last. In September 2018, Christine BlaseyFord testified against Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh for the same reason. Both Kavanaugh and Thomas are acting associate justices with life tenure and the power to shape reproductive and equal opportunity laws on a national level. Hill teaches at the University’s
Heller School for Social Policy and Management as well as in the Legal Studies, African and African American Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies departments. In a phone interview with the Justice on Sept. 23, she looked back on her feelings while watching BlaseyFord testify, much like Hill herself did decades earlier. “There’s no complaint system for [Supreme Court Justice nominee hearings] and that’s totally absurd –– there’s no process,” Hill said. She said that she had hoped BlaseyFord would be treated differently, but was ultimately disappointed. However, she added that since the early 1990s, the attitude of the American public changed for the better. “70% of Americans believed Christine Blasey-Ford’s testimony –– that’s very different from the public response I got,” she said. When asked how she would have advised her 1990s self on trial, or other people thinking of filing a sexual harassment complaint, Hill said, “find out what the system
is: know what you’re getting into and what your resources are for navigating it.” She explained that at the time, resources “were not something I sought out. I was fortunate because my friends who are lawyers came together to help me. They volunteered and have never been compensated for that.” However, she clarified that her book “Believing: Our Thirty Year Journey to End Gender Violence” addresses violence and victimhood of all kinds, not just sexual harassment. “I view bullying, domestic violence in relationships, and even school shootings as relating to gender-based violence. I do this because victims and survivors for years have said that these behaviors are connected,” she said. Hill said that we tell young girls “‘he’s teasing you because he likes you’ or ‘that’s just how boys are.’ This does a disservice to the girl, because she thinks ‘I have to experience pain if someone likes me,’ and boys think this is the way to show affection when it's the opposite of
See HILL, 5 ☛
Dorm Disasters
Printmaster Interview
Vaune Trachtman talks about her newest exhibition, ‘NOW IS ALWAYS.’
Students voice issues with mice, mold and contaminated water.
By VICENTE CAYUELA
By LEAH BREAKSTONE, JULIANA GIACONE, CAYENN LANDAU and ISABEL ROSETH
FEATURES 6
Waltham, Mass.
INTERVIEW WITH ACCLAIMED PROFESSOR
University supports Jewish students on high holidays
Image Courtesy of ZIV SUITEMATES
of
Prof. speaks about future of humanities
NEWS 3
By HANNAH TAYLOR
Autumn symbolizes a time of change By ANASTASIA OWEN
FORUM 9
Men's and women's soccer teams compete Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
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COPYRIGHT 2021 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
SPORTS 10
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020
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NEWS
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THE JUSTICE
NEWS POLICE LOG
WALTHAM BRIEF Waltham hosts various outdoor community events Welcoming in the fall weather and the beginning of October, Waltham residents attended several outdoor community events, including the unveiling of the new Moody Street Fire Station, a farmers’ market and an outdoor gallery walk. On Saturday, Oct. 2, the Waltham Farmers’ Market hosted local vendors from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stands open at the weekly event included Boston Smoked Fish Co., Wellwood Farm and Sibling Organic Crops. The market is held rain or shine in the parking lot of the Embassy Theater off Moody Street in downtown Waltham. Per their website, the Farmers’ Market aims to provide accessible ways for community members to buy affordable food, support local farms and businesses and provide a community gathering space. The market will continue its weekly posting in town on Saturdays up to the end of October, according to its Facebook Page. While the Farmers Market was held, Waltham City Arts hosted its Waltham Art Window Walk. In collaboration with Waltham Open studios, the two groups acquired window space from Moody Street businesses for pieces by local artists. The free tour was open to the public, with the route beginning at Tea Leaf at 487 Moody St. According to the City of Waltham Facebook Page, seven businesses participated. The widely promoted ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of Moody Street Fire Station also took place on Oct. 2. Waltham Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, Fire Chief Thomas Macinnis and the City Council were all involved in the ceremony. According to a Patch Article by Annie Sandoli, the renovation project cost 9.3 million dollars for necessary updates to the 19th century station. Participants were offered a tour of the facility following the ribbon cutting. —Gemma Sampas
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MEDICAL EMERGENCY Sept. 26—There was a medical emergency in the Foster Mods. The party was treated by BEMco staff and signed a refusal for further care. Sept. 26—There was a medical emergency in the Stoneman Building. The party was treated by BEMco staff and University Police transported the party to a local hospital. Sept. 27—There was a medical emergency in the Shapiro Science Center. The party was treated by BEMco staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Sept. 28—There was a medical emergency in the Foster Mods. The party was treated by BEMco staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Sept. 29—There was a medical emergency in the Stoneman Building. The party was treated by BEMco staff and signed a refusal for further care. Sept. 29—There was a medical emergency in East Quad. The party was treated by BEMco staff and transported to a local
hospital via ambulance. Oct. 1—There was a medical emergency in North Quad. The party was treated by BEMco staff and signed a refusal for further care. Oct. 1—There was a medical emergency at the Charles River Apartments. The party was treated by BEMco staff and transported to a local medical facility by University Police. Oct. 1—There was a medical emergency in Sherman Dining Dall. The party was treated by BEMco staff and signed a refusal for further care. Oct. 1—There was a medical emergency in Massell Quad. The party was treated by BEMco staff and transported to a local hospital via ambulance. Oct. 1—There was a medical emergency in Massell Quad. The party was treated by BEMco staff and signed a refusal for further care. Oct. 2—There was a medical emergency in North Quad. The party was treated by
BEMco staff and signed a refusal for further care. Oct. 2—There was a medical emergency in the Village. The party was treated by BEMco staff and signed a refusal for further care. Oct. 3—There was a medical emergency in North Quad. The party was treated by BEMco staff and transported to a local hospital. Oct. 3—There was a medical emergency in North Quad. The party was treated by BEMco staff and transported to a local hospital. LARCENY Sept. 27—A report was composed of larceny by way of internet fraud. HARASSMENT Sept. 29—A community member reported receiving harassment via email. A report of the incident was composed. —Compiled by Noah Zeitlin
STUDY ABROAD FAIR
SENATE LOG Student Union charters organizations, approves club constitution changes Two student organizations sought chartering and three sought constitution changes at the Oct. 3 meeting of the Union Senate. Five new senators were in attendance as a result of the special elections. Additionally, Vice President Courtney Thrun ’22 gave the senators their committee assignments. Senator Charlotte Li ’24, chair of the Club Support Committee, introduced each organization, and in some cases presented on behalf of them. The first club to appear before the Senate was Active Minds, the Brandeis chapter of a national organization which encourages students to seek mental health services and educates students and faculty on mental health issues. Maxx Kipnes ’23, Active Minds president, said that because of COVID-19, the club can no longer host bake sales to raise money, and as a result, requires funding from the school. Kipnes estimated that the club would require roughly between $600 and $800 per semester. The Senate chartered the club by acclamation. Li, as Club Support Committee Chair, then presented for the Southeast Asia Club, the Brandeis Biochemistry Club and the Japanese Student Association, who were all seeking changes to their constitutions. SEAC needed approval to add the e-board position of “social justice chair” to their constitution. The Biochemistry Club, in addition to adding a number of e-board positions, wanted to add an anti-racism statement to their constitution. JSA wanted to add to their constitution the option to have two co-presidents rather than a president and vice president.
All three proposals were approved by acclamation. The president of the Brandeis MAD band, Mattie Doherty ’23, presented the band’s request that the Senate charter them. MAD band, which performs at Brandeis and has performed with other ensembles, is the University’s pep band, Doherty said. MAD band is under the umbrella of MARIMBA, which is also the parent organization of three other musical organizations on campus and was created in spring 2019. According to Doherty, all of the clubs under the MARIMBA umbrella, including MAD band, share the same constitution, but each seeks its funding individually. Doherty said that MAD band needs funding for printing sheet music and for potential equipment replacements. Executive Senator Joseph Coles ’22 said that, in his opinion, MARIMBA should apply to be chartered instead of the clubs under its umbrella. “The way it should work [is] each one has its own e-board and only gets funding from the umbrella,” Coles said. “If MAD band wants to be chartered, then MARIMBA should do it.” The Senate voted by roll call, with only Senator Asher Brenner ’24 voting in favor of chartering MAD band, and four abstentions. Li said that she will send the band feedback and that they are allowed to return as soon as they are able. Thrun also told the Senate that she is working on securing a “Turkey Shuttle” for students traveling to New York or New Jersey over the Thanksgiving break. —Max Feigelson
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
Students attended the Study Abroad fair on Sept. 23. Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
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@theJusticeNewspaper CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS ■ A forum article incorrectly spelled writer Faria Afreen’s name as “Faria Afreem.” The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org.
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THE JUSTICE
Prof. believes there needs to be change in humanities studies students studying humanities. By HANNAH TAYLOR JUSTICE EDITOR
The model for graduate-level humanities studies needs to be reformed, according to Dr. Leonard Cassuto. Cassuto, an English professor at Fordham University, spoke to the Brandeis community on Sept. 23 about his research centered around “Rethinking the Humanities in Trying Times.” In his presentation, Cassuto discussed how to “rethink” graduatelevel programs in the humanities, both in terms of education curriculum and career-readiness. He said that the current model for this type of education has not changed much throughout the last few decades, leaving the structure outdated. At the start of the 20th century, Cassuto explained, investments in higher education from national foundations paved the way for research opportunities among university professors. However, as institutions of higher education merged into research institutions, the expectation for graduate students changed. Since then, graduate-level humanities students have been trained with the expectation that they too will become research professors, Cassuto said, despite them now having limited opportunities to do so. These expectations were seen most dramatically in the 1980s during the Cold War. Throughout this decade, the U.S. government began to reorganize its education priorities, Cassuto said. He explained that this included an increase in government funding of universities, which in turn lessened the cost of higher education so more students could enroll in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Moreover, federal initiatives such as the GI Bill, the Education Act and federally guaranteed student loans also helped more students to enroll. The significant increase in the university student population, coupled with the need for more researchers, created a scenario where there were
abundant “research-intensive” faculty openings across the country, Cassuto explained. “If you could finish a Ph.D., there were jobs for everybody because the sector was expanding so fast,” Cassuto said about this time period. “Unfortunately, it created a new sense of the normal during a period that was anomalous.” He explained that departments used to admit hundreds of graduate students, which also meant that professors could teach courses in a vast number of subjects, but this is no longer the case necessarily. Despite there not being enough students or faculty to support this system today, the old structure of humanities education persists. “The assumptions that we take for granted in our workplace were forged during this time,” Cassuto explained. Cassuto metaphorized the traditional style of graduate-level education as a version of the “pot roast principle,” which says that a long line of family members may cook a pot roast the same way to keep tradition going, without realizing that the original reason for the tradition is no longer relevant. In terms of graduate school, Cassuto said that educators need to think about the reason for this traditional program style, and then they will realize that it’s outdated. In the current workforce climate –– today and even over the past 40 years –– Cassuto said, there is an employment problem facing the humanities departments. He explained that the reason behind this issue is the outdated structure of graduate school. With a curriculum that remains steadfast in teaching and training students to become research professors and that overlooks other possible career paths, graduate-level education is in need of restructuring, Cassuto said, adding that the current humanities curriculum “lacks academic freedom and a defined career path.” First, the current model of graduate school is long and difficult, and not every student completes their education or can expect to find a job afterward. Cassuto explained
■ The Student Union
that in a cohort of eight graduate students, only four will finish their doctorate, and only two of those four can expect a full-time teaching job. And only one, if any, of those students can expect a job at a researchintensive institution, yet it is that one person of the cohort that the curriculum is geared toward, Cassuto said. He continued, “We teach grad students to covet the researchintensive jobs, disdain the teachingintensive jobs, and at the prospect of getting neither one, we teach them to feel like failures.” The humanities program needs to be rethought in terms of the current student demographic and employment opportunities, Cassuto said. He explained, for instance, that smaller cohorts of graduate students have a need for collaboration with multiple advisors, directors and mentors, as opposed to the usual one-on-one interactions between a student and their sole advisor –– “Today’s graduate advising takes a village.” Moreover, Cassuto said that the educative approach must be “student centered [and] career diverse,” as well as “public facing” with social engagement. Included in this idea, Cassuto added, is that the graduate student population should also be reflective of the country as a whole, with more inclusion of underrepresented groups. This student-centered approach is crucial to rethinking graduatelevel humanities programs, Cassuto said. “There’s always been a tension in American higher ed between the universities’ quest for knowledge and the colleges’ goal of educating people,” he said, adding that while this tension may have been productive once, this is no longer the case. Cassuto explained that this is because academia and the workplace are changing, and that when an academic job market returns, it will look much different. “We need to change our workplace, or else, it’s going to change for us,” Cassuto said. “If we do the changing, there’s a chance that what will result will be something that we can understand as improvement.”
L.L. BEAN COMES TO CAMPUS
CLIMATE STRIKE: Students walked with the crowd of protesters and held posters.
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
L.L. Bean set up a pop-up shop at the University on Sept. 28.
NEWS
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TUESDAY. OCTOBER 5, 2021
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Student Union announces special election results
THE HUMANITIES
■ Scholar discussed future for
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announced the results of the second round of elections and welcomed the new senators at the Oct. 3 meeting. By MAX FEIGELSON
JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Student Union Secretary James Feng announced on Oct. 1 the results of the second round of Union elections. Each seat was uncontested, and the election concluded with the addition of five senators, one branch representative and two Allocations Board members to the Union. The new senators joined the Union Senate for the first time of their term at its Oct. 3 meeting.
Community Senator (Charles River)
Griffin Stotland ’23 secured the position of community senator unopposed. Stotland, who was the Charles River senator last year, said that he looks forward to using his experience and knowledge to make positive changes at Brandeis.
Community Senator (Ziv and Ridgewood)
Zachary Zhang ’22 secured the position of community senator unopposed. This is Zhang’s second year living in Ridgewood, which he said has made him “aware” of the issues students in the two quads face.
Community Senator (Off-Campus)
Anna Jacobson ’25 secured the position of community senator
unopposed. Jacobson said she is “committed to improving the student experience and listening to the voices of commuters and offcampus students.”
Community Senator (Foster Mods)
Jeremiah Lemelson ’23 secured the position of community senator unopposed. He said that he has experience in student government and organizing, and that he will accurately represent the needs of his constituents.
Senator at Large
Samantha Shortall ’23 secured the position of Senator at Large unopposed. Shortall, who was on the Social Justice and Health and Safety committees last year, said that she will listen to students’ ideas and amplify their voices.
Junior Representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Max Lerner secured the position of junior representative to the UCC unopposed. “I want to make sure that students are well-represented in the administration and do my part to ensure that our voices are heard,” Lerner said.
Allocations Board Member for a one-year seat (two seats open)
Shiv Chawla ’23 secured the position of one-year A-Board member unopposed. Chawla said he wants to prioritize improving communication between clubs and the A-Board. Justin Goldenberg ’23 secured the position of one-year ABoard member unopposed.
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CLIMATE: Strike in Boston HILL: Prof. speaks about new book CONTINUED FROM 1 The protest began at Boston Garden and continued to the Civil War Memorial in Boston Common. The original plan was to march to the state house where speakers would make their remarks, but due to a group of anti-mask mandate protesters, the march was redirected to the Civil War Memorial in Boston Common. Cahill explained that while this wasn’t the original plan, it worked out beautifully because the memorial provided a highly visible location for the speakers. Del Re told the Justice in an in-person interview on Oct. 2 that being at the strike was energizing
and hopeful but also “frustrating because we have been doing it for so long and nothing is changing.” The strike was mainly youth-led, according to Del Re. Many of the protesters from the Brandeis community went all-out with costumes and signs. Cahill said that von Mering wore a polar bear costume with signs that read “Defund Line 3.” Brandeis students held large signs, some of which read “Losing Nemo” and “You’ll die of old age, we’ll die of climate change.” When asked how she sees the future of climate activism, Del Re said that she believes everyone must keep fighting.
STUDENT ACTIVISTS
CONTINUED FROM 1
how they should be behaving.” We tend to isolate genderbased violence from other types of violence, Hill said, but “this is a public problem, not a situation victims have to figure out on their own.” “Believing”’s online book description says that “our descriptive language undermines progress towards solutions.” When asked to elaborate on this, Hill said, “this is the language used to describe my trial and how Clarence Thomas behaved. He was belittling and condescending and said [his descriptions of pornography and women's bodies] ‘weren’t so bad.’” Hill used the example of the early September congressional hearing investigating the U.S. Olympic gymnasts’ abuse at the hands of former coach Dr. Larry Nassar. She said, “The FBI investigator leading the hearing
said ‘is that all,’ implying that what you went through wasn’t enough.” Our descriptive language refers to our society: “it’s descriptive of how they perceive a situation, but not how we [as victims] do.” Commenting on the recent Texas abortion law, Hill said she was not an expert on reproductive justice. However, she said “the vigilantism” of the law relates to her study of sexual and gender-based violence. “It allows anyone to be a part of policing of women and their bodies and opens women to abuse in ways that are unconscionable,” she said. She continued,“We [Americans] have enough issues with the police, and they have standards as state workers. That’s putting women at risk for even more violence if the state is authorizing private vigilantism with no constraints about how that role will be fulfilled. And that's pro-
foundly disturbing.” This Oct. 11 will mark the 30year anniversary, to the day, of the infamous trial. Hill’s new book focuses on the societal problems with gender-based violence that lead to the ones in our government. Hill said, “My advice isn’t always to file a complaint in a system –– and I don’t blame people if they don’t want to do that. I want to be clear that ‘Believing’ is about how we can change as a society.” Hill’s new book has been written about by The New York Times Book Review, Politico, The Atlantic, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, the Chicago Sun Times, the Boston Globe and NPR. She recently appeared on CNN and the “Today” show to speak about it. —Note: All quotes in this article are original to the Justice’s interview.
Do you have a nose for news? Photo Courtesy of AILEEN CAHILL
CLIMATE STRIKE: Students walked with the crowd of protesters and held posters.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE
just
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Dorm disasters spark criticisms from students
The Justice listened to the stories of students experiencing issues with campus housing in the forms of mold, mice and water contamination.
By JULIANA GIACONE, LEAH BREAKSTONE, CAYENN LANDAU and ISABEL ROSETH JUSTICE EDITOR AND STAFF WRITERS
$9,060 for the price of on-campus housing (2020) at Brandeis — which contributes to the University’s cost of campus living being higher than the national average by about $3,600 — would appear to be enough to cover safe and sanitary living expenses. But according to the stories of students living on campus, this is not always the case. With Brandeis’ recent push toward a series of sustainability goals, a commitment to maintaining
Mold in Ziv The Ziv Quad suitemates requested to stay anonymous as the situation remains unresolved. Tuesday, Aug. 24 marked the first day of move-in for six upperclassman students living in one of the buildings that make up Ziv Quad. To them — and their parents’ — surprise when they entered the dorms and started to unpack, they were greeted by mold that was black in color along the walls in one room. As they looked around the rest of the suite, they found large patches of green mold under a bed, in the closet of another room and on the desk and dresser of a third room. It didn’t stop there — mold was also all over the carpet and cabinets in their common room. When they reported the rampant mold to the Department of Community Living and Facilities, they were given the keys to dorms in Rosenthal for about a week. “During this time, we were in two groups of three. Half of us were in the emergency suite in Rosie East and half of us joined a suite with people we did not know in Rosie South,” said the suite members in a text message to the Justice on Friday, Oct. 1. They requested to remain anonymous due to concern with ongoing communication with DCL. They further explained, “we were able to get keys to the new space fairly quickly but were not assisted with the moving process at all, which also happened to be quite late at night.” Six days later on Sat. Aug. 30, DCL informed the Ziv suitemates that the room had been cleaned and that the mold was gone. According to the suitemates, they received a short email response from DCL which read: “We removed affected areas. Patched and painted. Replaced carpet tiles, not many.
Design: Emily Braun/the Justice
or replacing current infrastructure to sustain a healthy environment for their students seems overlooked based on some students’ recent oncampus housing experiences. A multitude of issues that have arisen within the last month involving students’ safety, health and wellbeing in the dorms have suggested a campus-wide problem with regards to communication and efficiency between students and various Brandeis departments that deal with residential life, suggesting an inattentive resolve to quell these issues. In most instances, students we spoke to were left frustrated and resorted to taking matters into their own hands.
We cleaned and shampooed the whole carpet. We cleaned and sanitized the whole area including all surface areas.” But when the suitemates looked in their rooms after the first cleaning, they were disappointed to find that none of the affected wood was replaced — just wiped down. The suitemates emphasized the fact that the blurb made no mention of “checking the suite for other affected areas such as air vents or closets,” which struck them as odd to leave out, as mold grows in moisture-rich environments and the source of the moisture could’ve been linked to the suite’s HVAC system. Despite lingering reservations, the suitemates moved back into Ziv that evening, the mold mishaps seemingly resolved.
“
We have not seen any effort to remediate the issue — just band-aid solutions to get rid of mold as it appears.
ZIV QUAD SUITEMATES
About two weeks later, on Thursday, Sept. 14, one suitemate started to notice mold allergy symptoms. “[One of our suitemates] was diagnosed with mold and dust allergies after becoming mildly symptomatic in Rosenthal last spring,” said the source. “After moving back into Ziv from Rosie, [they] started noticing allergy symptoms: sore throat, congestion, cough, exhaustion and headache…which were confirmed allergy symptoms by their doctor.” When they found more mold, the suitemate with the allergy stayed with a friend temporarily and later went home
Photo Courtesy of ZIV QUAD SUITEMATES
MOLD: In a Ziv Quad suite, black-colored mold was present on a wall. where their “health improved but is [currently] not at 100%.” A month since the Ziv suitemates’ move-in day, their uncertainty involving their dorm mold issue remains unresolved. Besides the fact that the student with the mold allergy (living in Brandeis temporary housing since Sept. 23) is still going through the process of attaining housing accommodations from DCL, the suitemates continue to be troubled by their lack of knowledge on “treatment for any underlying issues that may be causing the mold to begin with,” said the source. While DCL told the Ziv suitemates that “none of the mold in the suite puts students’ health at risk” they glossed over the fact that the mold did, in fact, put a student’s health at risk in this case — the student with the mold allergy — and that mold present in the dorms has the potential to put other students’ health at risk in the future if they too discover or develop an allergy to mold. An Aug. 13 article in The Oberlin Review — the student newspaper of Oberlin College — argues that even though there is “limited research or regulation related to the health impacts of mold,” it is essential to raise awareness on the topic. In Ohio, where Oberlin College is located, legislative action is currently in the works to bring light to the issue: “House Bill 251 … the Ohio Indoor Safe Air Act, is cosponsored by State Representatives Joe Miller and Allison Russo. The bill would require that the director of the Ohio Department of Health create a public awareness program about the threat of mold exposure, and that the ODH would treat mold exposure on an equal par as radon and lead exposure.” The issue of mold is not unique to
Ziv Quad on campus (with past reports from students living in Masell Quad, the Village and Rosenthal Quad). Some sources offer suggestions to address the problem, which could range from instituting “more in-depth check of rooms after move out during the summer,” (per The Brandeis Hoot article), to informing students about mold-prevention tips through signage, or simply listing tips on the Brandeis website to rule out the assumptions that students already have this knowledge at their disposal. Many other universities including University of Southern California, George Washington University and Boston University have done this. For the Ziv suitemates, more diligent communication could’ve aided the already stressful and inconvenient aspects of their dorm mold situation. They found that DCL, who served as communication intermediaries between them and Facilities, did not break down what was happening with their situation in a satisfactory manner. “We have not seen any effort to remediate the issue — just band-aid solutions to get rid of mold as it appears,” the students wrote. “We were not updated about any progress or updates [and] almost all communication with DCL was initiated by us.” The students added that DCL “often” did not provide answers to their questions.
— Juliana Giacone
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 ● FEATURES ● THE JUSTICE
Mice in Gordon In early September, rumors began to fly around Gordon residence hall, North Quad — four-legged rumors that squeaked and scurried. According to Yael Snowise ’25, a first year living in Gordon, a larger problem was nesting in the hall’s walls. Snowise explained that one first-year claimed to have seen a mouse enter her room, but then couldn’t find it. Afterward, other students started to notice holes in their rooms, close to the central heating units. “It was like a mouse highway by the heaters,” Snowise told the Justice on Sept. 29 over text. Snowise said that by Rosh Hashanah, a Community Advisor had put in multiple work orders for the Facilities administration to come and address a possible mouse infestation after she found a mouse in her room. But without photographic proof of the mouse’s existence, the CA didn’t get a response from Facilities. Currently, the Facilities policy qualifies pest control under the least prioritized maintenance
category, routine maintenance and necessary service needs. According to their website, it typically takes 14 days to initially answer a work order for pest control. With no immediate response to the multiple work orders, students resorted to getting rid of the mice on their own. “No one was coming, because we didn’t have proof. So a student bought poison traps and handed them out to residents,” said Snowise.
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No one was coming, because we didn’t have proof. So a student bought poison traps and handed them out to residents. YAEL SNOWISE
On Sept. 13, Snowise woke to a dying mouse on her floor. “I thought it was dead. So I sent an SOS out to my floor for help moving it. This girl came with a
soda can and a plate to pick it up, and by then it was moving a little. So we carried it outside,” she said. Afterward, Snowise took a picture and brought it to her CA, at which point a janitorial team arrived promptly to address the issue. “We gave permission for them to come into our rooms,” she said. “Every single room on our floor had a hole — some big, some small. Mine had two. They sealed them, finally. We were all frustrated. The dorms should have been checked before we arrived — we’re going to Brandeis, we don’t expect to see mice running around.” According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, mice infestations should be taken seriously. Worldwide, rodents can be carriers of up to 35 diseases. Such diseases can be spread to humans by rodent feces, urine and bites, as well as any parasitic insects such as ticks that might be hitching a ride on the rodents. Additionally, Boston is ranked the #2 city in the nation for rodent infestations, according to U.S. Census data.
Photo Courtesy of YAEL SNOWISE ’25
MICE: A mouse hole was sealed by Facilities.
— Cayenn Landau
Photo Courtesy of ZIV QUAD SUITEMATES
MOLD: In a Ziv Quad suite, green-colored mold was present on the side of wood furniture.
Contaminated water in Cable Recent speculation over possible contaminated water in Cable Hall within North Quad has sparked concerns and frustrations among students. The first victim of the water appeared around Sept. 2, but students did not realize that the water may have been the culprit until Sept. 6. A pie made by first-year student and Cable Hall resident Vincent Calia-Bogan sparked the mystery. The pie was made from completely fresh ingredients and was baked thoroughly, and yet, many students who consumed it almost immediately got sick. “Everyone who got sick (though not everyone who ate the pie got sick) reported gastrointestinal issues that started within an hour after eating the pie. They all stated that it did not taste off when they were eating it. They also all reported that after a good amount of time on a toilet within 24 hours after eating the pie, they were completely fine once more.… this all strongly suggests that the cause of sickness was chemical in nature rather than bacterial,” Calia-Bogan wrote in an email to the Justice on Sept. 30. After a similar encounter with mac n’ cheese that was cooked with the same water, CaliaBogan decided to take matters into his own hands and conduct an experiment to try and solve the water mystery. He filled one cup with tap water and another with filtered water. He mixed a layer of oil into each cup of water and left them to sit for more than half an hour. When Calia-Bogan
returned, he noticed that while the oil in the filtered water had settled in a layer at the top, this was not the case for the tap water. “Rather than form a uniform layer atop the water, the olive oil layer was interrupted by particulate water within the oil layer as well as on the surface. It had not fully mixed in with itself yet to become uniform, and there were at least 5 distinct globs of oil,” he said. Following some research, Calia-Bogan concluded: “There are a family of organic chemicals called emulsifiers that are soluble in water and [break down] lipids
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Everyone who got sick (though not everyone who ate the pie got sick) reported gastrointestinal issues that started within an hour after eating the pie. VINCENT CALIA-BOGAN
(aka oils). They bubble and foam in increased amounts; we are all very familiar with these chemicals in the form of everyday hand soap, dish soap and laundry detergent,” he told the Justice. Calia-Borgan decided to research the effects of consuming soap to confirm his theory. The results were concerningly similar to the symptoms experienced from the pie and mac n’ cheese, leading him to verify his speculation: “it seemed like we had our culprit right there: excess emulsifiers in the water.”
Although the victims of the water have recovered and the reactions have stopped, students are irate that much of the information they have received regarding the status of the water is a result of their own speculation, rather than residential departments checking-up and updating them. “Even after the students had established that the issue was the water, we received no official communication that the issue was being investigated [by DCL or Facilities], or that they had even received our complaint,” Calia-Bogan said. He is unaware of the current status of the water, and the only information he has comes from fellow students and conjecture. “As far as the current water situation is concerned, I have not yet re-run my tests… I haven’t heard of anyone getting sick from the water in some time, which is a relief. I personally have gone out of my way not to drink the water from the tap in Cable Hall. Everyone I know is cooking with filtered water now,” he said. In attempts to fill the void left by the departments, the students in Cable Hall took matters into their own hands by taping up signs warning other students to avoid consuming the water. Although this issue started almost a month ago, students remain furious. Another student, Sophie Kieffer ’25, who also knew about the situation, commented to the Justice on Sept. 28, “Brandeis was founded on the principles of social justice, so I believe Brandeis is obligated to share [information] about water contamination on campus [with students].” — Leah Breakstone
Photo Courtesy of THE BRANDEIS WEBSITE
CONTAMINATED WATER: This photo of North Quad’s Cable Hall can be found advertised on the Brandeis website.
DCL’s response Although DCL is aware of the mold in some of the dorms, their knowledge of other problems that could pose risks to students’ health is limited. According to Melody Smith, an associate director of Community Living Operations, in an email to the Justice on Oct. 4, the complaints concerning mice and potential water contamination were “not anything that [they had] been notified of occurring in the residence halls.”
Smith worked with colleagues from the Facilities and Environmental Health & Safety department to provide the Justice with more answers regarding the mold. In their response, while they shared information about “mold [found] in Village B and C,” recent reports of mold in other areas on campus, like Ziv, were not mentioned. According to the email, while the mold in Village was reported in mid-September, it was unclear when it first appeared in the dorms. The email also said that ceiling mold was “isolated” to insulation on pipes, which has
since then been removed. DCL did not comment on Brandeis’ past housing issues in regards to mice, mold and potential water contamination. They also did not provide insight into reasons for the lack of warnings to students moving into their dorms, especially when it comes to checking rooms for mold. When asked about what could’ve been done to take preventative measures with these problems, Smith responded, “There isn’t anything specifically that anyone could have done.” With regards to mold, Smith said, “if residents see
moisture marks or anything that looks like mold, please report it to Facilities by calling (781)-736-8500 or placing an online work order as soon as possible.” — Isabel Roseth
— Editor’s note: Cameron Cushing is an editor on the Justice and a Community Advisor for DCL. He did not contribute to the reporting or editing of this story.
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8 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE
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Sofia Gonzalez Rodriguez, Editor in Chief Cameron Cushing, Managing Editor Gilda Geist, Senior Editor River Hayes, Deputy Editor Leeza Barstein, Jen Crystal, Gabriel Frank, Megan Geller, Hannah O’Koon Associate Editors
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EDITORIALS
Another way that the University can support students is by committing to scheduled mental health days. This would serve as a preventative measure to allow students recovery periods so that more serious problems do not develop. October will prove to be a stark shift for students who have become accustomed to the September holiday breaks. That being said, it is important to note that those holidays were not a “break” for mental health respite for those within the University community who practice Judaism. These individuals should not be penalized due to religious observances. This board would like to acknowledge some of the positive steps that the University has taken, including making community therapy more widely available — each student can engage in three sessions per year for free. We also appreciate that the University is seeking feedback from students about block scheduling for future semesters, and this board encourages all students to complete the survey sent out to all students on Sept. 29 from the Office of the Provost before Monday,
Oct. 11. The members of this editorial board urge the University to seriously consider all of these points as they continue to make decisions about the future. We wish all students luck and stability in the months ahead. Crisis resources: Crisis Text Line: Text Go to 741741 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. Brandeis Students Rape Counseling and Crisis Hotline (10 pm-2 am academic year only) From your cell phone: 781-736-8255 Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center A trained Advocate is always available via the 24/7 hotline: 781-736-3370. For non-emergency questions, presentation requests, or appointment scheduling, you can email parc@brandeis.edu.
A Brandeis student survival guide for the New England winter In the last few days, you may have noticed the trees changing colors, the mornings getting colder, and the days are getting shorter. This board offers a few pieces of advice on how to thrive and add a bit of color to the darker months with some fun activities. Check your email! Once a week, the Department of Student Activities sends out an email with a list of highlighted events that will be happening that week. On this list, you can find things like group yoga sessions, ballroom lessons, concerts from the music department or student plays and musicals. This is a great way to blow off some steam from schoolwork or discover a new passion. The same list can also be found in the form of a campus calendar on the Brandeis website. If you find comfort in thoughtful reflections, religious or otherwise, the Center for Spiritual Life maintains a list of religious groups on campus. They also hold meditation sessions and prayer services for groups of different backgrounds. This board also suggests that students explore attractions off-campus. There are mutiple mini hikes you can take around Waltham. Places like Prospect Hill Park and Cat Rock Park are both good options if you are looking to take a long walk. For those who prefer to stay on campus, the Charles River Reservoir behind the Charles River Apartments is accessible and looks beautiful in the fall. Some student clubs also organize hiking trips. Make sure to, take advantage of the Brandeis Boston/Cambridge shuttle and explore the city on the weekend. Browse through the collection of bookstores in and around Harvard Square, explore the food scene on Newbury Street in Boston or find a coffee shop to study in the city for a change of
scenery. For little to no-cost spaces, explore a local public library in Waltham, Boston, or Cambridge. This board recognizes that some new students may have never experienced a snowy winter before. Here, we offer a few tips. There will be times when it is snowing outside, your dorm room is warm, and you really do not want to go to that morning class. One way to combat that is to promise yourself something nice after you attend that class, perhaps a warm drink or a treat that you like. For international students: the United States observes Daylight Savings during the summer. This year, Daylight Savings ends on Nov. 7, and the day gains an extra hour. Make sure to adjust your alarm clock and schedule accordingly. Invest in a warm jacket. Ideally, you will want something that will protect you from the wind and the snow. You will also want a sturdy pair of snow boots, warm gloves and a hat. If you are looking for this gear, many brands offer student discounts in their stores, just ask if your favorite brand has one! For more budget-friendly options, try local thrift stores, such as Global Thrift or Savers, or the Buy Nothing Brandeis Facebook Group. Some students may also struggle with seasonal affective disorder due to the lack of daylight. This board suggests sticking to a routine, spending more time outside during daylight hours and exercising regularly. If you have any questions about seasonal affective disorder, the Brandeis Health Center and the Counseling Center are both very good resources. The members of this editorial board wish everyone good luck with the rest of their semesters and hope that you all find these tips and suggestions helpful!
The University must address students’ plummenting mental health In this unprecedented year, students continue to grapple with mental health struggles. Although not foreign to most, mental health has come to the forefront of everyday life, but these issues have continuously been ignored. The college environment demands that mental health be secondary (or even lower of a priority) to academic work and success. Only then can students take a mental health day. Especially within the Brandeis environment where the culture is to be involved in many clubs and pursue numerous degrees, this becomes perilous. There was a momentary respite during the beginning of quarantine where professors and administrators were actively thinking about students’ mental health when making decisions, but any progress the COVID-19 pandemic has warranted has surely faded to the background. Although life is returning to normal, students are still
grappling with conditions that started or were exacerbated by the pandemic, and this will not dissipate any time soon. This board calls on the University to make some changes, outlined below, for the safety and well being of its students. The Brandeis Counseling Center is in dire need of more resources. Students often have to wait periods of time before being seen by a professional at the BCC. Once they are finally seen, students do not always receive all the care they need. The short-term stabilization method that the BCC has operated under is no longer working. Especially because the BCC is many students’ only mental health resource, students should not be denied care, and systems should be in place that allow for more long-term care if needed. This board urges the University to invest in its mental health resources and hire more mental health professionals.
LEEZA BARSTEIN/ the Justice
on Views News the
Worldwide, people continue to wrestle with the ongoing impacts of climate change. The first “Fridays for Future” global climate strike of the year took place this past Friday, Sept. 24, with youth leaders at the helm. At the same time, policymakers and businesses continue to fund expansive oilfield extractions and other endeavors with high risks to the health of the environment. Others continue to deny the existence of climate change altogether. According to a recent study from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, today’s toddlers “will live through three times as many climate disasters as their grandparents.” How do you think climate change and the ongoing debates surrounding it will continue to impact the behavior, character and lives of future generations? Do you think there is a feasible solution to climate change as we stand now? Is there one in which individuals, communities, leaders and nations can realistically work together to nurture and prioritize climate health?
Prof. Charles Chester (ENVS)
A climate guru once noted that humanity has three options in the face of climate change: mitigate, adapt or suffer. A key point here is that these are indeed “options”—which is to say that we have a choice about where we go from here. Frustratingly, we already had that choice when scientists gave the first strong warnings back in the 1980s, but the world’s leaders instead made a conscious decision to shut down research into clean energy. If I had to summarize the overarching message from Greta Thunberg and the movement she’s inspired, it would be this: Our generation can make better decisions than those of our parents’ generation. These decisions cannot alter the fact that we now live in a changed climate, the deleterious effects of which are becoming more evident. And in a couple decades, around the time I hope to catch up on movies in a retirement home with AC, things will no doubt have changed even more. But the decisions we make today about our energy and land management systems will determine the degree of that change. This matters, particularly to those who will be alive in the year 2100…which could well include the majority of students enrolled in my current course.
Prof. Charles Chester is a lecturer in the Environmental Studies Department.
Rebecca Avilés, MPP ’22
Madeleine Jubilee Saito is an illustrator and cartoonist. Her work is something I turn to when in need of hope and inspiration about the climate crisis. There is one cartoon I revisit regularly. In a colorful four-square illustrated grid, it reads: “Can you imagine the community that will heal the climate crisis? It will not be just you. It will not be a technological salvation. It will be all of us.”
After over 10 years of studying and working in the sustainability and climate field, I know that the greatest ‘tools’ in fighting climate change are our community and our belief that our lives and world are worth protecting. Climate news is depressing. In the US we are simultaneously fed stories that downplay climate science, and stories that tell us our futures are already sealed. I say: don’t buy it. Every gain and step away from a fossil fuel-based economy, no matter how small, is a win. We can no longer mitigate climate change with a single solution. We need all solutions. Rebecca Avilés is a second year MPP student at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Her studies focus on energy and climate justice. Photos: Professor Charles Chester, Rebecca Avilés
THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021
The age of autumn: A celebration of getting older
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By ANASTASIA OWEN
JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Every year, autumn starts on my birthday. 29 big ones this time around. Things feel more or less the same. They also feel different. Despite the dawning of a pandemic, 28 felt important in other, more clearly positive ways. Like the beginning of a new era, it felt like some large but beneficial change I am yet to fully understand. 29 was a bit more of a shock to the system, its positivity less clear. It felt quick. It came fast. Whether or not it came “too” fast is up to interpretation, and maybe that is the point. Younger ones may roll their eyes at yet another cynical millennial, while older individuals will tell you 29 means “nothing” in terms of experience. Many of them perceive their age as having wed far more wisdom to their lives than your relatively shorter 29 years of life. I am a follower of the belief that the aging of the body and mind does not necessarily mean an aging of the heart. 30, 60, all these ages are still young to me. Who has the right to say when another one’s life is closer to its end, anyway? But as quickly as the change between summer to winter in the northeast can shock one’s system, the tensions between each passing year, and approaching to the crest of a new decade, can just as starkly steal your breath. And they can just as easily get you down. No matter how many decades you have lived through. Experience is relative, and learning has a place in all ages. Growing up, autumn’s dichotomies terrified me almost as much as I loved them. I found vitality in the strangeness of Halloween and its allowance for me to be a new character. I found peace in fall’s vibrant colors that revealed so many new senses about the world: the sharp smells, the chill of a slight wind, the sound of muffled footsteps. I also dreaded going back to school and all the academic and social stresses it entailed. I do not think I ever asked if other kids experienced similar sentiments, but one of the things I feared most was the passage of time, and in my mind this season’s changes were the clearest reminder of that passage. Another year, another aging out of the leaves on the trees, taking their fall. Another cycle of such visible change, another gnarled red, orange and yellow blanket lording over the underbrush. Another cycle around the sun... another aging of me. Would I make it in the world? What does that even look like? We are taught from a young age to race against
Photo Illustration by NOAH ZEITLIN/ the Justice
time and the elements. Ever since I was young, I have seen headline after headline, unending opinions on “why people age,” “how not to age,” “how to slow down your aging,” “what not to eat” and “how to look youthful.” People seek counterbalances to aging in the form of toxic chemicals, calling them “solutions.” But the truth is, on the day I turned 29 last week I wrote about how much I love my partner’s new laugh lines, her gorgeous wrinkles, grinning together at our new respective joint aches, bruises of beloved adventures and memories. I thought about how much I have loved reflecting on how I have grown, and how I have grown to love that growth. How I have learned to hold my younger self and tell her all the things I now know how to tell her. It looks like consoling her, it looks like forgiving her. I wonder if it’s simpler than seeking clarity in or answers to aging, or creating “solutions” to its changes. I look at how often the leaves, the trees and the ground change every autumn. Perhaps with each renewal they grow new wisdom as well,
or perhaps not — just like me. Either way, the change remains just as beautiful, unique and revealing. Perhaps I can look at myself and my aging similarly. I am grateful that age has brought me patience with life, learning, people and yes, aging. I now find hope in autumn. The northeast seasons are gorgeous, and sometimes my love for the season is as simple as that. But autumn is also the eye of a storm, a tepid moment between summer’s outgoing scorching rage, and winter’s sharp greeting. It is about transition, simultaneously waxing and waning. Like aging, it can be jarring and it can be rejuvenating. But I think I’ve learned a lot from the love of my life, who tells me life is about experiences. I believe her. Each autumn, the changes in me rage with each new excitement, new weariness, new fears, new anxieties, new uncertainties, new exhaustion, new energy. And unlike my younger self, I think that’s okay. Rather than worrying about not having regrets, I think it’s
okay to ride the wave of the year and experience things as they come to you. I think I’d like to embrace aging, with all its wrinkles, lines and scars. They all tell their stories, and storytelling is one of the best things about being human. Aging is about learning. Learning to grow but also to love yourself, others, the world and the whole universe in new ways as they also grow and change. There is an excitement in that too. There is peace in that patience. The one recent article that resonated with me and my aging in a peaceful way told me to “try adding life to years rather than years to life.” You can look at all the wrongs in the world, and wonder what we are supposed to learn from aging in such a complex, challenging place. The answers seem endless, and I still do not know if I have it down right. But I’m not sure “getting it right” is the point anymore. These days I find myself looking to the narrating queen’s summative words at the end of one of my favorite films, “Ever After”: “The point is, they lived.”
Reviving small talk and casual friendships post-pandemic By ABIGAIL CUMBERBATCH JUSTICE EDITOR
I used to hate small talk — the awkward silences as my eyes connected with someone else’s and we both struggled to fill the space with fragmented sentences about the weather, our weekends and the workload we endured the past week. I would try not to be rude as my mind drifted off elsewhere, anywhere really to help me escape the repetitive monotony of the small talk I experienced during my first year at Brandeis. The constant mini-biographical questions of, “What is your name?” “What year are you?” “What is your major?” and, “What are your plans for the future?” bored me to death. At one point I considered wearing a name tag with answers to all of these questions, so I wouldn’t have to sound like a broken record repeating words that appeared so separate from me for what seemed like the 100th time. Now, as a junior emerging from a year and a half of virtual learning, I strangely miss the conversations that once made my eyes roll so far back in my head. Yes, even the minibiographical questions that drove me crazy during my first year have begun to symbolize new beginnings for me. More precisely, what I miss are the low-stakes conversations. Conversations that do not revolve around our failing democracy, our burning earth and our collapsing society. Simply put, the conversations I once hated have become a respite from the serious political, economic, social and environmental conversations that all need to be spoken about and certainly have their place,
but that I no longer have the energy to entertain outside of my classes. The hyper-active virtual landscape the pandemic created over the last 18 months has become a double-edged sword. On one hand, as I reluctantly logged into my Zoom classes, my professors and classmates revealed moments of vulnerability in response to ongoing political turmoil that have made me value humanity even more. On the flip side, the politically turbulent times have destroyed friendships and ruptured family ties. Everyone was and continues to be so aware of the devastating state of our world that it is often all we talk about. Even conversations with my closest friends over these past months have transformed from playful banter to depressing and sobering reality checks, leaving me to wonder how our conversation about Korean dramas turned into a deep-dive into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As I reflected on my relationships throughout the pandemic, I clung to my closest friends and family to provide all the social interaction I thought I needed. But after being back at Brandeis for a little over a month, I realized that the organic interactions between classmates, coworkers and acquaintances are just as important as fostering close ties with family and friends. On the University of California Davis Health website, clinical psychologist Kaye Hermanson argues that casual friendships, “are important pieces of our emotional lives that we’re missing.” Without causal friendships, our interactions with other individuals begin to lack range and versatility. As Hermanson put it,
“It’s like our emotional picture is still in color but there are some hues completely washed out.” Without the seemingly trivial conversations about the weather, classes or K-dramas, our lives start to become unbalanced. We lean toward centering our time only on the devastation and the disappointment of multiple aspects of our society, instead of recharging ourselves with the conversations and the people who fill the space in our lives, even if we only know their first names. What has surprised me most about being back in person is that many of the small talk conversations I have been a part of have brought more smiles to my face than the deeper, meaningful conversations about society. It is the conversations that are so unsuspecting that reveal the most about ourselves and human nature. The most recent example of this was on another jam-packed weekday, when I spedwalked from my dorm to my classes with minutes to spare and made eye contact with a person walking in the opposite direction for much longer than I intended. As I was about to avert my eyes, she asked me what my name was, and I was pretty surprised. I had not seen her on campus before and I had never been in this type of situation. Usually I received vacant, empty stares with no words, but here this girl was asking me my name, and we stopped to speak to each other, exchanging the answers to the mini-biographical questions. After we chatted for about a minute or so, I actually thanked her for stopping and asking me my name and walked away with a smile on my face because it was so unexpected. I only know her first name and class year,
but every time we pass each other on campus we smile at each other through our masks. I do not know her life story or political views and I do not need to. This small, simple but kind interaction with a stranger added something to my day that I lacked during most days of Zoom monotony — acknowledgement. William Rawlins, a communications professor at Ohio University explains in an article in The Atlantic, “The people that we see in any number of everyday activities that we say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ That’s an affirmation of each other, and this is a comprehensive part of the world that I think has been stopped, to a great extent, in its tracks.” Over the course of the pandemic, as we have interacted more with our families and close friends, we forgot to acknowledge each other. Instead, we fast forwarded straight into the trauma-dumping without any small talk to ease ourselves into deeper conversations. Small talk and casual friendships should not be conflated with empty conversations. That was my mistake during my first year, as I assumed every conversation that lacked depth the way I defined it was not beneficial to my social development. It took a pandemic to realize, however, that without our daily interactions with people outside our inner circles, our lives take on another level of boredom and repetitiveness. Not everyone is meant to be our best friend, and not everyone should be, but if we learn to value the people we share quick glances, friendly smiles and low-stakes conversations with, then we are truly moving toward appreciating a new type of life as we begin to emerge from our pandemic slumber.
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
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Forum: Anastasia Owen
White, Vandita Malviya Wilson*, Reena
Arts & Culture: Amy Chen, Mello Wilsted
Zuckerman
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just Sports Page 10
Ben Simmons leaves 76ers By TAKU HAGIWARA
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Ben Simmons came into the National Basketball Association as one of the brightest stars who bore comparisons to the NBA legends Magic Johnson and LeBron James. Having been drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the midst of their rebuilding process, Simmons was expected to be the light that took the team out of the depths of the NBA, along with teammate Joel Embiid. Five years after his rookie season, the outlook on Simmons has significantly changed. While he has exemplified some of his promising talent — achieving three All-Star selections, two AllDefensive; First Team selections, one All-NBA selection and four consecutive playoff appearances — a significant rift has developed between Simmons, his team and supporters of the team. This rift stems from a fundamental flaw in his nearlyperfect game: Simmons’ speed and agility combined with his size and playmaking skills is what led many to draw comparisons between him and LeBron James. Despite these strengths, Simmons’ inability to shoot a jump shot makes it extremely easy for opponents to seal his strengths which cost the Sixers dearly in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, losing 4—3 in an upset to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round. The disappointing performance of the team during the playoffs was mostly placed on Simmons’ shoulders, leading to significant drama between Simmons and his agent, the team and fans. Fans believe that Simmons has not shown any significant improvement in his weaknesses over his five years in the league.
Number 12 led the Bucaneers to victory at Gillette Stadium on October 3, his first game in New England since leaving home. Waltham, Mass.
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
PRO SPORTS
■ Simmons terminated his contract early amid unsatisfactory performance and hard feelings.
TOM BRADY’S RETURN
On the other hand, Simmons believes that the blame has been unfairly placed on him leading to a public trade request. In an effort to fulfill his trade request, the team has scoured the league during the offseason to try and find a suitable trade partner. However, because of his poor performance compounded by his public remarks toward the team, his stock has fallen considerably from his original status as a player who was almost traded for former MVP James Harden. Despite the team's best efforts, no trade has been made and as the team gets ready for the upcoming season with training camp, media day, and preseason games, Simmons has made it public that he will not be attending any of the events and is willing to face the fines associated with his absence. In addition to sitting out preseason commitments, Simmons is also expected to be absent for regular season games, should he not be traded by then. The relationship between Simmons, the team and the fans seems to be an unfixable situation that leaves the team in an awkward and difficult situation to begin the season. While this specific situation is unique in terms of the sheer amount of time between the trade request and the actual trade, the Ben Simmons saga is the most recent in a trend of player empowerment. Player empowerment is a term coined to describe NBA players gaining greater autonomy and control over their NBA careers. The general consensus is that the “era of player empowerment” began when LeBron James chose to play in the Miami Heat with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in 2010. Supposedly, the trio planned their contracts to match each other at the 2008 Olympic Games which enabled them to all play in Miami at the same time. The trio saw great success as members of the Heat, winning two championships in 2012 and 2013.
See SIMMONS, 13 ☛
SIMMONS FINED FOR MISSED GAMES
TOUGH DEFENSE AGAINST CLARK
AKI YAMAGUCHI/the Justice
BLOCK: Judges players kept the Clark Cougars at bay throughout the match, ending in a victory.
Judges' soccer seasons off to variable starts ■ The women's team had a strong start, but the men had to put up fight to make up lost ground. By MEGAN GELLER AND AKI YAMAGUCHI
JUSTICE EDITOR AND CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
SHOOTS: Simmons' inabilty to sink a jump shot cost the Sixers in the '21 playoffs.
The Brandeis women’s soccer team has started their season strong with five wins, two losses and two ties overall rounding out their nine games this season. As of Sept. 28, Brandeis was ranked #22 nationally for the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 DIII programs. On the other hand, the men’s soccer team have come back from a 1-4-1 record, with the Judges winning two back to back home games to improve their record and a tie away at Carnegie Mellon University. This week, the women defeated Lesley University and fell to Carnegie Mellon on Sept. 28 and Oct. 2, respectively. The men, on the other hand, defeated Clark University and tied Carnegie Mellon University on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2, respectively. During the previous week of Sept. 20, goalies Hannah Bassan ’25 and Aiden Guthro ’23 won University Athletic Association Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week, with Guthro being honored for the second time.
Women’s Soccer Lesley 1, Judges 2 The Judges hosted Lesley University for a non-conference game contest at Gordon Field. By halftime both teams had remained 0—0 while the Judges had outshot their opponents, the Lesley Lynxes, 5—0. In the second half, the Judges’ Daria Bakhtiari ’22 broke through in the 58th minute. Bakhtiari had received the ball after the Judges’ forward Juliette Carreiro ’22 sent the ball forward and past Lesley’s goalkeeper, where Bakhtiari was able to secure the goal for the Judges. This was Bakhtiari’s third goal of the season and Carreiro’s fifth assist of the season. Later in the second half, Lauren Mastandrea ’22 made the assist and Bakhtiari again scored the goal, making this her first multi-goal game of the season. In total, the Judges outshot the Lynxes 16—5 while goalie Bassan made one save, securing the victory for the team. On the other side, Lesley’s goalie made seven saves during the game. The Judges also had five fouls, four corner kicks and zero off-sides, while the Lynxes had four fouls, three corner kicks and zero off-sides. This game caused the Judges to improve to a record of 5-1-2 and the Lesley Lynxes to fall to 6-3-1. Carnegie Mellon 3, Judges 0 The Judges traveled to Pittsburgh
for their first UAA conference game against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans, ranked #17. Again, by halftime both teams had remained 0—0, but Judges goalie Bassan had made two saves while the Carnegie Mellon Tartans outshot the Judges 3—2. The closest the Judges came to a goal in the first half was a free kick by Caroline Swan ’23, which hit the crossbar. In the second half, the Tartans applied pressure, outshooting the Judges 7—0. In the 61st minute, the Tartans scored their first goal of the game, followed by their second goal in the 84th minute and their third in the 85th minute. This puts the Judges to 0-1-0 in the UAA conference and the Tartans, 1—0. Men’s Soccer Clark 2, Judges 1 Early in the first half against Clark University of Worcester, the Judges’ John Loo ’25 scored the first goal of the game with an assist by teammate Max Horowitz ’24. This assist marked Horowitz fourth in the last two games. Later in the half, Clark caught up, making the score 1—1, a score which persisted to halftime. Early in the second half, the Judges’ Andres Gonzalez ’25 hit the post below the crossbar from a free kick. The ball approached Judges midfielder Michael Burch
See SOCCER, 12 ☛
THE JUSTICE
JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS MEN’S SOCCER TEAM STATS
UAA STANDINGS WashU NYU Emory Carnegie Judges Rochester Chicago Case
Goals Player Evan Glass Andres Gonzalez Max Horowitz John Loo Jared Panson Khalil Winder
Goals Overall 1 W L D Pct. 1 7 1 0 .875 1 7 1 1 .833 1 5 1 2 .750 1 6 1 3 .750 1 3 4 2 .444 5 1 3 .722 6 3 1 .650 Assists 5 3 1 .611 Max Horowitz ’24 leads the team with two assists.
UAA Conf. W L D 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
UPCOMING GAMES:
Player Assists Max Horowitz 2 Michael Burch 1
October 6 at MIT October 9 at Case Western
WOMEN’S SOCCER
TEAM STATS
UAA STANDINGS Case Chicago WashU Carnegie Emory JUDGES NYU Rochester
UAA Conf. Overall W L D W L D Pct. 1 0 0 9 0 0 1.0 1 0 0 9 0 1 .950 1 0 0 8 0 1 .944 1 0 0 8 2 0 .800 0 1 0 7 2 1 .750 0 1 0 5 2 2 .667 0 1 0 6 3 0 .667 0 1 0 5 3 1 .611
UPCOMING GAMES: October 9 at Case Western October 15 vs Emory University
Goals Daria Bakhtiari ’21 and Yasla Ngoma ’24 lead the team. Player Goals Daria Bakhtiari 4 Yasla Ngoma 4 Juliette Carreiro 3 Makenna Hunt 3
Assists Juliette Carreiro ’21 leads the team with 5 assists. Player Assists Juliette Carreiro 5 Caroline Swan 3 Sydney Lenhart 2 Lauren Mastandrea 1
VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS
NYU Emory Chicago Carnegie WashU Case Rochester JUDGES
TEAM STATS
UAA Conf. W L D 5 0 0 4 1 0 4 1 0 3 2 0 2 3 0 2 3 0 0 5 0 0 5 0
Overall W L D Pct. 14 0 0 1.0 13 3 0 .813 10 5 0 .667 7 8 0 .467 10 5 1 .667 7 8 2 .467 5 10 0 .333 5 11 1 .313
UPCOMING GAMES: October 9 at Case Western October 15 vs Emory University
Kills Lara Verstovsek ’25 leads the team with 156 kills. Player Kills Lara Verstovsek 156 Kaisa Newberg 115 Stephanie Borr 107 Digs Ella Pereira ’24 leads the team with 189 digs. Player Digs Ella Pereira 189 Lara Verstovsek 141 Ines Grom-Mansenecal 136
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 11
PRO SPORTS
Brady returns to Gillette Stadium as a Buccaneer ■ Tom Brady led his new team to 19—17 victory against the Patriots this past weekend. By ELLIOT BACHRACH
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On the morning of March 17, 2020, I stood mindlessly scrolling on my phone in my high school hallway. I sighed in distress. COVID-19 had just taken the world by storm, and my hometown was close to a shutdown. That wasn’t what I was sighing about, though. On what would be my last day of school due to the pandemic, only one question was on my mind: Is Tom Brady going to stay on the New England Patriots? It was the first official day of free agency and people had been speculating on that question for the entire season. Acclaimed ESPN reporter Adam Schefter theorized a Brady departure as early as October 2019. No one in New England wanted to even entertain the idea that Brady could leave his home of 20 years. It just wasn’t possible. Brady and the Patriots were an interchangeable entity. You couldn’t say Brady without Patriots, and vice versa. Number 12 would always be a Patriot. As I scrolled through Instagram my eyes lit up when I recognized Tom Brady’s profile picture making its way into my feed. My eyes locked in on the caption of Brady’s post, which read “FOREVER A PATRIOT.” Scanning the post,
which appeared to be in a letter format, I read the words: “Although my football journey will take place elsewhere . . .” It was over. Brady was gone. Fast forward a year and a half, it is truly surreal, but Brady came to Foxborough this past Sunday not as the home team’s quarterback, but as the opponent. It is truly surreal that Brady didn’t break Drew Brees’ 80,358 passing yard record with a New England Patriots’ flying Elvis on his helmet, but with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ skull on it. It is truly surreal that when Patriots kicker Nick Folk’s 56-yard field goal try bounced off the left upright, Tom Brady jumped up and down for joy instead of grimacing. It is truly surreal to say “Brady and the Bucs defeated Belichick and the Patriots 19–17.” The most bizarre part of the night, though, came on Tampa Bay’s first drive. It is true that fans gave Brady an ovation of sorts prior to the commencement of the contest. As Brady and the Buccaneers’ offense ran out onto the field, however, boos reverberated throughout the crowd. Not too long ago, something extraordinarily catastrophic would have had to happen for Tom Brady to be booed at Gillette Stadium. Now — because the greatest quarterback of all time was simply wearing a different uniform — it surprised no one. It reminds me of Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy sketch about the undying devotion to one sports team. Seinfeld observes how strange it is to root against an iconic player after he leaves your team. “You’re actually rooting for the clothes,
when you get right down to it. You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Fans will be so in love with a player, but if he goes to another team, they boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt; they hate him now.” I don’t choose to cheer for clothes. I choose to cheer for what really matters: the players and people we love. When it comes down to it, it is the players we cheer for. Thus, I will state something that will be somewhat controversial in this region: I am glad — no, elated — that Tom Brady beat the Patriots on Sunday night (try saying that aloud: weird, isn’t it?). For those who call out “bandwagons” or “fake” Patriots fans for continuing to cheer for Brady: it is human nature to root for a human being over an organization. We didn’t choose for Brady to leave — it was out of our control. In reality, there is no such thing as a bandwagon. The wonderful thing about sports is that fans get to know players and become enamored by them. This is more than applicable when the player has been a part of their life for 20 years, winning six Super Bowls (with New England), nine AFC titles, three MVPs and much more in the process. If one roots for a team or player and follows them religiously, they are a true fan. We developed a love for Tom that can’t ever be tarnished. A love that is almost that of a family member. So yes, Patriots fans . . . I rooted for Tom Brady on Sunday night. My question is, why didn’t you?
THE GOAT RETURNS
CROSS COUNTRY Results from the Keene State College Invitational on October 2.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
5-Mile Run
5-Kilometer Run
RUNNER TIME Matthew Driben 25:39.2 Walter Tebbetts 26:26.4 Casey Brackett 26:40.9
RUNNER TIME Erin Magill 18:41.0 Natalie Hattan 19:05.8 Juliette Intrieri 19:31.14
UPCOMING MEETS: October 16 at Connecticut College Invitational October 30 at UAA Championships, University of Rochester Data Courtesy of THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION and the BRANDEIS ATHLETICS WEBSITE; Images Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
BUCCANEER: Although jarring in a new jersey, Brady kept his iconic number 12 after jumping from the Patriots.
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Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021
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SPORTS
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THE JUSTICE
SOCCER: women start season strong at 5-2-2 CONTINUED FROM 16 ’22, who made it towards the goal. The Judges rose above the Clark Cougars when Evan Glass ’22 punched it home off a header from Burch. This goal was Glass’ first career goal and the goal needed for the Judges to win the game. The victory was secured when the Judges’ Guthro made a save in the 56th minute. This was in addition to the stop he made in the first half, in the 39th minute. This game led the Judges to rise to 3-4-1 and Clark to fall to 5-5-1, continuing their now three-game losing streak. Carnegie Mellon 1, Judges 1 The Judges also traveled to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg to play their UAA opener against the Tartans. In the first half, the Tartans outshot the Judges 4—2. No goals were scored in the first half but both the Judges and the Tartans scored within five
KEEPING IT AWAY
minutes of each other in the second half. At the 50th minute, the Titans scored in the upper left-hand corner of the net coming from the right side of the field. In the 54th minute, Brandeis’ Gonzalez made his first collegiate goal about 20 feet out. Gonzalez took a free kick which went past the defensive Tartans and into the goal on the right hand side. For the remaining time, the teams went back and forth but no further goals were scored. Upcoming This coming week, the men are scheduled to face the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a nonconference game on Wednesday at 7 p.m. On Saturday, both the men’s and women’s teams are scheduled to play Case Western Reserve University for the UAA conference games and Homecoming weekend, at 1:30 p.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively.
FACEOFF AGAINST UMASS BOSTON
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
PLAYING TO WIN: A Brandeis student maneuers the ball to keep it away from a UMass Boston player.
JUDGES MEN'S TEAM DEFEATS CLARK
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice
KICKING IT: Ali Karafotias '25 makes a kick against UMass Boston on Sept. 22.
SIMMONS: Player terminates contract early CONTINUED FROM 16 LeBron James’ move to Miami changed the way players approached contracts and free agency. In 2018, then five-time All-Star Paul George signed a four year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, only to request a trade in the summer of 2019 with three years left on his existing contract with the team. This trade request was granted and Paul George joined Kawhi Leonard in the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2019. Similarly, Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans signed a five year contract in 2015 but requested a trade during the 2018-2019 season
with just over a year left on his contract. Like Paul George, this trade request was granted by the Pelicans in the summer of 2019. Thus, the current situation between Simmons and his team is less of a unique situation but rather a symptom of how contracts are treated in the NBA. The purpose of a contract is that it is a legally binding agreement between the player and the team to play for the team. While players have the right to sit out due to exceptional circumstances such as injury, and teams have the right to trade players when they see fit, clearly there is a skewed interpretation of how binding a contract is.
AKI YAMAGUCHI//the Justice
BOXED IN: Jake Davis '22 and Sammy Guttell '22 worked to keep the ball away from the Clark Cougars on Sept. 29.
WOMEN PREVAIL OVER UMASS BOSTON
RUNNING: Charlotte Li '24 races for the ball to keep the UMASS Boston Beacons at bay.
NOAH ZIETLIN/the Justice
October 5, 2021
Vol. LXXIV #5 Vol. LXX #2
September 12, 2017
just
Waltham, Mass.
Photo and Design: Noah Zeitlin/the Justice
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER| ARTS 5, 2021 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, JANUARY 31,JUSTICE 2017
CULTURE
Vaune Trachtman: ‘There’s always a way when you’re an artist to find your way.’
Photo Courtesy of VAUNE TRACHTMAN
Vaune Trachtman: “Trestle”
By VICENTE CAYUELA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
“NOW IS ALWAYS.” Is our past always present and the future already here? On my computer screen I can see the photographs of Vaune Trachtman — a collection of fleeting, evanescent memories. In spite of its immaterial quality, NOW IS ALWAYS is more about permanence rather than loss; remembrance rather than oblivion. Mixing her father’s negatives from the Great Depression with pictures taken on her iPhone, the master printmaker created a series of photopolymer gravures that expand the concept of family memorabilia. Invented in the late 19th century by the photography-pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot and Czech artist Karel Klíč, photogravure belongs to the Intaglio family of printmaking. It consists of capturing an image
Photo Courtesy of GEOFFRY PECKHAM
Vaune Trachtman working on her project.
on a plate that is printed by pressure through an etching press. Deceptively simple in theory, it is a photomechanical process of tactile delicacy and painstaking craftsmanship. Trachtman’s prints were showcased in a solo exhibition at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA, from May 26 to July 9. “NOW IS ALWAYS” is a mystifying body of work that unbinds the constraints of time with exquisite texture and electrifying motion. As a former student of the Tyler School of Art and Marlboro College, Trachtman received her M.A. from New York University and The International Center for Photography. After 15 years of working in the imaging department of TIME Magazine, Trachtman experienced the transition of photography from analog to digital. In “NOW IS ALWAYS,” this firsthand exposure allowed her to breach the gap between images captured almost a century apart. Honoring the methods and tones of historic processes, Trachtman sees traditional practices and new imaging technologies as organic extensions of each other. “The history of photography has influenced the way we capture images now digitally. It has to do
Design: Megan Liao/the Justice
with the way photography was first made, even back to the camera obscura. At the end of the day, photographic techniques build on each other. It’s all that same kind of technology.” Beyond the interconnected evolution of imagemaking, the printmaker believes that the key difference between traditional and digital mediums lies in the materiality of the art object and its relationship to the body. “There’s all this digital work that I love, but I really missed the physicality of making a print. With photopolymer gravures, you’re getting your hands inky and with those big prints… Oh boy! It’s so incredible and physical! You have to keep moving in order for everything to not smudge. You have to do everything very gingerly.” Since the creation of the first successful photographs by Nicéphore Niépce in the early 19th century, imaging techniques have blossomed into a lavish bouquet of alternative photographic processes. Trachtman, who describes herself as a process-oriented person, has always gravitated toward a more intimate, bodily connection with image-making. “Working with other people’s pictures, I felt less hands-on. That’s when I was able to transfer to the imaging department at TIME Magazine and become a retoucher. That was more of that process-oriented thing that I wanted to get back — to getting as close to the thing that you are actually going to hold in your hands.” Before becoming an established imaging specialist, Trachtman spent her nights on the dance floor at The Rebar nightclub experimenting with a tiny Minox camera that she found at a yard sale in Seattle. In a symbiotic dance, her camera became an extension of her body. Her eyes moved intuitively as it chased lights and shadows to the beat of the music. Her early image-making was a dance of blurred visions driven by the senses. The kineticism of these early slow-shutter images is a buzzing aesthetic that continues to permeate her photographic oeuvre. Many of the backgrounds included in “NOW IS ALWAYS” were taken from windows and moving vehicles. The artist, after losing her parents at an early age, was “pretty much on her own” and was “rarely in one place for very long,” and found her sense of belonging in a permanent moving state. “I love to always be moving. Even if I’m in a place very still, I need that 15th of a second as the sweet spot in my camera because it’s a slow shutter speed. Looking at all of my personal work, I try not to have anything in mind that it’s going to tie up to one time and place. I try to encapsulate time instead.” In addition to the blurred bridges, highways and roads that decorate her industrial landscapes, the artist developed a kinship for a similar kind of energy. “I love being in a public space,” says Trachtman from the solitude of her dimly lit studio. “I love that in a public space, everyone is welcome to come in. If you ever go to a square and it’s early in the morning, you can still feel, see and remember everyone that’s been there. I try to take pictures of that energy and
motion. It’s a lot of what my work is about.” In spite of having found her voice documenting the world around her, Trachtman remains aware of the solitary side of art-making. After getting lost in the come-and-go of public places, the artist retreats to the solitude of her darkroom. Alone with her printing press, she finds the time to have an intimate dialogue with her work. “To be in the studio, to be by myself…it gives me perspective. When you’re really into what you’re doing, you lose sense of time, right? All of a sudden, I’ll be in the studio and I’m like, ‘Why is it dark in here?! Oh right, the sun has gone away!’ I need both sides of the process.” Looking at her artistic production from a bird’s-eye view, Trachtman focuses her alone time on cultivating a style that is both experimental and consistent. “I feel very strongly about a series in which each image has a dialogue with the other one. I need time to see what the consistent voice is in all the work — see if everything holds together.” Caught in-between the material and the unmanifested, some creative ideas never see the light of day. Luckily for Trachtman, the materialization process is where she naturally thrives. Tuning into her creative instincts, the artist believes “there’s always a way when you’re an artist to find your way.” Trachtman’s solo exhibition at the Griffin Museum was the culmination of a year-long production process. It started with a creation grant through the Vermont Studio Center and was completed through a creative residency at the Tusen Takk Foundation in Leland, Michigan. As she reminisces about the creation stages of “NOW IS ALWAYS” and the institutions that supported her work, she recalls navigating the initial uncertainty of creating a new series during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I didn’t quite know what I was going to do. I felt like my last series was done and I was ready to venture out.” It was around late February 2020 when Trachtman acquired a year-long residency at the Vermont Studio Center and “NOW IS ALWAYS” officially took off. “I had a picture titled ‘Tenement Roof’ that I wanted in my last series, ‘ROAMING.’ But, it was the only one that had people in it, so it didn’t work. I really wanted that in some series so that became a key image for ‘NOW IS ALWAYS.’” Serendipitously, Trachtman’s sister had recently found a collection of 91 negatives her father had taken during his time as a journalist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. What started as a readily-available source for image-making became a timely opportunity for the artist to learn more about the history and people of Philadelphia, her father’s past and her own. Considering the documentarian aspect that she and her father’s work share, Trachtman believes “NOW IS ALWAYS” became part of a larger historical narrative. “My father lived through the last pandemic in 1918 and the pictures were taken during the Great Depression,” she said. Her work is “a dialogue and homage to the history of photography,” she added. “I also get to span that whole time frame with what I’m doing with my process. I go from digital and all the way back to photogravure, which dates to Henry Fox Talbot and the first photographs. It’s really bringing history alive for me.” With a vault of negatives to develop, Trachtman applied to a creative residency at the Tusen Takk Foundation, a place that was essential to the culmination of her series. “The Foundation was such a perfect place for me. In order to do what I do, I need big Epson printers, an exposing unit, a press and trays
and sinks big enough to develop my plates. I need a dark room and surface area. Not only did it have all these things but it had it at a scale that was larger than I’m able to in my studio.” Alongside the possibility of creating personal work at an unprecedented scale, new opportunities for artistic exploration emerged.
pictures that my dad took in the 50s and 60s that I didn’t realize I had. The negatives that my sister gave me were around 91 single frame images. And of those, there’s only so many that are people.” In spite of having limited remnants to source from, working with historical sources allowed Trachtman to redimension the personal impact the series was
Photo Courtesy of VAUNE TRACHTMAN
VAUNE TRACHTMAN: “Tenement Roof #1”
Formerly a master printer of silver gelatin prints and asphaltum-based photogravures, Trachtman became weary of the hazardous chemicals. “I had to go green. The old-school gravure process is really toxic. I didn’t want to be working with that kind of chemistry. After working in a dark room for so long, I am very sensitive to certain things now.” Based in Brattleboro, Vermont, she now specializes in non-toxic processes. “NOW IS ALWAYS” was made with a direct-to-plate photopolymer gravure method, a relatively recent, non-toxic alternative to the original photopolymer technique. Trachtman’s transition to studio-safe materials stemmed not only from health concerns but also her increasing environmental awareness that challenged her to modify her practice. “It’s paramount for me. It’s satisfying to make an image and feel like I don’t have a bad conscience. When I used to work in the dark room, you were supposed to use gloves and tongs because of the chemicals. I’m very impatient, so it’s really nice to be working with something that’s more environmentally friendly.” Planning into the future, Trachtman is looking forward to exploring the possibilities of more alternative processes: “There are ways to do photography using instant coffee or vitamin C. At some point, it would be exciting to try to experiment with other non-toxic methods.” Although her printing techniques may or may not change along the way, the photographer feels that “NOW IS ALWAYS” became part of a larger project that has yet to fully materialize. “I just found these
Photo Courtesy of Geoffry Peckham
Vaune Trachtman in her workshop finalizing the work.
having on her. “I didn’t know my dad. This is a way for me to feel connected to him and to learn more about him. In the beginning, I didn’t realize what I was doing. I just had that key-picture and I needed people. My father’s negatives just happened to be around. I didn’t realize the obvious aspect, that this could be emotional… It was very subconscious.” As “NOW IS ALWAYS” morphed into a personal exploration of memory and family legacy, Trachtman developed a special connection with this particular series and, at the moment, with one particular picture. “With other series I have favorites. But with this one, I have six or seven of them! Right now my favorite is ‘Bound,’ the one with the person in the air. Are they falling? Are they rising? Whatever they are, they’re above and I feel like they have perspective. I feel like I need a little bit of perspective right now.” As she keeps looking for ways to keep the artmaking machine running during quarantine, the artist is currently determined to keep the momentum of “NOW IS ALWAYS” going. “I got to a certain point of the pandemic in which I found a new kind of voice to keep moving forward with this series. I don’t think it needs to be exactly the same but I just feel like there’s more to say with this series that I haven’t said yet.” Although the Vermont sun has set, Trachtman has a long workday ahead of her. “I have a studio visit later today and there’s some negatives I need to develop,” she says jokingly referring back to her environmental practice. “I’m sure direct-to-plate also has at least some level of toxicity. It’s supposed to be less toxic, but, you know, some flowers are toxic. Everything has something. (Laughs) It’s hard not to be a hypocrite!” As she puts her father’s negatives away, she is abruptly overtaken by contagious joy and passion. “It’s a really wonderful thing that I have found all this new source material that I can work with, you know? It’s been a wonderful experience to do this.” “NOW IS ALWAYS” was the inaugural exhibition at the grand reopening of the recently renovated Vermont Center for Photography in Brattleboro and will be showcased Sept. 3 to Oct. 31, 2021. Vaune Trachtman’s work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Vermont Arts Council, and it has received additional support from the Tusen Takk Foundation.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 I ARTS & CULTURE I THE JUSTICE
THE JUSTICE | ARTS | TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017
LIVE THEATER
Sheila Bandyopadhyay brings original work, ‘In the Empty,’ to outdoor Brandeis theater By GEMMA SAMPAS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
A cast of six Brandeis undergraduate students performed “In the Empty,” an original 2021 theater piece written by Sheila Bandyopadhyay, on an outside stage for a live audience, Oct. 1-3. The piece was inspired by a trip Bandyopadhyay, who also directed the show, took during the pandemic to the desert, as well as reflections on living in New York City in the spring of 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I found that what really helped me was going on walks outside, and while I was going on walks, the seasons started to change. Spring came a little bit early, the flowers were in bloom, and that was a solace. It was a way to come out of the human experience, and go into the experience of the natural world,” Bandyopadhyay said in a phone interview with the Justice. The cast consisted of Omer Barash ’25, Amber Bartlett ’22, Anika Hahn ’25, Ruth King ’24, Alaysia Penso ’23, and Kieran Whitney ’23, all of whom participated in the phone interview. Whitney said he felt a sense of renewal in returning to in-person theater. The production falls into the category of devised theater, an art method also referred to as “reflective creation,” in which per-
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The cast is performing the number “Rescue Burlesque.’
formers play a large role in the development of a piece through improvisation, collaboration, and conversation. Barash likened the devised method to sewing a tapestry and said it was an advantageous method for his experience level, as “In the Empty” marks his first theater performance. Rehearsals began in late August, the first week of Brandeis classes. Rehearsals were held inside Spingold Theater in early September before moving outside closer to opening night. Barash said working with a small cast helped him understand how to “accept the journey as a whole, rather than holding out for the pleasant aspects.” “It’s crazy, it’s so exhilarating and the energy that we get from the people watching is so invigorating,” Whitney said, also mentioning feelings of refreshment and happiness. In the paper program given to all audience members, Bandyopadhyay included a Statement of Solidarity, Land Acknowledgement, and a note on the history of jazz music. In the second note, the director wrote “the influence of jazz dance in American choreography is immense, particularly in the theatre, where jazz is frequently featured,” also mentioning that many Americans are unaware of the roots of the style and the Afro-American Jazz movement. In the Empty included live musical aspects which corresponded to movement in the show, including tambourines and a xylophone used by cast members such as Whitney. In her program notes, Bandyopadhyay wrote that In the Empty tells the story of characters, a group named The Travelers, in a desert-like setting. “The White Lizard, a mysterious friend, and guide helps them to see how nature sustains itself, and how we, as a part of nature, may also find resilience in times of adversity,” Bandyopadhyay
wrote. In the interview, the director went into detail on her time both in an urban space during the pandemic and her trip across the country into the desert with her boyfriend. Bandyopadhyay said the most impactful experience on the trip took place in White Sands, New Mexico. “When you are there, there is nothing but white dunes all around. And there was this moment when we were on a hike, when we turned around and saw a long tree in the distance. And it was clearly alive, and there were these white lizards on the dunes. And I said to myself ‘Even in the desert, there is life.’” The play’s characters included fire ants, a burlesque airline crew, yucca plants, butterflies, and travelers. Several performers played different roles and had several costume changes, made possible by costumers Abby Roberts and Snow Shi. The actors were able to offer input and material over the course of “In the Empty’s” construction. Several members of the cast added writing, choreography and music. Whitney, for example, helped to choreograph a dance scene in “Movement 5: Butterfly Garden,” while Barash composed and performed an original piece on the guitar in “Movement 4: The Yuc-
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Two cast members share the stage in the iconic umbrella scene.
NOAH ZEITLIN/the Jusitice
The whole cast assembled for the finale.
ca Trees.” Hahn contributed choreography to the second of five movement, titled “Fire Ants.” New York-based composer Nathan Siler created “In the Empty’s” score for Bandyopadhyay. The two met through a creative workshop hosted by a shared mentor, before connecting years later in Brooklyn while Siler was dog sitting. Siler used his own feelings towards the landscape of the desert, as well as pieces he had previously written at night, whose melodies came to him in dreams. Though the turn-around time was very fast-paced, with only a month to prepare, Siler said he knew he could not pass up the opportunity, and looks forward to continuing to work with Bandyopadhyay. Siler also said he wishes he could be in Waltham to view a performance in person. Barash, who played Traveler 1, said that “In the Empty,” to him represents “finding your way through the journey, the idea of duality, beauty in pain, and struggle in success.” Acting in Bandyohpadhay’s play was a formative and cathartic experience for Penso, who mentioned how pieces of her identity had been replenished through the opportunity. “I don’t think I have the word to describe what it is like returning to in-person theatre, the closest I can get is euphoric. The feel of acting on a stage and interacting with an audience is something that never gets old, so to have gone so long without it felt like
something was missing and now that it’s back I feel whole,” Penso said. The crew also included costume designer, Mary Hurd, lighting designer, Deb Sullivan, sound designer, Kyle Olmstead and production stage manager Shelby Mariah Art. In a reception after Friday’s opening performance, Brandeis Department of Theater Arts director Dmitry Troyanovsky gave a small speech in which he expressed gratitude for Bandyopadhay’s vision as well as the hard work of the cast and crew. “It was absolutely magical and everything we wanted it to be. It was zany, smart, sexy, stylish, and musical,” Troyanovsky said, holding out a small potted plant as a gift and symbol of gratitude to Bandyopadhyay. Penso says she feels equally grateful for Bandyopadhyay’s direction, especially given “In The Empty’s” devised theater framework. “Working with Sheila was an amazing and unique experience. The first few rehearsals we played games and acted like lizards for over an hour: it was bizarre but so much fun,” Penso said. The Brandeis Department of Theater Arts will continue their return to in-person theater with three upcoming productions. The first, Alone│Together will premiere on Nov. 18, followed by an adaptation of Orlando by Sarah Ruhl in March, and the Senior Festival in late April.
TV REVIEW
Warning: spoilers for ‘Succession’ and ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ below By JASON FRANK JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
HBO, one of the most respected TV networks of all time, has the biggest, boldest and most discussed critique of the wealthy in their TV show, “Succession.” Yet what HBO perhaps does not know, is that this year HBO has already been bested in the genre by the “Queen of the Trash” network, Bravo, and its show, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” “Succession” tells the story of Logan Roy, the owner of media conglomerate Waystar Royco, and his children, to whom he keeps dangling the prospect of taking over the company. The show, which is returning for its muchanticipated third season this fall, has won a slew of Emmys — including “Best Drama” for its most recent season — and been placed on just about every critics’ yearend list. With “Succession” as its figurehead (and “White Lotus” on its heels), HBO has been leading the pack in terms of nuanced studies of whiteness, wealth, power and privilege in the TV world. Despite all these successes,
Design: Megan Liao/the Justice
when I think of what’s actually influenced my understanding on the subject, I keep returning to “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” long renowned for its fake drama, has been dealing with drama that is all too real this season. Longtime housewife Erika Girardi’s husband Tom Girardi, who she’s currently in the process of divorcing, is being indicted for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars from his clients’ settlement money, including $20 million put into Erika’s account. The process of seeing Erika’s life, and what she wants to portray as her life, crumble, as well as following the process of watching the other women place their alliances, is electric television. The problem with “Succession” is that while it is a political show, its pacing does not always know that. The second season’s most haunting scene came in the penultimate episode. Shiv, daughter of Logan and a fan favorite since the start, convinces a woman, Kira, who intended to testify against Waystar Royco for rampant sexual assault and mistreatment of employees, not to
testify. Shiv alternately consoles, threatens and therapizes Kira until she gets what she wants. The scene is heart-wrenching, especially since Shiv was originally introduced to the audience as the “good” member of the family, as she worked for a character modeled after Bernie Sanders in the first season. Ultimately though, that stunning scene is undercut by its placement in the season and the other plot developments that do not serve the thesis of the show. This thesis, that the world is being controlled by people making decisions based on personal lives, not wider moral “rightness.” The scene is not even on YouTube. What is on YouTube are a multiplicity of videos dedicated to Shiv’s interpersonal relationships with her family members and fancams set to “Primadonna Girl” by Marina and the Diamonds. The show is so fast-paced that the moments that stand out are not quiet moments of commentary, but rather the centered moments of the plot being driven forward. Shiv’s brother, Kendall, betrays his father at the end of the season and that moment has inspired approximately eight thousand think
pieces in its wake, and even more tweets. While there has been some coverage of Shiv’s morality, it seems like the moral degradation is just not as appealing to talk about as plot twists. And if the general audience is missing your thesis that intensely, that’s a mistake on the part of the creators. It is easy to see “Succession” as merely glamorous, a show with twists akin to “Game of Thrones,” and without a moral center. This “Housewives” season does not have this problem. Watching Erika degrade never feels glamorous, despite her having placed a premium on wealth, above all else. Erika has, at the very least, turned a willful eye away from her husband’s business dealings for upwards of 15 years and is now scrambling to get her life together. She’s lying, lashing out and being caught doing it, all the while taking all women associated with her down at the same time. The women who have stood by Erika (Lisa Rinna, Kyle Richards, etc.) are more and more often being painted as willing abetters to a woman whose personal life has led to hardships for the vulnerable people Tom has taken advantage of. When Erika and Tom are
the subjects of an investigative journalism piece by a Los Angeles Times article, many of her supporters reveal that they could not make it through the entire article, blaming the length. Yet, as these same supporters turn to shambles as they watch Erika go up in flames, it seems as though they did not want to read it in the first place. A meta-narrative is developing where the women are realizing that on the reality show they’ve made part of their lives, they have thrown their support behind the wrong person. The show now becomes the other women struggling between the moralizing lens of the camera, which they know is judging them, and their real-life association with Erika, a friendship based on mutual wealth. While there are subplots this season, Erika’s degradation is the primary story of the show. While “Succession” leaves me in awe of wealth, Erika’s story disgusts me. It may be addictive television, but this season of Housewives never feels aspirational. As “Succession” attempts once again to tell its story of wealth, I hope it can keep up with Bravo’s trash TV.
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THE JUSTICE I ARTS & CULTURE I TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021
OWEN CHAN/the Justice
FINDING INSPIRATION: McLeod’s “W.E.B. DuBois,” along with her other works, are inspired by careful research into the subjects. Her textile piece “Perla Mabel” (background) is inspired by Mali mud cloths.
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FASHION IN ART: “Baldwin” is Connecticut-based artist Marla McLeod’s attempt in challenging the false narrative surrounding Black bodies and represents key Black historical figures such as James Baldwin.
MEGAN LIAO/the Justice
STAFF’S Top Ten
Across
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Top 10 TV Shows By ARIELLA WEISS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Here are my top 10 TV shows, in no particular order. I don’t watch a lot of TV so if I can get through a show, that says something! 1. Good Girls Revolt (Amazon Prime) 2. Normal People (Hulu) 3. Shameless (Netflix) 4. The Carrie Diaries (Netflix) 5. Sex Education (Netflix; enough said — watch season 3!) 6. Stranger Things (Netflix) 7. I’m Sorry (used to be on Netflix, but to my chagrin they took it off and now you can watch it on truTV) 8. Breaking Bad (Netflix) 9. Skins (Hulu; British teens wildin’ — comfort show) 10. Big Mouth (Netflix; Nick Kroll being Nick Kroll)
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CROSSWORD
Down
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
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3. Not far 4. 1000 years 6. A type of Buzz 9. Big measure 11. Onomatopoeia clock sound 12. 100 years 13. Larger measure 14. Small measure 15. What could take you back or forward 17. What’s up! 18. The letters in a famous equation 19. 9-5 singer 21. Eternity, almost 22. Mom’s mom 24. Shortened name of time scientist, or a bird 26. Mom’s dad 28. True, but not
MIRANDA SULLIVAN/the Justice
1. What the timer does when it’s done 2. Año 5. “Back to the Future” protagonist 7. 10 years 8. xoxo 10. It’ll hurt your eyes if you stare too long 12. Snazzy shoes 14. Not now 16. Aid to telling time 18. A type of time tool 20. Quantum physics gone array 21. Quite a while 23. Medium measure 25. Let’s do it again! 27. Now! abbreviation 25. Shvitzing, yenta, and mensch are all examples of words in this language