Skip to main content

The Justice, October 7, 2014

Page 1

ARTS Page 19

SPORTS Squad pushes win streak to 10 16

LIT LECTURE

FORUM Consider all views on climate change 12 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

of

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

Justice

Volume LXVII, Number 6

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Waltham, Mass.

ADMINISTRATION

SHARING PERSPECTIVE

Lynch will take provost position ■ The Board of Trustees

approved Lynch for the position, which she will take over on Oct. 29. By Marissa Ditkowsky JUSTICE Editor

Yesterday, the University announced that Dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy Lisa Lynch will take Steve Goldstein’s ’78 place as provost next year and will

serve as the senior vice president for academic affairs. Lynch’s appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees and will take effect on Oct. 29. Neither Lynch nor Executive Director for Lynch Integrated Media Bill Schaller responded to questions regarding whether Goldstein will remain in his position until then by press time. The University’s initial

See PROVOST, 7 ☛

Crime

Report shows sharp rise in drug violations

GUILLERMO NARVAEZ/the Justice

AFRICA RISING: The President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama spoke in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater last Monday.

President of Ghana speaks on “The African Promise” ■ Ghanaian President John

Dramani Mahama described the misconceptions of Africa as primitive and its potential. By ARIANNA UNGER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama gave a speech on Monday in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater. After speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25, he was invited by Ghanaian Prof. Joseph Assan (Heller) to come speak at Brandeis about “The African Promise.” In an interview with the Justice, Prof. Joan Dassin (Heller), director of the Master of Arts Program in Sustainable International Development at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, noted that Mahama was also eager to come because Brandeis has unique ties to Ghana.

In the interview, she described Brandeis’ partnership with the University of Development Studies in Ghana and how Brandeis sends students in the SID to Ghana for experiential learning. Dassin also mentioned Brandeis’ Learning Across Borders program, which engages students from Ghana’s University of Developmental studies, Brandeis and Beijing Normal University in China in a dialogue about what development means. After a group of Brandeis students opened the event by performing the Ghanaian gahu dance, Mahama took the stage. He began his lecture by asserting, “The promise of Africa is its people.” He said that Africa’s biggest developmental impediment is its distorted perception in eyes of the Western world. “The problem that has faced Africa and its people has been a problem of perception. Or perhaps better said, a problem of misconception,” he stated, defining that problem as “the misrep-

■ Drug violations and sex

offenses saw the largest proportional increases from 2012 to 2013. By SAM MINTZ JUSTICE EDITOR

resentations and misperceptions of Africa as a primitive and monolithic country, rather than a continent, diverse in every way has not only entered, but is actively defining modernity today.” He shared a personal anecdote, which University President Frederick Lawrence later proclaimed was one of his favorites, about his niece who was instant messaging online with a boy her age from the United States. The boy asked where she was from and she responded that she was from Ghana. The boy then asked where that was, and when she told him it was in Africa, he replied, “Wow! You guys have computers in Africa? ” She typed back: “No, we’re sitting by the river in our village sending smoke signals that are being magically transmitted as words onto your screen.” Mahama then backtracked to explain the conditions that triggered Africa’s political and economic decay

See GHANA, 7 ☛

Drug violations, mostly related to marijuana, nearly tripled on the Brandeis campus from 2012 to 2013, according to the annual Public Safety Report released last week. In 2013 there were 94 reported violations on campus and in residential facilities, compared to 35 in 2012 and 36 in 2011. Director of Public Safety Edward Callahan said in an interview with the Justice that while Public Safety is not certain about the reasons behind the increase, it “may be attributed to better education and greater awareness in the community about the importance of reporting such violations.” Callahan also cited a statistic that one in five young adults use illegal drugs at least once a month. “We are not immune from this,” he said. “While there is no indication that there is a growing drug issue on campus, our vigilance, our efforts to curb such use and our education efforts regarding the importance of reporting drug use most

See REPORT, 7 ☛

Infrastructure of hope

Backheel pass

Liberation Theology

 A junior launched a humanitarian organization and a career in public speaking.

 The No. 4 men's soccer team took down Case Western Reserve University on Sunday.

 The Gittler Prize was awarded to Dominican priest Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez.

FEATURES 8-9 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

likely have elevated the number of drug use cases we have reported.” While drugs violations have also increased at nearby institutions, such as Boston College and Bentley College, neither of the rises were as proportionally high as Brandeis,’ according to their respective public safety reports. At Bentley, there were 254 reported drug violations in 2013, up from 237 in 2012. At Boston College, there were 169, up from 130 in 2012. Liquor law violations have risen too, but to a lesser degree than drug violations. In 2013, there were 135, compared to 124 in 2012 and 108 in 2011. Callahan provided similar reasoning for this increase, saying that improved community reporting of such violations has likely caused it. The report also included statistics for sex offenses, of which there were six reported in 2013, up from two in each of the two years prior. Callahan said that this likely “had to do with departments working more closely and more collaboratively to respond to this issue.” He said that if a student reports a sex offense to Public Safety, the student is offered the opportunity to file a Community Standards Report, and will have help from Public Safety with paperwork, or possibly as a witness in the following

Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

INDEX

SPORTS 16 ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 8

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

READER COMMENTARY 11

News 4 COPYRIGHT 2014 FREE AT BRANDEIS.


2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014

●

THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

BranVan evening schedule changed The Senate convened this past Sunday and Sunday, Sept. 28 to recognize clubs and discuss several topics, such as committee formation. This week, the Senate acknowledged that of the 40 clubs that had not submitted anti-hazing forms this semester, only five have submitted them since the last warning. Without submission of the forms, these 35 clubs will be de-chartered. The Senate decided to extend the deadline until Oct. 15, at which point in time clubs that still have not sent in their anti-hazing forms will be de-chartered. Office hours, held in the Student Union office, will begin this week. Each senator will be required to hold three office hours per week. Committee chairs are beginning to interview students who are not on the Senate and are interested in sitting on each of the Senate committees. Up to two non-Senate members are allowed to sit on any given committee, as mentioned at the Senate meeting. These interviews will be completed within the next two weeks. The Senate then heard updates regarding campus transportation. Beginning Oct. 5, the 4:45 p.m. campus BranVan will be canceled. Instead, two BranVans will leave at 5 p.m., thereby accommodating the many students who take the BranVan home after classes end at 4:50 p.m. Additionally, updates were given regarding the Brandeis Sustainability Fund, which, despite experiencing setbacks due to the lack of a coordinator, still plans to push back Brandeis Sustainability Fund proposal deadlines in order to increase the number of students who are able to participate. On Sept. 28, Student Union President Sneha Walia ’15 swore in the new senators to begin the meeting, including Ziv Quad senator Dor Cohen’16, Ridgewood Quad senator Brad Burns ’15, Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program senator Ruth Messele and Class of 2016 senator Meher Irani. Class of 2018 senator Skye Golann was also sworn in, although he was elected in the first round. Walia then introduced Chief of Staff Flora Wang ’15 to the Senate and made several announcements. Senators who missed the retreat, at which senators received a required bystander intervention training for the first year ever, were told that they had to complete a make-up. Walia also announced that the Senate must choose two representatives to be a part of the Community Enhancement Fund committee. In addition, now that there are mailboxes where the Student Union bulletin board was previously, Walia noted that the Union is working to find a new space for the board. Baseball Club approached the Senate to seek recognition. The club is for students interested in playing baseball in an organized fashion. According to the students presenting on behalf of the club, Baseball Club cannot seek Club Sports status because there is a varsity baseball team. The Senate unanimously recognized the club. The club also sought charter to cover expenses such as equipment, umpire fees and costs to reserve space. The Senate approved the charter with 13 in favor and one abstention. The Brandeis Traditional Music Club then approached the Senate to seek recognition. The goal of the club is to provide a platform for arranging music from different countries and traditions and to play these pieces as an ensemble. BTMC was recognized with 12 senators in favor, one abstention and one against.

POLICE LOG Medical Emergency

Sept. 28—Police and BEMCo responded to a report of a party with a sports-related elbow injury on the athletic fields outside of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. Cataldo Ambulance transported the party to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 28—University Police received a report of a male in Cable Hall with flu-like symptoms. BEMCo treated the party on-scene, and Cataldo Ambulance transported him to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Oct. 1—A party in the Village called BEMCo to request treatment for stomach pain. BEMCo treated the party onscene, and University Police transported the patient to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Oct. 1—A party called to report that a 50-year-old custodial staff member at Turner Street looked faint. University Police and BEMCo responded; BEMCo treat-

ed the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 1—A party calling from the rear Athletics Lot requested BEMCo for a possible broken finger from a sports-related injury. BEMCo treated the party onscene with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 1—University Police received a call reporting that a student hit his head on a wall while playing basketball in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. BEMCo treated the party with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 1—A female student in Shapiro Hall called complaining of stomach pain. BEMCo treated her on the scene with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 3—A caller reported that a staff member collapsed in the Usdan Student Center but regained consciousness. University Police and BEMCo responded, and Cataldo Ambulance transported the staff member to Newton-Wellesley

Hospital for further care. Oct. 4—A trainer at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center requested an ambulance for a reported head injury. Waltham Fire Department Engine Four and Cataldo Ambulance responded; Cataldo transported the injured party to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for further care. Oct. 4—A party reported that a student in Usen Hall was having a reaction to medication. University Police and BEMCo responded, and BEMCo staff members treated the party onscene with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 5—A Community Advisor in Shapiro Hall called to request assistance for a male student who had been drinking alcohol. University Police and BEMCo responded; BEMCo staff treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Sex Crimes Oct.

2—University

PURSUING CAREERS

n A News article incorrectly spelled Niki Laskaris’ ’16 name. (Sept. 23, pg. 3) n A News article did not mention that the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies co-sponsored the Frances Taylor Eizenstat ’65 Undergraduate Israel Travel Program reception. The article also did not mention that Prof. Ilan Troen (NEJS) is the director of the center. (Sept. 23, pg. 3)

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.

Justice

the

www.thejustice.org

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Editor in chief office hours are held Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Justice office. Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing Copy Layout

editor@thejustice.org news@thejustice.org forum@thejustice.org features@thejustice.org sports@thejustice.org arts@thejustice.org ads@thejustice.org photos@thejustice.org managing@thejustice.org copy@thejustice.org layout@thejustice.org

The Justice Brandeis University Mailstop 214 P.O. Box 549110 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 Phone: (781) 736-3750

Oct. 1—University Police received reports of vandalism occurring campus-wide on the “shade people display,” the cardboard cutouts of people relating to issues of immigration. Police compiled a report on the incident.

Larceny

Oct. 2—A reporting party stated that he left his bag tied to the rear cable of a computer in the Shapiro Campus Center and that the bag was gone when he returned. University Police compiled a report on the theft.

—compiled by Tate Herbert

SCOTUS rejects cases

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

n An Arts article called the new Black Keys album Turning Blue, but it is actually called Turn Blue. (Sept. 23, pg. 23)

Vandalism

WIRE BRIEF

—Marissa Ditkowsky and Morgan Brill

n A News article described a talk by analyst Sam Chester described Chester as saying that there is a tension in the relationship between Israel, the United States and China. In fact, Chester described the relationship between the countries as an amicable one. (Sept. 16, pg. 5)

Police

received information about a past sexual assault which occurred in a residence hall, from the Dean of Students Office. University Police compiled a report on the incident. The assault is currently under investigation.

MIHIR KHANNA/the Justice

The Hiatt Career Center and Business program sponsored “Business Industry Night: Business, Consulting and Finance,” at which panelists and additional industry guests hosted a networking event for students.

The Supreme Court ducked the samesex marriage question Monday, effectively striking down marriage restrictions in five states but leaving for another day a widely anticipated constitutional clash. The court’s decision not to hear any of the seven marriage cases presented eliminates same-sex marriage bans in Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Utah and Oklahoma. The decision also undercuts bans in six other states covered by the three appellate courts that have ruled. A denial of a petition to the high court leaves intact the lower appellate court decisions that struck down the five state bans. Same-sex marriages began within hours in Virginia, Wisconsin and Indiana. Utah officials, who’d been defending the state’s ban, likewise capitulated after the court’s decision. Oklahoma began issuing marriage license to same-sex couples Monday. Practically speaking, the high court’s decision also touches Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming. Those states had banned same-sex marriage but are part of circuits where appellate courts have ruled, so they’re covered by the respective appellate courts’ reasoning. Before the court’s decision Monday, 19 states and the District of Columbia had permitted same-sex marriages. With the decision, 30 states as well as D.C. will permit same-sex marriages. The court’s decision also means the question of whether the Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry will continue to percolate in regions where appellate courts haven’t ruled. A decision is still pending by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard challenges Aug. 6 to same-sex marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. A highly regarded George W. Bush administration appointee, Judge Jeffrey Sutton, is widely considered to be the swing vote in the case. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is weighing same-sex marriage bans in Idaho and Nevada after an oral argument Sept. 8. The still-unresolved questions include what part of the U.S. Constitution precisely protects same-sex marriage rights. —Tribune News Service

ANNOUNCEMENTS Year-in-Service and Volunteer Fair

This event connects and provides an outlet for students, faculty, staff and alumni to explore service and volunteer opportunities. Students may have the opportunity to interview on-site directly following the fair. The breadth of opportunities range from volunteer internships, one-time volunteering, group volunteering, special projects and post-graduation Year in Service programs. Participants will have the opportunity to explore how they can volunteer today, develop a skill set and reflect upon their service. Kosher, vegan and vegetarian snacks will be provided. Today from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Hassenfeld Conference Center.

Negotiating Capability

Negotiating Capability and Diaspora focuses on the Indian economist-cum-philosopher Amartya Sen’s theory of “capability,” which rose as a critique of the modern

American philosopher John Rawls’s theory of “primary goods.” The book strives to develop Amartya Sen’s theory of “capability” as a leitmotif throughout the book. Today from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Epstein Building Multipurpose Room.

Workshop: Personal Statements

Need help writing your personal statement? Come meet with law school admissions representatives for tips and advice. Representatives from Seton Hall Law School, Richmond School of Law, Tulane University Law School and University of Denver Sturm College of Law will offer advice for this very important part of you application, as well as share information about their schools. Today from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Usdan Student Center room 29.

An Epistemology of Scientific Crackpottery

Professor Chris Miller’s reprisal of his prestigious Oxford University Newton-

Abraham Lecture called “Mountebanks, Con-men, and Heretics: An Epistemology of Scientific Crackpottery;” an examination of various outlier scientists and their influence on modern scientific research. Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Gerstenzang room 121.

1914-1918: The War Within the War

As we mark the centenary of the Great War, this epochal event is usually remembered as a bloody conflict between rival alliances of nations. But there was another struggle within most of those countries: between people who regarded the war as a noble and necessary crusade and a brave minority who felt it was tragic madness and who refused to fight. Writer Adam Hochschild describes this battle in an illustrated talk, focusing on the country where that tension was sharpest, Great Britain. Monday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.


THE JUSTICE

3

Chum’s stops serving food, permit expired ■ The coffeehouse has not

had a food permit since 2012. Student Activities Specialist Robert Steinberg has filed for a new permit. By Kathryn Brody JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

A group of students decorated the Justice Louis D. Brandeis statue outside of the Shapiro Campus Center with pink balloons in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

BRIEF University will sell Brandeis House in New York location, small room configuration, limited technological infrastructure and inaccessibility for people with physical disabilities. In addition, according to a recent survey performed by the University, the majority of alumni prefer alum events to be held in Midtown rather than on the Upper East Side, wrote Lawrence. According to Lawrence, the proceeds of the sale, expected to be in the tens of millions of dollars, will be placed in the University endowment. As part of the transition, two alumni relations positions have been relocated from New York City to Brandeis’ campus. “This

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014

STUDENT LIFE

DRESSED TO IMPRESS

The University announced on Sept. 24 that it is in the process of selling the Brandeis House Alumni Club of New York, a property on the Upper East Side at 12 East 77th Street, that has been used to host alumni events. In an email sent to New Yorkarea alumni obtained by the Justice, University President Frederick Lawrence wrote that Brandeis House is too small to accommodate the growing number of alumni in the area, which, at around 11,000 people, is the largest it has ever been. He wrote that the building has also been underutilized in the past years as a result of its

●

move will strengthen the voice of New York alumni and friends on campus and will enable us to meet the fast-growing demand for increased New York programming,” Lawrence wrote. The Brandeis House was donated to the University by the Spingold family, according to a Dec. 16, 2010 BrandeisNOW article. Executive Director for Integrated Media Bill Schaller noted that it was given as a gift in 1964. Schaller did not respond to questions regarding the stipulations of this gift or questions regarding more specific future plans. —Hannah Wulkan

Want to join the Justice News team? Contact Marissa Ditkowsky and Hannah Wulkan at news@thejustice.org.

Visitors to Cholmondeley’s will find that the popular hangout has stopped serving food of any kind as of late August. This is because the coffeehouse has not kept up with its food permit requirements. Leigh Hilderbrandt, the marketing and box office manager, told the Justice in an email that during a site inspection in August, Brandeis’ Manager of Environmental Health and Safety Andy Finn and Student Activities Operations Specialist Darryl David ’09 discovered that Chum’s did not display any food permit in its facility. Hilderbrandt and David then looked for the permit, and when they did find it, discovered that the coffeehouse’s food permit had, in fact, expired. Hilderbrandt wrote that the former Student Activities Operations Specialist Sarah Richardson, who left Brandeis in July 2012, was the last person to renew the food permit in her capacity as adviser to Chum’s. This permit needed to be renewed each year. Maria Anderson was appointed to the position of Student Activities specialist after Richardson left, while David took over Richardson’s former position. One of Anderson’s responsibilities in this capacity was to be the

new adviser to Chum’s rather than David. “Unfortunately, it appears that the task of renewing the permit was something that was overlooked [in the transfer of responsibilities],” Hilderbrandt wrote. Anderson left Brandeis this past May. According to Hilderbrandt, her job responsibilities were split among the remaining Student Activities team members. Hildebrandt and David became temporary coadvisors to Chum’s in August until Robert Steinberg ’13, the newly appointed Student Activities specialist, started last Monday. Hilderbrandt wrote that they began looking into going about renewing the permit in September, but hit a few obstacles, including the fact that the staff member who handles food permits at the Waltham Health Department was on vacation. Steinberg wrote in an email to the Justice that he has already filed for the new food permit. Steinberg is also scheduling mandatory ServSafe certification—a course that certifies a person to handle food for three years—as well as allergen training for Chum’s staff. He wrote that he hopes at least one member of Chum’s will be certified by Jan. 1. In the meantime, Steinberg wrote that there will be events scheduled at Chum’s without food service. The beloved coffeehouse fortunately does not face any repercussions for serving food without a permit. However, according to Hildebrandt, there is no specific date for when service can begin; the coffeehouse has to pass an inspection, after which Chum’s will resume food service.

Student Union

Special election results announced ■ Four vacant Senate seats

were filled after a special eleciton was held on Sept. 23. The Village and Mods seats remain vacant. By Rachel Sharer JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Sept. 24, the Student Union revealed the results of its special election. Out of the six vacant positions, four were filled—the Class of 2016 senator, Ziv Quad senator, Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program senator and the Ridgewood Quad senator. Meher Irani, who was elected to the position of Class of 2016 senator, wrote in an email to the Justice that she ran for the position as a “way of giving [back] to her class.” She wrote that she and the other Class of 2016 senator, Nyah Macklin, who was elected at the end of the 2013 to 2014 academic year, will work together to complete many longstanding goals, including extending Starbucks hours and adding more BranVan shuttles to campus, as well as increasing the frequency of BranVan shuttle runs. Irani wants to improve the BranVan, not only to make it more efficient for students who need to get places, but also to “open up more shifts for students looking to drive the BranVan.” Dor Cohen ’16 was elected to

fill the position of Ziv Quad senator and wrote in an email to the Justice that he is excited to “help make Ziv Quad one of the best ones on campus.” His proposed initiatives include creating a quad-wide Facebook page to increase communication between residents, putting together quad-wide events and working with the Department of Community Living and Facilities to “ensure that Ziv 127 and 128 will be renovated as soon as possible.” Brad Burns ’15 was elected to fill the position of Ridgewood Quad senator. Burns wrote in an email to the Justice that he is “excited to have the chance to serve the Brandeis community in this capacity.” He said that his goals as Ridgewood Quad senator include working to improve ’Deis Day, getting clubs to “work more closely with the Union and each other” and ensuring that Student Union initiatives are beneficial and important to the community as a whole. Ruth Messele won the position of MKTYP senator. Messelle did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Write-in “Mod Cat” beat the “abstain” option and won the position of Mods senator, while the Village senator vote ended in a tie with no clear winner. Student Union Secretary Charlotte Franco ’15 said in an interview with the Justice that elections for these two positions will be held this week.


4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014

●

THE JUSTICE

DEFENDING THE IMPOVERISHED

STUDENT LIFE

Fraternity plans to enforce changes in assault prevention ■ Sigma Alpha Mu will join

a consortium of fraternities to implement the Fraternity Health and Safety Initiative. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

Sigma Alpha Mu will be joining a consortium of eight national and international fraternity member clients of James R. Favor & Company, a company of insurance brokers and risk management consultants with a focus on the collegiate Greek community, to implement the Fraternity Health and Safety Initiative. The initiative aims to combat sexual and relationship misconduct, binge drinking and hazing, according to a Sept. 23 press release from the FHSI, which was developed by James R. Favor & Company in 2013. Sigma Alpha Mu’s national organization will join Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Triangle Fraternity in taking immediate action to implement the FHSI to educate members to “prevent, identify and intervene against these behaviors,” the release states. The FHSI consists of three curricula focused on the “dangerous behaviors college-aged men are at increased risk of exhibiting,” according to the release. The curricula focus heavily on bystander intervention, “to help empower students to recognize, diagnose and, most importantly, intervene in potentially harmful situations.” Sigma Alpha Mu Gamma Chi Chapter President Alexander Arad ’16 said in an interview with the Justice that the curriculum has not yet affected the chapter at Brandeis. The national organization has informed him and other leaders about the change but did not provide them with any new materials. However, he said, the national organization has already been requiring certain programming to take place. Several officers are sent to represent the Gamma Chi chapter at Chapter Leadership Day, a seminar held by the Sigma Alpha Mu national organization that discusses leadership, anti-hazing policies and sexual misconduct. The National Convention held over the summer covers similar topics, according to Arad. The national organization also requires the chapter to hold seminars to make sure “that we provide a safe environment for events,” said Arad. He noted that the chapter holds one seminar at the beginning of every semester, although there is usually one held at the end of the semester as well. The risk manager, who is also the vice president of the chapter, often leads these meetings. According to Arad, the chapter

has not had anyone outside of the fraternity come in to train its members—although he said that this is what the national organization recommends that the chapters do. “It’s kind of hard, especially here because we’re not recognized, so we can’t ask Brandeis for help. We can go and find a professor or someone here who does that kind of thing and ask them, but we haven’t yet,” he said. According to an Oct. 29, 1991 Justice article, the Committee on Rape Education, an on-campus group at the time, denied providing pledges of the Gamma Chi chapter with sexual assault and harassment training because Greek Life was not recognized. Arad said that similar obstacles are still present in providing trainings and programming for members of the University chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu. Despite the impediments that Arad mentioned, Brendan Weintraub ’16, who is currently organizing bystander trainings while Sexual Assault and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon is on academic leave, wrote in an email to the Justice that several students involved in fraternities and sororities have attended the multiple train-the-trainer sessions—programs at which students are instructed on how to lead bystander intervention trainings—held over the past academic year. “Many of them want to facilitate discussions about bystander intervention to make sure they are doing their best to help keep the Brandeis community safe,” he wrote. Weintraub went on to write that fraternities and sororities are encouraged to request and hold training sessions. “Although Greek Life is not recognized on campus, those who are a part of it are first and foremost Brandeis students,” he wrote. “Although they cannot book spaces on campus, the Office of Prevention Services finds a location for them and oversee[s] the trainings, just like we would do with any other students.” However, according to Arad, no one from the University has reached out to his chapter to set up any training sessions. According to the statement, advisers, alumni and staff members of the national and international organizations will reinforce the completion of the FHSI curriculum. Currently, according to Arad, the national organization sends a representative once per semester to check on the chapter to ensure that it is implementing protocol properly. The consortium of fraternities in the FHSI is expected to reach more than 35,000 undergraduate students on more than 350 college campuses with the FHSI curricula in the first year and represents approximately 75,000 undergraduate men at more than 550 college campuses, according to the statement.

ABIGAIL ROTHSTEIN/the Justice

ACCEPTING AN HONOR: Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez spoke about his experiences at the annual Gittler Prize reception on Sunday.

Reverend receives Gittler Prize, delivers address ■ Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez,

founder of Liberation Theology and social activist, was this year’s Gittler Prize recipient. By RACHEL SHARER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Sunday, Oct. 5, Brandeis awarded its sixth annual Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize to Reverend Gustavo Gutiérrez for his work on Liberation Theology and social activism. This year’s recipient, Gutiérrez, is a world-renowned Catholic Dominican priest from Peru. According to a Sept. 4 BrandeisNOW article, he is a founder of Liberation Theology, which “combines theology with social activism” by using the teachings of Christianity to help liberate the poor from unjust conditions. His most famous book, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics and Salvation (1971) has made a remarkable contribution to modern theology, and his work in Latin America against oppression and poverty earned him the Legion of Honor from the French government. He is currently a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame and holds nearly 20 honorary degrees. The Gittler Prize ceremony took place in Rapaporte Treasure Hall and began with an introduction by University President Frederick Lawrence, who said that the Gittler Prize represents “the heart of what Brandeis is about.” Catholic Chaplain and Coordinator of the Interfaith Chaplaincy Reverand Walter Cuenin then introduced the prize recipient, Gutiérrez, who received a standing ovation as he approached the stage to speak. Gutiérrez began his speech by saying he was “surprised” but honored to receive this year’s Gittler Prize. As

the founder of Liberation Theology, he explained what theology really is and what it means to him. “Theology is a language; it is a reflection of our mysterious reality,” that, in its most basic definition, helps individuals to communicate, become aware of reality and reflect. It is a combination of silence and time, a “language about relations between humans and being present in history.” At the core of Liberation Theology is the desire to alleviate the suffering of the poor and impoverished. Gutierrez said that we must do this through the teachings of Christianity, though there is still the difficult question of “how to say to poor people: ‘God loves you’” and make them believe it is true. However, Gutierrez believes this question is beyond human capacity to answer; Liberation Theology is not an answer to this question, he said, but a way to reflect upon it. He described Liberation Theology as a “limited effort but necessary” in order to be able to address the “human mystery” of the suffering of the poor and the innocent. In the second part of his presentation, Gutiérrez addressed the causes and consequences of poverty around the world. Poverty, he said, is unfortunately “an old and complex reality of humanity.” However, he detailed that poverty is not only an economic problem, but also a cultural problem that involves many aspects of culture, race, gender and sexual orientation. Gutiérrez said that for a long time, people considered poverty a fact or a fate, believing that having rich and poor was “the will of God.” However, he said that his experience in recent times has taught him that poverty has multiple causes, some even human. Because humans create poverty, it is necessary to work to eliminate it. “Poverty means death,”

he said, because poor individuals are dying before their time due to hunger and lack of access to health care and medicine. Poverty creates both cultural and physical death, and because of this, “children are not dying at the end of their lives but at the beginning.” Gutiérrez’s Liberation Theology, which combines theology with social activism, attempts to help alleviate poverty. However, his goal is “not to be the voice of the voiceless,” but to “give the voiceless voice”—to “make them agents of their destiny” so that poverty can be correctly addressed and ameliorated. “No one is outside of the love of God,” he said. The reverend ended his speech with a personal anecdote about the changing nature of the world, poverty and Liberation Theology, comparing it to writing love letters to one’s significant other over a period of time. “To me,” he said, “theology is writing a love letter to God, my people, my church.” As time passes and one writes more love letters, one “can’t repeat the love letter in the same terms, but the love is still there; the content, idea, is still there, but the manner to express it is changing.” The ceremony concluded with a few questions from the audience and the presentation of the Gittler Prize—a medal—by Lawrence. The ceremony was followed by a reception. According to the Brandeis website, the Gittler Prize is a prestigious annual award given to an individual who represents “outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic and/or religious relations.” It was created by the late Joseph B. Gittler and includes a medal, ceremony and $25,000 reward. The ceremony is hosted by Brandeis’s International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life.

FACULTY

Staff required to complete sexual harassment trainings ■ Faculty and staff will

have to complete both an online and in-person sexual harassment training. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

The Office of Human Resources sent out an email on Sept. 26 to remind University staff and faculty of a required sexual harassment training program that they must all complete. According to the email, the training is composed of two parts: the first

part is an online Title IX training and the second an in-person training. The online training became accessible the week of Sept. 29, while the in-person training will take place later this fall, the email stated. A specific date for the in-person training was not provided in the email. Neither Vice President for Human Resources Scot Bemis nor Executive Director for Integrated Media Bill Schaller responded by press time to address questions on why the trainings are being held and who is holding the trainings. According to the email, the University Advisory Council

Subcommittee on Sexual Violence and the Faculty Senate will be discussing implementation of the recommendations of the faculty report on sexual violence that they commissioned. According to a Nov. 1, 2013 Faculty Senate report from Prof. Bernadette Brooten (NEJS) regarding the UAC Subcommittee on Sexual Violence, the subcommittee was looking to address questions as to whether or not faculty members should be required to report instances of sexual violence. In addition, there was a question regarding whether the reporting structure should begin through the

Psychological Counseling Center or the Department of Public Safety. In the meeting minutes, which are posted on the University’s website, an Oct. 26, 2013 letter that Brooten wrote is included, which states that she hopes the Faculty Senate will promote education and discussion on the topic of sexual harassment. “As faculty members, we have multiple interests: we need to ensure full academic freedom; we need to advocate for our students’ right to an environment free of harassment; and we need to ensure that grievance procedures are fair to both parties,” wrote Brooten.

“University policies will only be effective if they are widely known, understood, and agreed to by the faculty,” the letter continued. The UAC Subcommittee on Sexual Violence was created in February 2013 “to examine Brandeis’s policies concerning sexual violence and their implementation,” and delivered its report to Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 and the Faculty Senate in June, according to Brooten in an email to the Justice. Although the recommendations are not publicly available, they will be consider by the UAC and the Faculty Senate, according to Brooten.


THE JUSTICE

STUDENT ACTIVISM

attended the People’s Climate March in New York City two weeks ago. By RIVER HEISLER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Nearly 50 Brandeis students protested in New York City two weekends ago to bring attention to issues of climate change and climate justice. Abbie Goldberg ’16 was among those organizing transportation for students from Brandeis to the People’s Climate March in the city. There were 31 buses leaving from the Boston area through the Better Future Project to bring activists and demonstrators to New York. According to its website, the Better Future Project “accelerates the growth of a powerful grassroots movement to address the climate crisis and make stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities by advancing a rapid and responsible transition beyond fossil fuels.” Iona Feldman ’17 was the campus coordinator for the People’s Climate March, meaning that he played a large role in organizing the buses from Brandeis to the march. He is a part of the Brandeis Divestment Campaign, an unrecognized club functioning as a part of Students for Environmental Action with the goal of encouraging the administration to divest from fossil fuel investments. Feldman worked with students and faculty across campus to publicize the event and reach as many groups as possible. Among the groups represented at the march were Students for Environmental Activism and the Brandeis Labor Coalition, as well as other social justice-focused groups. Faculty involved in the march included Profs. Sabine von Mering (GRALL) and Gordon Fellman (SOC). Von Mering was involved with faculty outreach and encouraging students to attend, though she was not actually at the protests, while Fellman attended the march and also helped to encourage other members of the community to attend. Various groups and interests were represented at the march, which drew over 400,000 activists from student and political organizations across the country. “It was great to see all of these people coming together to show that climate change is an issue—it’s not an issue just for environmentalists, [it’s] something that everyone should be concerned with,” Feld-

man said in an interview with the Justice. Several Brandeis students stayed after the march to participate in a direct action movement, known as Flood Wall Street. Among them were Goldberg and Kristina Jacobs ’15. The movement itself had approximately 100 participants, 14 of whom were from the Boston area and nine of whom were either alumni or current Brandeis students, according to Goldberg. The participants gathered in Battery Park to hear speakers, including Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges and well-known Canadian author and climate activist Naomi Klein. Participants then left, all wearing blue, to march toward the Wall Street Bull, a wellknown statue and tourist attraction. Eventually they made it to the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway, where, after a short time fighting to get through police barricades, they came to the decision to sit down and stay either until the United Nations climate summit finished or until they were forcibly removed, according to Goldberg. The New York Police Department issued a dispersal order, and subsequently arrested many participants, including Goldberg and Jacobs, for obstructing vehicular traffic and refusing to disperse, according to Jacobs in an interview with the Justice. Seven other Brandeis students and alumni were also arrested. Divestment continues to be an important issue for Feldman, Goldberg and Jacobs. “I think Brandeis should divest from fossil fuels. That is the essential goal of the campaign and I hope that it can be accomplished,” Jacobs said. The Student Union held a referendum on divestment in 2013, which resulted in an overwhelming support for divestment—78 percent of students who voted in the referendum were in favor of it. Goldberg said in an interview with the Justice that getting involved with the divestment campaign was exciting because she could “see it happening across Boston and across the country.” Both Goldberg and Feldman have been arrested in the past while participating in protests for climate justice. In March 2014, they were both arrested outside of the White House while protesting the Keystone XL pipeline. “We can’t be profiting from something that’s causing so much destruction,” Goldberg said about divestment. “My fate is entangled with the fates of so many people and lives everywhere.”

JOIN the Justice

Contact Rachel Hughes at editor@thejustice.org

TUESDAY OCTOBER 7, 2014

5

CONDONING COOPERATION

Students arrested during New York climate protest ■ A group of students

●

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

WELCOME INNOVATION: Library and Technology Services Research Technology Specialist Ian Roy attended the opening on Monday.

Center for Teaching and Learning opens, kickstarts programs ■ Prof. Dan Perlman (BIOL),

associate provost for innovation and education, will be directing the center. By RACHEL HUGHES JUSTICE EDITOR

Yesterday afternoon, the Center for Teaching and Learning opened its doors to the Brandeis community for the first time, offering a space for teachers to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Directed by Prof. Dan Perlman (BIOL), the associate provost for innovation and education, the center seeks to provide “a place where faculty, graduate students and post-docs—novice and experienced teachers alike—can share and explore ideas about teaching and learning,” according to its website. The center opens up this week with three days of workshops, which began with an opening gala yesterday afternoon at which University President Frederick Lawrence and Perlman both spoke. Today and tomorrow, the center is hosting Indiana University Profes-

sor Emeritus Craig Nelson. Nelson has received a slew of accolades for his teaching, including being named Outstanding Research and Doctoral Universities Professor of the Year in 2000 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Nelson is also the founding president of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Each day is programmed with a two-part workshop, led by Nelson, which focuses on different aspects of teaching and learning. Yesterday, the workshops kicked off with “Critical Thinking, Effective Writing, and Engagement with Social Justice: Making Deep Changes Across the Curriculum” in the Usdan Student Center International Lounge. Today and tomorrow, two workshops will be held in Rapaporte Treasure Hall: this afternoon, a workshop titled “We know how to greatly increase student learning in any course—why don’t we do it?” and tomorrow, “A Quick Introduction to Some Fundamentals of College Teaching For Graduate students, Post-docs, and Interested Faculty.”

The Center for Teaching and Learning is located in the Farber Library, and, according to Perlman in a phone interview with the Justice, will be a place where Brandeis faculty, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows can share and sharpen their teaching skills. “Teaching is all too often an individual sport, and it really should be a team sport,” Perlman said. “One where we’re consulting with each other, getting ideas from each other, challenging each other, rather than just treating it as ‘I do my teaching, you do your teaching.’” According to its website, the center will regularly feature programming such as workshops, and it will also offer ongoing faculty discussion groups, one-on-one confidential teaching consultations and classroom observations. The center will also help teachers to utilize the Library and Technology Services’ resources, as well as the Office of Experiential Learning and Academic Services, its website states. “We’re all moving in the same direction, and we all have a lot to teach other about how students learn, so the more we can share that, the better,” said Perlman.


6

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014

●

THE JUSTICE

CAMPUS SPEAKER

DECONSTRUCTING DIMENSIONS

Keynote speaker chosen for ’Deis Impact ■ Founder of City Year and Be The Change Alan Khazei will deliver an address at the annual festival of social justice and speak about his service work. By HANNAH WULKAN JUSTICE EDITOR

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

CELEBRATING 50: University of California, Berkeley professor and Marcuse scholar Martin Jay spoke at the Marcuse conference in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Wednesday.

Philosopher’s work remembered ■ Departments collaborated

to host a two-day conference celebrating the work of former professor Herbert Marcuse. By RACHEL HUGHES AND SARAH SCOTT JUSTICE EDITOR AND jUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last week, the Brandeis community gathered for a two-day conference to explore the critical theory of philosopher Herbert Marcuse to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the publication of his 1964 book, OneDimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society. The conference spanned from Wednesday to Thursday, with each day featuring a keynote address and several lectures and panels in Rapaporte Treasure Hall in the Goldfarb Library. Marcuse was a member of Brandeis’ faculty when One-Dimensional Man was published. From 1954 to 1965, he taught courses in the History of Ideas program and in the Politics and Philosophy departments at the University. Prof. Martin Jay, the Sidney Hellman Ehrman Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, gave the

first keynote address on Wednesday evening, titled “Irony and Dialectics: One-Dimensional Man at 50.” He first spoke about Marcuse’s views, describing the philosopher as an “irrationalist of capitalist society as a whole,” meaning he saw capitalism as a type of absurdity. Yet Jay explained that Marcuse’s critics said that Marcuse did not fully understand capitalism. Jay moved on to discuss OneDimensional Man in the context of the mid-1960s. He mentioned that the One-Dimensional Society was largely responsible for the “social revolts” in the 1960s. This One-Dimensional Society, according to Marcuse, was a society in which mass media and culture prohibited many ideas and thoughts. Jay also explained that, according to Marcuse, individuals are responsible for their own fate. While some may believe that Marcuse and Sigmund Freud’s ideas are similar, Jay said that in contrast, Marcuse has “some hope for historical change,” or a hope that the future can change despite its history. Conversely, Freud’s theories are much more static. Jay did not think there was progress regarding Freud’s theories on psychoanalysis because Freud felt that his theories were merely in regard to a permanent human nature. Jay

noted that Marcuse is more of a spin on Freud because Marcuse sought to better society from its social wrongs, while Freud could not foresee changes in society. On Thursday afternoon, Douglas Kellner, the George F. Neller Philosophy chair at the University of California, Los Angeles and leading Marcuse scholar, delivered the second keynote address. Prof. Patrick Gamsby (HOID) introduced Kellner. Kellner spoke to the audience, saying that, “In all my years as a Marcuse scholar, it is great to be, for the first time, at Brandeis.” He authored the book One-Dimensional Man: Relevance Across the Decades from 1964 to 2014 and spoke for just under half an hour about Marcuse’s work and his own scholarship before opening the floor for questions from the audience. He addressed differences between the earliest manuscript of One-Dimensional Man and its later publicized form. “If you look at the published edition—in 1964—you see its critical theory of society that emerges as framework,” noting that from the manuscript to the published edition, “the text shifts in focus from aesthetics to politics,” he said. “Marcuse is at once the most pessimistic thinker you can imagine but

also the most optimistic,” Kellner explained. He also touched on Marcuse’s connections to and analysis of Marxism, saying that Marcuse was one of the first male Marxists to support both feminism and the civil rights movement when it was not common or generally accepted to do so. Kellner continued speaking about Marcuse’s evolving assessments of Marxism, communism and fascism in One-Dimensional Man. “It’s really unfair to call him just a communist or a Marxist,” Kellner said. “Marcuse was one of the few people who really stood up to the Cold War.” In attendance at the conference were several members of Marcuse’s family, including his son. The conference was sponsored by the departments and programs of American Studies, English, European Cultural Studies, German, Russian and Asian Languages and Literatures, the History of Ideas, Philosophy, Politics and Sociology; the Center for German and European Studies; the German Academic Exchange Service; the Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice; the Mandel Center for the Humanities; the Office for the President and the Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections Department.

An email from International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life sent out on Monday announced that the keynote speaker for this year’s Khazei ’Deis Impact will be Alan Khazei. He is a cofounder of City Year, a program that partners with AmeriCorps and focuses on helping high-need public high schools. City Year’s website explains their mission, saying, “At City Year, we’re working to bridge the gap in high-poverty communities between the support the students in the communities actually need and what their schools are designed to provide. In doing so, we’re helping to increase graduation rates across the country, and making an impact in the lives of the students we serve.” Khazei began City Year in 1988 with his roommate at Harvard University, Michael Brown. Though based in Boston, City Year now operates in 20 U.S. cities as well as in Johannesburg and London. Named one of “America’s 25 Best Leaders” by US News and World Report in 2006, he is also the CEO of Be The Change, a non-profit organization that “creates and manages national issue-based campaigns driven by broad cross-sector coalitions that inspire culture change and accelerate public policy development to bring about positive changes in our society,” according to their website.Khazei has been a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts and teaches each spring at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The keynote address will be in Levin Ballroom on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the ’Deis Impact Festival of Social Justice.

STUDENT ACTIVISM

Group works to educate on immigration issues

■ Though the group wanted

to open dialogue in the community with cardboard installations around campus, many of the cutouts were vandalized. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

This past week, the Brandeis Immigration Education Initiative held Immigration Awareness Week. As a part of the week’s programming, BIEI placed cardboard figures— which the group referred to as “silhouettes”—around campus, but these installations were largely dismantled just a few days later.

The silhouettes were placed in various locations around campus to represent “the students who successfully graduated from high school, but because they were undocumented, could not attend American universities or colleges,” wrote BIEI Co-President Yasmin Yousof ’15 in an email to the Justice. The group wrote quotations on the silhouettes from conversations that its members had with students regarding identity, immigration, race and being a student at Brandeis, according to Yousof. All of the quotes were written anonymously on the silhouettes. “While we are aware that some of the quotes were to say the least conspicuous and maybe even provoking to some, the end goal was to post all over campus real

conversations from real students about real issues,” wrote Yousof. The “shadow people,” as Yousof wrote, were installed on Friday night, and according to BIEI CoPresident Margaret Much-Hichos ’15 in an email to the Justice, most of them had been vandalized by Monday. According to Much-Hichos, the group is unsure who vandalized the silhouettes, how or why they were vandalized. In fact, Much-Hichos wrote that the group did not believe they were vandalized in the first place. “After a closer look is when we figured that someone vandalized it,” she wrote. “When the shadow people were destroyed a part of me felt really hurt. These shadow people are what many people feel and think. To me

to see that destroyed was a lack of respect and understanding,” wrote Much-Hichos. Yousof wrote that the aim of Immigration Awareness Week and displaying the silhouettes around campus was to start a dialogue at Brandeis regarding the immigration issue. “The sudden backlash, and the destruction of the silhouettes was unanticipated. We don’t believe this is the true candor of [a] Brandeisian, and we believe in Brandeis’ mantra of social justice,” wrote Yousof. The group will be putting up the remainder of the silhouettes that had not previously been around campus, despite the vandalism. “We hope that by putting up the rest of the silhouettes we can give people the opportunity to talk about

immigration,” wrote Much-Hichos. Immigration Awareness Week featured several events, including a panel about education and immigration, a performance night called “Dream Monologues” at which individuals expressed their feelings through dance, spoken word, poetry and song and a simulation game to experience life as an undocumented individual versus as an individual with a visa or green card. The goal of the week was to educate the Brandeis community and “expose the school to the Immigrants [sic] perspective as well as their family and friends lenses,” wrote the group in an email to the Justice. —Saadiah McIntosh contributed reporting.


THE JUSTICE

PROVOST: Lynch to become second-ranking administrator CONTINUED FROM 1 announcements of Goldstein’s departure in a June 30 email from University President Frederick Lawrence to faculty and staff noted that Goldstein would only serve for one additional year. Goldstein will have served about four years at the University upon his departure. Lynch will act as the chief academic officer and will be the second-ranking member of the administration, according to an email from Lawrence to the Brandeis community announcing the news yesterday. Lynch wrote in an email to the Justice that her first priority will be to work on the implementation of the strategic plan. “One example of this is

engaging more of our community in the newly launched Center for Teaching and Learning,” she wrote. “This Center will help advance our capacity to provide an intense learning experience of enduring impact for all students at Brandeis.” She also wrote that she wants to focus on advancing diversity on campus. “Lisa brings to the provost position a unique set of qualities and achievements, including deep intellectual curiosity, success in senior leadership positions in academia and the government, and a proven ability to articulate and implement strategic vision, that will enable her to be highly effective in this critical role,” Lawrence wrote. Lynch served as the dean of the Heller School for over six years,

she wrote. Lawrence’s email states that as dean of the Heller School, Lynch has increased student financial support and “fostered greater interaction between faculty, research staff and students.” In addition, Lynch led the creation of the school’s strategic plan. Lawrence also noted her efforts to “raise the school’s public profile.” “Lisa has already amply demonstrated her love for and dedication to Brandeis,” Lawrence wrote, “I look forward to working with her in the coming years on your behalf and in support of this wonderful university.” Lynch wrote that she will work with Lawrence and the Faculty Senate to identify an interim dean for the Heller School in the coming weeks.

Liquor Law Violations 124

94

90

36

35

20 12

135

108

Sex Offenses

20 13

20 12

20 11

20 13

0

Burglaries

6 5 4

3 2

3

2

20 13

20 12

20 11

0

20 13

prise to a promotion of private investment and entrepreneurship within the private sector, opening up more opportunities for individuals to participate in Ghana’s economy. Mahama attributed the Ghanaian unemployment crisis to a growing population, of which nearly 60 percent is under 35 years old. He said that while Ghana has focused great efforts on education, there exists a misalignment between university education and current job market demands— which call for more technical skills. In response to this challenge, Mahama launched the Youth Enterprise Support Initiative on Aug. 12, 2014. This initiative encourages entrepreneurs to submit business proposals online. A panel selects the most interesting proposals and trains the conceivers of those proposals, helping them to establish their businesses and later providing them to younger entrepreneurs as mentors. Mahama also addressed the Ebola crisis, primarily in relation to its negative effect on the African social sphere. He described how the dignity of both the living and the dead has been diminished because of the reduction in interpersonal physical contact and undignified medical burials of diseased individuals. He said that Ghana is taking precautions against the spread of Ebola by conducting thorough screenings at airports and publicizing information about the virus. He emphasized the enormous benefit of foreign aid from the United Nations, as well as the United States and other countries. “If the response continues as it’s going, I believe that within the next nine to 12 months we should be able to turn it around and be successful in containing it,” he said.

Drug Violations

20 12

over the past few centuries. “The economic wealth and strength of Africa preceded the era of colonialism,” he stated. He listed a number of very affluent African kingdoms that stood at the forefront of global trade prior to the 19th century, and asserted that colonialism in the 1800s caused the political and economic devastation in Africa. “Division is a primary tool of conquest,” he said. “There is not one border that does not divide something more than just the land.” He noted that even after countries gained their independence, “their former colonizers did not just leave, but they left with a vengeance, destroying everything in their wake.” He said that this marked the beginning of the “Lost Decades,” a period of cruel dictatorships, corruption, poverty and civil war. Mahama then went on to emphasize the enormous strides Africa had made within just the past few years. “In the past few years, Africa has found itself in a position that many, given the continent’s history over the last two centuries, imagined impossible,” he said. He noted that six of Africa’s countries have been repeatedly named among the top 10 fastest-growing economies in the world. He described how the Economic Community of West African States, the regional body of which he serves as chairman, has worked to promote the free movement of people, goods and services across the West African region. He pointed out that Africa currently has more democratic countries and fair elections than ever before. He also described initiatives of the African Union to “create a platform for Africans to speak with one voice and to

work towards the establishment of a free-trade area throughout the entire continent.” Mahama concluded his speech with the metaphor of “Africa Rising.” “Africa Rising,” he explained, “is like the phoenix that rises out of its ashes to once again soar.” Mahama referred to the people of Africa as “collectively that phoenix, rising out of the ashes of enslavement, rising out of the ashes of colonization, rising out of the ashes of dictatorship, civil war and economic ruin.” The floor was then opened up for questions from the audience. In response to a question about economic infrastructure reform in Ghana, Mahama explained that in the late 1970s and 1980s, Ghana experienced negative economic growth. He said that since 1992 when the country began the climb back into democracy and constitutional government, “Ghana has not looked back.” He explained that Ghana’s democratic infrastructure has not only benefitted the country immensely in its political sphere but also sparked national economic growth and made Ghana a more appealing trade partner in the eyes of other nations. Mahama called Ghana’s visible growth the “democracy dividend.” Mahama then described Ghana’s model of political and economic “decentralization.” This model includes the division of Ghana into several district assemblies, where eight percent of national revenue is distributed for the districts’ autonomous use. The idea behind the model was that government money could be funneled directly to local causes where it was most needed. The decentralization plan also includes a changeover from a government monopoly of capital enter-

7

Some types of crime on campus increased from 2012 to 2013. The largest proportional increases were in drug and sex offenses.

20 11

CONTINUED FROM 1

TUESDAY, October 7, 2014

CAMPUS CRIME

20 11

GHANA: Recent progress emphasized by Mahama

●

REBECCA LANTNER/the Justice

BREAKING IT DOWN: The graphs above illustrate the numbers of on-campus offenses over the past three years and how they compare to one another.

REPORT: Public Safety unsure of reason for the increase in crime CONTINUED FROM 1 proceedings. The report states that “[t]here were no reportable hate crimes for the three years of this report.” Callahan said that offenses must “manifest evidence of prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, the victim’s actual or perceived gender identity, national origin or disability” in order to qualify as hate crimes, and that “no incidents immediately come to mind” that would meet those qualifications in his time at Brandeis. When asked about an April 1 Justice article, which described vandalism of the outside of the Muslim Students Association suite in Usdan Student Center, Callahan said that “the incident described … is a disturbing occurrence which was categorized as vandalism. The investigation could not glean any suspects or information relating

to possible suspects or any definite crime motivated by bigotry and bias, which is required for an act to be considered a hate crime.” The report also published burglary statistics; there were five in 2013 compared to three each in 2012 and 2011. Campus crime statistics are published at Brandeis and other colleges and universities annually in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. The act, which is named for a Lehigh University student who was raped and murdered in 1986, mandates that schools which participate in federal financial aid programs must annually disclose information on security policies and procedures, in addition to statistics on 14 categories of crime. Dean of Students Jamele Adams did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Interested in graphic design? Ever worked in the Adobe Creative Suite?

Check out layout for the Justice! For more information, contact Rebecca Lantner at layout@thejustice.org.


8

TUESDAY, october 7, 2014

●

THE JUSTICE

THE JUSTICE

Books, not rockets

just

●

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014

9

features

STUDENT OFFICER: Ohad Elhelo ’16 (left) is pictured with a fellow soldier as he was serving as an itelligence officer in a special unit of the Israel Defense Forces.

By ROSE GITTELL JUSTICE editor

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OHAD ELHELO

BOSTONIAN DEBUT: Elhelo, an active Israel Defense Forces reserve officer, spoke to a crowd of 3,000 people at a pro-Israel rally in August 2014.

Ohad Elhelo ’16 urges for the employment of social and political means to promote coexistence through his public speaking career and founding of Our Generation Speaks INFRASTRUCTURE OF HOPE: Elhelo spoke at the City Hall in Boston about his experience serving in a two-week special operation.

PARTNERS FOR PEACE: President Frederick Lawrence is a board member on Elhelo’s new humanitarian organization called Our Generation Speaks.

It was July 2014 in the North End of Boston when Ohad Elhelo ’16 received devastating news from his home country of Israel. During a secretive mission part of a military operation called Operation Protective Edge, 13 soldiers and officers from his former unit in the Israel Defense Forces died in an explosion on a road planted with mines. The death of his friends, in conjunction with his hometown Ashdod being under fire and his brother’s deployment as a soldier in Gaza, led Elhelo to a singular conclusion—his place was in Israel. He returned to Israel for two weeks to serve as a reserve officer, during which he was involved in an operation that he described as a strategically significant aspect of the antiHamas warfare. “The fact that I go to Brandeis, that I live in Boston, does not exempt me from my duty,” Elhelo said. As both an active reserve officer

and a student in the United States, Elhelo was at liberty to decide whether or not to return to Israel. Upon Elhelo’s return to Boston in August, he was asked to speak at a “Stop the Terror” rally at Boston City Hall. The rally was organized by 170 Jewish organizations, and Elhelo was expected to talk about his experience in Operation Protective Edge. Two things were obvious to him, he said. One, that as a reserve officer, he was expected to deliver a straightforward message: “I am anti-Hamas, I stand with Israel.” And two, that once he was on the stage in front of 3,000 people, he would have an unprecedented opportunity to develop and share his own platform. “These kinds of rallies are very similar to one another.” Elhelo said. “You bring the politicians, they stand on the stage, and they say: we stand with Israel, we are anti-Hamas…I didn’t feel that if I told these people I stand with Israel, it would make an impact. Of course they stand with Israel; that’s why

they came to the rally.” Instead, Elhelo told the crowd something that they perhaps did not want to hear—that Hamas will not be beaten through military means alone. His message was an urgent call to employ social and political means, in conjunction with military means, in the fight against Hamas. He stated the necessity of a “new infrastructure of hope.” “It was not unique, but it was special because it was coming from someone who had just gotten back from the operation,” Elhelo said. “My story represents why there is always a place for students to make their voice heard and to know there is a high demand for these voices.” Since then, Elhelo has been traveling nearly every weekend, delivering his message to temples and universities around the Northeast, such as Clark University, Temple Israel in Boston and the Israeli American Council. Elhelo’s public speaking career is born from one clear message: Elhelo’s views align with the Israeli government’s as far as his agreement that Hamas is not a partner for negotiation. “We do not talk to Hamas. Open the newspapers. They do not want to see Israelis alive,” Elhelo said. “But I also understand this— we will not beat Hamas, we will not eliminate Hamas.” Therein lies his most essential disagreement with the current agenda of the Israeli government. He believes that Hamas will not be eliminated, regardless of how much support is given by the United States in the form of weapons or technology and regardless of how strong the Israeli army becomes. “We will not beat them because we do not want to involve our military in killing an enormous amount of innocent people as we try to reach Hamas,” Elhelo said. “Terrorist infrastructure is hopelessness, ignorance, the lack of a political horizon, desperation.” He gives the example of a fiveyear-old child seeing his house demolished in Gaza after a strike by the Israeli air force aimed at Hamas. “He will not grow up to be a peace activist,” Elhelo said. As a citizen, Elhelo says, he will be unwilling to negotiate with Israeli politicans. “If we cannot talk to him, we will have to fight him,” Elhelo said. Israel, according to Elhelo, should have an interest in the socio-economic conditions in Palestine. Elhelo’s platform is that this interest will only be expressed when Israel engages Palestinian moderates in Gaza, where Israel currently has no place.

“Israel should have a place among the moderates [in Gaza]. If we can make sure that in the reading books of high schools in Gaza there are no incitements [against Israel], then maybe there is hope that in 25 years from today, Gaza will able to communicate with us,” Elhelo said. “Books are cheaper than rockets and have greater implications in the long-run,” Elhelo said. Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, according to Elhelo has a reputation for being a man of peace and discourse and is someone Elhelo believes Israel should engage with. “You can see him smiling all over the Internet with Hamas leaders or with leaders of radical Islam. You can say, ‘he is not the perfect partner for peace,’” Elhelo said. But on the other hand, Elhelo commends the work Abbas has done to help keep peace in the West Bank, citing Abbas’ condemnation of the violent resistance against Israel. “He is not the perfect partner, but if you know of the perfect partner, I would love to be introduced to him. If there is no perfect partner, then let’s talk to those who exist right now,” Elhelo said. Elhelo’s point about strategic partnership defines the crux of his attitude toward Israeli affairs—that a distinction must be made between what will bring peace and what is “right.” He believes, and he is adamant about this, that the right thing to do is fight Hamas with military means. But he does not think this is the smart thing. “Enough with being right all the time. We are right when we are fighting Hamas—but let’s be smart. Let us empower the moderates while fighting Hamas in the military arena so that we have some political partner to talk to,” he said. “In the Middle East, there is a pattern,” Elhelo said. “Every time you refuse to talk to the moderates, you end up talking to the extremists.” Elhelo, inspired by the overwhelming responses to his message, partnered with University President Frederick Lawrence to found a nongovernmental organization called Our Generation Speaks to address the high demand for student input on Israeli politics. The NGO’s goal is to form a team of 30 talented students—Palestinians, Americans and Israelis—and give them a platform from which to express their opinions and create meaningful international discourse among students. “Our Generation Speaks seeks to

construct an infrastructure of hope for Israelis and Palestinians, by providing up-and-coming agents of change an empowering framework to share their visions for the future and act upon them,” Elhelo wrote in an email to the Justice. Lawrence will sit on the board of Our Generation Speaks as well as the selection committee that reviews the candidates for the program. Current board members include Yuval Diskin, who served as Head of Israel Security Agency from 2005 to 2011, Alex Oliver, who is a founding partner of the global consulting firm Oliver Wyman and Linda Heller Kamm ’61. Kamm was appointed by President Carter to serve as the first female general counsel of a cabinet department, and was also the first woman to make partner at the nation’s second-oldest law firm, Foley & Lardner. These experienced political figures will act as mentors for the student generation, sharing their experience to shape young leaders, forming an alliance between “the leaders of tomorrow and the leaders of today.” “The goal is that 10 years from today, we will have the best leaders who are very experienced and believe in the same thing from all different sides,” Elhelo said. Our Generation Speaks will attempt to bring to these political issues what the current student generation is good at— entrepreneurship, innovation and social media campaigning. These developing talents will be used to promote peace and coexistence in Israel and Palestine. “We want to take part in every aspect of the political and public discourse. We want people who will write weekly op-eds to act as commentators, to use social media campaigns to raise awareness,” Elhelo said. Elhelo believes that the experience of the older generation of board members, along with the vision and modern skill-set of the younger generation of team members, will form the pillars upon which a new infrastructure of hope will be built. “It is not right that the current generation, who [sic] makes decisions for us today, is not the one that will pay the price in 20 years,” Elhelo said. “The current politicians in power have already lost the faith in the conflict. Our generation still believes that people can talk to one another, that it is in the best interests of both sides to work with one another.”

Design by REBECCA LANTNER and SYDNEY MILLER/the Justice


10 TUESDAY, october 7, 2014 ● THE JUSTICE

the

Justice

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Rachel Hughes, Editor in Chief Tate Herbert, Senior Editor Glen Chagi Chesir, Managing Editor Jessie Miller and Sam Mintz, Deputy Editors Jaime Kaiser, Associate Editor Marissa Ditkowsky, News Editor Hannah Wulkan, Acting News Editor Rose Gittell, Acting Features Editor Max Moran, Forum Editor Avi Gold, Sports Editor Emily Wishingrad, Arts Editor Morgan Brill, Photography Editor Rebecca Lantner, Layout Editor Brittany Joyce, Copy Editor Aliza Kahn and Talia Zapinsky, Acting Advertising Editors

Welcome Lisa Lynch as new provost On Monday morning, in an email to the Brandeis community, University President Frederick Lawrence announced the promotion of Dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy Lisa Lynch to University provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, replacing current Provost Steve Goldstein ’78. As of Oct. 29, Lynch will become the chief academic officer and, by extenson, the second-ranking administrator under only Lawrence. This board lauds the appointment of Lynch—a true professional and an accomplished economist throughout her career. Since her hiring in 2008, Lynch has thrived as the dean of the Heller School at Brandeis. She has stressed the fostering of greater interaction between faculty, research staff and students. Under Lynch, the Heller School has seen a substantial increase in graduate enrollment, including the implementation of numerous dual degree programs with other departments across the University. Heller has also seen an exciting array of programing throughout Lynch’s service, most recently with visits from both the presidents of Ghana and Rwanda. Her efforts have had an immediate impact; the Heller School has been recognized as the ninth best school for social policy in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. Lynch’s versatile skill set, evident from the wide array of positions she has held, also bodes well

Applaud in-house hire for the position of provost. In addition to being successful at Heller, Lynch is a globally accredited economist, with specific expertise on employment issues, previously serving as a chief economist for the U.S. Department of Labor under the Clinton administration. Lynch also stands as the lone in-house replacement relative to the rest of the administrative positions that have seen turnover since the arrival of Lawrence in 2011. Moreover, Lynch has been integrally involved in the creation of the ongoing strategic plan, focusing specifically on the issue of infusing diversity to both Heller and the University at large. This board welcomes the promotion from within the University as a balance to the plethora of new faces the administration has seen. Perhaps most profound, this board is enthused to see another woman added to the university’s administration. According to the 2013 then-Women’s and Gender Studies Report Card on Women at Brandeis University, only nine out 46 administrators and two of the 12 previous provosts have been women. We are therefore thrilled to see the Univeristy promote a qualified and well-rounded female candidate such as Lynch. This board welcomes Lynch to her new role and looks forward to seeing her flourish as provost. We only hope the new dean of the Heller School, whoever it may be, can fill the substantial shoes of his or her predecessor.

GABRIELA YESHUA/the Justice

Views the News on

Beginning on Oct. 3, a series of protests in central Hong Kong have led to police crackdowns in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. The protests were caused by the central Chinese government’s announcement on Aug. 31 that it will approve the candidates for Hong Kong’s 2017 chief executive election, which will be the first time the city democratically chooses its leader. Hong Kongers were promised “universal suffrage” in the 2017 election as part of the agreement that made Hong Kong part of China back in 1997. Protestors fear that Beijing approval of the candidates will lead to the central government having more control over Hong Kong. How should the central government respond to the protests?

Prof. Gary Jefferson (IBS) The protest in Hong Kong represents an historic challenge for China’s president, Xi Jingping, and the Chinese Communist Party. It could prove to be among the most helpful events since China’s opening began 35 years ago or the most damaging. Here’s what’s at stake: the future of Hong Kong, including its role as the leading Asian financial center; the willingness of the Taiwanese people to contemplate future reunion with China; the authority of China’s government; and, possibly, a tested avenue for China’s own eventual democratization and a model for student protest on the mainland. The matter of “how should (China’s) central government respond” depends on which stakeholder’s perspective one has in mind. A Tiananmen-like resolution would be devastating. Hopefully, Beijing and HK will engage in a dispute resolution process that enables broad public opinion in HK to support substantive compromise. Conflict among factions within HK may weaken support for protest; the expedient approach for Beijing may be to wait and hope that steam goes out of the movement. Prof. Gary Jefferson (IBS) is the Carl Marks Professor of International Trade and Finance and is a specialist in the Chinese economy.

Prof. Aida Wong (FA) An undercurrent of “quasi-ethnic” tension may be behind what we are witnessing today. An analogy might be the Han Chinese attitude toward the Manchu invaders that established the Qing Dynasty in the 17th century. The Manchus were despised for their foreign origins and “barbaric” brutality, just as the generic mainland visitor to HK is often criticized for behaving crassly (exemplified by an incident involving a mainland tourist allowing a child to urinate on an open street). Culturally, many Hong Kongers see themselves as superior to mainlanders. The feeling could be mutual. But unlike the revolutionaries who overthrew the “Manchu Tartars” in 1911, the pro-democracy fighters have no weapons, except their voices. The ideal resolution is bilateral trust. Pro-democracy protestors need to feel their future is in their own hands. Let’s hope Beijing would recognize these protestors less as enemies than civic participants who want a better society. Both sides need to probe the problems facing the people and be resolute in solving them. Prof. Aida Wong (FA) is an associate professor in the Fine Arts and East Asian Studies departments.

Activism not vandalism The Brandeis Immigration Education Initiative installed a series of silhouettes last week featuring messages they hoped would spark dialogue around immigration and education issues. Yet, shortly after the figures popped up across campus, nearly all of them were vandalized. Of the eight silhouettes installed, only two remained standing while the rest were damaged or went missing completely at the hands of unknown culprit(s). This board condemns the actions of the vandals as not only disrespectful toward the students who worked on the installation, but also an unconstructive means of expressing their assumed viewpoint. Eliminating a voice from the campus discourse entirely, rather than engaging and actively critiquing it, does a disservice to the Brandeis community. To one silhouette that read, “No human being is illegal,” a paper sign was attached which read, “Some residents are illegal. (Yes they are still human). Protect our borders!” Unlike the destructive acts of vandalism carried out on some of the other silhouettes, the response to the silhouettes of appending a sign stating a dissenting idea turns a singular message—BIEI’s installations—into the possibility for dialogue. The project was intended to ignite conversations about immigration issues among students on their way to

Discuss issue respectfully and from classes, meals and activities but removing the signs from campus impedes this potential discourse. Those responsible for the vandalism could take a cue from BIEI, which reacted to the destruction with calls for constructive discourse. Club leader Margaret Much-Hichos ’15 described the incident in a post on a Facebook page the group created to advertise Immigration Awareness Week. She called the incident “an opportunity to allow conversation and understanding” and added, “We should really talk about this in the proper setting,” before urging students to come to the week’s events where immigration issues were explored in a respectful environment. The fact that so many students on our campus care about important political issues should be a source of pride. That being said, a passionate student body is practically worthless if those same students lack the ability to express their opinions in a meaningful way. There are many methods of communicating an opposing opinion that don’t involve defacing the hard work of fellow students—figuring out how to engage in productive discourse around difficult topics and respecting the views of those with whom they may disagree are goals every member of the community should prioritize.

Jesse Zeng ’15 I think the protest is more about identity rather than democracy. Yes, the level of democracy in mainland China is way behind Hong Kong. But they did not enjoy much autonomy when Hong Kong was a British colony. The difference is that now Hong Kongers see thousands of Chinese immigrants and travelers come to HK, take away their resources, raise their housing price and make it harder to survive in HK whereas British rulers brought in trade and skyscrapers. They miss their unique identity and hate being associated with mainland China. This protest is definitely a good sign, in terms of drawing attention and waking up more mainland people. But due to economics and political issues, I think the democracy in HK will continue to be eroded. My only hope is that the erosion could be slower and the process of China democracy could be faster. Jesse Zeng ’15 is the Brandeis Asian American Students Association’ SKIN coordinator.

Aaron Dai ’16 When the People’s Republic of China took back control of Hong Kong from Britain in 1997, Beijing promised the people of Hong Kong a “two systems, one country” method of governance. Thus, it is perfectly acceptable for the region to have a separate political system. Given this political pretext, it is of the utmost importance that Beijing handles these protests in an evenhanded manner. Certainly the central government would not want to use force to put down the unrest (Tiananmen substantially damaged China’s international image). Furthermore, the way that the Communist Party handles these protests will also have a significant impact on cross-strait relations with Taiwan. If the Chinese government wants to achieve their principal political goal of reunification with Taiwan, it must first prove that it can resolve a delicate political situation in a peaceful manner. Both HK and Beijing must make efforts to come to a compromise. Aaron Dai ’16 is an International and Global Studies major.


THE JUSTICE

READER COMMENTARY Support student sexual assault protest In response to your editorial “Evaluate goals of sexual assault protest” (Sept. 16): As someone who was involved in the student protest at the “Light of Reason” installation, reading the Justice’s “Evaluate goals of sexual assault protest” editorial was an extremely frustrating experience. The Justice started the editorial by acknowledging that sexual assault is “not an issue to be swept aside with empty promises” but then went on to criticize the student protest in great detail. The Justice called the protest a “disruption of a major University event,” deemed it “disrespectful” to all who attended and described it as “unwarranted.” By dismissing the protest in these terms, the Justice is implying that, while sexual assault on campus is “a problem,” it is not one that warrants serious attention. The editorial criticized the student protestors, arguing that they should “evaluate their goals” and run a more “clear, targeted and respectful campaign.” The Justice seems to be saying that in order for rape to be taken seriously, students must demand it, that rape on its own doesn’t merit University action but rather students must make the case for it, preferably in a polite manner and without causing discomfort. But the fact that rape happens at Brandeis is uncomfortable. And it’s time that the Brandeis community addresses this uncomfortable issue with the respect and attention it deserves. At the protest, students, many of whom are survivors, stood up bearing signs with messages declaring “I was raped. Rape happens here.” These protestors were sending the Brandeis community a much needed wake-up call. But I don’t know if it was heard. Maybe this is because we were afraid; because we know that if we truly open our ears to this message, we will be forced to question how the University can continue to function as normal amid this crisis. Instead of taking further action to address campus sexual assault, the University has been defending its actions as “enough.” This cannot continue. I would like to ask the University to treat this movement with the respect it deserves, and to acknowledge sexual assault at Brandeis as the crisis that it is. In the words of Justice Brandeis, “If we would guide by the light of reason we must let our minds be bold.” —Naveh Halperin ’12 was a protester at the opening of the “Light of Reason” art installation on September 10.

●

TUESDAY, october 7, 2014

Judge Clinton on policy choices, not gender

11

Catherine

Rosch Cynical Idealist

In her memoir Off The Sidelines, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand recalls the numerous times her male colleagues on the Hill made comments about her weight, including “You know, Kirsten, you’re even pretty when you’re fat.” That comment came when Gillibrand was pregnant with her second child, which really raises the question of whether the still anonymous congressman knows what a pregnant woman looks like. Yes, women do tend to gain weight when they are pregnant. That story reminds me of another female senator from New York and of how some male politicians and commentators seem to have forgotten some aspects of human biology. There have been a number of jokes and comments around the idea that Hillary Clinton, or any woman for that matter, might not be able to serve as president because she might get too emotional while on her period, or, according to Maureen Dowd in a 2008 article, women are too emotional, period. First of all, Hillary Clinton is 66. I don’t want to speculate, but I think it’s safe to say that she has already gone through menopause. More importantly, it is frankly ridiculous to say a menstruating woman can’t hold a position of power. Recently, The Hill ran a piece on Clinton, exploring her failed 2008 Presidential campaign, her focus on women’s issues in the 2014 midterms, her all-but-assured Oval Office bid in 2016 and whether Clinton’s decision not to highlight her status as a woman doomed her chances in 2008. The article accurately describes the struggle that female politicians and candidates have when it comes to balancing gender and policy. If Clinton hopes to become the first woman president, the article argues, then she must highlight that she is indeed a woman. Clinton’s campaign in 2008 was shocking in that she did not make her gender a big issue. This was a sharp contrast to Barack Obama, whose platform of policy based on hope and change did subtly highlight his then potentially historic role as the first black president. Rather, Clinton ran as a Margaret Thatcher-esque figure, a tough leader who had vast political experience, regardless of gender. That strategy, though, may have backfired. After all, one of the times when Clinton leapt ahead in the polls came after she broke

JASON LIPOW/the Justice

down and cried before the New Hampshire primary, a rare display of emotion. I don’t want to say Hillary Clinton lost in 2008 because of how she ran her campaign or how much focus she put on being a female candidate. She lost for myriad reasons, including her inability to meaningfully separate herself from her Iraq vote or closeness with Wall Street, as well as her struggle to combat Obama’s identity as a new candidate who was different from the establishment. The Hill article does, however, raise an interesting question. Why do we care so much about how women act on the campaign trail and in positions of power? After all, how many times was Paul Ryan asked about his ability to be vice president with young children? That was one of the more sexist objections raised about Sarah Palin in 2008 by Bill Maher and the National Organization for Women, after all. And nobody saw Mitt Romney solely as “the Mormon candidate,” even though religion and gender are both important to people’s identities. But the media sees Clinton, by and large, as only the “female candidate.” She made headlines most recently for becoming a grandmother, while nobody batted an eye when Mitt Romney became a grandfather in 2012. While her political agenda has been commented on, it is rarely the main focus. I don’t know if Hillary Clinton will run in 2016. If she does run, I don’t know how she will cam-

paign and how much focus she will put on being a woman candidate for president. However, I do hope, perhaps futilely, that people’s perceptions of Clinton are based on more than how she fits into the societal boxes of how a “female candidate” is supposed to act: whether she shows emotion on the campaign trail, acts like a “male candidate,” whatever that means, if she wears her trademark scrunchie and if she cries. I personally don’t think Clinton should play up her gender in 2016. As much as I acknowledge the importance of breaking the glass ceiling, it shouldn’t be her only campaign platform. After all, no male candidate who is the first of his race or religion is expected to run his entire campaign around that historic first. President Barack Obama ran on a platform that highlighted change—including the racial change of having a black man in the White House—but his campaign platforms were ending the War on Terror, rebooting the healthcare system and restarting the economy, not simply his skin color. Clinton should do the same thing. If she wants to run on a pro-women’s issues platform, I would be thrilled. I would be less thrilled if her platform only relied on how she is a woman instead of on substantive policy issues. Anything less than that would imply that gender, not policy, should define Hillary Clinton. And that is harmful to all women trying to break into politics.

Hong Kong protests represent futile effort at separation from mainland By Steven Pieragastini Special to the Justice

Last week, student protestors in Hong Kong quickly escalated their demonstrations against last month’s announcement by China’s rubber-stamp National People’s Congress that Hong Kong’s political future would be decided by Beijing alone. This is understood by the protestors to violate a vaguely-worded promise for the city’s 2017 election to be decided by “universal suffrage.” According to the NPC decision, universal suffrage would be allowed, but only two or three preapproved candidates who “love China and love Hong Kong” would be permitted to run. It would be easy to view the demonstrations as the embodiment of a decades-long struggle for democracy throughout China, and to an extent this is true, but the protests are guided primarily by local concerns and tensions that have been building since Hong Kong was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Hong Kong reached its current form in 1898, when the British wrenched a 99 year lease from China’s moribund Qing dynasty, adding the new territories to their existing colony on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. When Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher agreed to return Hong Kong to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997 (when the 99 year lease ended), they provided for Hong Kong to maintain the system that had developed under the British, employing the concept of “one country, two systems.” To be sure, except for some eleventh-hour efforts by Hong Kong’s last colonial governor, the British never instituted democracy in Hong Kong, though they did permit freedoms of press and association.

Write to us

The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www.thejustice.org. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from off-campus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and oped submissions that have been submitted to other publications. Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community­—that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice—are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words. All submissions are due Friday at 12 p.m.

Except for some cosmetic changes, Hong Kong would maintain its place as a hyper-capitalist enclave on the doorstep of a gradually reforming mainland, and only foreign affairs would be determined by Beijing. Since the handover, politics in the “Special Administrative Region” have been conducted according to the Hong Kong Basic Law that was meant to enshrine “one country, two systems.” However, distrust of Beijing has run high among Hong Kong’s population (many of them refugees or the children of refugees from Mao’s China), and proposals to institute an “anti-subversion” law and “patriotic education” set off huge protests which caused the government to back down. Moreover, the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre draws large crowds of demonstrators each June 4, and smaller protests take place on July 1, the anniversary of the handover. The handover also set off an anxious exodus of people and assets from Hong Kong to Australia, Canada, Great Britain, the United States and elsewhere which peaked in the mid-1990s but has continued to the present. More subtly, the influence of the mainland in Hong Kong has increased dramatically in the last decade and a half. As China’s economy has rapidly become the largest in Asia, the capital flows between the mainland and Hong Kong have drawn the business community close to Beijing. Property values and food prices have skyrocketed in tandem with inequality, resulting in a decreased standard of living for common people in Hong Kong. Most of the city’s major media outlets are now owned by companies that view Beijing favorably and support the government’s agenda of “stability and development”. Furthermore,

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the last page of the newspaper, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,700 undergraduates, 900 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. In addition, the Justice is mailed weekly to paid subscribers and distributed throughout Waltham, Mass. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication. All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors. A publication schedule and rate card is available upon request. Subscription rate: $35 per semester, $55 per year.

despite a fairly strict visa system, millions of mainland Chinese have visited Hong Kong to travel, conduct business and settle since 1997. At the same time, Shanghai has developed port facilities, road and rail infrastructure and a tax-free free trade zone that could easily rival or surpass Hong Kong’s at a lower cost, with the added benefit of guaranteed political stability. To Hong Kong residents who jealously protect their city’s wealth, openness and Cantonese dialect (opposed to the Mandarin spoken by most mainlanders), the last 17 years have felt like a gradually escalating siege, and the animosity directed towards the mainland and mainlanders is palpable. The characteristic political conservatism of the business class and social elite which existed under British rule has not been dampened, as this class has benefitted the most since 1997. Under both the British and PRC, elderly Hong Kong people also have tended to favor social stability above all. But the adamancy of the protestors shows the youth, who form the core of the current demonstrations and who have only known “one country, two systems,” see things differently. Although their immediate motivations reflect an inchoate agenda and prejudiced rejection of all things mainland, the protestors are right to assume that without change, Hong Kong’s future looks bleak. As it has been since the early 1990s, Hong Kong today is a testing ground for political and economic reform in China, as well as any future reincorporation of Taiwan. But contrary to the expectations of many, as economic reforms have progressed, the People’s Republic has become even more politically restrictive. Under the still-young administration of Xi Jinping, draconian sentences have been

The Staff

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

imposed on mainland activists and lawyers for the slightest public act of dissent. A compelling combination of carrots and sticks has seemingly convinced most Chinese that political reform can wait or perhaps is unnecessary altogether, at least so long as the economy continues to grow. With political reform looking unlikely anytime soon on the mainland and Xi Jinping not wanting to appear weak, Beijing is certain to insist that its decision on “universal suffrage” in Hong Kong be implemented. When faced with mass opposition in the past, the Chinese Communist Party has cleverly offered negotiation and conciliation, split the small group of “core activists” off from less committed ones and instituted superficial reforms that ultimately leave the party with at least as much control as before. In this way, the recent demonstrations show that Hong Kong has become much more like mainland China than its residents would care to admit. A tightly connected business and political elite have used patronage networks and political pressure to institute consensus on policies that perpetuate their own concentration of wealth and power. Under such a system, a free press, the right to organize and even “universal suffrage” count for little if they cannot translate into real political change. Undoubtedly, offering democracy without choice has been the CCP’s plan for Hong Kong for some time. Instead of being a model for a genuinely democratic florescence in China, Hong Kong today is becoming a blueprint for how to provide democracy in name only. —Steven Pieragastini is a Ph.D. candidate in the History department.

Editorial Assistants

Rothstein

Photos: Grace Kwon

Copy: Allie Goodman, Kathleen Guy, Grace Lim, Mara Nuss-

Copy: Catherine Rosch

baum, Carmi Rothberg, Rebecca Shi Layout: Corey Cohen, Rachel Cohen, Ricky Miller, Josh Sander

Staff

Illustrations: Marisa Rubel, Mozelle Shamash-Rosenthal,

News: Kathryn Brody, River Heisler, Saadiah McIntosh,

Gabriela Yeshua

Zachary Reid, Rachel Sharer Features: Casey Pearlman, Brianna Majsiak Forum: Aaron Dvorkin, Jennie Bromberg, Mark Gimelstein, Jessica Goldstein, Kahlil Oppenheimer, Jassen Lu Sports: Noah Hesstorf, Daniel Kanovich Arts: Carly Chernomorets, Kiran Gill, Ilana Kruger, Rachel Liff, Nate Shaffer Photography: Hannah Chidekel, Mihir Khanna, Abby Knecht, Bri Mussman, Guillermo Narvaez, Jeremy Perlman, Abigail


12

TUESDAY, october 7, 2014

●

THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Consider all perspectives on climate change debate By Mark Gimelstein JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Sept. 21, several disparate groups of environmentalists descended on New York City for the People’s Climate March. Their one unifying theme was predictable and clear: the nefarious, corrupt and morally bankrupt boogeyman that is capitalism was to blame for the world’s environmental and climate change problems. If you followed the march, you may have noticed the irony of an event condemning capitalism that literally could not have occurred without benefiting from the corporations and policies it decried. Protesters armed themselves with signs, reading “Capitalism destroys the planet… we need revolution, nothing less!” and “System change, not climate change.” Yet they took pictures of themselves using their iPhones and Android smartphones at an event planned on the organizers’ personal computers—all technologies powered through electricity produced most likely by coal. These photographs were uploaded online using profit-making websites like Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget, by the way, who produced these phones and computers— profit-seeking companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft. And, of course, many protesters, including Brandeisians, ironically transported themselves to New York using fossil fuel-powered buses and other vehicles. It is evident that some of the protesters do not understand the importance of the free market. On the streets of New York, many protesters chose to denigrate capitalism, ignoring the fact that the overall U.S. standard of living has dramatically increased since the Industrial Revolution precisely because of free markets: we have been able to produce newer, cheaper technologies, raise the American people’s incomes and give our country prosperity not seen anywhere else. In short, the free market comes with flaws, but it is the best system available to this day. Sadly, it seems as if the basic tenet of the present-day climate change movement is to use the heavy hand of government to destroy the economic fundamentals that made the United States the richest country in the world. The only policies environmentalists seem to favor are carbon taxes, environmental regulations and renewable energy corporate welfare, but these policies have already produced failures like the bankruptcy of the taxpayer-subsidized solar energy company Solyndra and caused electricity bills in countries like France and Germany to skyrocket. That means a higher cost of living, making luxuries like iPhones and Androids a lot harder to come by for those at the Climate March. That also means a lower standard of living for lower and middle-class Americans just trying to make it in our stillstruggling economy. But because environmentalists want to shut down debate, not expand it, these concerns fall on deaf ears. Our country can and should have a real discussion on climate change and remedies to the problems we see. But when people concerned about the United States economy contribute their thoughts and solutions to the debate, they are immediately shut down and disparaged by

NATE BEELER/MCT Campus Tribune

supposedly tolerant activists. Many proposed energy projects would alleviate the affects of the Great Recession and to little environmental cost. Yet environmentalists flatly refuse to agree. Can the U.S. expand hydraulic fracturing by utilizing the massive shale formations across the country to produce natural gas, which would increase competition in the energy marketplace and lower energy prices? The environmentalists’ answer is no, in spite of a study from the National Academy of Sciences and a study from the Department of Energy confirming that fracking is safe and doesn’t contaminate water. What about building the Keystone Pipeline, which, by conservative estimates alone, would create 42,000 jobs and replace rail as the country’s main source of oil transportation, decreasing emissions and saving the lives of those who perished in places like Lac-Mégantic, Quebec? The answer of the Sierra Club, activist Bill McKibben and other liberals again is, again, no. Why not even consider other opinions? The answer is that modern environmentalism is so concerned with an apocalyptic vision perpetuated by media headlines and Al Gore documentaries that it cannot consider other’s perspectives as what they are: opinions, equally valid and equally data-based as the environmentalists’ own opinions. The only narrative promoted by climate scientists and mainstream media is that unless climate change is aggressively addressed, there will be dramatic con-

sequences. The facts and statistics supporting this narrative change and implementing the changes that climate activists call for would require consequences in other sectors of American life. But any voice that runs counter to the common group narrative is immediately suppressed and branded as an enemy.

“

It is evident that some of the protesters do not understand the importance of the free market. Look at the work of Dr. Roy Spencer, a climatologist and research scientist at the University of Alabama. He found that global surface temperatures have remained stagnant since 1997, and 95 percent of climate models have projected higher levels of warming than what was actually observed. When Spencer published a paper on his findings in 2011, the response was so negative and the criticisms against his work so egregious that the editor-in-chief of the magazine resigned. Spencer has since defended his

work, though he continues to be a “black sheep” within the climate science community. Another case is distinguished meteorologist Lennart Bengtsson, who researches climate sensitivity and variability. He resigned his position on the advisory council of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a group skeptical of man-made climate change, because of immense pressure from forces within the climate science community that disapproved of the organization. Climate modeler Gavin Schmidt wrote of the GWPF “Groups perceived to be acting in bad faith should not be surprised that they are toxic within the science community.” Bengtsson’s words in the aftermath of his resignation from GWPF are telling about the current state of climate science: “I see no limit and end to what will happen. It is a situation that reminds me about the time of McCarthy. I would never have [expected] anything similar in such an [originally] peaceful community as meteorology. Apparently it has been transformed in recent years.” The point is clear: if we are to advance as a society, we have to stop being absolutist in an attempt to censor those with different thoughts and beliefs. This will truly bring about an open and fair debate. Presently, we must be realistic, embracing the products in the energy industry that are ready for primetime. Challenging and questioning the message of the People’s Climate March is a great way to start.

Evaluate differing narratives in Israel-Palestine discourse By Shani Abramowitz special to the justice

Last week, on Wednesday, Oct. 1, J Street U Brandeis hosted its third event of the semester, “Non-Violence Amid Violent Conflict: A Conversation with Ali Abu Awwad.” Awwad is a leading nonviolent Palestinian activist and member of the Parents Circle Families Forum, an organization that brings together Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members to the violence of the conflict. While spending time in prison during the First Intifada, Awwad participated in a 17-day-long hunger strike that helped him recognize and understand the power of nonviolent resistance. Awwad’s talk is but one example of the many conversations being held on campus that encourage students to engage in thinking critically about the Israeli-Palestinian con-flict. In his talk, Awwad carefully articulated the inherent difficulties in encountering another truth and explained that opposing truths are both authentic. Awwad also emphasized that a lasting solution to the conflict will include the truths of both Israelis and Palestinians. It took me a long time to believe that diverse and pluralistic conversations about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict like this one even existed. It took me longer to believe that those conversations were happening in spaces that I already inhabited. And it took me an even longer time to participate. I was afraid of these conversations simply because I did not know what the other truth looked like, and I was doubtful that I could allow that other truth into my own narrative. Growing up in a modern Orthodox community that is perhaps more right of center than most,

it was almost impossible for me to participate in an Israel conversation that included a diversity of truths. My Jewish identity and my proIsrael identity were virtually one and the same. I learned early on that being a member of my community, and especially an active and vocal member, meant subscribing to an overarching and general form of pro-Israel advocacy that promoted “pro-Israel marketing” above all else. In high school, my classmates and I were carefully taught how to combat the term “occupation,” told that a nation cannot possibly be an occupier in its own land and that the security fence was crucial for ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens and had been successful in thwarting several potential terror attacks since its construction.

“

...Engaging new, challenging narratives is a difficult process that requires patience and an open mind. However, unless we chose to take an elective Israeli history course, my classmates and I were not provided with the historical context that would have given us a deeper understanding of the term “occupation.” In fact, most of us did not understand why the word was used at all. “Occupation” became a malicious word, used only by the radical left. It was a word that we were, for all intents and purposes, banned from invoking or

even asking about. When I came to Brandeis as a midyear, I was immediately drawn into the pro-Israel community and was hoping to find a conversation that would both make me comfortable and strengthen my love for the Jewish state. But as the years went on and my involvement with particular groups grew stronger, I began to feel that the campus conversation on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was wrapped up in partisan politics, was uncomfortable and was deeply entrenched in agenda pushing that ultimately alienated more people than it included. Last summer, I had the opportunity to spend time at Mechon Hadar, an egalitarian yeshiva on the Upper West Side of New York. I regularly had conversations with students that challenged the status quo I was taught to support on the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. I learned about our Palestinian neighbor and was encouraged to ask tough questions about the conflict and the region. The bubble that I grew up in and was taught to think within had been opened. I came back to Brandeis that fall with questions that I hadn’t thought I would ever have about the conflict and found a campus largely apathetic to the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians. The conversation that I had known, facts that I had once believed in and status quo that I was convinced was tenable for both peoples suddenly seemed flawed, dangerous and unsustainable. Taking a stand that formally acknowledges Palestinian human rights or the people’s right to self-determination is immediately perceived as anti-Israel and perhaps anti-Semitic. These extreme binary representations of the conflict are not accurate depictions of the reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict nor do they typify the con-

versations taking place on the Brandeis campus. For my first three years of college, I was not being honest about the conversation I wanted to have on Israel and Palestine. I was actively criticizing the nature of the conversation yet intentionally avoiding discourse that would have encouraged me to think critically or beyond my comfort zone. I was under the false impression that our campus conversation was dead, simply because I rejected the notion of engaging with students with whom I may have disagreed. We all find comfort in our own echo chambers. Encountering and engaging new, challenging narratives is a difficult process that requires patience and an open mind. Hearing somebody else’s story and exposing oneself to his or her truth can be disorienting and quite painful. But it is an ultimately necessary process to challenge oneself and best understand any issue, especially one as complex as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As Awwad put it last week, “Conflict resolution is a place where both truths come together…not to love each other but to understand each other.” J Street U Brandeis is the largest pro-Israel group on campus to date. Since its inception, J Street U has been actively promoting and creating spaces for critical engagement on the IsraeliPalestinian Conflict. Although we stand for a two-state solution and develop programming around that goal, we encourage and welcome debates that will challenge us, make us ask tough questions and ultimately strengthen our commitment to self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians alike. —Shani Abramowitz ’15 is the media coordinator for J Street U Brandeis.


THE JUSTICE

Volleyball

fourth in the University Athletic Association this year with 474 assists. By Avi gold JUSTICE editor

The women’s volleyball team traveled to Emory University this past weekend for their first of two round-robin weeknds against University Athletic Association opponents, matched up against No. 4 Washington University in St. Louis, University of Chicago and New York University. Although the squad came away without a victory to see their season record fall to 5-13 overall (0-3 in UAA play), the Judges received standout defensive performances from libero Elsie Bernaiche ’15 in all three matches. The Judges entered Sunday’s matchup against NYU looking to rebound after losses to WashU and UChicago earlier in the tournament but put themselves in too large of a hole in the first set than they were able to dig out of, dropping the set 25-6 and fell in straight sets 25-6, 25-20, 25-19. Brandeis put three players in double-digits in digs, led by Bernaiche’s ’15 game-high 15 digs. “[Bernaiche] was composed all weekend, really producing positive emotion on the court,” said coach Alesia Vaccari. “Her play was consistent all weekend, and she really stepped up for us, keeping the ball in play, and we’re excited for the door that it opens for us the next couple of weeks.” Setter Julie Kim ’18 added 14 digs, coupled with 13 assists, for the Judges’ defense, and outside hitter Jessie Moore ’18 contributed 10 digs and six kills in the loss. The squad came closest to taking the middle set, climbing out of 3-0 and 7-3 deficits to tie the set at 10-10 when Bernaiche forced an attack error, a ball-handling error and recorded a service ace on three consecutive plays. The Judges pulled ahead 12-11, but the lead was traded back and forth until the set was tied at 20-20, setting the stage for a 5-0 NYU run that secured the set for the Violets. On Saturday, the Judges were once again done in by a poor first set in a sweep at the hands of UChicago, dropping the opener 25-6 and losing the game by a 25-6, 29-27, 25-15 score. Bernaiche recorded a game-high 20 digs in the loss.

Kim added a double-double for the squad with 16 assists and 10 digs and is now fourth of all UAA players with 474 assists on the year and 7.52 assists per set. “[Kim] makes up for her size with everything she does on the court,” said Vaccari. “She wasn’t intimidated on the court, and she's one of our best defensive players behind [Bernaiche]. “We force other teams to hit to her because we know we can get some digs out of her.” The Judges, once again, played their best in the middle frame, using an 8-2 run to grab an early 11-5 lead over the Maroons. The squad pushed their lead as far as 18-13 before UChicago came storming back to tie the set at 2020. The Judges were faced with a set point at 24-22 before rattling off two-straight points to tie the set at 24-24 and grabbed a 26-25 lead to give them a set point. However, it was UChicago who ended on the decisive run, grabbing three of the set’s final four points to secure the 29-27 set victory over the Judges. The squad managed to put together their most complete game against the fourth-ranked team in the country on Friday, but the result was the same when the Judges squared off against WashU in the round-robin opener, falling in straight sets 25-11, 25-15, 25-11 to the host Bears. Bernaiche led the way for the Judges defense with a game-high 11 digs, but she was one of just five players to record a dig on the match for the squad. The squad scored eight of the final 13 points of the first set, including a 4-0 run, and five of the final seven points in the second set but dug themselves too deep to pull out an upset over the Bears. “[The team has to work on] connecting the dots,” Vaccari said. “Coming off the weekend, we know we have the capability to compete, and we are working on self-confidence, ” she continued. “We’ve been talking about what to do after mistakes, ... and it’s great because we still have a lot of the season left.” The Judges will travel to the second set of UAA round-robin games next weekend, looking to end their losing streak against Case Western Reserve University on Saturday, Oct. 18 and squaring off against No. 3 Emory University and the University of Rochester on Sunday, Oct. 19.

CROSS COUNTRY: Teams top regional foes with strong weekend races CONTINUED FROM 16 secured 19th place in the race in which she ran the 5-kilomter race in 20:07. “[Dolins] was second to Amelia [Ludkvist ’14] last year at this meet, but she’s made a nice jump this year, improved by eight seconds. “[Dolins] has a bit more endurance, and [Whitaker] has a bit more speed, more of a miler. They’re both running really well, and their training has progressed. [Whitaker] had an okay race, a bit off, but it’s nice to see her back,” she continued. “The second half of the team is really strong; [McCaleb] ran [a] strong race. “They all ran really well, and it was a great day overall for both teams,” she continued. Rounding out the team, Kyra Shreeve ’18 grabbed 21st with a time of 20:12, while Maggie Hensel ’16 got 31st in 20:47, and Molly Paris

finished in 38th with a time of 21:00. Both teams have built on their previous momentum as the women finished fifth out of 38 teams at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational two weeks ago. At the same invitational, the men’s squad finished third out of 34 competitors. “[The season is] progressing like I hoped it would,” Evans said. “[The men’s team is] knocking on the door right now [of the top-10 in New England].” “I’m really happy [with the season]. We have a lot of depth, which is great; we’re really happy where things are going, and we’re exciting to see how the Connecticut College [Invitational] goes and the rest of the season goes.” The squads will return to action at the Connecticut College Invitational on Oct. 18. —Avi Gold contributed reporting.

october 7, 2014

13

ALONG THE ENDLINE

Judges fall in division games ■ Setter Julie Kim ’18 is

●

JEREMY PERLMAN/the Justice

HEADS UP: Forward Melissa Darling '16 sprints forward during the team's 1-0 win over Case Western Reserve University on Sunday.

WSOCCER: Squad holds Case to a pair of shots on target CONTINUED FROM 16 Judges’ first-half goalkeeper, Michelle Savuto ’15, did not have to make any saves on the afternoon. Grossman has six saves on the year and has not let in a goal in nearly 400 minutes played and apperances in nine contests this year. “[Grossman has been] very important,” said Dallamora. “She’s a hard worker, she’s good with organizing the defense, she is verbal, and the [team] has a lot of confidence in her.” This win followed another great midweek win against Smith. The Judges managed to thump the Pioneers 5-0 in Northampton, Mass. Edalati scored a brace, with the other three goals going to forward Cidney Moscovitch ’17, forward Lea McDaniel ’17 and forward Melissa Darling ’16. The first half ended with a 2-0 score line, and only once Edalati scored her second in the 65th minute did

the floodgates opened with two more goals scored in the last 12 minutes, completing the rout over the host Pioneers by the Judges. Both of Edalati’s goals came off corner kicks, and the midfielder picked up an assist on Moscovitch’s 66th minute goal. Brandeis took 27 shots over the game and allowed Smith just seven shots, four of which were on net. The Judges now have a season record of 10-1, with their only loss coming in the first game of the season to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at home. Their 10-game winning streak broke the previous record, set in the 2003 to 2004 season—a nine-game winning streak. Though squad also won their first UAA game on Sunday, they will face strong sides in upcoming UAA matches as the season progresses. The confenerce features the top team in the country, Washington

JOIN

University in St. Louis, No. 4 Carnegie Mellon University, No. 5 Emory University and No. 12 University of Chicago, all of which the Judges will take on in divisional matchups later this year. With the tough opponents looming in the distance, Dallamora said she thinks the offense could use some finetuning moving forward. “We have to do a little work with our offense,” she said. “Mostly, it’s just the timing of runs and the correct passes, little bit of positioning, framing the goal a bit. We still need some work [and] it’s a work in progress, but they’re doing alright,” she continued. The Judges will look to continue their fantastic form at home tonight against Eastern Nazarene Collegeat 7 p.m before traveling to the University of Rochester on Saturday for another UAA contest. —Avi Gold contributed reporting.

the Justice

Contact Rachel Hughes at editor@thejustice.org


IF YOU

CAN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT, HOW CAN YOU DREAM OF RETIREMENT?

At TIAA-CREF, we want you to be confident about your retirement. Not worried. That’s why we’ve spent the last century helping our customers plan and manage their finances to get them through every single day of their retirement.

Learn more in one click at TIAA.org or call 855 200-7244.

BEST OVERALL LARGE FUND COMPANY1 The Lipper Awards are based on a review of 36 companies’ 2012 and 48 companies’ 2013 risk-adjusted performance.

The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years’ Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12 and 11/30/13, respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked against 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixedasset portfolios. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, and Teachers Personal Investors Services Inc. C18453B ©2014 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America – College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017. 1

Consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Go to tiaa-cref.org for product and fund prospectuses that contain this and other information. Read carefully before investing. TIAA-CREF funds are subject to market and other risk factors. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

5021A0002 C18453B CAN’T SLEEP 10x8 NWS Various_BW_1.indd Black

Join the Justice Photography Staff!

Contact Morgan Brill at photos@thejustice.org


THE JUSTICE

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS

●

Tuesday, october 7, 2014

15

INTRAMURAL SPORTS

Men’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

2014-2015 Statistics JUDGES Emory NYU Carnegie Chicago WashU Rochester Case

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

W L 10 0 11 0 9 1 6 3 6 4 5 3 5 3 6 4

Overall D Pct. 0 1.000 1 .958 0 .900 1 .650 1 .591 1 .611 2 .600 1 .591

Michael Soboff ’15 leads the team with six goals. Player Goals Michael Soboff 6 Tyler Savonen 5 Zach Vieira 4 Josh Ocel 3

Assists Josh Ocel ’17 leads the team with six assists. Player Assists Josh Ocel 6 Evan Jastremski 3 Foti Andreo 2 Mike Lynch 2

UPCOMING GAMES: Tonight at MIT Saturday at Rochester Tues., Oct. 14 at Mass. Maritime

WOMen’s Soccer UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

2014-2015 Statistics

Goals

Carnegie JUDGES NYU WashU Emory Chicago Case Rochester

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

W 9 10 7 9 6 9 6 4

L 0 0 3 0 0 2 2 4

Overall D Pct. 0 1.000 1 .909 0 .700 2 .909 3 .833 0 .818 2 .700 3 .500

UPCOMING GAMES: Tonight vs. Eastern Nazarene Saturday at Rochester Fri., Oct. 17 vs. Carnegie Mellon

Sapir Edalati ’15 leads the team with nine goals. Player Goals Sapir Edalati 9 Samantha Schwartz 6 Cindey Moscovitch 3 Lea McDaniel 2

Assists Holly Szafran ’16 leads the team with seven assists. Player Assists Holly Szafran 7 Sapir Edalati 5 Samantha Schwartz 3

VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Kills

2014-2015 Statistics Emory Chicago WashU Carnegie Case NYU Rochester JUDGES

UAA Conf. W L 3 0 3 0 2 1 2 1 1 2 0 2 0 3 0 3

Overall W L 21 2 18 7 20 3 13 4 11 7 14 8 9 12 5 13

Pct. .913 .720 .870 .765 .611 .636 .429 .278

UPCOMING GAMES: Sat., Oct. 18 vs. Case Sat., Oct. 18 vs. Carnegie Sun., Oct. 19 vs. Emory

Maddie Engeler ’16 leads the team in kills with 120. Player Kills Maddie Engeler 120 Liz Hood 113 Jessie Moore 107 Summer Koop 79

Digs Elsie Bernaiche ’15 leads the team in digs with 288. Player Digs Elsie Bernaiche 288 Julie Kim 146 Shemira Pennyman 145 Liz Hood 86

cross cOuntry Results from the Keene State Invitational in Keene, NH on Saturday.

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

5-Mile Run RUNNER TIME Jarret Harrigan 26:33 Ryan Stender 26:34 Matt Doran 27:18 Liam Garvey 27:27

5-Kilometer Run RUNNER TIME Maddie Dolins 18:46 Kelsey Whitaker 18:54 Lydia McCaleb 19:44 Ashley Picirillo-Horan 20:07

UPCOMING EVENTS: Oct. 18 at the Connecticut College Invitational Nov. 1 at the Universtity Athletic Association Invitational

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM RAND

VICTORY FORMATION: Members of Team Colby pose for a photograph after their win in the coed intramural outdoor soocer final.

Intramural season ends with pair of close wins ■ Team Colby and BFC won the coed and the men’s intramural outdoor soccer seasons, respectively. By Alec spivack Special to the justice

The intramural outdoor soccer season came to an end with two close victories in the championship games last Thursday night, as BFC took home the men’s trophy with a 2-1 win over Powerhouse, and Team Colby won the coed tournament with a 3-0 victory over Victorious Secret. Powerhouse wasted no time getting on the board in the men’s final, getting a goal at just one minute, 30 seconds into the game from Noa Iimura ’17, who capitalized on the BFC defense’s mistake. At 3:45 BFC had a chance to equalize, but the free kick went wide. At 6:10, another opportunity presented itself for BFC, but the header did not make it to the back of the net. Powerhouse nearly doubled their lead at 12:50 when Iimura hit a volley off the post that bounced out. BFC’s Gabriel Carrasquillo ’18 shot, but Eric Gordon ’16 of Power-

house made a diving save at 14:50, denying the goal. The last opportunity of the half for BFC came at 15:30, but George Popa’s ’17 shot went over the cross bar. BFC came out strong with multiple shots early in the second half. Their first opportunity came at four minutes in with Alex Landau’s ’17 shot over the crossbar. Ben Berson ’15 quickly followed with shot at 4:45 of the half, unfortunately going wide left. One of Popa’s shot found the back of the net after Gordon mishandled the ball at 8:25 of the half. Powerhouse had a free kick at 9:30 of the half, but Olivier Bernardini’s ’15 shot did not result in a goal. With 6:30 left in the match, BFC took a lead they would not give up with Yuya Yoshida ’15 finishing a header off of a corner kick. In the first half of the coed final, Team Colby came out strong, scoring two goals in the first three minutes. In the second minute, Colby Smith ’16 found the back of the net with a header off a corner kick. Within the next 23 seconds, Smith finished another goal, this time with a bending ball into the right side of the net. In the fourth minute, Tyler Diamond ’16 of Victorious Secret fired a shot, but it hit the crossbar. Tali

Fleitman ’17 then dangled Team Colby with some brilliant footwork resulting in a shot on net, but the keeper came up with the save at 12:45 in the first half. In the first two minutes of the second half, Team Colby struck the back of the net again. Ben Maletta ’17 scored a volley into upper left corner for a goal-la-sol. Victorious Secret then turned on, dominating the stats for the middle of the second half. In the 10th minute, Douglas Levine ’17 tipped a shot off the bar in an effortless save and was followed by teammate Bethany Rennich’s ’17 shot that hit outside of net in the 14th minute. Captain of Victorious Secret, David Getz ’15, tried to get on the board in the 15th minute of the half, but his shot went wide right. Smith made an attempt for a hat trick at 16 minutes into the half, but the point-blank shot was saved by Victorious Secret goalkeeper Eric Blinn ’16. Rennich fired a shot in the closing minutes, but the keeper made the save, locking in the shutout for Team Colby. The intramural season continues with the flag football season, with play beginning last night and regular season games continuing through the end of October.

PRO SPORTS BRIEF New England Patriots respond to early season troubles with dominant victory over Cincinnati Bengals The New England Patriots bounced back from one of their worst regular season losses on Sept. 29 under head coach Bill Belichick—a 41-14 drubbing at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs—with a dominant 43-17 win on Sunday night over the previously undefeated Cincinnati Bengals. The win was by far the Patriots’ most impressive performance of the season thus far, pushing their season record to 3-2, including wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders. The offense started the game with a methodical 10-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown and set the tone for the rest of the game. While the defense was not quite as dominant, they kept the Bengals out of the end zone and forced mul-

tiple turnovers that helped the Patriots build up a sizeable 20-3 lead going into halftime. The Bengals answered early in the second half with a long punt return and a quick strike from quarterback Andy Dalton to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu from 37 yards out to bring the lead to within 10 points. From then on, the Patriots took back control of the game with a touchdown drive and a quick fumble return for a touchdown on the subsequent kickoff to go up 34-10. The Bengals managed to score another touchdown, and the Patriots tacked on three more field goals to make the score 43-17, a statement win in the season’s fifth week. The win came at a crucial point in the young season, as rumors and speculation swirled around a Patri-

ots team that is never eager to divulge information about the inner workings of the team. Coming into the season, there were questions about quarterback Tom Brady’s age and effectiveness going forward, and Brady did very little to put those questions to rest in the first four games of the season. Animosity seemed to flow from both sides, with Brady’s displeasure stemming from the departures of long-time offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia and Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins and the organization’s worries stemming from Brady’s worsening on-field performance each week. Sporting a 2-2 record coming into the game, with losses against two mediocre or middling teams in the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dol-

phins, there were questions about how good this team really was, even with a .500 record. The Patriots traveled back to Gillette Stadium as rare home underdogs on Sunday night, giving one-and-a-half points to the visiting Bengals in the points spread before the game. While the team managed to silence the buzz for at least one week with the win, the questions that were asked coming into the game still remain unanswered. Brady is still surrounded by a woefully young and inexperienced line, the talent that he finds himself throwing to has been completely unimpressive, sans All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, and Brady himself has shown signs of decline. The situation becomes more

pressing with a young and promising quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, waiting on the sidelines, who was reportedly drafted by the Patriots this past offseason to eventually replace Brady. Next week, the Patriots will go up against the surprisingly competent Buffalo Bills in an American Football Conference Eastern Division matchup. The Bills sit tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East with a 3-2 record after an overtime win against the Detroit Lions. If the Patriots lose, the same questions will manage to come up. The team will be in a perpetual fight against time for the rest of the season, but so far, the Patriots seem to be winning. — Daniel Kanovich


just

Sports

Page 16

EYES ON THE PRIZE The intramural outdoor soccer season came to a close last Thursday with two hard-fought games, p. 15.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

WOMEN's SOCCER

THROUGH THE DEFENSE

Women increase win streak to 10 ■ Midfielder Sapir Edalati ’15

leads all University Athletic Association players with nine goals on the year. By colin warnes JUSTICE contributing WRITER

On Sunday, the women’s soccer team faced its first University Athletic Association opponent in Case Western Reserve University. With the Judges riding high on a ninegame winning streak, thanks to a 5-0 win over Smith College last Tuesday, they did not seem like they would be slowing down anytime soon and came away with a 1-0 win over the visting Spartans. With these wins, the Judges have recorded a program-best 10-game winning streak and sit at 10-1 overall on the year. The team got an early lead on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of a 12thminute goal from midfielder Sapir Edalati ’15. The senior received an inviting cross from forward Holly Szafran ’16, nodding it in right under the crossbar and evading the diving attempt of Case Western senior goalkeeper Abbey Smith. The goal was Edalati’s ninth on the season and fifth game-winning goal, both tops of all UAA players this year. The Judges have been quite prolific this season in goals from set pieces;

the goal was their fifth of the season from set pieces. After the goal, the Brandeis team kept the pressure on, allowing the Case Western team few openings. The Judges managed to create 12 shooting opportunities in the remaining 90 minutes, with five—not including the goal—on target. As with any good team, the Judges played as a unit, consistent in not only an offensive sense but in a defensive one as well. The Brandeis defense stood tall throughout the game allowing the Case Western offense only a few scoring chances and allowed just four shots by the Spartans offense. Coach Denise Dallamora pointed to defenseman Haley Schachter ’16 as a stalwart among the back-four. “[Schachter] played outside back last year and as a [first-year], and she’s moved into the center [this year],” explained Dallamora. “She’s really picked up a leadership role; she’s verbal, she orchestrates the defense to move up, drop when they need to, and she organizes who’s marking who.” Goalkeeper Alexis Grossman ’17, who came on in the second half as a substitute, only had to make two very routine saves, both after the game’s 80th minute. The first of Grossman’s two saves came off a long ball with her simply catching it, and the other catch came from a cross from farther out. The

See WSOCCER, 13 ☛

CROSS COUNTRY

Squad earns top spot at regional meeting ■ Each of the five scoring

runners from the men’s squad finishing within the top-15 at Saturday’s race. By Noah hessdorf JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The men’s and women’s cross country teams dominated at the Keene State College Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The men finished first overall out of 12 teams, while the women recorded a second place finish in a field of 14 teams. The men won at the invitational for the second time in three years— finishing second to the hosts last year—placing five runners in the top-12 overall. The team finished with an outstanding 30 points, while runner-up Keene State finished with 35. No other team came close as third place went to Southern Vermont College with 94 points, and fourth place was claimed by Fitchburg State University with 113 points. “[It was a] great weekend overall,” said head coach Sinead Evans. “[Both teams are] running much better this weekend, and we hope to keep that progression moving forward as the season moves forward,” she continued. The men were once again led by Jarret Harrigan ’15, who placed first overall out of 126 competitors. Harrigan finished the five-mile race with a time of 26 minutes, 33 seconds, which put him just one second ahead of fellow teammate Ryan Stender ’18. Stender showed great improve-

ment after securing 19th place at the last meet. Matt Doran ’17 also ran an outstanding race and finished eighth with a 27:18 finish, and Liam Garvey ’18 finished in 11th with a time of 27:27. Grady Ward ’16 finished with a 27:43 time for 14th place. Brian Sheppard ’18 took 20th with 28:32, while Brad Payne’ 18 grabbed 25th with 29:01. “No doubt everyone’s been running well,” Evans said. “We had a couple freshmen who scored, and they’ve responded well to collegiate races. All the returners have made really nice jumps this year; they’ve all had great summer training, and from preseason on, training has gone well,” she continued. The women ended the competition with 53 points, which left them 19 back of champions Keene State. They were far ahead of the rest of the completion, however, as the third place Springfield College finished with 84 points and fourth place finishers Amherst College finished with 118 points. The Judges finished with five runners in the top 20 overall out of the 156 who entered the race. Similarly to the men, the women also fielded the two best runners of the competition, as Maddie Dolins ’17 and Kelsey Whitaker ’16 brought home the top two positions. Dolins finished the five-kilometer race with a time of 18:46, while Whitaker recorded an 18:54 finish. Lydia McCaleb ’17 also finished a strong race in 14th place with a time of 19:44. Ashley Piccirillo-Horan ’16 also

See CROSS COUNTRY, 13 ☛

Waltham, Mass.

MIHIR KHANNA/the Justice

FANCY FOOTWORK: Midfielder Michael Soboff '15 (right) dribbles through a Case Western Reserve University defender on Sunday.

Judges post shutouts in tough victories at home ■ The team did not allow Case

Western Reserve University a shot on net during overtime in Sunday’s 1-0 win. By Siddharth Mehra JUSTICE contributing WRITER

The men’s soccer team continued their unbeaten start to the season against Case Western Reserve University on Sunday, in a 1-0 victory, elevating them to a 10-0 record after beating No. 12 Wheaton College last Tuesday night. Sunday’s hard-earned victory marked the first game of the season for the Judges in University Athletic Association competition. Both teams had chances in the first half of Sunday’s game as each team’s strikers came close to scoring, but two resolute goalkeepers in Joe Graffy ’15 and Case Western freshman goalkeeper Calvin Boyle proved incredibly hard to beat. The story of the second half was be analogous to that of the first, with neither side able to find the back of the net. A close-range Spartans free kick in the 65th minute came close to scoring, but Graffy acrobatically sprang across goal and punched the ball with one hand to deny a goal. The game remained scoreless, but not for lack of trying. By the end of the 90 minutes, the Judges had recorded 13 shots on goal, while the Spartans had nine. The dramatics of this game had just begun, as the game headed into the first overtime period. One period of overtime proved fruitless, despite an additional four shots on the Spartan goal for the Judges with no retaliation. Even

as the game launched into its second overtime, the scores remained locked at a stoic 0-0. In the final moments of the final period, forward Tyler Savonen ’15 burst forward, weaved in and out of the box and was brought down inside the box. A penalty was given to the Judges, and Savonen placed the ball on the spot and launched it into the top corner with conviction. The Judges secured their hard fought 1-0 victory, with a little over 90 seconds left on the clock. Another match in this series of close encounters took place last Tuesday, where amidst a fierce battle of possession, physicality and nerves, the Judges nudged their way past familiar New England rivals, Wheaton College, in a 1-0 win. The Judges dominated the first half in the final third of the pitch, with their eight shots dwarfing Wheaton’s one but were found waiting for a decisive strike. Majority of possession was held in midfield with the occasional surge forward. Emotions were riding high through this contest because of the multitude of personal ties between players and staff on both sides, which gave rise to an extremely physical affair with four fouls in the opening five minutes. “The boys all know each other, many of them play for the same summer league teams”, said coach Michael Coven. “Their coach, Matt Cushing, is my best friend and was my assistant here many years ago,” he added. After many crunching tackles and one cautionary booking, the grueling first half drew to a close, tied at zero. 12 minutes after the restart, the Judges broke the deadlock through

a deft sequence of wing-play. In the 58th minute, forward Evan Jastremski ’17 rushed down the right flank in a flurry of step-overs that flummoxed the opposing wingback before cleverly serving the ball into the box with the outside of his foot. Forward Michael Soboff ’15, the Judges leading goal-scorer, latched on to Jastremski’s pass,and coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net. In a post-match interview, a grinning Coven said that “the key to our success in the offense is the fact that our wingers aren’t afraid to go [one-on-one] against the opposing team’s defenders. “They’ve got flair and speed, and they showed that out there tonight,” he continued In the 65th minute, a shot from Wheaton freshman forward Amara Sesay ricocheted off a defender and seemed destined for the back of the net when defender Robbie Lynch ’15 soared in and cleared the ball off the line. Wheaton did come close to scoring a couple more times, most noticeably in the final moments of the game, where a floating corner was delivered toward the bottom corner. However, Graffy dove across on cue and collected the ball in his arms, securing the victory for the home team. Tuesday’s meeting between the top-two ranked sides in New England was generously interspersed with heated exchanges, jostling between players and offensive-defensive prowess. The Judges return to action tonight at 7 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, before traveling to the University of Rochester on Saturday in their second UAA matchup.


JustArts Volume LXVII, Number 6

Your weekly guide to arts, movies, music and everything cultural at Brandeis and beyond

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Waltham, Mass.

“Swing Time” creates a playground for all ages at the Lawn on D » 20

Interview Column: Curator of John Altoon retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art speaks with justArts » 18

INSIDE

‘Swim Little Fish Swim’ Independent film follows a family trying to deal with the challenges and changes they are faced with » 21

Lecture on Revenge Plot University of California, Berkeley professor speaks on the revenge plot in ‘Wuthering Heights’ » 19

‘Pure Souls’

Museum of Fine Arts exhibit displays rarely-seen ancient Jain art » 21


18

justARTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014 | THE JUSTICE

CALENDAR

INTERVIEW

$

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus this week

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

JustArts Faculty and Staff Exhibition Reception

See another side of the Brandeis community in this biannual exhibit of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and even edible art. Participants include Profs. Susan Dibble (THA), Mick Watson (PSYC) and Alasdair Post-Quinn of Library and Technology Services. Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Dreitzer Gallery of Spingold Theater Center. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Office of the Arts and Office of Human Resources.

John Altoon Exhibition Opening

Join the Rose Art Museum for this evening event as it open the much-anticipated John Altoon exhibition for public viewing. Light refreshments will be served at the exhibition’s opening reception. Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Lois Foster Gallery at the Rose Art Museum. This event is free and open to the public.

Carol Eliel

Curator of modern art at LACMA works with Rose PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART

This week, justArts spoke with Carol Eliel, the curator of the John Altoon exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She also facilitated the curation of the John Altoon exhibit, which will open at the Rose Art Museum on Wednesday. Eliel will give a talk on Altoon following the opening of the exhibit.

Gallery Talk with Carol Eliel

Carol Eliel, curator of modern art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, discusses the work of John Altoon at the opening of the painter’s retrospective exhibition at the Rose Art Museum. Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Rose Art Museum in the Lois Foster Gallery. This event is free and open to the public.

justArts: Can you tell me a little about your curatorial process for the exhibit at the Rose? Carol Eliel: They’re not that different [the exhibit at the Rose and at LACMA]. The Rose version is slightly smaller than the version that was in Los Angeles. And some of that had to do with lenders who would only lend to one venue, so the decisions were made before me. And then any time you need to shrink the show a little bit for a second venue or for that additional venue, you want to make sure that the core of what you’re trying to communicate about the artist is still whole and try to make cuts that don’t seem like they—in any way—even come close to eviscerating or leaving gaps in the exhibition. So just trying to make intelligent choices about what you can live without to still retain the meaning of the show. JA: Can you tell me about your process in general for the two exhibits—how you used the spaces to portray Altoon’s work? CE: I started out from the Los Angeles venue thinking that maybe I would install it—because his career was fairly short, so there’s not a very long chronology or a huge development stylistically over time—I thought that it might be interesting to install it thematically. But that just kind of turned into a jumble, and it actually made much more sense just to install it chronologically and that in fact made for some nice groupings thematically in any case. And it seemed to work really well. And the Rose [staff] has masterminded the installation at the Rose. I’ve made some suggestions and tweaks, but still the curators know their own spaces far better than other people know those spaces. So I have never been to the Rose before, so it seemed rather presumptuous for me to try to install an exhibition. So anyway, they basically masterminded that installation but it’s that same chronology of many of those same pairings that we had in Los Angeles—so a different space but not that hugely different, actually. JA: Were you in contact with the staff at the Rose, and how did that communication work? CE: I was the sole organizing curator of the exhibition. So I picked what works went into the exhibit at LACMA, and then I made the cuts and proposed the checklist for the Rose and sent it to them for their approval because they are coorganizing it institutionally… But they seemed happy with that, and they were happy with that checklist, and then they did a layout of the show at the Rose, and they sent it to me. And I looked at that and I made a few suggestions of pairs of works that I thought looked really well together, and they had some pairings and some suggestions of works that wouldn’t particularly look good together, and so I suggested some changes. But at the end of the day, it’s really their installation at the Rose and being the curator, talking to the director, it’s been a collaborative process. JA: Do you know what the exhibit will look like, or will it be a surprise to you when you come? CE: I’ve seen the layout on paper. I, of course, know the works. I believe that they’re adapting some of the colors that we used in Los Angeles... but because I don’t know the Rose’s spaces, anytime you see a show in a different space, it looks very different, and when you don’t know the space at all, it’s inevitably going to be more of a surprise. JA: Can you tell me about some of the themes that you are planning on talking about on Wednesday during your talk at the Rose? CE: [I am planning] on talking about Altoon’s constant play between abstraction and figuration in the work, going back and forth between the two vocabularies basically at the same moments—which is pretty rare for an artist between the late ’50s and ’60s. Artists chose camps. You were either an abstract painter or a figurative painter, and it was very difficult to move between the two of them. And [Altoon] did that vey fluently… I would talk about his use of color, talk about particularly his images of women and sexuality in general in the work. —Emily Wishingrad

SEAC presents Loi Krathong: A MidAutumn Festival

Each year, both Thailand and Vietnam celebrate the occasion and season of autumn. The South East Asian Club invites you to come and celebrate both festivals with them. The celebration will feature moon cakes, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine,

lantern making, hopefully some lion dancing and much more. Wednesday from 8 to 9 p.m. in the Intercultural Center lounge. This event is presented by SEAC and is free and open to the public.

Events and HerCampus Brandeis. Refreshments will be served.

Brandeis Theater Company: ‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’

Opening to the public on Oct. 12, this new major exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston focuses on the work of Spanish artist Fransisco Goya. This exhibiton is the largest of Goya’s work in North America in a quarter century. Works on display will range from the fulllength portraits of aristocrats that established his reputation in Madrid to his satirical prints to more private drawings from his personal albums. The exhibition will be open early for members to preview starting today. Member preview days are today through Sunday, and the exhibition opens to the public after that at the MFA. Exhibition is in the Ann and Graham Gund Gallery. Admission is free with a Brandeis ID.

In the play, maincharacter Jean, unmarried and approaching 40, sits in a cafe as a man’s cell phone rings. And continues to ring. Irritated, she approaches the owner of the phone and discovers he has quietly died in the cafe. Jean decides to keep his phone and begins answering his calls. As she takes messages from the dead man’s colleagues, friends, family members and even his mistress, she finds herself involved in his life and afterlife in comical and shocking ways. This play, is a moving and funny exploration of how, in the midst of our fragile lives, technology can both unite and isolate us, especially in our quest for true love. The play is written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Prof. Adrianne Krstansky (THA). Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Laurie Theater of Spingold Theater Center. Tickets are $5 for students, $15 for members of the Brandeis community and senior citizens, and general admission is $20.

Film screening: ‘What If’

What If is a romantic comedy starring Daniel Radcliffe as Wallace and Zoe Kazan as Chantry. Wallace is burned out from a string of failed relationships and forms an instant bond with Chantry, who lives with her long-time boyfriend. Together, they puzzle out what it means if your best friend is also the love of your life. Friday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center for Humanities room G03. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Student

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS

Member preview days: ‘Goya: Order and Disorder’

Fleetwood Mac at TD Garden

The 1960s-born British-American rock band is coming to Boston this month to play old favorites and new classics. If you can’t make it to TD Garden this Friday, don’t worry—the band will be back to perform on Oct. 25. Friday at 8 p.m. at TD Garden in Boston. Tickets are $169 and up and are available at http://gardenboxoffice. com/.

Schubert and Mozart

The Boston Symphony Orchestra presents a performance of selected works by Franz Schubert and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, played by German conductor and pianist Christian Zacharias. Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Boston Symphony Hall. Tickets range from $30 to $104 and are available at http://bso.org/.

POP CULTURE n !

ww Animation is not just for children anymore. While television shows directed at adults, like The Simpsons and Family Guy have been successful, animation geared toward children is drawing an older audience as well. Disney released Frozen, its megahit tale starring two princess sisters, last November. The film has become a cultural phenomenon, and not just among the preschool set. Its main character Elsa’s icy theme song, “Let It Go,” sung by Broadway star Idina Menzel, became a number-one single, and a Broadway show based on the film is already in the works. Most recently, ABC’s fairy-tale drama Once Upon a Time had its Sept. 28 season premiere bolstered by the new cast additions of Frozen’s Elsa, her sister Anna and other major characters in the film. ABC is, smartly, capitalizing on the success of its parent company’s film in order to attract new viewers. While the show features a slew of Disney characters, it also caters to an older audience. Grown-ups, clearly, are just as enchanted by princesses and magic. Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, which ran from 2005 to 2008, was a surprising hit for the network, whose other animated shows, such as Spongebob Squarepants, are clearly aimed at children. Avatar attracted an almost cult-like following, appealing to adult anime lovers and kids at heart alike. Avatar was so successful that it spawned a spinoff, The Legend of Korra, the fourth season of which premieres this Friday on the network’s website. The decision to move the show this season from its television lineup to strictly online streaming seems odd, given its success, but makes sense. Like the original Avatar, Korra deals with themes that don’t fit in with the rest of the kid-friendly network’s programming, and the older audience is more likely to stream the episodes than to tune in live. Two films from established foreign animation studios premiered to enthusiastic crowds at this month’s

By Ilana Kruger

CREATIVE COMMONS

FROZEN IN TIME: Frozen exemplifies the trend toward adult-centered childrens’ programming. Toronto Film Festival. Song of the Sea, from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, is director Tomm Moore’s follow-up to 2009’s Oscar-nominated The Secret of Kells. Like Kells, this film is rooted in Irish folklore and features young protagonists. The film’s gorgeous, unusual hand-drawn animation and heartwarming story about a little girl who, instead of speaking, finds her voice through a magical flute, is already generating buzz for this year’s Oscar animation race. Another film that premiered at the festival was The Tale of Princess Kaguya, from renowned Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli. Directed by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, the film is based on a Japanese folktale

about the life of a young girl who is found in a bamboo stalk. The studio’s films have been highly successful in the United States, purchased and released theatrically by Disney with star-studded English casts. Disney’s next animated feature film is Big Hero 6, premiering in November. Loosely based on an obscure superhero team from Marvel comics, the film appears to be the anti-Frozen. The film features a male lead, Hiro, and his inflatable robot, Baymax, who looks like a marshmallow version of a Transformer. Time will tell whether or not the film will attract an older audience, but as the recent trends indicate, the animation market is not only geared towards kids anymore.

ARTS COVER IMAGES: CREATIVE COMMONS and ABIGAIL ROTHSTEIN/the Justice. DESIGN: GRACE KWON and JEREMY PERLMAN/the Justice.


ON CAMPUS

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014

19

LECTURE LITERATURE TALK: Catherine Gallagher, an English professor at the University of California, Berkeley, lectured on Thursday evening. ABIGAIL ROTHSTEIN/the Justice

Berkeley professor lectures on revenge By EMILY WISHINGRAD JUSTICE EDITOR

The Mandel Center for the Humanities Reading Room was buzzing with literary chatter as the English department—professors, graduate students and undergraduates—awaited the arrival of Catherine Gallagher, a professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. On Thursday evening, the professor spoke about the theme of revenge in Emily Brontë’s 19th-century novel, Wuthering Heights. Prof. John Plotz (ENG) introduced Gallagher as the “foremost living critic of the novel.” He also addressed the fact that Gallagher has had a major influence on his personal work as well as, he assumes, the work of many other scholars in the field of literature. She “digs into the substance of fiction while always paying attention to the context,” Plotz told the audience, going on to name numerous titles of publications she has authored and co-authored. Gallagher started out the lecture on a somber note—dedicating it to the former chair of Brandeis’ English department, Michael Gillmore, who passed away last April, saying she had been close with the late professor. Launching into her discussion of Wuthering Heights, Gallagher began by noting that scholars have not paid much attention to the theme of revenge in Brontë’s masterpiece, even though the whole second half of the book seems to revolve around the topic. Gallagher suggested that the

neglect of the theme of revenge in literary scholarship might stem from the unconventional form that the revenge plot takes on in the novel. In classic examples of revenge novels, Gallagher said that there are “devices working behind the scenes and inserted into the hero’s plot.” But Wuthering Heights, she noted, seems to be an exception to the rule. Gallagher said that it is unclear on whom Heathcliff, the main antagonist, is attempting to get revenge. Rather, Heathcliff seems to be revenging nobody in particular but rather his circumstance or situation in life. His “impersonal revenge is hard to fathom,” Gallagher explained, noting that his “vengeful aspect permeates everybody in the novel.” Moreover, Heathcliff is a very hard character to understand because he is extremely complex. The “spirit that animates him seems to precede him as an individual,” Gallagher said. Given his complex nature, his motives for revenge seem even harder to parse out. Gallagher also talked about how films versions of the novel have tried to deal with the problem of the ambiguous revenge plot as it pertains to the novel. Films have taken very different approaches to this problem. The first film version was titled The Great Hate while the second film version was advertised as the “greatest love story ever told.” Gallagher then began her own analysis of how the theme of revenge is shaped and executed in

Wuthering Heights. Gallagher spoke about the role that time plays in a revenge plot. Time is a complex model in Wuthering Heights as the majority of the story is told to the reader years after the events take place, but some of the more recent events take place in narrator Lockwood’s present. The theme of time past allows the novel to retell Heathcliff’s revenge plot—by playing the second generations against each other, he enacts full control over their fates. As Gallagher said, Heathcliff is very smart in planning his revenge. He doesn’t react immediately in carrying out his plot but instead seeks his revenge on a longer timeline. He plans it out thoroughly, patiently awaiting his chance to counteract the injustice he feels has been committed upon him. “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” Gallagher said in appraisal of Heathcliff’s apprach. Throughout her talk, Gallagher read passages from the novel in order to put her analysis in context. Her readings of the passages were very animated and engaging. She presented the characters speaking with one another in distinctly different voices, highlighting tones of annoyance or mocking with extra precision and drama. At the end of the lecture, Gallagher took questions from the audience which ranged from the effects of the absence of any maternal figures in the novel to the theme of the orphan seeking revenge.

CREATIVE COMMONS

DEEP VENGEANCE: Heathcliff, pictured above as played by Lawrence Olivier in the 1939 film adaption of Wuthering Heights, patiently seeks revenge in Brontë’s novel.

BRIEF University offers new interdisciplinary joint BA/MA program in Comparative Humanities Last year, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences introduced a new program—the Master of Arts in Comparative Humanities, which “explores major themes of human experience using comparative and cross-cultural approaches,” according to the description on the MACH website. However, starting this year, students can now pursue a special combined bachelor’s and master’s track specifically for MACH. Current undergraduate students in the program spend their senior year in the MACH program and then earn

a master’s degree with the completion of eight courses and a capstone project—earning two degrees within four years. Prof. David Powelstock (GRALL) serves as the director of graduate studies for MACH. According to the MACH website, students work with an adviser and the program director to build “a coherent curriculum that bridges cultures and disciplines.” The one-year program allows students to take an interdisciplinary and trans-regional approach to studying a range of fields that select Brandeis professors already teach,

such as philosophy, history or fine arts. According the program website, MACH “facilitates the development of a multi-faceted approach to language, literature, and culture.” Courses for MACH are drawn from departments relevant to the mission of the program, such as African and Afro-American Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, South Asian Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. The 29 affiliated faculty members offer a wide range of expertise that demonstrate the interdisciplinary aspectsof MACH. Examples include Dowden’s

knowledge of 20th century German literature, Prof. Andrew Koh’s (CLAS) study of cross-cultural contact and Prof. Susan Lanser’s (ENG) work that includes sexuality studies and feminist writers. According to the program website, MACH uses resources such as the Rose Art Museum, Boston’s numerous museums, close mentoring relationships with faculty, as well as course offerings from the rest of the School of Humanities. The program culminates in a yearend symposium where students present their capstone projects to peers

and faculty, bringing a collaborative final experience to the program. The capstone project can be a standard research paper, but students are also allowed to take on more untraditional projects, such as a curricular plan or multimedia presentation, according to the MACH website. Masters of Humanities are popular programs at many universities; however, the comparative aspect of Brandeis’ program represents the growing interest in comparative and interdisciplinary studies. —Jessie Miller


20

OFF CAMPUS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014 | THE JUSTICE

BOSTON ART

Glowing swings light up South Boston CREATIVE COMMONS

INTERACTIVE ARTWORK: Twenty illuminated swings that make up the piece “Swing Time” light up Lawn on D, a newly-created public space in South Boston.

By EMILY WISHINGRAD JUSTICE EDITOR

Imagine a playground—but not one containing the familiar bright yellow slides and blue monkey bars on a sand-covered ground. Imagine a playground that doubles as a piece of art. The new art installation “Swing Time” is just that playground. Commissioned by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, “Swing Time” sits in a formerly abandoned parking lot, filling up the space between the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and D Street in South Boston in an area called the Lawn on D. The Lawn on D, according to its website, is “a first-of-its-kind outdoor interactive space.” “The Lawn on D is an experimental event landscape that brings together different communities, audiences and area residents for innovative programming and events in the epicenter of the Innovation District and South Boston neighborhood,” the website reads. The space opened at the beginning of August and will remain available to the public for 18

months. Lawn on D will see a variety of art installations, but “Swing Time” is its first and will remain on view until Oct. 31. Created by award-winning architects Eric Höweler and J. Meejin Yoon of the Boston-based Höweler + Yoon Architecture, the art piece is made out of 20 illuminated rings that hang from a metal structure—changing in color from blue to purple to dazzling white in sequence. The swings hang from an overarching metal structure that is divided into geometric triangular shapes. The swings are custom fabricated from welded polypropylene in three sizes, and the LED lights that are responsible for the swings’ bright glow are programmed to activate based on the swing’s speed. Signs around the exhibit, as well as on the swings themselves, instruct visitors to swing safely. Pushing the swings is not allowed. Rather, the experience aims to be more of a contemplative one. While lightly swaying inside the glowing rings, you feel a sense of ease to enjoy the park and take pleasure in the outdoor experience. “Swing Time” represents a

merging of art and activity—an interactive art piece at its core. “‘Swing Time’s’ responsive play elements invite users to interact with the swings and with each other, activating the urban park and creating a community laboratory for play in the Innovation District and South Boston neighborhoods,” reads a sign at the entrance of the installation. In a Sept. 11 article in the Boston Globe, Executive Director of the MCCA Jim Rooney noted that same mission of interaction. “We wanted to have a piece that would entice anyone to use it, not just stop and stare,” he said. The website states that during the time that Lawn on D is open to the public, the MCCA will experiment with programming in order to help plan for a permanent outdoor space as part of an expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. A copious amount of programming is planned to take place during the 18 months that the space is open to the public, such as a Slam Story Fest, pumpkin carving and concerts. So if you have a moment to spare in South Boston, sit on one of these swings—just for a minute—and be-

ADULT PLAYGROUND: Lawn on D also features complementary installed games, such as Ping-Pong and CornHole, that are open to the public to EMILY WISHINGRAD/the Justice

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT: The Lawn on D, where the temporary installation is located, was converted from an empty parking lot into a social space in August, to be open to the public for the next 18 months. EMILY WISHINGRAD/the Justice

EMILY WISHINGRAD/the Justice

IN THE HEAVENS: “Fishing in Heaven” on the Lawn on D can be viewed by looking through a cell phone’s camera at the sky, using a mobile application.

“Fishing in the Sky” reveals a new age of digitalized artwork “Fishing in the Sky” is truly an art piece of the digital age. Located on the Lawn on D in South Boston—a recently built public entertainment space—the augmented reality art piece is available to the visitor through the use of technology. By installing a mobile application called Layer, which activates the program Skywrite AR, a viewer will be able to see art in the sky. Created by Will Pappenheimer, a professor in the art department at Pace University in New York, and Zachary Brady, the partner and director of technology at Suits & Sandals, LLC, the application allows visitors to hold their cell phone up to the sky and view the piece through the phone’s camera. Images featured in the sky include a small picture of a house, the inside of which reads “ART LIVES HERE” and “Ceci n’est pas une pipe,” which is the text included in the piece “Treachery of Images” by Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. The experience is a magical one—seeing art that had not previously existed through the

lens of a smartphone. The Lawn on D’s website describes the phrases used, noting that they are “common sayings rewritten to evoke the area’s history, economic aspirations and possible future sea changes, appear as if they were written by a skywriting plane.” According to the application’s website, new images will be added daily. For special events, visitors will be able to use the mobile application to draw their own images to imprint on the sky. The most interesting thing about the piece is that the images in the sky seem to be fixed in space, even though they are not actually physical features. The images change depending on the viewer’s location on Lawn on D. There is a certain aspect of awe in the discovery of new images while walking through the park. As one of the phrases in the piece says in reference to the title of the piece, “YOU ARE FISHING IN THE SKY.” —Emily Wishingrad


THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014

21

ART EXHIBIT

MFA shows rarely exhibited ancient Jain artwork By KIRAN GILL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Tucked away in the Art of Asia section of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the South Asian department is highlighting a beautiful collection of Jain art in the exhibition Pure Souls: The Jain Path to Perfection. In the 6th century, Jainism developed in India as a religion with a strong emphasis on nonviolence. The religion evolved into two different sects: Svetambara and Digambara. In the exhibition, artwork from the Svetambara sect is displayed. In Pure Souls, a combination of rarely shown, early illustrated manuscripts and cloth paintings reveal the sacred, devotional world of Jainism. A few devotional statues from the religion are also included in the exhibition. Followers of the religion believe in the 24 enlightened Jain teachers, or Jinas, who came to Earth to attain personal liberation and aid others in their path to spiritual enlightment. Jains also commemorate five major life events: conception, birth, renunciation, enlightenment and liberation. In the exhibition, images of the last Jina’s life cycle are displayed. The exhibited manuscript from the Svetambara text, Kalpa Sutra, primarily depicts the life of Mahavira through the various stages of his life. In the dark enclave of the gallery, the viewer is encouraged to walk clockwise to experience

the five stages of Mahavira’s life The Jain manuscripts resemble modern-day comic strips. The manuscripts were made of either palm leaf or paper. As such, the loose folios and palm leaves were constructed into long, narrow shapes. As a result of the limited space on the folios, on each is only a brief paragraph of text of about five to six lines and a small rectangular or square image beside the text. The images in the manuscripts lacked scale and dimensions, but the artists made up for the size with their exquisite use of colors. Jain art of the time would predominantly use the colors red and gold. However, artist would also incorporate shades of yellows, pinks, reds, greens and blues. The pigment, despite the passage of years and obvious wear, is still vivid and luminous. For example, in the image “Indra Praising Mahavira” from Devasano Pado, the blue is bright and rich. In fact, the blue pigment was created from lapis lazuli. In the visually complex image, a seated Indra is momentarily captured in rapture as she praises Mahavira. Body contorted, arms raised, Indra’s head is seen from profile view. She is surrounded by repeating circular, undulating forms that symmetrically frame her body. Even in these small images, the level of details is surprising and encourages one to peer closer and closer so as to discern all the different strokes and markings that

were employed to create the image. These images are similar to the miniature style of painting. However, there is a slight lack of precision in the brushwork of the Jain pieces. Peer closer at an image, and you will see at times how not all strokes are the same when the artist is trying to evoke symmetry. The uneven strokes do not, however, detract from the beauty of the images. Pure Souls also showcases stat-

ues and pilasters. Flanking one of the entrances are two pillars from a Jain temple from the 10th and 11th centuries. The two pillars are mirror images of each other and depict one large Jina, standing in the kayostarga, “abandonment of the body,” posture, surrounded by smaller Jinas. The kayostraga pose is a relaxed manner of standing or laying down in which the body is at complete ease and symmetrically aligned.

The surrounding figures are all depicted in a seated, meditation position. In statues, Jinas are only depicted in one of these two poses. The beautiful, informative show that displays the sacred texts and manuscripts of a religious minority is on display until Nov. 30. The exhibition is an otherworldly experience as one is swept into the colorful, vibrant and rich culture of the Jain tradition.

CREATIVE COMMONS

HIDDEN TREASURES: Pure Souls: The Jain Path to Perfection displays Jain illuminated manuscripts such as the one above.

FILM

CREATIVE COMMONS

RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS: In Swim Little Fish Swim, family and friends come together to celebrate Maggie’s fourth birthday party, one of the happier moments of the film.

Indie film explores perceptions of self By JESSIE MILLER JUSTICE EDITOR

Life is full of changes, and how we react and handle these changes defines who we are as individuals. In Swim Little Fish Swim—a charmingly introspective independent French film—a young couple deals with their strained marriage while raising their young daughter as they deal with changes and challenges in their lives. Mary (Brooke Blum) and Leeward (Dustin Guy Defa) live in a one-room apartment in Chinatown in New York City with their daughter Maggie (Olivia Costello), affectionately nicknamed Rainbow by her father. Clearly, life isn’t easy for the family, and Mary works long as hours as a nurse to pay the bills while Leeward struggles with his music career. The film, which has made a limited theatrical release, has premiered at many film festivals, including SXSW in Austin in 2013

and the GenArt Film Festival in New York City, also in 2013, where the it won awards for Best Directing, Best Film and Best Male Actor. Written and directed by emerging artistic duo Ruben Amar and Lola Bessis, Swim Little Fish Swim is a visually compelling story that leaves audiences invested in the lives of the characters while questioning their own journey as well. The film starts with a focus on Lilas, played by Bessis, a struggling French artist trying to find her way in New York City while her overbearing mother—who is also a renown artist—demands she return home. Lilas, however, refuses to give up her work and decides to stay in the city after an art dealer says he can put her visual art in an upcoming exhibit. With no place to stay, Lilas ends up sleeping in Mary and Leeward’s living room. In the beginning of the film, Mary’s bleak and sterile setting at the hospital where she works offers a stark contrast to the vi-

brant and musical atmosphere of their apartment, where Leeward is home playing music and socializing with an eclectic mix of people. From the start, Mary and Leeward represent two different phases in life, one who has grown up and gotten a “real” job and one who clings to youth. Leeward refuses to take a high-paying job writing music for a commercial because he sees it as selling out to capitalism and losing his sense of self as an artist. Both actors deliver excellent performances in their respective roles and capture the delicate combination of stressful tension and brief moments of a love that is nearly forgotten. Maggie, even at three years old, is an excellently developed character, and Costello’s performance steals many scenes. She seems to be both at the center of the film and the outlier because the film deals with adult themes while constantly pulling itself back to the innocent life of the child. Maggie’s

presence is a constant reminder of youth to her father and a reminder of responsibility to her mother. Lilas is the true embodiment of what it means to be a struggling artist in New York City—wandering with purpose, absorbing everything and everyone you meet, driven by a desire to have your voice and art be heard. Bessis delivers the character with ease, which makes sense because she too is a budding artist. It was also interesting how intertwined the creation of Lilas’ video art project was with the actual film, as Lilas filmed the characters to piece together her work. According to a press release for the film written by its directors, “Swim Little Fish Swim is about the difficulties of achieving personal and artistic fulfillment and the desire to be accepted and recognized by the people we love.”As filmmakers who had previously worked together on a short film, Checkpoint, Amar and Bessis identified with the three main charac-

ters’ struggle to achieve, whether it is Mary’s dream of buying a house, Lilas’ determination of being called a real artist or Leeward’s avoidance of selling out to capitalism. By putting Lilas, Mary and Leeward in the same cramped space, the directors hoped to capture a moment where their lives would fall into place because of their interactions. Whether or not they achieved this, however, is subjective because the viewer is left not knowing where the characters truly end up in life. Swim Little Fish Swim is filled with perplexing little moments that all add up to a single moment that changes everything. By taking such a close look into the lives of the three main characters, the film simultaneously tells an enchanting, raw story while exploring the themes of life we all ponder. Though its reach may be limited, Swim Little Fish Swim is a creative gem that I’m glad I discovered.


Have an opinion to share? Write a letter to the editor!

Follow

Justice!

the

@theJustice

Send an email to Max Moran

forum@thejustice.org

Place your ad here To place an ad or for more information,

contact Aliza Kahn and Talia Zapinsky

at ads@thejustice.org


23

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014 | THE JUSTICE

ALBUM REVIEW

‘No Sound’ produces refreshing tunes By ILANA KRUGER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

After three albums, The Script has become an established, radiofriendly Irish rock band. Their fourth effort, No Sound Without Silence, released last Tuesday, features their usual mix of rock, pop and rhythm and blues. The band continues their successful run with another album of energetic, stadium-worthy songs with earnest lyrics. Lead vocalist Danny O’Donoghue, guitarist and vocalist Mark Sheehan and drummer Glen Power, all hailing from Dublin, had breakout hits with “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” and “Breakeven” from their selftitled 2008 debut album, and their second album, 2010’s Science & Faith, spawned several radio hits. #3, their aptly titled 2012 third album, only generated one hit: the will.i.am.-aided power anthem “Hall of Fame.” “Superheroes,” the lead single from No Sound, has similar

themes as “Hall of Fame,” minus the rap. Both songs grapple with reaching one’s full potential. “When you’ve been struggling to make things right / that’s how a superhero learns to fly,” O’Donoghue sings about overcoming adversity. Coupled with catchy hooks, the sometimes trite lyrics still convey the message effectively. While their first album was almost entirely about lost love, the band seems to have fallen into happier times. In No Sound, “Army of Angels” describes love as a “shield” from the world’s hardships. “Never Seen Anything Quite Like You” is simply about loving someone, with no bombs exploding or bullets flying, as is common in their other songs. Stripped down, O’Donoghue’s voice is at its best here with its acoustic backing. That is not to say that there are not any bleak moments in the album. “No Good in Goodbye” is a standard Script ballad about being lonely post-breakup. It doesn’t

hit as hard as their earlier songs with similar themes. “I can’t take the ache from heartache” is not as clever as “When a heart breaks / it don’t break even” from their 2008 chart-topping hit “Breakeven.” “It’s Not Right for You” and “The Energy Never Dies” present as mixes between melancholy and optimism. The former describes realizing that your current life is not enough, wanting more and actively changing things. Similar to their earlier song “Live Like Your Dying,” which was made popular by American Idol winner Kris Allen, “The Energy Never Dies” is about living in the moment even though “we could all be blown to pieces / because time’s a ticking bomb.” The song conveys some bleak imagery, but that is common, even in the band’s more upbeat moments. “Hail, Rain or Sunshine” is one of the band’s most cheerful, happy songs to date. Written for the Irish film Mrs. Brown’s Boys (2014), the song is about enjoying

time with friends and being content with life. A quieter moment comes with “Flares,” a piano-driven ballad co-written and produced by OneRepublic front man Ryan Tedder, lending his hit-making skills to his fellow tour mates; the Script opened for Tedder’s band this summer on the Native tour. The sparse arrangement complements the soaring chorus of “Did you see the sparks filled with hope? You are not alone/‘cause someone’s out there/sending out flares.” The album’s strong point comes from “Paint the Town Green,” with a distinctly Irish beat, featuring Celtic instrumentation and complete with handclaps and “Heys.” The lyrics clearly depict the band’s experience being away from Dublin and trying to bring their hometown to anywhere they are. “We’ll travel on the subway/ like it was the Luas line…turn this city into Dublin / wherever we may be,” are relatable lyrics for anyone that has felt homesick in another city or country.

“Without Those Songs,” another acoustic track, is an interesting tribute to several of music’s greats. “Would Sinatra be just a gangster or would Jackson be just a dancer / without those songs?” O’Donoghue asks. Whether or not the band is trying to put itself in the same league or admit that they are not at that level, the song is about music in general and the impact that great artists have, even after they are no longer alive. Sheehan, who contributed vocals and rapped on a lot of the previous album’s tracks, is less present in No Sound Without Silence. He has a line here or there, including in “Superheroes,” but this album sounds the most like their debut, with O’Donoghue doing the majority of the singing. While most of the album sticks to the band’s patented formula, the departure from sad, heartbroken songs is refreshing. After three successful albums and soldout tours, they seem to know what works.

CREATIVE COMMONS

SADNESS TURNED AROUND: Irish band The Script’s new album, No Sound Without Silence, steers away from the band’s former, more melancholy sounds and looks toward happier days.

Want to become red carpet famous?

Write for Arts Contact Emily Wishingrad at arts@thejustice.org


24 “

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014 | THE JUSTICE

TOPof the

ARTS ON VIEW

Brandeis TALKS

CHARTS

Quote of the week

for the week ending October 5

“There is not one border that does not divide something more than just the land.”

BOX OFFICE

1. Gone Girl 2. Annabelle 3. The Equalizer 4. The Boxtrolls 5. The Maze Runner 6. Left Behind 7. This is Where I Leave You 8. Dolphin Tale 2 9. Guardians of the Galaxy 10. No Good Deed

—President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama, on Monday, Sept. 29 (News, p. 1)

What do you think about Mod Cat?

NYT BESTSELLERS

Dan Kats ’16 “I have never lived in the Mods, but it is very sad when an animal dies or goes missing, so that’s a bummer. I will, of course, be mourning Mod Cat.”

HANNAH CHIDEKEL/the Justice

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: Justice photographer Hannah Chidekel ’18 took this photo in the medical wing, located in Cell Block 3, of the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia in June.

THE JUSTICE WANTS TO SEE YOUR ORIGINAL ARTWORK! Send works to photos@thejustice.org for a chance to be featured in next week’s issue.

iTUNES

CROSSWORD Austin Luor ’17 “I actually saw Mod Cat last week at the [Intercultural Center] I sort of wanted to pet her, but then I got scared. I think she’s in heaven now. Probably in better hands.”

Tove Freeman ‘16 “I met Mod Cat once, and she was very nice. She was a great cat. It was the first cat senator at Brandeis, so I can’t wait to see who’s going to take her spot.”

Zion Griffin ’15 “That was a tragic loss. Mod Cat truly represented the people; all of his nine lives were spent well.”

ACROSS 1 With 66-Across, 1967 Petula Clark hit, and a hint to the three longest puzzle answers 7 Address book no. 10 Bal. sheet expert 13 Lure 14 Gas station machine 15 Amtrak and B&O, e.g. 16 Readied for new paint 17 Thing left out 19 __ Paulo, Brazil 20 Web surfing devices 22 Baseball’s Rose 23 1927 soft-shoe classic 26 Body sci. 27 Charlotte and Norma 28 Swear to be true 31 Singer Ives 32 Suitable 35 1971 Janis Joplin charttopper 40 __ diem 41 Morning brew 42 Excellent 43 “Pretty Woman” co-star Richard 44 Med. plan options 47 1972 Billy Paul #1 hit 52 “The Thin Man” dog 53 Andre of tennis 54 Fall back, as a tide 57 On the floor above 59 Johannesburg section 61 Coloring agent 62 Pledges exchanged at the altar 63 “I’m a __, not a divider”: Bush 64 Spanish “that” 65 Guidance counselor’s deg. 66 See 1-Across DOWN 1 Recipe amts. 2 Wife of Zeus 3 “Pound the pavement” or “break the ice” 4 Addition result 5 O’Neill’s “The __ Cometh” 6 “Red Rocks” resort near Flagstaff 7 Upside-down puppy’s massage 8 Diplomatic representative 9 Hi-fi spinners 10 Sobbed 11 Prefix with plasm 12 Good __: fixed 14 Ode, for one 18 Health resorts 21 Banned bug killer 24 Make, as money 25 Ship’s wheel 28 Current unit 29 Gesture from a winner 30 Corn serving 31 Finance major’s deg. 32 In times past

1. Taylor Swift—“Shake it Off” 2. Meghan Trainor—“All About That Bass” 3. Jason Aldean—“Gonna Know We Were Here” 4. Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj—“Bang Bang” 5. Florida Georgia Line—“Sun Daze”

BILLBOARD

1. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga— Cheek to Cheek 2. Kenny Chesney—The Big Revival 3. Barbra Streisand—Partners 4. alt-J—This is All Yours 5. Pentatonix—PTX: Vol. III (EP) 6. Chris Brown—X 7. Soundtrack—Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 8. Joe Bonamassa—Different Shades Of Blue 9. Maroon 5—V 10. Jennifer Hudson—JHud Top of the Charts information provided by Fandango, the New York Times, Billboard. com and Apple.com.

33 Calligraphy tool 34 Golf ball raiser 36 Spun 9-Down at a party, say 37 Some tavern workers 38 Crowd with foliage 39 24 cans of beer, e.g. 43 Annoying bug 44 Nightwear, briefly 45 Death-feigningcritter 46 Like some dips 47 Bea Arthur title role 48 Cable sports awards 49 On a freighter 50 Smart-alecky talk 51 Deal with 55 Bingo call 56 Bjorn with five Wimbledon wins 58 Goal 60 Green Bay’s st.

STAFF’S Top Ten

CANDY FAVORITES By JASSEN LU

Solution to last issue’s crossword Crossword Copyright 2014 Tribune News Service, Inc.

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

Elena Insle ’15 “I’m really sad about losing Mod Cat. It really brought the Senior class and the mods community together.” —Compiled and photographed by Morgan Brill and Jeremy Perlman/the Justice.

Fiction 1. Edge of Eternity—Ken Follett 2. Personal—Lee Child 3. Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good—Jan Karon 4. Bones Never Lie— Kathy Reichs 5. All The Light We Cannot See— Anthony Doerr Nonfiction 1. Killing Patton—Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard 2. 13 Hours— Mitchell Zuckoff with members of the Annex Security Team 3. What If?— Randall Munroe 4. World Order—Henry Kissinger 5. Jesus on Trial— David Limbaugh

Solution to last issue’s sudoku

Sudoku Copyright 2014 Tribune News Service, Inc.

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Although I try to cut down how much candy I eat, when I do eat candy, I do not hesitate to pick out the good ones, even the more unusual ones. After all, nothing better than relaxing with a bag of candy on a restful day! Here are some of my top favorites but not necessarily in order of favor or flavor. 1. Skittles 2. Sour Patch Kids 3. Hershey’s Cookies and Cream Chocolate 4. Starbursts 5. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate 6. Jelly beans (except black licorice) 7. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups 8. KitKat Bars 9. Wonka Nerds 10. Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook