The Justice, April 12, 2011 issue

ARTS PULLOUT PAGE 25

SPORTS Men’s tennis defeats MIT 16

FESTIVAL PREVIEW

FORUM Don’t repeal student loans 11 The Independent Student Newspaper

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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 LXIII, Number 26

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Waltham, Mass.

PANEL

GLOBAL TRADE SUMMIT 2011

Leaders discuss UKIsrael trade mission ■ The eight panelists served

on the delegations that accompanied Gov. Deval Patrick on his trip abroad. By ERICA COOPERBERG JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

A panel of eight leaders in business spoke at a media roundtable at the 2011 Global Trade Summit last Tuesday. They discussed business practices that they encountered on the Massachusetts Innovation Economy Partnership Mission 2011 to Israel and the United Kingdom and the application of these practices for Massachusetts companies. The roundtable discussion took place in the Alumni Lounge in the

Usdan Student Center and was the first event in the day-long Global Trade Summit hosted by the Brandeis International Business School and the Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership. The summit included sessions focusing on international trade and business, following the business panel itself. Each of the panelists, including moderator Bruce Magid, dean of IBS, accompanied Patrick on the mission that arrived in Israel on March 7 and left the UK on March 17, according to a March 8 article in the Justice. In his introduction to the roundtable discussion, Magid said that the Global Trade Summit was organized in response to the

See ROUNDTABLE, 5 ☛

FAR EAST MOVEMENT and OF MONTREAL TO SHARE THE SPRINGFEST STAGE ARTS 19 ASHER KRELL/the Justice

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Gov. Deval Patrick addresses Massachusetts business leaders about recovering from the recession.

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Patrick speaks on economy ■ The governor discussed

both the Massachusetts recession recovery plan and his recent trade mission. By ALLYSON CARTTER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick served as the government keynote speaker at the Global Trade Summit 2011, which was held last Tuesday to address how to “solidify [Massachusetts’] place as a worldwide leader” in the global marketplace. The summit, sponsored by the Perlmutter Insitute for Global Business Leadership at the Interna-

tional Business School, was a conference held in the Levin Ballroom that attracted over 330 leaders from Massachusetts businesses, academia and government agencies, according to BrandeisNOW. Patrick discussed the plan to rehabilitate the Commonwealth “after the worst recession in living memory” so it is able to “compete in the global economy.” Patrick said that he and other government officials “have pursued a threepronged strategy to lift up our state and compete in the global economy: It’s all about education, innovation and infrastructure.” He also described his recent trade mission to Israel and the United Kingdom, which focused on

Beinart lectures on the Jewish establishment

increasing interaction with those countries by building a strong trade relationship and an international business partnership. “We initiated a 6-month project to convince El Al [an Israeli airline] to create direct flights between Boston and Tel Aviv,” Patrick said, adding that to ensure success, “we need to continue these conversations and … close on these investment opportunities.” IBS Dean Bruce Magid also attended the mission. Patrick said that he values “generational responsibility—[leaving] things better for those who come behind us.” The “importance of planning, organizing and executing [will not

■ The journalist and author

spoke on the importance of liberal Zionism among American Jews. By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The Jewish establishment, “as an organized community [has] failed” to create a “type of liberal Zionism” among a younger generation of American Jews, said Peter Beinart, a journalist and author, in a lecture Sunday night in the Hassenfeld Con-

See ECON, 5 ☛

See JOURNALIST, 5 ☛

Milan 101

Team wins four more

Prof receives prize

 Milan maintains an Italian charm despite its American influence.

The baseball team went 4-1 on the week to continue its hot streak of late.

Prof. Janet McIntosh (ANTH) was recently awarded the 2010 Clifford Geertz prize.

FEATURES 9 For tips or info e-mail editor@thejustice.org

ference Center. The lecture and subsequent question-and-answer session was sponsored by J Street U and J Street Boston and co-sponsored by the Journalism program, the Brandeis Zionist Alliance, the Brandeis Democrats and the Peace, Conflict and Coexistence Studies program. Beinart received notice in the American Jewish community for his essay published in the New York Review of Books last year titled “The Failure of the Jewish Establishment.” According to the event’s Facebook page, the Sunday talk followed

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 7

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

COMMENTARY

11

NEWS 2 COPYRIGHT 2011 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.

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TUESDAY, April 12, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Senate signs letter in disapproval of BSJP protest, passes SMRs

Medical Emergency

Executive Senator and Senator for the Class of 2011 Abraham Berin played a YouTube video taken on April 4 of members of Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine and leaders of Jewish Voice for Peace shouting at Israeli Knesset member Avi Dichter and walking out of the Levin Ballroom during the Ruderman Fellows event. The senators then discussed whether the Senate should take any action in response to that incident. The lengthy discussion encompassed such topics as the difference between BJSP and JVP, the difference between the actions of a club and those of its members, individuals’ rights to free speech, whether the protestors violated the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, and what role, if any, the Senate has in disciplining the students involved. Ultimately, the Senate voted (10 in favor, five opposed, two abstentions) to support an open letter that Berin had written outside of his role as a senator titled “Letter of Disapproval for the Actions of the Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine and members of the Brandeis Jewish Voice for Peace.” Berin proposed a bylaw addition that would require all clubs to follow Rights and Responsibilities as a group. As per Senate protocol, the proposal will be discussed and brought to a vote at the next Senate meeting. The Senate voted unanimously to recognize the Brandeis Disabilities Club. Senator for the Class of 2011 Michael Newborn, who was representing the club, explained that he intends for the club to become a community for individuals with disabilities of all types to socialize and support each other. The Senate unanimously approved Senate Money Resolution S11-09, which will allocate up to $4,000 to the Senate Services Committee to spend on the Midnight Buffet. Berin, one of the co-chairs of the Services Committee, explained that the actual cost of Midnight Buffet will be less than $4,000. Berin presented a review of the Senate’s budget. According to the presentation, the Senate began the semester with $12,969.26 in allocatable funds. As of the start of the meeting, the Senate had a total of $9,041 for the rest of the semester. The approval of $8,629 worth of SMRs at this meeting leaves $380 for the final two meetings of the semester, said Berin. The Senate unanimously approved SMR S11-10, which provides $484 for a fundraising raffle to the Brandeis student-run nonprofit organization Coins for Children, which the organization’s representatives explained encourages children to collect coins to be used to purchase toys and other items for hospitalized children. The representatives explained that a similar raffle conducted last year, which they said had been funded by an SMR of approximately $500, yielded about $1,300 toward the project. Berin and Senator for the Foster Mods Tyrone Calliste ’11 presented SMR S11-11, which requested $1,475 for a beach-themed celebration co-sponsored by Student Activities to be held outside the Mods during Senior Week. The SMR passed unanimously. Senator for the Castle Miriam Halimi ’13 presented SMR S11-12, which provides $1,396.98 for a sophomore barbecue. The Senate approved the SMR unanimously, minus one abstention. The Senate unanimously approved SMR S11-13, which provides $1,274 for a carnival-themed barbecue co-sponsored by the Department of Community Living to be held in Massell Quad. Senator for East Quad Andrew Hayes ’13 reported that last week’s event to promote drinking tap water only required about $4 rather than the $50 that had been allocated to him last week in an SMR.

Apr. 6—A party on Turner Street informed University Police that there was a 70-year-old female feeling faint and dizzy. The woman was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Apr. 7—An individual reported that a party in Reitman Hall was having chest pains. BEMCo treated the party on-scene and the party was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Apr. 7—An individual in Usen Residence Hall was experiencing chest pains. BEMCo treated the party onscene and then transported the individual to the NewtonWellesley Hospital. Apr. 7—A reporting party requested transportation for a 65-year-old male from the Usdan Student Center to Mas-

BRIEF sachusetts General Hospital. Apr. 9—A student in Scheffres Residence Hall stated that she was suffering knee pain and could not move. The student was treated by BEMCo and then transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Apr. 10—An individual was punched in the face in Sherman Function Hall. The individual had a minor cut above his eye and refused medical assistance.

Traffic

Apr. 4—A student fell out of her seat while riding on the BranVan. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

the Castle. Two students were questioned regarding vandalism to a residence hall door. A report and judicial referral were composed. Apr. 9—A party reported three to four males yelling and screaming outside the Foster Mods. University Police dispersed the parties. Apr. 9—A student was arrested at a dance in Sherman Function Hall. They were charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, and a judicial referral was composed. Apr. 10—A party reported people smoking marijuana and being loud outside Reitman Hall. University Police did not locate the group.

Miscellaneous

Apr. 8—University Police observed a rowdy group at

—compiled by Andrew Wingens

Professor McIntosh receives Geertz prize Prof. Janet McIntosh (ANTH) was recently awarded the 2010 Clifford Geertz prize for the Anthropology of Religion for her book, The Edge of Islam: Power, Personhood, and Ethnoreligious Boundaries on the Kenya Coast, according to BrandeisNOW. McIntosh’s book explores the ethnic and religious tensions of the Swahili and Giriama peoples of Kenya while discussing how each group specifically relates to the practice of Islam. McIntosh said in an interview with the Justice that she was inspired to write this book because “Islam is all over the news right now and I think it’s too easy for people to imagine that there is just one Islam. Something I focused on was the idea that there are many Islams, and Islam can mean very different things to people of different cultural backgrounds.” According to the BrandeisNow article, the Clifford Geertz prize is given to an “outstanding work in the field” of anthropological study. The prize is given each year by the Society for the Anthropology of Religion. Members of the award’s selection committee award the prize to what book they feel is the best in the anthropology of religion for that year, Misty Bastian of Franklin and Marshall College, one of the individuals directly involved in awarding the Geertz Prize, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. According to its website, the Society for the Anthropology of Religion is a section of the American Anthropological Association that seeks to facilitate the research and teaching of the anthropology of religion. “The Selection Committee chose McIntosh’s study both for its theoretical rigor and for its ‘thick description’ of religious, moral life in a place where people move between indigenous practice and Islam in Kenya,” Bastian wrote. A particular focal point of McIntosh’s book centers on how each group interprets the self, and in turn, its understanding and practice of Islam. “The Swahili and the Giriama [communities], have very different ideas of what a person should be and what a person is. And so one thing I really explored in the book is that these different models of personhood really inform their different versions of Islam,” she wrote. In an interview with the Justice, McIntosh said she is currently working on a second book that explores the adaptation of white Kenyans who are the descendants of colonial settlers. —Shani Abramowitz

—Brian Fromm

NOTE TO READERS:

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n A photo caption in the inauguration edition misspelled the photographer’s surname. The photographer is Hilary Heyison, not Hilary Heisyon. (April 5, pg. A6) n An article in the inauguration edition incorrectly stated who narrowed down submissions for the poster symposium. The article stated a panel of faculty narrowed down the submissions. In fact, graduate student senators narrowed down the submissions. n A Brandeis Talks Back quote misspelled a student’s surname. The student is Raviv Legmann, not Raviv Lengmann. (April 5, pg. 10) n An photo caption in Arts misspelled the photographer’s given name. The photographer is Asher Krell, not Ahser Krell. The photo is also a Justice file photo. (April 5, pg. 18) n An article and photograph in Arts included Dave Benger, who is a Justice features staff writer. (April 5, pg. 23) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail editor@ thejustice.org.

Justice

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

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

Barbecue on the Great Lawn

Student Events sponsored an ’80s block party on Friday on the Great Lawn from 2 to 5 p.m. as part of Bronstein Week 2011. The barbecue included free hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream; inflatables; music; and a break dance performance by YAK Dance Crew Entertainment.

The Justice is on hiatus for spring recess. Our next issue will be published May 3, 2011. Check our website, www.thejustice.org, periodically for updates.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Physics lecture

David Kaplan of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will discuss a sample of nearby, cooling neutron stars. Kaplan is attempting to pin down the basic parameters of these neutron stars with a variety of ground- and space-based observations, coupled with theoretical modeling. Along the way, Kaplan has encountered a number of interesting astrophysical puzzles that he will describe. Today from 4 to 5 p.m. in Abelson-Bass-Yalem 131.

Multicultural Freedom Seder

Join Hillel, the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance and many other campus groups to recall the story of the Exodus and explore instances of oppression, redemption and cultural expression throughout history and modern times. The Seder will include reflection, stories, advocacy, dialogue and song over a shared meal. Today from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Ridgewood A South Campus Commons.

Eliminating preventable blindness

Dr. James Afful Clarke will speak about topics such as eye care, health care in Africa, international development, community health workers, building local capacity and refugee health care. Clarke frequently speaks

about eye care in Ghana, global health and international development. Tomorrow from noon to 2 p.m. in Schneider G3.

Anita Hill and Margaret Marshall discuss

An intimate discussion with civil rights activist Prof. Anita Hill (Heller) and former Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Margaret H. Marshall, an honorary degree recipient from Brandeis. These women will discuss their careers and their commitment to social justice and answer questions. Sponsored by the Student Union and the Office of the President. RSVP to sgeller@brandeis.edu is required. Tomorrow from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Faculty Club.

Omar Barghouti speaks

Omar Barghouti is a founding member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and the Palestinian Civil Society Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. Sponsored by Jewish Vocie for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. Tomorrow from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Lurias.

Sustainability across disciplines

Earth Week is celebrated at Brandeis start-

ing April 10. The highlight of the week is an Earth Day Fair and panel. Join Profs. Peter Kalb (HIST), Kate Moran (PHIL), Sabine von Mering (ROMS) and Associate Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life Marci McPhee for their take on Environmental Sustainability. There will also be local, sustainable food and fun activities. Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

Foster care lecture

Stephanie Wasserman discusses how foster mothers are a resource for understanding how to help traumatized children heal while in foster care. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts indicates that admirable foster moms actively promote the child’s developing attachment, convey a strong sense of agency and model resilience. Thursday from 12:20 to 2 p.m. in the WSRC Lecture Hall.

Rabbi Steven Weil speaks

Rabbi Steven Weil, the executive director of the Orthodox Union, will speak about themes in the Haggadah and then have an open question-and-answer session on topics facing the American Jewish community. Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Beit Midrash.

THE JUSTICE

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Fuhrer addresses US recovery ■ Federal Reserve Executive

Vice President and Senior Adviser Jeffrey Fuhrer explained the second round of quantitative easing policies. By FIONA LOCKYER JUSTICE EDITOR

Last Wednesday, members of the Brandeis Economics Club as well as the Hiatt Career Center, the Business program and the Economics department brought Executive Vice President and Senior Policy Adviser of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Jeffrey Fuhrer to discuss the role of the Fed during recovery from a recession and the current action being taken by the Fed to achieve that goal. The presentation, titled “The Role of the Federal Reserve in Economic Recovery,” focused on the challenges of recovering from a recession, what the current economic environment is like and what the Fed is doing to aid in this recovery process. Fuhrer’s lecture pointed to persistent numbers of high unemployment, undesirable low inflation and a “moribund” residential sector as reasons for a slow recession recovery. He also pointed to the declining value of housing and foreign markets at risk of collapse as other reasons for economic concern. “Unemployment is high, and it’s likely to remain so for quite some time,” he said. Fuhrer explained that it was unlikely that the unemployment rate was due to structural unemployment, such as having undesirable skills, geographic mismatch of job openings or extended unemployment benefits. “The idea that you wouldn’t take a job that was offered because you’re making 50 percent of your salary in unemployment benefits … doesn’t sound quite right,” he said. Fuhrer described the Fed’s second round of quantitative easing, QE2, policy tools as the way that the Fed is attempting to raise inflation and decrease unemployment. The QE2 plan has been to buy United States treasury bonds in order to lower interest rates and raise inflation, he said. “It’s encouraging to see that the unemployment rate has dropped [from 10 percent to just under 9 percent],” Fuhrer said. “In fact, in the congressional charter that defines the responsibilities of the Federal Reserve says we’re responsible for inflation staying stable and keeping the unemployment rate at some reasonable level,” he continued. Although Fuhrer said he was happy to see the unemployment rate decrease, he was dissatisfied with the low inflation rate, which, according to the Phillips Curve, a basic concept of economics that describes a tradeoff between low inflation and high unemployment, is often accompa-

By DANIEL HEINRICH JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On Wednesday, April 6, the MLK and Friends club hosted a panel and discussion titled “The King and I.” The panel explored the fight for justice told from the perspective of women who have made Martin Luther King Jr.’s “dream” their reality. The event was part of MLK Week, a week of events that commemorate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. by surrounding the date of his assassination. The panelists of Wednesday’s discussion were Erika Smith, a staff member of the Transitional Year Program; Director of the Intercultural Center Monique Gnanaratam; and Prof. Jasmine Waddell (Heller). In an interview with the Justice,

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STUDENT LIFE

Burden of proof for sexual assaults to change Education released new guidelines for universities dealing with sexual violence. By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

LYDIA EMMANOUILIDOU/the Justice

INVOLVEMENT: Fuhrer said the Boston Fed has attempted to provide large, short-term assistance with mortgage payments. nied by levels of high unemployment. “What we’re learning now is that doing monetary policy in a low-inflation environment isn’t as easy as we thought,” he said. Fuhrer said that “most of the foreclosure plans to date have been modifications of mortgages. … Modifications provide a modest but permanent change in the payments for a borrower.” He continued, however, that “the thing that causes foreclosures are temporary and large disruptions in income. So what most homeowners need to avoid foreclosure is large, temporary assistance with their payments, not modest, permanent assistance with their payments.” “That’s not universally true,” he continued, “but that’s true for the bulk of folk facing foreclosure. So the problem with most foreclosure

policies today is that they have not addressed foreclosures in a way that provides … assistance for folks facing foreclosure.” Fuhrer said that the Boston Fed has suggested plans that would embody this idea of providing large, short-term assistance with mortgage payments but said they were not taken up on the national level. In an interview with the Justice, co-founder and President of the Brandeis Tea Party Chapter MaryAlice Perdichizzi ’12 said she found the event “pretty cool. It was pretty clear. I expected him to speak a little bit longer.” Eugene Goncharov ’13 said in an interview with the Justice, “It was all right. I think the speaker addressed basic themes and basic topics [of economics], and I think more in-depth information would have been use-

ful. … More of us had more detailed knowledge of the topics.” In an interview with the Justice, Brandeis Economics Club co-founder Joshua Hoffman-Senn ’13 said “We pulled Hiatt in [as a co-sponsor] because they have a lot of outreach in the community, and we wanted to make sure it was properly publicized and arranged.” Hiatt, which funded part of the event, distributed surveys at the end of the event, polling attendees as to whether Fuhrer adequately gave an example of a career in economics. Co-founder of the Brandeis Economics Club Matt Greenzang ’13 said in an interview with the Justice, “It’s good to see that we got a good turnout, that students are genuinely interested in the subject and not just going to class,” estimating that 70 students attended the event.

MLK panel discusses role of women a week of events honoring women who influenced Martin Luther King Jr.

TUESDAY, April 12, 2011

■ The U.S. Department of

CAMPUS SPEAKER

■ MLK and Friends organized

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MLK Scholar Darlene Zephyrine ’11, who helped organize the event, said that the panelists were chosen because “these three women embody the characteristics of those same women who helped reign in the Civil Rights Movement.” Prof. Gordon Fellman (SOC) moderated the event. Of choosing Fellman, Zephyrine said, “We chose a male moderator because ... we didn’t want to alienate the presence of the men since that would not be in the spirit of MLK’s principles and ... we wanted to have [a] somewhat [of] a male-female balance.” Brandeis club MLK and Friends organized the week’s worth of events that commemorated the women who influenced King. Beginning with a memorial vigil on Monday, the week’s programs continued through Thursday. MLK Week is usually held in January, surrounding the national holiday of MLK Day. “[This year] we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate him throughout the semester by hosting events around the anni-

versary of his assassination,” said MLK Scholar Lue-Hing ’12, who organized the event with Zephyrine, in an interview with the Justice. “During MLK Week, we celebrate not only Dr. King’s memory but ourselves as a family that avidly promotes his ideals of social justice” she said. When asked why MLK Week decided to focus on the influence of women, Zephyrine said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s the Civil Rights movement or a corporate office place, but the contributions of women in any major event in the world are often undermined or ignored. The club felt that this was a great opportunity to showcase the women behind ‘the King.’” Lue-Hing said, “Throughout history and especially during the Civil Rights Movement, women had been true vectors of change and the purveyors of peace and needed to be acknowledged for that.” MLK and Friends is a club on campus that was started in 2006 by MLK Scholars, recipients of the

Brandeis University Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, and was recognized in 2007. According to the Brandeis Merit Scholarship site, the MLK Scholarship is awarded to entering first-year students on the basis of academic performance and extracurricular participation in secondary school, outstanding community involvement and demonstrated financial need. Lue-Hing said, “MLK and Friends was started in 2006 because the MLK Scholars felt that they needed a way to carry on the spirit of community service, leadershipbuilding and community engagement that attracted us to campus as scholars in the first place. We wanted a way to collaborate with our friends and the rest of the Brandeis community to make this happen.” Zephyrine added that “the club is not isolated only to the scholars and our friends but rather to anyone who wants to organize service-learning projects with the purpose of portraying the various ideologies of MLK Jr.”

The University will lower its standard of proof for internal proceedings on sexual assault from a “clear and convincing standard” to a “preponderance of evidence standard,” Senior Vice President for Communications and External Affairs Andrew Gully said in an interview with the Justice. According to the preponderance of evidence standard, the University would need to determine that “it is more likely than not that sexual harassment or violence occurred,” according to an April 4 letter issued by the Office of Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education. The previous clear and convincing standard required that it be “highly probable or reasonably certain that the sexual harassment or violence occurred,” according to the letter. Gully said that the change will go into effect immediately and will be recorded in the Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook over the summer. The change of the standard of proof from “clear and convincing” to “a preponderance of the evidence” was made in order to comply with new guidelines under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 issued by the OCR in the April 4 letter. According to statistics published online by the Department of Public Safety, there were two “forcible sex offenses” in 2008 and one in 2009 on the Brandeis campus. Title IX prohibits “discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities operated by recipients of Federal financial assistance,” according to the letter. Title IX also defines sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination. According to the letter, “The requirements of Title IX pertaining to sexual harassment also cover sexual violence.” Sexual violence, as defined by the letter, “refers to physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person’s will or where a person is incapable of giving consent.” According to the letter, the new Title IX guidelines also require schools to take “immediate and appropriate action” if it “knows or reasonably should know of possible sexual violence.” Parties involved in the dispute would also have equal opportunity to present witnesses and equal appeal rights. Schools would be required to “take prompt and effective steps to end the sexual violence, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects” regardless of any police investigations. Universities must also “issue a policy against sex discrimination, adopt and publicize grievance procedures and have a Title IX coordinator in order to comply with Title IX,” according to the letter. The Title IX coordinator would be responsible for “overseeing all Title IX complaints,” according to the letter. In an interview with the Justice, Gully said that students currently have three options when they report a case of sexual assault to Public Safety. One option is to go to the Waltham district court and file a criminal complaint. A second is to go to the student judicial system and file a judicial complaint and the third option is to have the file noted but kept within Public Safety, said Gully. —Fiona Lockyer contributed reporting.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

AWARDS

CAREERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH

English professor awarded fellowship to study in England ■ Prof. John Plotz (ENG) will

spend time in Kelmscott, England after being awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship. By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITOR

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

HEALTHY NETWORKING: President of Pathfinder International Daniel Pellegrom speaks about leadership in health care systems.

Hiatt hosts health care event ■ The Public Health Forum

allowed students to network with employers from nearby medical centers. By SHANI ABRAMOWITZ JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The University hosted its inaugural Public Health Forum event that was co-sponsored by the Hiatt Career Center and the Office of Career Services at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center Thursday evening. The event included a combination of speeches and networking opportunities that allowed undergraduate and graduate students to evaluate potential future employers and job options. Daniel Pellegrom, president of Pathfinder International, addressed some of the key issues concerning health care today. Pellegrom noted how to effectively manage a corporation or orga-

nization by “making management an opportunity [and] making the organization for which you work an instrument itself that does a better job at delivering the services that you care about and believe in.” Pellegrom also spoke about how to empower employees and what it means to be a competent leader. “If you do gravitate to leading an organization, do lots of listening, and examine yourself if you see that management is not doing what it should. ... Examine yourself, and figure out ways in which to direct the energy to the organization to make it more productive,” he said. “A leader knows where he or she is going, means what they say, remains optimistic, and is inclined to take action,” added Pellegrom. After his speech, Pellegrom opened the floor to questions. Students and attendees raised questions regarding how organizations can create better health care integration on a global level related to tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/ AIDS, and what, if any, are the setbacks that his own organization is

experiencing at this point in time. Employers from various health care institutions stationed themselves at tables where potential employees, undergraduate and graduate students alike, engaged in 20-minute round-table discussion sessions that enabled them to ask the questions necessary to determine whether or not they were suited for that particular employer. Employers at the event included the Bowdoin Street Health Center, McLean Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Tufts Medical Center and Meditech, among others. In an interview with the Justice, Danielle Gurr ’11, who attended the event, said, “I thought the event was really interesting.” She continued, “The keynote speech was really relevant, and the people who were there to network with the students were really interested in the students; some of them were alums, so that made it kind of more comfortable to talk to them because they knew where we were coming from.”

Prof. John Plotz (ENG) has been awarded a 2011-2012 academic year Guggenheim Fellowship for his current book project titled SemiDetached: The Aesthetics of Partial Absorption, according to an April 9 BrandeisNOW article. “It feels fantastic,” Plotz said in an interview with the Justice. He also said that the fellowship, which will grant him between 6 and 12 months that he may spend at his discretion for his work, will allow him to set aside time to focus on the research surrounding his project. According to Plotz, he will spend a few weeks in Kelmscott, England at the home of William Morris, a 19th-century poet and artist who Plotz said contributed greatly to his research. “It’s always been important for me to try spend more time getting inside his head, ... and that is what I hope to do during this research trip,” said Plotz. According to its website, the Guggenheim Fellowship is awarded through two annual competitions to applicants who have “demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.” Candidates must apply to the Guggenheim Foundation to be considered for either competition. Applicants are reviewed by experts in their own field before a network of advisers and former Guggenheim Fellows submit reports on the applicants of their respective fields. Their recommendations are sent to a selection committee, which then makes the final decisions. Between 3,500 and 4,000 applications are received each year, and only about 220 of them receive the award each year. According to Plotz, his work on semi-detachment is about being absorbed in a piece of art while simultaneously being present in the real world. Plotz said that he looked at both modern and 19th-century mediums of art consumption in real life for his book. “This project really began with my thinking about what it means to ride around listening to your iPod

while riding your bike,” said Plotz. According to Plotz, his current project also stems from two previous projects: One, a book titled The Crowd: British Literature and Public Politics, Plotz which examined the role of crowds, riots and demonstrations in 19th-century British literature, and his more recent book titled Portable Property: Victorian Culture on the Move, which looks at the role portable items such as jewelry and other trinkets in the lives of members of Victorian society. “[This project] brings together a bunch of things I have been thinking about for a long time,” said Plotz. Plotz also said that he had begun his project by focusing on semi-detachment in the 21st-century. However, like in his two former projects, he soon broadened the scope of the project so it now includes 19th-century ideas, specifically art. “For the first time, I really found a way to talk about 19th century paintings, which is something that I wanted to do for a long time,” said Plotz. “I realize [semi-detachment] applies, not just to our own lives nowadays, but that it really helps me understand a lot of paintings that I really love from the Victorian period.” Plotz said that while comparing semi-detachment in both time periods, he knew that there would be differences between the two. “I knew one big difference was going to be this whole notion of a wired generation,” said Plotz, meaning the question regarding if current generations, especially the college-age generation, are “hardwired” differently from members of previous generations. Plotz noted that interactions with social media as well as consumption of media through the Internet and electronic devices would also be a main difference and question to explore in terms of literature, music and art. However, Plotz also said that there were similarities between semi-detachment concerning 19th-century art and that of 21st-century media. He described these similarities, listing the central issue of being immersed in a piece of art or being detached from real life, while still dealing with everyday issues as an example.

EVENT

BSJP and JVP present three generations of Palestinian refugees

■ Part of Nakba

Commemoration Day 2011, the event featured three refugees who spoke about the history of Palestine and their time in the area. By FIONA LOCKYER JUSTICE EDITOR

Last night, three Palestinians living in the United States presented their experiences as three generations of refugees in the States to a small group of students as part of Nakba Commemoration Day 2011, a three-day event. The event was co-sponsored by Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. The presenters, Dr. Khaid Khalili, Layla Cable and Lisa Hanania ‘11, spoke about what they considered to be the Palestinian disaster, or Nakba (in Arabic) of 1948, when the modern-day state of Israel was de-

clared. The event comes on the heels of the Knesset’s adoption of two new laws concerning Palestinians in Israel. According to a March 24 Los Angeles Times article, the first law legalizes “admissions committees” in small Israeli towns to determine who may receive citizenship. According to the same article, the second law imposes fines on Arab towns, local authorities and statefunded organizations that commemorate Nakba Day, which falls close to Israel Independence Day. The first speaker was Cable, a first-generation refugee who provided a lengthy colonial history of Palestine and the area surrounding it, including details about the original British occupation of the area which is now considered Israel. “Palestine had always been an open country,” she said, comparing the culture of Palestinians to that of Native Americans who had been living in America before colonization. “There was no yours and mine,” she said, explaining the idea of

masha’a, or shared, communal land which was a part of Palestinian culture. “People came and decided what was going to be taken,” she continued. Cable said, “Palestine was won over with violence and aggression,” and that Palestinians considered 1948 to be a catastrophe because it resulted in a loss of culture and livelihood for displaced Palestinians. Khalili, a Muslim from Palestine, was joined by his wife, an American Jewish woman. “I am a product of Nakba, too,” he said, explaining that he lived in the Shatila refugee camp. “People [in the refugee camps] used to say ‘What are you laughing at? You’re a Palestinian,’” he said. “A lot of people supporting Israel 110 percent don’t know what Israel is doing in their name.” Khalili, however, did find positive aspects in Israel. “There are a lot of people in Israel who are doing the right thing,” he said. He continued to say later, “We’re

all in this together. ... People need to stand up because it’s the right thing to do.” The last presenter, Hanania, shared the story of her grandfather, who she said was well known in her Palestinian village, which is now a part of Israel. She described how, walking through the market, he would point out what the town used to be like in order to recreate the image for her. “The whole image that he was talking about completely did not exist,” she said, explaining that as she read more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she realized that much of her grandfather’s explanation had been “sugar coated.” During the question-and-answer session, BSJP member Noam Lekach ’14 asked if the panelists had any advice for how to have a meaningful conversation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with someone of different beliefs. JVP co-founder Lev Hirschhorn ’11 expanded on this question, stating that he found that many of the

posters advertising the event had been taken down and asking why this topic in particular would cause conflict on the campus. Khalili’s wife said that as an American Jew, she was mostly unaware of the conflict in Israel and Palestine and of mistreatment of Palestinians until she met Khalili. The panel pointed to ignorance as a reason as to why the event may be conflict-inducing. Khalili asked, “What don’t you want to know about this? It’s part of history.” Cable concluded the talk by saying, “This is just a tiny segment of what happened,” she said, retelling the story of two of her family members who are being forced to demolish the homes that they built near Bethlehem in Israel. “You want to know stories, there are lots of stories,” she said. “I want to wake up and say ‘I’m not Palestinian today’ and just go out and have some fun, but every time you turn around [there is another] disaster that touches Palestinians.”

THE JUSTICE

ECON: IBS holds trade summit

●

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011

5

LEADING THE DISCUSSION

CONTINUED FROM 1

just benefit] the here and now, but the long-term,” he said. The summit’s program involved a variety of “experts who shared regional expertise on key emerging markets [and] sessions on doing business in Asia, South America [and] Europe,” Matthew Parillo, director of Marketing and Communications at IBS wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. “We offered panels on key functional areas—like how to build global trade operations, export financing and working with foreign suppliers,” Parillo wrote. “Collectively, we hope that business leaders left better suited to navigate the global economy,” he wrote. IBS master's student Thomas Weaver, who attended the event, said in an interview with the Justice that his interest in emerging markets, specifically in Asia, drew him to the summit. “There’s a great panel of speakers [discussing that subject],” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting new ideas that … drive new interest.” John Gugliada, another attendee and principal of his international business development company Parallel Partner, Inc., said he was most looking forward to the summit’s breakout sessions, during which the leaders had the opportunity to break into smaller, more informal groups to discuss more pointed issues. “I’m here to learn … from a larger experience of speakers [about] the markets they’ve tried to enter, and then learn from their trial and error,” he said in an interview with the Justice. Business Keynote Speaker James Taiclet, CEO of American Tower, a wireless and broadcast tower provider, recognized in his speech that business leaders are responsible for providing a focused, structured plan for their businesses. “Clearly define the one or two things that your team is going to be the best in the world at, and then determine the steps that you need to take to get there,” he challenged the leaders. “[Taiclet’s] story of transforming his firm from a local business to a global provider of wireless and broadcast communication sites … provided valuable lessons to the attendees,” Parillo wrote. Parillo noted that Brandeis students were able to get involved in the summit not only by attending, but also by further serving as Summit Ambassadors. As ambassadors, students were “assigned a visiting speaker or dignitary as a primary contact, … reached out to these visitors in advance and welcomed them to Brandeis. On the day of the event, the ambassadors showed the visitors around campus and provided assistance needed,” Parillo wrote. “This enabled them to have direct contact and to network with many of the leaders from industry and government throughout the day,” he added. “The emphasis of the Summit was to focus on providing practical knowledge—not just theoretical concepts—to conduct business successfully across borders,” Parillo wrote. “It was truly a collaborative effort [with the entire Brandeis community, the organizers, senior administration, faculty, staff and students], which we feel was highly successful and well received.”

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

BUSINESS PANEL: Leaders of Massachusetts companies recapped the mission and analyzed possible applications of the trip for state industries with Israel and the U.K.

ROUNDTABLE: Panel speaks on challenges CONTINUED FROM 1 trade mission as a “logical and natural follow-up.” According to the Justice article, the trade mission primarily addressed opportunities and challenges for companies that work in technological fields. Each of the panelists works with companies that focus on biopharmaceutical technology, life sciences technology or social networking. Magid said that the goal of the Global Trade Summit was to provide attendees with “the practical knowledge they need to expand exports and build international partnerships.” The goal of the Global Trade Summit, Magid continued, was to bring together “representatives from industry, academia and the public sector to identify opportunities for future growth and job opportunities in the state [of Massachusetts].” Magid asked each of the panelists to explain why they chose to participate on the trade mission and to share insights they gained from the program.

Diane Hessan, president and CEO of Communispace, which provides consumer insights and market research, who only attended the Israel portion of the program, said that she chose to participate in the trade mission because Israel is “number 1” in startups, venture capital, engineers and Ph.D.s per capita, and because technologies such as the cell phone, voice mail and the first anti-virus software were invented there. The two goals she had for the program, she said, were to learn how to implement Israeli business practices, particularly concerning environmental sustainability and handling risk in Massachusetts, and to bring Israeli entrepreneurs to Massachusetts. Tamara Joseph, senior vice president and general counsel of Cubist, a bio-pharmaceutical company, said that the decision to go to Israel was a “no-brainer” because “there are very interesting innovations there,” especially concerning collaboration and innovation in business. Michael Greeley, general partner at the venture capital firm Fly-

bridge Capital Partners said that he had hoped to learn how Israel has “weathered the storm” of the global economic recession, citing the country’s “collaborative investment community” as a trait from which he hopes that Massachusetts businesses can learn. Other panelists also focused on Massachusetts’ role in international trade. Andy Ory, co-founder of Acme Packet, which produces session border controllers for telephone communications, said that he believes Massachusetts has a “culture of innovation … [and] a culture of excellence” that will be key to leading the changing technological market. He said that in order to enact this change, Massachusetts business leaders must “get out and engage and learn” how best to function in the changing market. Praveen Tipirneni, vice president for business development at Cubist, spoke about the benefits afforded to Massachusetts companies, particularly in his company’s fields of life sciences and biotechnology, because

of the “critical mass of all the disciplines you need to get a biopharmaceutical company started and going forward” available in the state. “Massachusetts is competing for its edge on a worldwide basis,” said Winston Henderson, vice president and general counsel of the drug development company Surface Logix. The ability for companies in today’s economy to grow fast, Henderson said, is “critical.” One of his goals for the trade mission was to “put Massachusetts on the forefront” in global trade, he continued. Frank Sinton Jr., CEO of PMC BioTec, which provides waste treatment technologies, the final panelist, added that one of the “side benefits” of the trade mission was the connections he was able to make with fellow Massachusetts business leaders during “bus time” and other time spent traveling. These local connections, he said, have helped him to learn about other business practices and have led to collaborative business plans that will help create jobs in Massachusetts.

JOURNALIST: Beinart gives message to young Jews CONTINUED FROM 1 in the wake of the success of that article. According to Beinart, “There has been this enormous effort to desensitize, to distract, young American Jews from the realities of what an occupation actually is, what it means in people’s lived experience to have a state over which they have virtually no power, controlling most of the important decisions in their lives.” This attempted desensitization of American Jews toward the issue of the occupation in the West Bank, Beinart argued, marks a profound failure in producing a “liberal Zionist.” “A liberal Zionist [is] someone who feels a deep attachment and devotion to the words in Israel’s Declaration of Independence: that she will be a nation in pursuit of freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the Hebrew prophets,” said Beinart. “I want my son to love that vision of Israel and to defend those principles in Israel’s founding documents against anyone who threatens them; not only President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Secretary General of Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah but also, indeed, Israel’s own government if it violates them,” he added. Beinart said that the American Jewish establishment includes organizations such as the American Israel Public Affairs

Committee and the Anti-Defamation League. Characteristically, the establishment organizations are composed of individuals who formed their ideas about Zionism between the years of 1967 and 1982. During these years, the occupation was very new, the UltraOrthodox Haredi population and the Russian immigrant population in Israel were smaller than they are now, and Israel was “in some ways, a more innocent place,” said Beinart. The establishment is comprised of “relatively secular” individuals who support Israel because the country is said to share America’s liberal democratic values. Beinart said, however, that there is very little confrontation or public reckoning with Israel’s actual policies that are “imperiling Israel’s future as a Jewish democracy.” According to Beinart, “Israel within its 1967 borders is a democracy,” but “Israel beyond its 1967 borders is not a democracy; it is an ethnocracy, a state in which your right to vote and have citizenship … is dependent on your religion and your ethnicity.” Beinart added that the current establishment is not “reproducing itself” in the next generation of American Jews. Zionism, he said, is only very “vibrant” in the Orthodox community, which is growing as a percentage of the United States Jewish population. This Zionism, however, is

based on an attachment to land rather than a liberal democracy, he said. In the non-Orthodox community, however, Zionism is in “collapse,” according to Beinart. This is due in part to assimilation as well as high levels of alienation and disaffection that American Jews feel from Israel. Additionally, the narrative of Jewish history that is taught to Jewish children is one that does not acknowledge that Jews currently have power in the form of the state of Israel, according to Beinart. The traditional Jewish narrative includes the Maccabees and Mordechai, who triumphed over villains in the Hannukah and Purim stories, respectively. These narratives, however, do not mention the massacres that the Jews conducted after they were saved in the stories, according to Beinart. Beinart concluded his speech with a message of action for young American Jews. “It is your generation’s responsibility to preserve [Israel]. Not simply to preserve Israel as a place on the map but to preserve a certain conception of Israel that Theodore Herzl had, and that Israel’s founders had and that is today in peril. … You should be in Israel and the West Bank today struggling for Israeli democracy in its hour of peril.” During the question-and-answer session that followed his speech,

Liza Behrendt ’11, co-founder of the Brandeis chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, asked how the decision by Hillel to not include Jewish Voice for Peace under the Hillel umbrella last month would affect the broader Brandeis community. Beinart responded by saying that he does not believe a person has to be a Zionist to live a meaningful Jewish life. Zionism should not be a litmus test for entrance to Jewish organizations, he added. Additionally, shutting out anti-Zionist groups, he said, is not an effective response. “You have to engage [anti-Zionist groups], you have to argue about it, you have to try to show … that there are things in the Zionist tradition that are radically different from what you see in this Israeli government.” In an interview with the Justice, Gideon Klionsky ’11, who attended the event said, “I agree with him on a lot of counts, [such as] the need to create a Palestinian state, … but the branding of that as sort of a new Jewish voice and claiming that necessity on the part of J Street is a little bit misleading, a little bit false.” Mateo Aceves ’11 said after the event, “I think he spoke very well, and he spoke about profound issues and I think he spoke about them in a really meaningful way, and that’s not a tenor that I have generally heard discussions on this campus about Israel.”

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LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINO STUDIES JANE’S ESSAY PRIZE

JANE’S TRAVEL GRANT RECIPIENTS

The Latin American and Latino Studies Program is pleased to announce its annual competition for the Jane’s Essay Prize for the best undergraduate paper on a Latin American or Latino topic. The paper may be written in either English or Spanish. The $500 prize will be awarded for the best paper written between April 21, 2010 and April 27, 2011 on any area of Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino studies. Any substantial research paper may be submitted (including term papers, two-term senior theses or one-semester senior essays). The competition is open to undergraduates in all concentrations at Brandeis. Submissions are limited to one paper per student. The award will be based on: • Quality of the research • Originality of the analysis • Clarity of the writing The winner of the competition will be notified by May 5, 2011. The submission deadline is Wednesday, April 27, 2011 by 9:00 a.m. Papers should be sent to Marilyn Brooks, LALS, MS 036, or brought to either the LALS office (Olin-Sang 218) or the History office (Olin-Sang 215). Only hard copies will be accepted; no e-mail or fax submissions. For further information, please contact Marilyn Brooks at x62293 or Mbrooks@brandeis.edu or check the LALS web site at www.brandeis.edu/ programs/lals.

The Latin American and Latino Studies Program is pleased to announce the 2011 recipients of its Jane’s Travel Grants to fund independent research in Latin America.

The Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean

Winter break recipients: Chiara Bercu ’11 – “The Effects of Globalization on Posada Rituals in Guanajunto, Mexico” Ieva Jusionyte (Anthropology) – “Writing on the Margins of the State: News Production in an Argentinean Border Town” Celeste Radosevich (Cultural Production) – “Bailando a lo Cusqueño: Performing Latinidad and Andeanness Through Dance” Mrinalini Tankha (Anthropology) – “Cubanos Convertibles: Meanings of Multiple Currencies in Cuba” Jonathan Turbin (Anthropology) – “Memories of Bussa’s Rebellion” Summer recipients: Joshua Basseches ’12 –“‘Activist’ Identities: Inclusive or Exclusive?” MaryCate Brower (Anthropology) – “Capoeira, Gender, and Community Empowerment: A Pilot Study” Danielle Fuller (Heller School for Social Policy and Management) – “Why the Community-Based Model of Health Care has been Successful at Improving Health Outcomes in Haiti” Christopher Jenkins (Heller School for Social Policy and Management) –“Conflict Sensitive Approach to Solar Energy Projects in Haiti” Katharine Lukach (Anthropology) – “Uni-Cansahcab Regional Irrigation Project” Samantha Pietruszewski (Anthropology) – “Caves and Excavations: Gaining Valuable Archaeological Field Experience with the Central Yucatan Archaeological Cave Project”

just

features

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011

VERBATIM | ROBERT COLLIER See the things you want as already yours. Think of them as yours, as belonging to you, as already in your possession.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1945, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died while in office.

The only letter that does not appear on the periodic table is the letter “J.”

Creating a

safety net on campus JustFeatures examines counseling resources By dafna fine justice editor

In a New York Times article published in January titled “Positives With Roots in Tragedy on Campus,” Michael Winerip wrote that “some of the best university programs—at Virginia Tech, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Western Kentucky University—have been spurred by some of the worst tragedies.” Following the suicide which shook the Brandeis community in February, Brandeis administrators say that the University has been no exception in evaluating the effectiveness of the counseling resources available to students, whether through the administration, Department of Community Living, Psychological Counseling Center or student-run peer counseling groups. “I don’t think the suicide was the result of any hole in our system or any weakness in it,” said Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer. “But we would not be professional and we would not be the Brandeis administration that we are had we not done a lot of introspection and had we not done a lot of review,” he said. Although the University has not set up a specific committee or written an official report to evaluate its counseling resources since the suicide, recent meetings of administrators have frequently included reflections and discussions of ways to improve the counseling resources, according to Sawyer. While the Psychological Counseling Center, located in the Mailman House at the edge of campus, is tucked away and easy to miss for some, it is nevertheless used by approximately 20 percent of Brandeis students each academic year, according to the Brandeis website. It is estimated that by the time May rolls around, about half of the senior class has been to the counseling center at least once, according to Sawyer. The types of students and issues that are addressed in counseling vary, according to information from the counseling center. While many students have been in therapy either off of campus or prior to entering Brandeis, according to the Counseling Center, many students who use the center have never been in therapy before and

RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice

will come in just once for help when needed. Students can also seek counseling through peer-counseling groups on campus, among them the Counseling and Rape Crisis Hotline, Students Talking About Relationships, the Queer Resource Center and Peer Education for Responsible Choices. Many also seek help from community advisors right in their own building. The utilization rate of the center is “off the charts,” according to Senior Director of the Psychological Counseling Center Dr. Robert Berlin. The uniqueness of the center comes from its strict policy of confidentiality, which separates it from the counseling services at other universities, according to Berlin. “We adhere to confidentiality, we’re down at the bottom of the hill, we don’t interface with any departments, and we advocate for the rights of students,” Berlin says. Unlike other universities that may require counseling as a result of a disciplinary matter, students who use the Psychological Counseling Center are self-referred and therefore there only by choice, according to Sawyer. Brandeis is also unique in that students can continue to be counseled on campus, as opposed to other schools, which may refer students to therapy off campus after a certain number of visits. The struggle the University faces is when students in need don’t seek counseling help and friends do not notice or reach out for help. “Everyone has that problem in every community,” Berlin said. “You don’t know those people who are that alone, that desperate, don’t reach out, don’t tell the truth, hide, are too stoned [or] too drunk,” he said. The University works to educate students about the resources available to them, hoping students will make informed decisions when

counseling is necessary. “I want [students] to understand what the counseling center is. I want them to know who works there and what it’s like to be a patient at the counseling center or a client at the counseling center so they can make an informed decision about whether that’s good for them,” Director of Student Rights and Community Standards Dean Gendron said. The hope is also to reach more students by educating the student body about the signs to look for in their peers. “Could we do a better job in terms of the students? I think so,” Berlin said, noting the need for more mental health education programs through speakers, presentations, meetings or forums. “We’re working on the education piece,” he said. “Also, bringing people who have things to offer that would be useful in understanding signs of difficulty in others and in general just raising the level of consciousness, though it doesn’t need to be raised too much. This community is pretty smart,” Berlin said. While the University has been successful in getting the word out about what is available, there is always room to reach more students, according to Mark Hajjar ’13, a coordinator of the Student Sexuality Information Service. “It’s a little bit of a balancing act. We try and highlight [our services] and get the word out about it, but we can always do better,” he said. SSIS, a confidential peer-counseling service, is known for educating students on safe-sex practices but also offers “heavy duty” counseling, according to Hajjar. “All of the counseling groups on campus have felt a certain degree of pressure and self-evaluation because it was a tragedy,” Hajjar says of the February suicide.

7

“For all of us who were involved in counseling and social support networks, it feels like a personal failure. I think all of the groups on campus have taken the time to look at themselves and what they’ve been doing and really evaluate what could have been done differently,” he said. Rebecca Erenrich ’12, a coordinator of Students Talking About Relationships, feels that although a good number of students are utilizing the counseling resources, the numbers could be much higher. Counselors for STAR have office hours from 2 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, more hours than students are using, according to Erenrich. She feels that more flyers, tabling and events are needed to get the word out about how STAR can be used, and she thinks that more collaboration between the different peer groups on campus is needed. Knowing what other groups can offer and working together would allow peer-counseling groups to make educated referrals to students as to which groups to see, which could better maximize the number of students using the counseling groups. “We’re getting there, but we definitely feel under-utilized,” Erenrich says. In the aftermath of the suicide, however, there has also been a surge in the number of students using the counseling resources, according to Sawyer. “So quite frankly, I think we need more therapists. I think we need more people in place. I think we’re feeling a little tapped out. Certainly no student in an emergency will go without being seen immediately, but the counseling staff right now is very busy. It feels like in the aftermath, we could use a little help. We need more hours. If you walk by there on a weeknight the lights are

on there until nine, ten at night, … and that’s therapy going on,” Sawyer said. Though there is no plan to add additional hours or therapists on campus during the short remainder of this semester, according to Sawyer, the University plans to assess the need for more help over the summer and will add more counseling hours in the fall if necessary. “I would never say we can’t do a better job making sure that our students are aware of all the resources on campus, not just counseling resources,” Sawyer said. “There is so much in students’ lives every hour … in terms of information. So the struggle has always been where do we fit in with that, what do we need to do? What other medium is there or what other opportunities are there to make sure that students are totally aware of where they could seek assistance either through the peer groups, themselves or through the counseling center,” Sawyer said. Catering to a high-tech generation in a Facebook-centered society, the University is working to keep up and utilize online resources to reach the student body. “One of the things that’s interesting about being in higher [education] right now is the way students are learning both inside the classroom and outside the classroom because of advances in the digital sphere,” Gendron said. “What is it that you’re attached to when you’re not in class? Are you looking at Facebook? Are you looking at SMS or videos? We want to understand what kinds of stimuli students are gravitating to,” he said. “We can always do better, and that’s all we’re trying to do,” Berlin said. “We’re just trying to do as much as we can. … No one likes a failure. Every time you face that you [try] to do more,” he said.

8

TUESDAY, april 12, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

Aiding

Japan

relief

Brandeis students support Japan following the earthquake By MUSTAPHA ISA JUSTICE contributing WRITER

On March 11, just 1 month ago, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit just off the east coast of Japan, triggering a 28-foot tsunami that devastated the coast, killing thousands of people and sweeping away cars and buildings. But the impact of this catastrophe was not localized and has been felt far beyond the shores of Japan. On campus, the Brandeis Japanese population was in shock as they watched parts of their home country become submerged in flood and turn to ruins. “I was just really shocked to see the tsunami waves wiping all the cities along the coast,” said Chiaki Fujiwara ’11, a member and former treasurer of the Japanese Student Association, as well as one of the main organizers for the campuswide events and activities that have raise funds for Japan. “I called my parents to see how they were because I was really worried how it was in my hometown, Tokyo. It was just utter shock for me,” said Fujiwara. Fujiwara says the scenes of people suffering prompted her to do something. While she couldn’t immediately do anything for the people of Japan, she decided to start something on campus. During the past few weeks, various activities and events dedicated to raising funds for the relief efforts in Japan have been apparent around campus. Bracelets that say “Pray For Japan” and “Hope for Japan” and cost $3 each or $5 for 2 have been sold in the Shapiro Campus Center. Donations from the coat check during the Inaugural Ball and proceeds from the sale of tickets to the Harumatsuri, an event hosted by the Japanese Student Association, have been among the Brandeis efforts to aid Japan relief. The Waltham Group sponsored a performance of kyogen, traditional Japanese comic theater, to raise money for Japan. Aramark also contributed by donating 10 percent of all profits made on the first day of the Village Provisions on Demand Market. According to Fujiwara, various student groups also helped the cause. The Student Union, Waltham Group, the Brandeis Asian American Student Association as well as the South Asian Students Association have been among the other groups involved. Together, the Brandeis community has already raised $5,899.03 dollars and is still raising more. “To find out that most of the other clubs were also interested [in contributing to the relief efforts] motivated me and other members of the Japanese community here,” Fujiwara said. One of the major difficulties the Japanese Student Association faced, however, was getting the funds to organize these events. “The JSA had no money,” Fujiwara said. “Professor Yoshida, an associate professor in the Biology Department, was very helpful in helping us raise money and we received an anonymous contribution from a member of [the] faculty,” she said. “We thought we should contribute a little to support the Japanese community and people who are suffering,” explained Yoshida,

DIANA WANG/the Justice

JAPANESE ENTERTAINMENT: A kyogen expert performs traditional Japanese comic theater for students at a recent event sponsored by the Waltham Group. who stresses strongly—and is impressed by—the leadership roles that students, including Fujiwara; Nan Pang ’13, co-president of the JSA; and Mayo Hirabayashi ’11 assumed in tackling the problem at hand. “It was actually Pang and Hirabayashi who brought me to their discussion group,” Yoshida explained. “They were already discussing what to do, and when I joined, we decided to sell bracelets,” he added. “It was the most practical option.” Pang, who was studying for an exam at the time of the earthquake, found out about the disaster while checking his e-mail. “That day I was checking the news online constantly. It was really depressing to see the death toll increasing hour by hour,” Pang explained. “Chiaki contacted me and asked to organize something.” As part of the JSA, Pang and Fujiwara met up with others to discuss how they would approach the urgent issue and what the most effective means to achieve success would be. Hirabayashi, a community advisor and also one of the pioneers of the bracelet campaign, initially tried to organize activities to aid relief in the CA community and other

communities with which she was involved and eventually ended up working with the JSA. “When we started selling the bracelets, on the first couple of days, it was really big. People were asking about it all the time,” Hirabayashi explained. “Even if they didn’t buy the bracelets, a lot of people just donated,” she said. Pang put up donation boxes all around the campus and the JSA attested to how well people responded to that. Hirabayashi and Pang both agree that even though the Japanese population on campus is small, it received a positive response from the Brandeis community. So far, part of the money raised has been donated to Oxfam, an international confederation aimed at tackling poverty. Other portions of the money has gone to Oxfam Japan, the Red Cross and the American Red Cross. Additional proceeds from Hoops for Haiti were also geared towards the cause. Though the proceeds are still trickling in, Hirabayashi hopes that the total proceeds will exceed $6,000. The destructive aftereffects of the earthquake still rage on in Japan, and on April 7 a

particularly strong aftershock with a magnitude of 7.4 further devastated the coast. Although creating awareness and raising funds for the people of Japan have been largely successful, some feel that initial momentum and attention have dwindled somewhat. “I think it takes more than understanding; people also need to remember that the impact of the earthquake is ongoing,” Hirabayashi said. “There are still numerous issues that need to be addressed—misplaced people, people without shelter and the imminent problem of the radiation leak from an affected nuclear power plant,” she said. While there is still more work to be done, the Brandeis community has nevertheless stepped up in the efforts for Japan throughout the past month, according to Hirabayashi. “I think that [the efforts were] pretty successful. A lot of people were concerned about our family and loved ones, and a lot of people actually cared about what happened,” she said. Editor’s note: Nan Pang ‘13 is an editorial assistant for the Justice.

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

SHOWING OUR SUPPORT: Bracelets reading “Pray for Japan” and “Hope for Japan” were sold in the Shapiro Campus Center over the past few weeks to help raise money to be donated to the Japan relief efforts.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011

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WORLDVIEW: ITALY

Milan 101 VIEW FROM THE TOP: Catherine Bennett ’12 poses while touring Italy from the top of the Duomo Di Milano, one of the popular tourist spots she has visited in the country while studying abroad in Milan this semester.

Milan maintains an Italian charm despite its American influence By Catherine Bennett SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE

DUOMO DI MILAN0: Nothern Italy boasts the cathedral church of Milan, a well-known landmark of the city.

This article is part of the Worldview series, which will feature articles from Brandeis students studying abroad in various countries around the world. If you are looking for picturesque Italian villas with ivy growing on the sides, sweeping balconies, old women making pasta sauce and sprawling European landscapes, then Milan is not the place for you. Milan is an urban center with definite American traits, including an abundance of American stores, English speaking and urban landscapes. Yet it still maintains its “Italianness” with its passionate people, sham of a bureaucratic system, love of pasta, wine and fierce and unique fashions. It embodies a fusion of modern international Milan and old-world Italy. While America has had its international influence on Milan, sparking a love of the Gap and American Apparel in the local Italians, and European capitals such as Paris and London have exerted their own modern influence, these cities have not affected Milan’s most Italian trait—pasta. Ah, pasta, the perfect pregame to every meal and event in Italy. That’s right—we’re doing it all wrong in America. Pasta is the appetizer after the appetizer in Italy and the precursor to every meal, not a stand-alone dish as it is served in the States. Anything you can imagine comes with a side of pasta here. Sushi, Mexican, Chinese, even a pasta-based main course comes with a supplemental dish of more pasta, because everyone wants a side of carbs with their carbs. And to compliment the copious amounts of pasta are the copious amounts of wine. Wine is the only product I have found to be sold by the five-gallon plastic container. It is also one of the few things that is fine for 12-year-olds to pick up for the family on their way home from school. My love of pasta (which is now quickly fading) was one of the reasons why I chose Italy to study abroad. Fashion is why I chose Milan specifically, and the city has yet to disappoint. The Milanese call their tacit fashion code la bella figura, or the beautiful appearance, and they really mean it. Sweatpants in Milan are not an option, let alone a passing thought. My roommate wore her college sweatpants on the metro and was stared down by a 65-year-old woman wearing a fur coat and 4-inch heels who looked as though my roommate was wearing a Gagaesque steak dress on her way to class. I’m not even sure the Milanese know what true sweats are, because all their gym apparel comes from the same chic boutique, called Freddy, or from Abercrombie and Fitch. I’ve even seen people wearing bedazzled Armani

unitards to the gym. The Milanese don’t look sloppy at any point during the day. Even the bambini (children) here are fierce, and the small dogs they drag everywhere sport designer labels. The Italian zeal is also displayed in their love of soccer that is unparalleled in the States. I first encountered this at a game I attended where a fellow spectator chain smoked seven cigarettes, yelled a string of indeterminable Italian curses at the field complete with accompanying hand gestures, stripped his shirt off and used it to light a flare, drank a cup of what I’m presuming was wine and sat down again in time for the next play. This was all after goal one. There were five scored during that particular game, and he was not alone by any means. With their passion invested in pasta and soccer, the Italian bureaucracy lacks the same chic demeanor as their attire. Italian bureaucracy is a system built on disorganization, misery, strikes and lines. During my stay here, I’ve visited the police station three separate times for my student visa, and each experience has been worse than the one before it. The police officers play bingo and call out numbers in no discernible order, and if you’re lucky they will randomly call your number within 3 hours of your arrival. I have never been lucky. And the crown jewel in Italian bureaucracy is the art of striking. In Italy, scioperi (strikes) are actually built into the monthly schedule of city programming. And strikes are not just onetime occurrences. They happen every single month without fail and they never fail to make everyone miserable and late. I have toured Europe and visited Florence and Venice. Though at first the slight American influence in Milan made me feel somewhat shortchanged in my study abroad experience, I now realize I wouldn’t trade Milan for the world. I would miss the city streets, the disorganized bureaucracy, the women wearing fur coats no matter what the weather is and the people screaming the Duck Sauce club song “Barbra Streisand” outside my window at 5 a.m. on their way back from the discoteccas. Milan is the perfect city. Despite the fact that Milan has a heavier American influence than many other cities throughout Europe, it still remains uniquely Italian in its pasta, its inability for the Italians to form lines coherently or the complete joke that is Italian bureaucracy. It has been the pasta, lack of governmental organization, metro stares and overly fashionable gym attire that has made my time here in Milan unique, especially with the abundance of cannoli. And for better or worse, all these strange things have contributed to my Italian adventures.

OVERLOOKING ITALY: Bennett’s apartment in Italy looks out on the hustle and bustle of Milan’s city streets.

♦ Photos courtesy of Catherine Bennett

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TUESDAY, April 12, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Brian Fromm, Editor in Chief Nashrah Rahman, Managing Editor Brian N. Blumenthal, Production Editor Emily Kraus, Deputy Editor Ian Cutler, Asher Krell, Robyn Spector and Jillian Wagner, Associate Editors Fiona Lockyer, News Editor Sara Dejene, Acting News Editor Dafna Fine, Features Editor Eitan Cooper, Forum Editor Jeffrey Boxer, Sports Editor Wei-Huan Chen, Arts Editor Yosef Schaffel and Tali Smookler, Photography Editors Debra Friedmann, Layout Editor Marielle Temkin, Copy Editor Cody Yudkoff, Advertising Editor

Vote Rosen for Union president With Union elections right around the corner, the student body needs to choose a president who will be able to adapt to a changing university while maintaining and following through on realistic goals. After meeting with all three candidates, this board believes that Student Union Secretary Herbie Rosen ’12 can best meet these requirements and offers him the Justice’s endorsement for the position of Union president. Mr. Rosen is uniquely qualified to serve as president because he best combines experience within the Union with concrete, well thought-out ideas that are grounded in reality. While Amber Kornreich’s ’12 ideas are creative, her lack of experience would be problematic moving forward. Akash Vadalia’s ’12 experience, on the other hand, is extensive; however, his ideas do not demonstrate the level of research and consideration that Mr. Rosen’s do. This board finds Mr. Rosen’s platform to be simultaneously impressive and feasible. His proposal for the creation of an off-campus liaison position to be created within the Department of Community Living is thorough and well researched. This plan promises to assist students who are part of the ever-growing offcampus community. This board also appreciates his plans to improve communication, both among the multiple branches of the Union via joint meetings and between the Union and the rest of the student population via improved office hours. Mr. Rosen has the leadership experience, both inside and outside the Union, to prepare him for the demands of the presidency. As coordinator of the New Student Orientation Core Committee this past summer, Mr. Rosen demonstrated school spirit and an ability to organize University programming on a large scale. In his current position as Union secretary, he continues to prove

Candidate has much to offer

his diligence in keeping the student body informed; his work to revamp the weekly announcements has been largely successful. Most importantly, his current position has allowed him to work with a wide array of club leaders. This has given him an accurate idea of the needs and interests of the students. Both positions have helped Mr. Rosen develop relationships with several University administrators, which will certainly benefit the student body should he be elected. Additionally, this board finds Mr. Rosen’s dedication to the Union and the presidency to be notable. In our meeting with the candidates, Mr. Rosen demonstrated his intention to forgo his current extracurricular activities. This decision shows his willingness to do whatever is required to serve the student body. Though this board endorses Mr. Rosen as the strongest candidate for president, we applaud the other two candidates for the excellent ideas contained within each of their platforms. For example, Mr. Vadalia seeks to improve cooperation among clubs by holding joint events that will both save money and improve scheduling, and Ms. Kornreich has advocated for a more transparent Student Union through the creation of public forums. Ultimately, we hope that the president-elect will seriously consider incorporating the best aspects of the other candidates’ platforms into his or her own plans. We also hope that the president-elect will maintain a professional relationship with the other two. Students this semester have the privilege of choosing among three well-qualified presidential candidates. We encourage students to cast their ballots this Thursday in favor of Mr. Rosen, in light of his exceptional qualities.

Union’s signature inappropriate Last Sunday night, the Student Union Senate voted to add its name to a “Letter of Disapproval for the Actions of the Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine and members of the Brandeis Jewish Voice for Peace,” which was written in response to the protests at an April 4 event featuring six members of the Israeli Knesset. This page is disappointed in the Senate’s actions. As it currently stands, there is no Union rule which states that recognized, chartered and secured clubs cannot protest University speakers. Though the Union Senate was careful to criticize those involved only for the manner in which they protested rather than for the protest itself, it was still inappropriate for the Union Senate to criticize the actions of BSJP. This is because the organization did not technically break any of the Union bylaws relating to chartered clubs. If BSJP had broken a Union bylaw, it would have made sense to discipline the club members. However, seeing that the protestors did not break any apparent rule, no action was necessary on the part of the Union. The signing of the letter was also improper because it addresses the actions of “members of the Brandeis Jewish Voice

SJP did not violate bylaws for Peace.” While the Student Union may have the ability to censure chartered clubs for violation of Union bylaws, this board believes that it is not the Senate’s role to disapprove of individuals’ actions. Rather, it should be under the purview of the University administration to critique the actions of individual students if they are in violation of the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Finally, if the Senate determined that a letter was absolutely necessary, this page feels that it would have been more appropriate for it to draft its own letter rather than sign a letter written by a student. This way, the Union would have had more flexibility in writing a statement. Moreover, at the meeting, five people voted against signing the letter, and two people abstained in comparison to the 10 people who voted for signing the letter. A Union-drafted letter would have better encompassed the views of more senators. In the future, we hope that the Union will be more cautious when expressing its disapproval of individuals, chartered clubs and their controversial actions on campus.

A. ELI TUKACHINSKY/the Justice

Campus Jewish life is misrepresented Rebecca

Blady Maelström

I’ve spent nearly six semesters as an involved member of the Brandeis community and have grown tremendously frustrated—but not with the current student population, which truly boasts some fantastic minds and personalities. Rather, I am frustrated with the greater American Jewish community and deeply troubled by the way it perceives Brandeis’ student body. I have been nothing short of shocked by what I read about Brandeis from outside media outlets. Events as recent as the publication of Peter Beinart’s innovative observations on the next generation of Jewish young adults and the visit of six members of the Israeli Parliament indicate a misunderstanding of the scope of opinions and affiliations in this community. I became very confused about the perception of Brandeis students after this past summer’s flotilla incident slashed global esteem for Israel. Beinart’s contribution only complicated things; his article in the New York Review of Books faulted the American Jewish establishment with a failure to respect the next generation’s interest in a liberal Zionism. Beinart’s ideas went so far as to make it into New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s article scrutinizing Israel’s actions and politics. Fascinatingly, Kristof chose to quote this passage from Beinart’s article to make the point that Israel antagonizes its American supporters: “Mr. Beinart noted that even the student Senate at Brandeis University, which has strong Jewish ties, rejected a resolution commemorating the 60th anniversary of Israel.” The problem I see here is the existence of certain expectations of our student government. Brandeis senators, just like the United States senators, represent a body of constituents. They vote for what’s best for this campus. It seems to me like Kristof and Beinart—and perhaps the larger community as well—expect us to prioritize Israel as a key student issue. In fact, Israel falls outside the scope of many students’ interests, and a congratulatory message toward Israel does not resonate with many of our peers. The “heckling” of the six Israeli Knesset Members who visited our campus last week provides yet another example of the bewildering picture the American Jewish community has of Brandeis. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency picked up on the story instantly, and the news spread virally throughout the American Jewish community. Israeli newspaper Haaretz headlined its coverage, “Jewish leftists disrupt Kadima MK speech at U.S. university.” Before long, my University had become the center of attention—all of which was focused on this small group of students whose passion compelled them to demonstrate some poor behavior. All of a sudden, Brandeis fell into the spotlight as a haven for a new breed of Jewish leftists. It was as if nobody cared about anything but this tiny group of radical students—as if they defined Brandeis. As if they defined our institution’s ties to Judaism and Israel alike. Well, guess what—they don’t. As news of the MK incident continues to circulate, I cannot help but express my frustration at the greater Jewish community. Nobody, especially not I, suggests that we should detach ourselves from our Jewish legacy. We should take pride in it and indeed try to live up to its ideals. But today, it is impossible to institutionalize any form of Zionism, Jewish observance or view on Israeli policy. The American Jewish community should not expect Brandeis students to abide by any doctrine relating to these issues. Brandeis is a liberal arts university with many distinct qualities and a diverse student population. It is unfair to expect these students to uphold certain views of Israel. It is even more unfair to focus only on the more radical students who present a novel, outlandish means of connecting with Judaism. These students do not represent the larger sentiment toward Israel on this campus, and I would urge anyone interested in claiming that they represent the larger sentiment of our generation to do some careful research beforehand. On this campus, discussions of Israel, Palestine and Judaism are rich, productive and progressive. They reflect the opinions and perspectives of a select group of students who have chosen to reflect deeply on the issues in the context of their own personal backgrounds and values. And that is the real truth of Brandeis. Nobody can shape the political discourse at Brandeis except us. As Beinart himself said here this past Sunday night, this sharp, educated student body will likely produce the future leaders of the American Jewish community that so readily offers us its criticism.

OP-BOX

Quote of the Week “We would not be professional and we would not be the Brandeis administration that we are had we not done a lot of introspection and had we not done a lot of review.” —Rick Sawyer on evaluating the counseling resources on campus after February’s suicide (See Features, page 9).

Brandeis Talks Back What do you think are the ideal qualities for the Student Union president? New! Brandeis Talks Back is now online in video format at www.thejustice.org

Rafi Stern ’11 “Single.”

Lisa Purdy ’14 “Optimistic, able to balance his/her schedule, and responsive.”

Nathan Mizrachi ’12 “Charisma, approachability, a love of their fellow students, and a sense of accountability. ”

Stacey Ha ’12 “A person who is able to appreciate diversity on campus.” —Compiled by Yosef Schaffel Photos by Tali Smookler/ the Justice

THE JUSTICE

READER COMMENTARY Reviewer misunderstood production In response to your article “Futuristic Othello downplays racial discussion” (Arts, April 5): This article completely misses the point. It’s absurd to go into a Shakespeare production that’s clearly been set in another era expecting a tried-and-true Elizabethan aesthetic. Othello is not a play about race. It’s about love, jealousy, deceit, betrayal and ultimately murder, but even looking at it with a modern eye, race is just an undertone. Anyone looking for a play about race in Othello will be very disappointed after the first three scenes. This article is not in any real way about the show that was put on here but rather about the original directorial decision. If the article had been written with any kind of professionalism, the point that constituted this entire review would have been at most a paragraph. —Miriam Goldman ’14 The writer was a member of the cast of Othello

Protests inhibit productive dialogue In response to your article “Israeli Knesset members speak at town hall-style meeting” (News, April 5): Neither side is “clean” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but interrupting a town hall meeting like this is counterproductive to creating dialogue about a sensitive topic and is similar to the boorish pundit activism we see when we turn on the news on a daily basis. Is this behavior so different from members of the anti-war group Code Pink interrupting Congressional hearings and being arrested accordingly? We remember those activists more for the images of them being handcuffed than we do for the wars they were protesting. I recall the event in which former U.S. President Jimmy Carter spoke at Brandeis. Carter’s book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid was very controversial among the Brandeis community, but he was greeted with a standing ovation. During the question-and-answer portion, questions to Carter were all addressed tactfully, and the event created positive dialogue within the Brandeis community. As an alumnus, I am concerned with this news. I hope this is not the fashion in which current and future Brandeis students will address differences in ideology. —Damien S. Lehfeldt ’09

Jews get more than enough attention In response to your article “The Jewish community belongs under one roof” (Forum, March 29): Yes, obviously Brandeis needs to do more for the Jewish population on campus since they clearly have not done enough. It’s not as if they have their own chapels, their own study rooms or their own lounges. It’s not as if every building on campus was donated by a Jewish family and contains Jewish paraphernalia. And certainly, the majority of speakers and events that occur on campus are not directed toward the religiously Jewish. Get over it. There are 2,000 other people at this school who are not religious Jews and would like at least some of the school funds and attention to go toward secular activities that encourage community among “the rest of us.” Wake up, kiddo; you’re not the only one here. —Alex Zweben ’11

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TUESDAY, April 12, 2011

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Technology harms mental health Shafaq

Hasan Into the Fire

It’s a sad day when you gauge your popularity by how many people like your status on Facebook or by the number of comments you receive on your newly updated profile picture. The amount of time we spent online in 2009 averaged more than 5 hours a day, according to a report by the Nielsen Company. Suffice it to say, the Internet has successfully consumed copious amounts of our time through its irresistible buffet of social networking sites like Facebook, discovery engines such as StumbleUpon and microblogs like Tumblr. Whether you’re tethered to your laptop, phone, iPod or all three, dependence on technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. Prior to this, computers were merely for the invention of making data processing and collecting easier; now, the same invention mechanizes and substitutes real human connections and interactions. The presence of the constant stimulation of texting and instant messaging will undoubtedly leave an impression on the users’ social and emotional health. Social disconnectedness due to technology is a documented issue, as corroborated by several American College Health Association studies over the years. I believe that the possible consequences of this constant stimulation are the severe psychological problems recently seen affecting more and more college students. According to a study of 424 campus counseling centers by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, 77 percent of the centers surveyed indicated that they saw an increase in the number of students with severe mental health issues like depression, eating disorders, sleep disorders, severe anxiety and substance abuse over the past year. For the first time since 2006, anxiety surpassed depression as the most commonly reported psychological problem among college students. Moreover, a corresponding national study of first-year students conducted last year by the University of California, Los Angeles found that only 51.9 percent of incoming students believed themselves to be in good to above-average emotional health, the lowest recorded percentage since 1985. While there is no apparent reason for the steady increase in mental health issues among college students, it’s possible that declining emotional health is caused by this dependence on technology. Researchers in Australia and China conducted a study last year observing pathological Internet use and its effect on the mental health of 1,041 teenage students. Nine months after the study began, 87 individuals were diagnosed with depres-

sion and eight displayed symptoms of severe anxiety. Given the results of the study, researchers concluded that those who identify themselves as Internet addicts are 2.5 times more likely to become depressed. Further, a survey last year from the International Center for Media and Public Agenda at the University of Maryland illustrated the psychological consequences of being too connected to technology. The study asked 200 students to give up all media, including Facebook, iPods, e-mail, instant messaging and texting for 24 hours. Likening the experience to “solitary confinement,” students explained in blogs after the study that in today’s age, the wires of technology and everyday life are so closely interwoven that giving up technological communication is comparable to losing one’s social life. One of the main sources of anxiety of the 200 students during that 24-hour period was being without information, whether it be the news or what happened on the latest episode of The Office. Most interestingly, without access to text messaging or Facebook, the students felt incredibly disconnected and alone. These results are largely unsurprising; it’s difficult to make the case that spending hours online or texting obsessively are healthy habits. If students are claiming they feel alone and socially disconnected without the ability to text their friends, one can assume that their emotional health is negatively impacted by their dependence on technology. While there is no study illustrating a direct relationship between the amount of time stu-

ARIELLE SHORR/the Justice

dents spend using technology and the mental issues they later develop, it is certainly a legitimate theory when one considers the overlapping psychological problems currently documented among college students and the problems caused by excessive use of technology. Though this increase in psychological issues afflicting college students is not exclusively linked to their obsession with media, the dependence is possibly a contributing factor. But would this reliance necessarily trigger the psychological problems reported in the AUCCCD’s study? I think it’s possible. Computers, cell phones and iPods are the staples of any college student’s everyday technological use. We use computers to log onto Facebook, cell phones to text our friends and iPods to listen to music. However, if our comfort is so deeply connected with something inanimate and fallible, we are continuously sacrificing real-life intimacy. The social isolation and disconnectedness that comes from the overuse of technology may be contributing to the college students’ mental health problems. Allowing boredom to take hold instead of spending hours on the Internet will help reduce the anxiety many Internet addicts have reported feeling. Realizing that our phones are not appendages, that they can be turned off for a few hours, will also ease our obsessive use. While these mental health issues require clinical observation, unplugging for a few hours and reconnecting through face-toface conversations may help rehabilitate the waning emotional health of college students.

Cutting Pell Grants will produce negative results By Philip Gallagher JUSTICE Contributing WRITER

Recently, the Republicans in the House of Representatives released a budget for fiscal 2012 that is designed to cut spending by $6 trillion over the next decade. Of the various cuts made to federal programs, the most striking to me are the proposed cuts to federal student aid for higher education—specifically Pell Grants, which are educational grants from the federal government that subsidize the costs of higher education for financially disadvantaged students. According to the 2008-2009 End-Of-Year Report for the Federal Pell Grant Program, 5,542,893 students received federal Pell Grants with an average grant amount of $2,648 in the 2007-2008 academic year. The following year, that number jumped to 6,156,750 students with an average grant of $2,971. Although Pell Grants are only one type of federal aid for higher education, it is clear that students are reliant upon them to afford

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college. The thought that Congress would cut funding to such a pertinent and vital program is shocking. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education says the cuts to student financial aid fall under the category of cuts to “social programs,” which will lose billions of dollars. Congress is targeting Pell Grants with the intent to “curb rising tuition,” according to the article from the Chronicle. Slashing funding for student aid has myriad consequences both for students today who are interested in attending college and our country’s long-term economic growth. The obvious consequence of cutting student financial aid is that many students today will be unable to afford college tuition and will therefore be unable to attend. In fact, another article from the Chronicle of Higher Education suggests that many colleges will have to rescind a portion of the financial aid offers made to students if Pell Grants are cut this year. For example, Michigan State University estimates that the financial aid packages of

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 opposite page, 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 3,200 undergraduates, 800 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.

9,000 students—approximately 20 percent of their entire student population—would be affected if Pell Grants are cut this year. The deadline for enrolling in most colleges is May 1. If students discover that they cannot afford to attend college because of aid cuts after May 1, they will be placed in the unfortunate position of having to rescind their enrollment. The country’s long-term economic growth will also be hampered as a result of cuts to student aid. With these cuts, fewer students will attend and graduate from college. This less-educated workforce harms the country’s quality of human capital and diminishes our economic competitiveness with other nations. To maintain our competitiveness, we need citizens who are creative and innovative—qualities frequently obtained through a college education. Additionally, individuals without college degrees would have a harder time finding jobs. The demand for jobs that do not require bachelor’s or associate’s degrees would in-

The Staff

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

crease at the same time that those jobs are becoming more uncommon because of our changing economic climate. The last ramification that manifests from cutting student aid is the personal harm that students may experience from not being able to attend college. A college education allows for both personal and academic growth in an individual. Students learn to live independently and think critically, both vital skills for active citizens. Being unable or choosing not to attend college because of financial constraints denies many students the invaluable college experience that will help them succeed personally and professionally. A college education is a vital part of the American dream and successful professional life. It is understandable that spending cuts Congress needs to make in an attempt to balance the budget, but cutting programs that ensure America’s economic competitiveness and support the intellectual pursuits of individuals is foolish and counterproductive.

Editorial Assistants News: Andrew Wingens Arts: Ariel Kay, Emily Salloway Layout: Nan Pang Staff Senior Writer: Josh Asen, Rebecca Blady, Max Goldstein Senior Illustrators: Rishika Assomull, A. Eli Tukachinsky News: Shani Abramowitz, Tyler Belanga, Daniel Heinrich Features: Dave Benger, Rocky Reichman, Deborah Salmon Forum: Aaron Fried, Hannah Goldberg, Shafaq Hasan, Rebecca Kellogg, Diego Medrano, Liz Posner, Sara Shahanaghi, Leah Smith, Avi Snyder, Elizabeth Stoker, Naomi Volk Sports: Julian Cardillo, Jonathan Epstein, Sam Liang, Jacob Lurie, Adam Rabinowitz, Natalie Shushan, Jonathan Steinberg Arts: Aaron Berke, Eric Chow, Alex DeSilva, Leah Igdalsky, Elly Kalfus,

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12

TUESDAY, April 12, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM FEMINISM AND MODERN CULTURE

RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice

Feminists should rally against pay gaps Leah

Smith In a Word

I do not consider myself a feminist. I do not get up in arms when someone makes a sandwich joke, and I don’t subscribe to the idea that women should strive to be superior to men. That is not to say that I think women should be oppressed, subjugated, abused or otherwise maltreated. However, I do think that in this day and age, we have lost sight of what feminism is really about. Our position in society relative to our male counterparts has become murky—sexism still exists, but it is much less overt—and I feel that the stance of most feminists has not

been adjusted to match the gains we have made. But, on the other hand, there is a great deal of real gender inequality that still exists, and when I do encounter such inequality, I do not take it lightly. This is why I was incensed to read about the sizable gender pay gap that still persists in academia. According to an April 5 Inside Higher Ed article, Laura Meyers, a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington, has found that women earn an average of 6.9 percent less than men who are on similar career tracks in academia. Reading about such blatant gender inequality in academia—a sphere that is currently so relevant to my life—makes me question my rejection of feminism. According to the article, Meyers’ study accounted for other factors that might contribute to this pay gap, such as the fact that women are more likely to work at teaching universities, which tend to pay less

than research universities, yet she still found that women were consistently paid less than their male counterparts.

“

What could possibly account for this gender pay gap other than a very ... latent sexism? If this is the case, then what could possibly account for this gender pay gap other than a very pernicious, latent sexism? Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this clear case of gender inequality is the fact that this Inside Higher Ed article is the first I am even hearing of it. I know that women tend to be paid less than men in

most fields, but I suppose I just took it for granted that academia, with all its liberal ethics, would be different or that the gender wage gap was shrinking. It never occurred to me that some of my own professors might be suffering from this inequality or that some of Brandeis’ administrators might be perpetrating it. Unfortunately, by taking it for granted that women are treated as equals in the workplace, I have unintentionally accepted the status quo of gender inequality. As long as we are unaware that women in academia don’t receive equal pay, or we refuse to believe that this might be the case, or we accept it as “just the way it is,” the situation will never change. I commend Inside Higher Ed for publishing an article on the matter and citing hard evidence to prove it, but I am disappointed that there is not a plethora of other articles like it. If we can appreciate the sever-

ity of the fact that women in academia—and this includes university staff, not just faculty—are paid less because of their gender, we should be speaking out against this injustice with equal severity. Unfortunately, there is little to no condemnation of this kind of discrimination within academia, and although it is latent sexism that has caused the gender wage gap in the first place, perhaps our silence on the matter can be attributed to sexism as well. That we are not shocked and outraged by this blatant inequality, and that we remain silent and allow women’s work to be devalued, is just as perniciously sexist as not paying women the same amount as men for the same work. Though I still do not consider myself a feminist, I can appreciate that the gender wage gap is not acceptable. The work of our female faculty and staff is just as valuable as the males; and so women should be receiving equal compensation.

SJP protest contradicted University ideals By Aaron Fried JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

As a first-year student, one of the things I noticed as soon as I came to campus was the heated debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that constantly seems to rage. Nearly every week, there has been a new distribution of signs protesting some alleged war crime that one side committed. While I am and have always been decidedly pro-Israel, I have been glad to see a lively dialogue about what is undoubtedly one of the largest global policy issues of our generation. After all, debate promotes learning and engagement, which in my eyes is the only peaceful way the situation in Israel can be resolved. In the past few months, we have been lucky enough to have esteemed speakers on our campus to discuss Israel and Palestine. Noam Chomsky, a world-renowned linguist and intellectual, came to Brandeis in November and spoke out against the state of Israel. His speech about Israel was protested by a group of white-clad students who disagreed with Chomsky’s message. During Chomsky’s speech, they all silently stood up and left the room. The walkout that took place during Chomsky’s speech showed that neither side is willing to listen to the other. This is understandable, as this conflict is extremely emotionally charged. Last week, however, we had a less-than-peaceful protest occur when six members of the Israeli Knesset came to Brandeis for a

JOSHUA LINTON/Justice File Photo

PROTEST: At last Monday’s event, Member of Knesset Avi Dichter was interrupted by protestors from BSJP and members of JVP. question-and-answer session. About an hour into the event, as Member of Kenesset Avi Dichter was speaking, members of the student groups Students for Justice in Palestine and members of Jewish Voice for Peace stood up and walked out, but unlike Chomsky’s protestors, they were in no way silent. Instead, they shouted insults in both Hebrew and English at Dichter, calling for his arrest as a war criminal and accusing him of “crimes against humanity” that included torture. Avi Dichter may or may not be a war criminal—I do not think that he is, but that is not the issue here.

The issue is instead the aggressive manner in which SJP and members of JVP voiced their grievances with Dichter. This event presented a unique opportunity for students who take an interest in Middle Eastern politics or global affairs to gain knowledge about those areas. We had six highprofile government officials—who represent a country that comes under constant international scrutiny—here to answer any questions we could throw at them. SJP and members of JVP could have easily confronted Dichter and the other Knesset members in a far more mature way. By simply asking

questions and establishing intelligent discourse in which they could challenge Dichter on his positions, they could have enriched the event for the entire audience. Rather than doing this, the protestors chose to act with brazen immaturity, heckling the Israeli officials and disrupting an important learning experience for the other students. A university campus is supposed to be a place of higher learning where great minds and ideas meet and enrich one another in a quest for truth even unto its innermost parts. Having a playground-style shouting match helps no one. Rather than

proving themselves as committed activists, SJP and members of JVP have revealed themselves as groups who would rather make a splash and gain attention than promote intelligent and civil discourse. At first I was optimistic about the nature of these groups. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and believed that they were smart people who had simply arrived at a different opinion than I had. While I disagreed with that opinion, I respected their choice. Now, however, I see that this particular issue has become toxic to the point that SJP and members of JVP will not only disrespect the opinions of those they disagree with but also stifle the speech of their opposition. The longer this continues, the more innocent people in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza will die. Instead of allowing this fact to whip us into hysterics, we should realize that it is an impetus to act maturely when discussing the conflict. Frankly, as students on a college campus thousands of miles away from the Middle East, can we remain civil when discussing this? If we can’t, how can we expect the Israelis or Palestinians to do the same? My proposed solution is simple but surprisingly difficult despite its simplicity: Listen to each other’s points, consider them and, most importantly, respect one another. If we can do this, perhaps we can set an example for the rest of the world— or at least stop degrading important learning experiences for other students.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, April 12, 2011

13

SPORTS FULL WINDUP

BRIEF Selig leads track team at local weekend meet Grayce Selig ’11 won the 1,500-meter run in 4 minutes, 33.48 seconds, holding off Providence University junior Charlotte French O’Carro by 0.39 seconds to claim gold at the George Davis Invitational last Saturday. Marie Lemay ’11 finished in seventh place in the 1,500 with a time of 4:48.60. In the 400-meter dash, Annifreed Sinjour ’13 placed sixth in 1:00.55, and Casey McGown ran a 1:01.28, good for 10th place. Hannah Lindholm ’11 came in 15th in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:47.90. In the 4x100-meter women’s relay, the quartet of Kim Farrington ’13, Lucia Capano ’11, Michelle Gellman ’11 and Sinjour placed fourth with an aggregate time of 50.57 seconds. Harvard University won the relay, followed by Boston University and Wheaton College. In the 100-meter dash, Kayley Wolf ’12 came in 26th with a time of 14.30 seconds. Gellman ran a 28.43 in the 200-meter dash to finish in 31st. Wolf also ran the 100-meter hurdles, placing 22nd with a time of 17.79 seconds. In the field, Capano had two strong performances, finishing fourth in the long jump with a distance of 5.20 meters and placing sixth in the triple jump with a distance of 11.13 meters. Lily Parenteau ’12 jumped 1.55 meters in the high jump, which was good for third place.

On the men’s side, Chris Brown ’12 finished second in the 1,500-meter with a time of 3:57.26. He finished 2.82 seconds behind University of Massachusetts Lowell junior Angus MacDonald. Devon Holgate ’12 came in seventh in 4:01.11, and Taylor Dundas ’14 was 11th in 4:03.70. Ben Bray ’11 was 43rd in 4:17.50. Brian Foley ’13 ran the 400-meters in 51.41, good for 13th place. Mingkai Lin ’12 finished 0.88 seconds and eight places later. Mik Kern ’13 ran the 800-meter run in 1:58.11, good enough to earn him 10th place. Sam Donovan ’11 ran a 2:06.50, earning 35th place. In the 2-mile run, Ed Colvin ’14 finished 14th with a time of 9:29.92. Marc Boutin ’12 placed two spots behind Colvin, finishing in 9:32.16. In the 100-meter dash, Alex Schmidt ’14 finished in 33rd place. Schmidt, who is also a forward on the men’s basketball team and is 6 feet, 7 inches tall, finished the sprint in 12.82 seconds. Jung Park ’14 placed 15th in the 110-meter hurdles and 16th in the 400-meter hurdles. In the shot put, Kris Stinehart ’14 threw the ball 10.98 meters, good for 19th place. The next track meet is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Spring Invitational this Saturday. —Jonathan Epstein

BASEBALL: Hot streak continues

CONTINUED FROM 16

the win with his two innings on the mound. However, the Judges’ hot play of late was briefly halted last Friday against Wheaton College. The Lyons halted the Judges’ five-game win streak, stifling Brandeis for a 6-0 victory. The Lyons, who had won 12 of the past 14 game, sent rookie right-hander Nick Filloramo to the mound. Filloramo pitched a complete-game gem, allowing just six hits. Lefty Mike Swerdloff ’13 took the loss for Brandeis, letting up four earned runs on six hits over 7 1/3 innings. Last Wednesday, the Judges came from three runs down in the seventh inning to defeat Rhode Island College 5-3. For the first six innings, Anchormen sophomore right-hander David Hoey held the Judges in check. Hoey allowed just three Brandeis base runners and struck out seven Judges in that span. Brandeis starter John McGrath ’11 was tagged for two solo homers in the fourth inning and allowed a third run to cross the plate in sixth, leaving the Judges down 3-0. The Judges finally found their stride in the seventh inning. Cortese opened the inning with a single and designated hitter Eric Rosenberg ’11 doubled. Cortese scored on a wild pitch and Rosenberg scored on an O’Hare groundout. McGrath retired the side in the eighth inning to keep the deficit at one. In the bot-

tom of the frame, the Judges quickly tied the game at three before Nicholson ripped a line drive to right field to drive in two more runs and put the Judges in front. McGrath did his part in the ninth, fielding a grounder to the mound for a putout to first before striking out the next two batters for the complete game win. The Judges began the week last Wednesday by defeating the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers 9-5. The Judges quickly tagged Engineer senior starter Ryne Barry for three runs on two doubles in the first inning and never let up, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after two frames. The Judges bats stayed hot in the bottom of the second inning. Rookie starter Colin Market ’14 allowed four runs over 5 1/3 innings, but the Judges’ bullpen controlled the bleeding with Alex Tynan ’12 hurling two scoreless frames, and Swerdloff closing out the game. The Judges are next in action against Worcester State University today at home on the Stein Diamond. The team then takes on Johnson and Wales University on Thursday and travels to face Western New England College on Saturday. In total, the team has 11 games left on its calendar, wrapping up the season on May 1 with a doubleheader against Trinity College. “We have a lot of big games coming up in the next few weeks,” said Schwartz. “We have a chance to win a bunch of games and finish off what has been a great season.”

ALEX MARGOLIS/Justice File Photo

THROWING HEAT: Lefty Casey Ducinski ’13 shut out the Tufts University Jumbos during the team’s 4-0 victory last Sunday.

SOFTBALL: Team finishes sixgame stretch with three wins CONTINUED FROM 16

combined for seven of the Jumbos’ eight RBIs. Nolan was responsible for eight of Tufts’ runs and gave up nine hits and seven walks in six innings of work. Despite a quick start, Johnson thought that the team faltered as the game progressed. “We had a little bit of a struggle in the beginning because we let up a lot of walks in the first game,” Johnson said. “Tufts is a quick team on the bases, and they take advantage. … They came back 3-2 in the beginning, and I think we just kind of took the foot off the gas pedal, unfortunately, after the first inning and Tufts didn’t.” Last Friday, the Judges lost a doubleheader to Babson by scores of 11-0 and 6-0. Overall, the Beavers outhit the Judges 28-6. In the 6-0 loss to Babson, the Judges did not give up any runs through the first five innings. However, in the top of the sixth in-

ning, the Beavers’ first seven batters reached base safely, and Babson went on to score all six of their runs in the inning to secure the victory. The Judges had only four hits and three walks and left eight runners on base. In the first game, Babson got on the board quickly by scoring four runs in the first inning. Nolan failed to record an out in the inning, giving up four runs on three hits, two of which were home runs. Ducinski and Caroline Miller ’11 finished the game for the Judges, and the duo gave up seven runs on nine hits, though only three of the runs were earned. On offense, Ducinski and Schmand were the only two Judges to record hits in the game. Against Suffolk, the Judges won 2-1 in the first game and 13-1 in the second game. In the second game, the Judges recorded 19 hits, six of which went for extra bases. Outfielder Lauren Porcaro ’12 led the way with a

two-run shot in the top of the sixth inning. Down 1-0 going into the seventh inning of the first game, the Judges scored two runs in the inning to win. Nolan tied the game with a two-out triple that scored Ducinski, and Nolan scored on an overthrow at home plate by Suffolk senior second baseman Monica Cioffi. The Judges will play a doubleheader tomorrow at Wheaton College, followed by a doubleheader at Framingham State University on Friday and a doubleheader against Eastern Connecticut State University on Sunday. “We certainly hope to take two on Wednesday against Wheaton and then hopefully another two against Framingham and go from there,” Johnson said. “It’s good competition to do it against going into probably our toughest competition of the season with Eastern Connecticut to round things off before Bowdoin [College next week].”

TENNIS: Teams combine for 1-2 record against ranked squads CONTINUED FROM 16 gles seed. Unfortunately, Miller was up 6-0, 1-0, when he hurt his knee and was forced to retire. The Judges fell behind 3-1, and never recovered. “That was a big blow for momentum as he was dominating his match, and we were down 3-1 and had a tough time turning it around,”

said Lamanna. The girls were also unsuccessful at defeating Trinity. The women fell 5-4 in a tough grind-it-out match. “We got upset today. Tough loss, I’d say, we fought hard, but we got outplayed,” said Lamanna. “It was a team loss today, we all didn’t do a good enough job, and that’s tough.” The teams split the six singles

matches, but the Judges lost two of the three doubles matches, leading to the Trinity victory. Faith Broderick ’13 was the only Brandeis player to win both her doubles and singles matches, teaming with Rachel Rosman ’11 for an 8-2 win in first doubles and defeating Trinity senior Arielle Leben 6-0, 6-1 in second singles.

“I think it’s a hiccup. We have a big match [versus] Wellesley [College], and the ladies will have another chance to play against an opponent where the match won’t be decided by that much. We have to find a way to make it happen,” said Lamanna. The men are next in action against Division I Bryant College

today and host the University Athletic Association Tournament starting Friday. “Hosting the UAAs will be phenomenal. There will be some great teams, and hopefully the guys will feed off each match and build momentum,” said Lamanna. The women play Wellesley on Wednesday.

Student Union elections are approaching:

Do you know who you’re voting for? Come to the Student Union presidential debate!

Don’t miss this great opportunity to ask questions and hear all three candidates speak. Where: Olin-Sang 101 When: Wednesday, April 13 at 10:00 p.m. Sponsored by: B.A.D.A.S.S., The Justice League, WBRS, The Hoot, BTV, The Justice and the Student Union.

THE JUSTICE

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Pat Nicholson ’11

27 1 4 2 5

runs scored by catcher Chris Ferro ’13 so far this season, which leads the baseball team.

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

olson was the only player in the game with multiple RBIs. Despite being a senior, Nicholson retains a year of eligibility because of missed time from the surgery, and will return to play for the Judges next year

as a graduate student. With the way Nicholson has played as of late, the team will be thrilled to have him for an extra season. ­—Jeffrey Boxer

UAA STANDINGS Baseball

Softball

UAA Conference Overall W L W L Pct. Emory 5 1 23 12 .657 Case 4 2 22 11 .667 WashU 3 3 21 13 .618 JUDGES 2 4 17 11 .607 Rochester 1 5 8 13 .381 Chicago 0 0 8 6 .571

UAA Conference W L Emory 8 0 WashU 6 2 Rochester 3 5 JUDGES 3 5 Chicago 0 0 Case 0 8

Not including Monday’s games

Not including Monday’s games Overall W L T Pct. 32 2 1 .929 24 7 1 .766 15 9 0 .635 14 15 0 .483 15 7 0 .682 14 20 0 .412

TEAM LEADERS st-place finish in the 1,500-meter run for Grayce Selig ’11 at the George Davis Invitational last Saturday.

hits allowed by Casey Ducinski ’13 during her complete game shutout of Tufts University last Sunday.

wins for women’s tennis player Faith Broderick ’13 in the team’s loss to Trinity College last weekend, the only player on the team to win both of her matches.

double plays turned by the baseball team during the second game of its doubleheader against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, one shy of a Division III record.

15

Bruins win final two home games to clinch the third seed in the East

pitcher had two game-winning hits and a win last week as the baseball team continued its hot streak with four wins.

Judging numbers

TUESDAY, april 12, 2011

Boston bruins beat

■ The senior first baseman/

After missing the entirety of the 20092010 season with Tommy John surgery, baseball first baseman/pitcher Pat Nicholson ’11 has bounced back in a big way this season. The senior is third on the team in both batting average and ERA so far this season, hitting at a .346 clip and pitching to a 4.09 ERA. Nicholson has also been a key factor in the team’s hot play as of late, as he had two game-winning hits and a win last week. “We have been very solid lately; we’ve been playing good defense, and our pitching has been very good, which are the two most important things,” Nicholson said. “We’ve also had some timely hitting which is very important as well,” he added. In the first game of a doubleheader against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth last Sunday, Nicholson went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Nicholson’s run came in the fourth inning when he led off with a double to begin the comeback. Nicholson moved to the mound in the sixth inning and pitched two innings of one-run ball. In the seventh inning of a tied game, Nicholson singled to second base to plate center fielder Tony Deshler ’11 to win the game for the Judges and also give him his second win of the season. “I was just looking to put the ball in play and, fortunately, I was able to drive him in,” Nicholson said of the play. Nicholson also drove in the final two runs of the team’s 5-3 victory over Rhode Island College last week. Nich-

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Baseball (batting average)

Softball (batting average)

Chris Ferro ’13 leads the team with a .396 batting average.

Marianne Specker ’12 leads the team with a .350 batting average.

Player AVG Chris Ferro .396 Nick Cortese .394 Pat Nicholson .346 Kenny Destremps .333 Tony Deshler .330 Eric Rosenberg .319 two tied with .273

Player AVG Marianne Specker .350 Courtney Kelley .329 Melissa Nolan .324 Brittany Grimm .317 Samantha Gajewski .289 Maxie Hirschler .270 Carly Schmand .261

Baseball (earned run average)

Softball (runs scored)

John McGrath ’11 leads the team with a 3.06 ERA this season.

Carly Schmand ’11 leads the team with 20 runs scored this season.

Player ERA John McGrath 3.06 Colin Markel 4.05 Pat Nicholson 4.09 Mike Swerdloff 4.43 Alex Tynan 4.96 Brian Ing 5.11

Player Runs Carly Schmand 20 Brittany Grimm 19 Lauren Porcaro 17 Samantha Gajewski 13 Maxie Hirschler 13 Courtney Kelley 13

UPCOMING GAMES TO WATCH Men’s tennis hosts the UAA Championships The Judges’ conference foes will travel to Brandeis for the UAAs this weekend. The men’s tennis team will play host to the University Athletic Association Championship this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. The UAA Championships rotate location each year, and the women will compete in the same tournament at Washington University

in St. Louis the following weekend. Last season at UAAs, the men defeated the University of Chicago before falling to WashU. The squad faced Carnegie Mellon in the third-place match and fell 5-2. The matchups for this weekend have not yet been announced.

For the 2010 to 2011 season, justSports has been given a press pass to attend Boston Bruins home games. We will cover these games periodically throughout the year. Last Saturday, the Bruins played their final home game of the season against the Ottawa Senators. Despite sloppy puck handling and several missed opportunities, the Bruins held on to win 3-1. After defeating the New York Islanders earlier in the week and dropping a meaningless season finale at the New Jersey Devils, the Bruins finished the season 4625-11, good for third place in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins will take on the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs, beginning with game one on Thursday. After allowing just one goal against the Senators and sitting out the season finale, Bruins goalie Tim Thomas finished the season with a .938 save percentage, which is an NHL record. Dominic Hasek previously held the record with a .937 save percentage, which he set as a member of the Buffalo Sabres during the 1998-1999 season. With 12:53 left in the first period against the Senators, the Bruins scored their first goal. A rebound off a shot by left wing Shawn Thornton was grabbed by center Gregory Campbell, who found left wing Daniel Paille at the edge of the crease. Paille was able to redirect the puck in for his sixth goal of the season and fourth game in a row with at least 1 point. Paille said that he has been happy with the fourth line’s production as of late. “Right now, [the fourth line] is scoring, and it’s definitely helping,” he said. “But the top three lines have been scoring all year for us. Once we get everyone on track, I think we’ll be a great team.” With 1:33 left in the first, Thomas pushed too far out of the goal to contest a shot from Senators right wing Bobby Butler. Butler was able to scoop up his own rebound and easily flicked the puck into the back of the net. Just 1:02 into the second period Senators right wing Ryan Shannon received a double-minor penalty for high sticking that put him in the penalty box for 4 minutes. The Bruins were able to capitalize on the one-man advantage as Bruins right wing Nathan Horton skated around the goalie and drilled a shot into the net. Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and forward Milan Lucic were given the assists on the play. Later in the second period, Bruins left wing Mark Recchi earned applause from the audience for simply entering the game. He entered his 1,652nd career NHL game, passing Chris Chelios for fourth on the all-time list. The Bruins entered the third period with a 2-1 lead, a situation in which the team has been very successful all season. The Bruins entered the game with a 29-2-2 record when leading after the second period, and the team didn’t disappoint in its home finale. Boston was able to hold on to the lead in the final period and even tacked on an additional goal for insurance. With 14:52 left in the third period, Bruins center Rick Peverley skated around the defenseman and scored unassisted. Bruins coach Claude Julien was happy with the team’s performance in the home finale. “I think it was important for us to finish on a positive note,” he said. “A lot of good things came out of today’s win.” Last Wednesday, Thornton returned for the first time since suffering a facial laceration against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 29. After finally getting the nod to play against the Islanders, Thornton provided the necessary spark to lead the Bruins to a 3-2 victory. In the closing seconds of an otherwise uneventful first period, Boston tallied its first score when Paille flipped a rebounded puck to Thornton, who fired it into an empty net. Thornton just narrowly beat the first intermission horn, scoring a rare buzzer-beater goal with just 1/10 of a second left on the clock. The officials reviewed the play for several minutes, but the goal was eventually confirmed, giving the Bruins the momentum heading into the locker room for the first intermission. “Well, I knew when we got out there, there was about 30 seconds, so I knew there wasn’t much time,” Paille said of the goal. “When we looked at the clock I couldn’t believe it didn’t go off even that quick, so it was great to get that right before the buzzer.” After a tripping call on Bruins defenseman Tomas Kaberle 2:08 into the second period, the Islanders were able to capitalize on the power play by tying the game on a goal by rookie right wing Michael Grabner. It was Grabner’s 32nd goal this season, which leads all rookies. Boston responded just 4 1/2 minutes later when defenseman Dennis Seidenberg fired the puck through Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro’s legs for his seventh goal of the season. Campbell scored his 13th goal of the season and the eventual game winner 9:09 into the period to put the Bruins up 3-1. Grabner would add a shorthanded goal for the Islanders 14:26 into the second period, but Thomas was able shut down New York in the third period to earn Boston the victory. “It wasn’t the kind of game you want to see from your team,” said Julien. “I think the execution wasn’t very good tonight. We weren’t very sharp. Our best players certainly didn’t make a difference and who made a difference was our fourth line, the Campbell line and the goaltender, who made some good saves for us.” The Bruins also presented its club awards for the season prior to the game. The Eddie Shore Award for exceptional hustle and determination was awarded to Thornton. Thomas received the Elizabeth Dufresne Trophy for outstanding performance during home games. Defensemen Andrew Ference was awarded the John P. Bucyk Award for off-ice charitable contributions. The Three Stars Awards were presented to Thomas, center Patrice Bergeron and Lucic. —Jacob Lurie and Jonathan Steinberg

just

Sports

Page 16

FIRST FOR SELIG

Grayce Selig ’11 led the men’s and women’s track teams at the George Davis Invitational last weekend, p. 13.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Waltham, Mass.

ON A ROLL

softball

Squad finishes week at .500

■ The softball team had six

games over a 5-day span last week and won half of them. By josh asen JUSTICE senior WRITER

fourth on a single by Destremps and an error by Corsairs second baseman Dan DeMello. Pat Nicholson ‘11 moved from first base to pitcher in the sixth inning, and the Corsairs scored the tying run on a single in the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the frame, shortstop Tony Deshler ’12 singled to right field to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a Cortese groundout, and to third on a wild pitch. Nicholson then brought Deshler home on a walkoff single to win the game 3-2. Nicholson was credited with the win as well, as he had still been pitching. He ended his day 2-4 with one RBI at the plate, and earned

Right-hander Casey Ducinski ’13 pitched a complete game four-hit shutout while striking out five batters in the softball team’s 4-0 win over Tufts University last Sunday in the second game of a doubleheader. “[Ducinski] did really well,” coach Jessica Johnson said. “She scattered a couple of hits, and I think if you can come out against Tufts and get a zero at the end of the game, I think that’s extremely impressive because they’re always a good hitting team. She stepped up and hit her spots.” Earlier Sunday, the Judges suffered an 8-2 loss to the Tufts Jumbos, and after losing two games to Babson College and sweeping a doubleheader against Suffolk University earlier in the week, the Judges now stand at 14-15 on the year. In the win in the second game against Tufts, the Judges got on the scoreboard early with three runs in the first inning. After walks by designated player Marianne Specker ’12 and outfielder Carly Schmand ’11, first baseman Courtney Kelley ’11 hit a 3-run home run to left field to give the Judges the lead they would not give up for the rest of the game. “It was great timing,” Johnson said. “We worked getting two batters on; not only was the outcome good, but the at bat was extremely good. [Kelley] fouled off pitches and laid off the ones that were balls. … She got a lot of looks at a lot [of] pitches and it paid off in the end. The Judges scored their last run of the day on a double by Schmand, which scored catcher Leah McWilliams ’14, who had reached base with a walk. In the first game of the day, the Judges scored both of their runs in the top of the first inning. Right-handed pitcher Melissa Nolan ’14 singled home third baseman Brittney Grimm ’12, and Kelley later scored after an error by Tufts junior shortstop Mira Lieman-Sifry. However, the Judges fell as they could not withstand the Tufts duo of junior first baseman Lena Cantone and freshman catcher Jo Clair, who

See BASEBALL, 13 ☛

See SOFTBALL, 13 ☛

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

LINE DRIVE: First baseman Eric Rosenberg ’11 drives the ball during the first of the baseball team’s two victories over UMass Dartmouth at home last Sunday.

Judges win four more games ■ The baseball team

continued its recent hot streak with a 4-1 record in competition last week. By jonathan steinberg JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

In a long week of action for the baseball team, the Judges were on top of their game, finishing with four wins and just one loss. The team finished the weekend with two wins last Sunday against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to improve its record to 1711. “We played really well this week,” rookie shortstop Dom

Schwartz ’14 said. “Our team is finally clicking with solid hitting and defense, as well as some great pitching performance.” In the second game against UMass Dartmouth, the Judges’ bats made the Corsairs pay in a 14-7 victory. The Corsairs took an early 3-0 lead on three RBI singles in the first inning, forcing coach Pete Varney to pull pitcher Colin Markel ’14. The Judges responded quickly, knocking the Corsairs starter out of the game in the bottom of the inning with a six-run frame. The Judges would add two more runs in the second inning, one run in the third, two in the fourth and three in the fifth to take a commanding 14-3 lead. Pitcher Stefan Weiss ’13 came on

for Markel and gave up just four hits through the fifth inning. He was tagged for four runs in the top of the sixth, but left-hander Jesse Link ’13 came in and closed out the game. Weiss was credited with the win. The Judges were led by outfielder Nick Cortese ’13, who went 3-3 with three runs scored. Catcher Kenny Destremps ’12 went 3-4 with two runs scored, and second baseman Sean O’Hare ’12 finished 2-4 with four RBIs. In the first game last Sunday, Brandeis’ Dylan Britton ’12 led the charge by allowing just one run on four hits in five innings of action. After Britton gave up a run in the top of the fourth to put the Corsairs up 1-0, the Judges responded with two runs in the bottom of the

Tennis

Men defeat MIT before both squads fall to Trinity College ■ The men’s tennis team

defeated its second ranked team in as many weeks before losing to Trinity. By max goldstein JUSTICE senior WRITER

The Brandeis men’s tennis team scored a huge win over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last Friday, defeating its second

ranked opponent in a week, and will likely move up in the rankings from their current No. 30 position, despite a tough loss to Trinity College in its next match on Sunday. The women’s tennis team also fell to Trinity, falling 5-4 in a close contest. “It was a great match; the guys came and fought hard together,” coach Ben Lamanna said of the men’s team’s win over MIT. “It was a really even match and a big win for our program and these guys. We

played well together and off momentum, and they wanted it more than MIT.” The men defeated MIT 6-3, overcoming a 2-1 deficit in doubles action with five victories in singles matches. Engineers freshman Edwin Zhang and sophomore Matthew Skalak defeated Steven Nieman ’11 and Dave Yovanoff ’13 8-5, sophomores Brian Oldfield and Andrew Cooper beat Ezra Bernstein ’11 and Josh Jordan ’13 8-5, and Simon Miller ’11 and Nick White ’11 picked up

Brandeis’ only doubles win, defeating freshman Curtis Wu and sophomore Larry Pang 8-6. In singles action, Brandeis dominated. White took down Pang 7-5, 6-0 in the two seed, Yovanoff came back to beat Oldfied 3-6, 7-6, 6-3; Bernstein beat Skalak 6-7, 6-4, 7-5; Jordan took down Cooper 6-7, 7-5, 7-5; and Nieman defeated freshman Vlad Firiou 4-6, 7-6, 10-0 to round out an impressive day in the singles competition for Brandeis. “It was a big step up, first time

this group has beaten Bates and MIT,” Lamanna said. “We’re gonna move up to early 20s, so the guys are excited, and it’s a big step for our program.” However, the men were not as successful against Trinity, and the squad fell 7-2 in a disheartening loss. The Judges lost the three doubles matches 2-1, but Miller was well on his way to tying the score as he was dominating in the first sin-

See TENNIS, 13 ☛

just

April 12, 2011

ARTS

HTG brings comedy to the ‘Forum’ p. 20

Photos and design: Asher Krell/the Justice.

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TUESDAY, april 12, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

19-21

■ SpringFest headliners

19

Student Events and WBRS announced the three bands that will be playing at the year’s biggest concert on May 1.

■ ‘A Funny Thing’ review

19

Hillel Theater Group presented its hilarious ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ in the Carl J. Shapiro Center last weekend.

■ Japanese Kyogen showcase 20

Katsumi Yanagimoto demonstrated Kyogen, a type of traditional Japanese theater, to students, faculty and staff last Tuesday.

■ ‘Freedom Riders’ screening 20 The PBS American Experience documentary tells the story of a motivated group of college students who challenged racial boundaries in the early 1960s.

■ Culture X

21

This year’s Culture X, title “Up, Up and Away,” featured an impressive variety of cultural and performing arts student clubs.

OFF CAMPUS

23

■ Far East Movement profile

23

■ ‘Insidious’ review

23

The Asian-American hip hop sensation will be coming to Brandeis on May 1. JustArts takes an in-depth look at the Koreatownbased group’s achievements and lifestyle. From the creators of ‘Saw,’ this thriller impressively blends creative cinematic styles and classic horror elements.

CALENDAR

Interview

Liquid Latex stretches art

by Shelly Shore

JUSTIN BIEBER SET HIS MOM’S HAIR ON FIRE. Okay, so it wasn’t nearly as exciting and ridiculous as I just made it seem. Justin surprised his mother on her birthday by bringing her up onto the stage at the end of his concert at Berlin’s O2 World Arena and bringing out a lit birthday cake. When she leaned over to blow out the candles, her hair caught fire. No wigs were harmed, and the fire was put out quickly and efficiently (though I like to imagine there was full-blown panic and rioting). Sadly, aside from the Bieber Hair Incident (can you imagine the fangirl panic that would ensue if it were Justin’s hair that had caught fire? The humanity!), this past week has been fairly dull in celebrity world. There have been a slew of baby announcements: Tina Fey announced that she’s 5 months pregnant, Law and Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay adopted a baby girl (I’ve seen the pictures; she’s a cutie), Kevin Federline announced that his new girlfriend is pregnant (but she’s not Britney, so no one cares all that much) and Mariah Carey showed off pictures of her bare baby bump on the cover of Life & Style magazine. In this week’s overblown celebrity scandal, Natalie Portman told Entertainment Weekly that back in her college days, she used to “love smoking pot,” but that drug use no longer fits into her daily life. “I love stoner comedies. I smoked weed in college, but I haven’t smoked in years,” she explained. “I’m too old. I wish I was that cool, but I’m like an old lady now. I’m in bed by 10 p.m. I can’t do that anymore.” Portman’s confession (if you even want to call it that) was met by two outraged sides, both on EW’s homepage and on gossip blog OhNoTheyDidn’t: the hyper-conservative parents claiming that Natalie will be an unfit parent because of her past “habits,” and the offended college students sounding off that going to bed at 10 p.m. certainly doesn’t

 JustArts recently e-mailed with Liquid Latex Coordinator Alex Hulse ’12 and Assistant Coordinator Shayna Medley ’12 about their highly anticipated upcoming show.

VIVANISTA1/Flickr Creative Commons

BABY WEEK: ‘Law and Order: SVU’ star Mariska Hargitay adopted a baby girl this week.

mean one is “uncool” (it totally doesn’t). On Wednesday, Motion Picture Association of America Vice President Michael O’Leary declared that movie piracy is “downright unpatriotic.” He said, “The key foundation of American industry, the expectation that hard work and innovation is rewarded, is imperiled when thieves, whether online or in the street, are allowed to steal America’s creative products and enrich themselves along the way.” College students everywhere nodded obediently and returned to their torrenting. Lame stuff this week, kids. Here’s hoping that next week will bring us another Charlie Sheen blowout.

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

“Post-Bacc II: Post-baccalaureate painting and sculpture”

Post-bacc students show off their artwork from this semester. Today, tomorrow, Thursday and Friday from 9 to 5 p.m. in the Dreitzer Gallery in the Spingold Theater Center.

‘Acting Together on the World Stage’

The Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life presents the premiere of the documentary Acting Together on the World Stage, which will be shown again at the Bernstein Festival of the Arts. The premiere will include responses from members of the Brandeis faculty and a reception. Tonight at 4 p.m. in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. Admission is free and open to the public.

Sexual Violence Film Festival, Parts III & VI

The Sexual Violence Film Festival continues with a showing of Metamorphosis, a documentary loosely inspired by the works of Roman poet Ovid. After the film, Prof. Cheryl Walker (CLAS) will lead a discussion about the issues brought up in the film. The following night will present the final installment of the festival, Campfire, the story of a widow dealing with her two teenage daughters in Israel. Prof. Ellen Wright (PSYC) and Jane Harries (GRAD), president of the Graduate Student Association, will speak after the screening. Tonight and tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. in Pearlman.

“Chamber Music 114” recital

This chamber music class will perform its semester recital under the direction of Prof. Joshua Gordon (MUS). Tonight at 7 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Jessica Goodheart reading

Goodheart, both a writer and activist, will read some of her poetry at an event hosted by the English department. Her work has been featured in The Best American Poetry, The Antioch Review, Blue Arc West: An Anthology of California Poets, Salamander, Cider Press Review, Pearl and other journals. Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Reading Room.

Too Cheap for Instruments’ annual carnival

Brandeis’ folk-pop, all-female a cappella group will perform its semester show. Tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the South Campus Commons.

SEA coffeehouse

Students for Environmental Action present their semester coffeehouse to benefit green causes. Thursday at 9 p.m. in Cholmondeley’s.

Cartoneros’

Co-sponsored by the Latin American and

ASHER KRELL/Justice File Photo

COLORFUL CONTOURS: Liquid Latex, occurring this Thursday in the Levin Ballroom, is an opportunity for student artists to work on models, who show off their beautified bodies in dance. Latino Studies program and the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life, this documentary reveals the paper recycling process in Buenos Aires. Thursday at 4:40 p.m. in Shiffman 219.

Palestinian solidarity seder

Hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace, this Passover dinner will allow for discussion about peace in the Middle East and specifically an end to occupation in Israel and Palestine. There will be music, prayer and poetry as a means of fostering conversation. The meal will be catered by the Watertown vegan/vegetarian restaurant The Red Lentil (previously reviewed by justArts). Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the Intercultural Center Lounge. Space is limited. Contact jewishvoiceforpeace@brandeis.edu to sign up.

‘Adam’ Screening

As part of Autism Awareness month, SPECTRUM will be showing the film Adam. The story of a man with Asberger’s syndrome who falls in love with his neighbor, this film allows for a look into the challenges of living with autism. The movie stars Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, as Adam and Beth, respectively, the leading couple. Thursday, April 28 at 8 p.m. in Olin-Sang 101.

Open Israeli dancing with B’yachad

Brandeis’ semi-professional Israeli dance troupe will host a chance to learn traditional and modern types of Israeli dance. Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in the Schwartz auditorium.

Liquid Latex

A chance for student artists to work on a different type of canvas, student models

will show off their beautified bodies in choreographed numbers according to a specific theme. An annual University tradition, this is an event that students look forward to each spring. Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Levin Ballroom. Tickets are $7 for priority seating and $5 for general admission.

Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts

The Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts is the biggest University arts event of the year. For a full schedule of events, see pages 26-27. Thursday, April 28 through Sunday, May 1 at various venues around campus.

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS ‘Grease’

The beloved musical is coming to Boston. Sandy and Danny have a summer romance, but things get rocky when Sandy moves to Danny’s town and doesn’t fit in with his friends. Set in the 1950s, this is the musical that popularized songs like “Greased Lightning,” “Summer Nights” and “You’re the One That I Want.” April 28 through May 1 at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston. Ticket prices and showtimes vary.

Big Apple Circus

Fun for the whole family, this non-profit touring show features animal acts, clowns and acrobatics. The arena provides an intimate encounter of the amazement of the circus—every seat allows for a great view. This year’s production is directed by Eric Michael Gillett and choreographed by Peter Pucci. Through May 15 at City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Plaza, Boston. Ticket prices and showtimes vary.

Liquid Latex is one of those Brandeis experiences that students have to see to understand. Dancers, wearing nothing but colorful liquid latex, showcase the imaginative creations of painters and choreographers in an evocative and sometimes provocative performance. Coordinator Alex Hulse ’12 and Assistant Coordinator Shayna Medley ’12 offer justArts a preview of their show on Thursday night in the Levin Ballroom. JustArts: Liquid Latex has always been a highly anticipated show. How do you plan to surprise students in this year’s performance? Alex Hulse: We will surprise everyone by having another show with male and female models in only latex body paint. While this is what we do every year, I think it still surprises a lot of people that their peers will put themselves out there in such a way. This year, we expect an even better show, with new ideas being used in the pieces as designers push their limits more and more. Shayna Medley: I think the show in itself carries surprise and shock value every year. It’s something so unique about Brandeis and incorporates so many levels of art. This year in particular, we aren’t limiting ourselves to a specific theme, which I think has allowed all the groups to get as creative as they want. Usually groups have to struggle to fit their ideas to the show’s yearly theme, but this year we just decided to see what everyone would come up with on their own. Also, the runway designs are going to be designed by individuals, rather than one person designing the whole thing for one specific theme. JA: The show is coming up soon. Tell us a little bit about the process of putting everything together the past few weeks. AH: Well, we came into the semester with the piece designs and over the past few months groups have been preparing their choreography. The last few weeks the board has been putting the final touches on everything. We have been doing allergy tests to make sure all participants are safe. We have also just placed our large paint order and have been finalizing music and designs with the groups. JA: What types of new ideas have students presented to you? Anything that took you by surprise? AH: Designers this year went all kinds of ways with the pieces. Many do new things with both the latex paint and with the dancing. We have groups this year playing with both painted and clothed models. We also have a number of pieces that present stories, both original stories and known ones that are presented in a new way. There are also a few pieces that can simply be described as strange, but those are some of the most exciting ones, truly utilizing the unique medium in art and dance. JA: Is Liquid Latex a performance of dance, of art or of sexuality? SM: It’s funny, I don’t really think of the show as representing sexuality, but really I’d say it’s all three. It’s definitely a dance and art performance piece, but it’s also very liberating. AH: This year, and in the past, some designers have juxtaposed sexuality with non-sexual or innocent things, such as the Pokemon piece two years ago, while others play directly to the sexuality. However, even more than sexuality, Liquid Latex provides a unique freeing experience for the models and the audience, a safe place to use their bodies openly as art. JA: How has the production changed over the years? AH: The first year it was originally just a simple fashion type show at the Festival of the Arts. We are now in our 10th year and there has been a professionalism that has developed. Pieces are more thought-out, better designed, and even more thought provoking. Some groups have been developing their pieces for a year or more, and this can be seen in how the show improves from year to year. JA: If you had to pick one reason for a student to attend Liquid Latex, what would it be? AH: They should attend for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our show is not only unique on the Brandeis campus, but it is the only show like it anywhere. We are the only college that does a performance with latex paint. We are known outside of the Brandeis community, even being mentioned on Playboy.com. We have something for everyone: wonderful dance, beautiful artwork and beautiful male and female models that donate their bodies for our show. SM: You will almost definitely never see this kind of performance anywhere but Brandeis. Liquid latex dance performances are sometimes seen at festivals in other countries, but to my knowledge Brandeis is the only university that does it. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I strongly encourage new students and students who haven’t had the chance to go in the past to attend. The show usually sells out quickly! —Wei-Huan Chen

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, april 12, 2011

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ON CAMPUS music

Far East, of Montreal to headline concert

■ Far East Movement and of Montreal will co-headline this year’s SpringFest on May 1 on Chapels Field. By wei-huan chen JUSTICE editor

Electronic hip-hop group Far East Movement (see in-depth profile on page 23) and indie rock band of Montreal will headline this year’s SpringFest concert on Sunday, May 1. The day-long music festival will also include alt-garage artist Dom and student rapper Abdul Aziz Dieng ’14, Student Events and WBRS announced last Saturday. SpringFest, the music festival on Chapels Field, is co-sponsored by WBRS and Student Events and is part of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts. Far East Movement, or FM, which consists of four Asian Americans from Los Angeles, will be the first music group with a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 to perform at Brandeis. The group’s members are Kev Nish (Kevin Nishimura), Prohgress (James Roh), J-Splif (Jae Choung) and DJ Virman (Virman Coquia). Far East Movement is best known for its singles “Rocketeer” and “Like a G6,” the latter of which became the No. 1 song on Billboard and iTunes in October 2010. Of Montreal lead singer Kevin Barnes began the funk, electronica and afrobeat-inspired group in 1996 in Athens, Ga., allegedly naming the band based off of a failed relationship with a woman from Montreal. The group’s current members include Dottie Alexander, Nicholas Dobbratz, K Ishibashi, Davey Pierce, Bryan Poole, Clayton Ryclik and Thayer Sarrano. The group will be releasing a new album titled thecontrollersphere on April 26. Dom is a five-man psych-pop band based in Worcester, Mass. known for

BOKAMOKACOKA/Flickr Creative Commons

FLY LIKE A G6: The Los Angeles-based Far East Movement is known for its hit singles “Like a G6,” “Rocketeer” and “Girls on the Dance Floor.” The group will close SpringFest. its singles “Living in America” and “Jesus.” It released its debut album, Sun Bronzed Greek Gods, in May 2010. The group’s lead singer, Dom, is a mysterious figure who “has dreams of making artful pornography and playing video games with Lil Wayne” and has not released his last name because he “owes a lot of money,” according to an interview with Pitchfork Magazine. Student Events began coordinating with WBRS in choosing the

SpringFest headliners and drafting contracts early in 2011. With the help of booking agency Pretty Polly Productions the student clubs were able to book the three bands for the University’s largest concert of the year. In addition to the headliners, Aziz Dieng will perform as the opening act. Dieng, whose stage name is simply Aziz, began rapping when he was 9 and has performed in numerous venues outside of Brandeis

since coming to college. Maxwell Zotz ’11 acts as his manager. SpringFest will feature a Chapels Field laden with free food and activities. Among other things, a beer garden, snow cones, cotton candy, Japan relief posters, Student Sexuality Information Service’s Sex Olympics, a sock drive by the Brandeis Interfaith Group and numerous Student Events and WBRS giveaways will appear on the field, according to Student Events Direc-

tor of Concerts Alyssa Folickman ’11. “It won’t be just about the music this year,” Folickman said in an interview with justArts. “Student Events has collaborated both interdepartmentally as well as with other clubs to include novelty events, giveaways and a variety of other activities besides the main concert, so this time it’ll be about creating an entire festival atmosphere to celebrate the end of the year.”

Film

Documentary tells of inspiring 1960s students ■ The film ‘Freedom Riders,’ a

documentary about the titular movement’s quest for equal rights, screened on Thursday. By ariel kay JUSTICE editorial assistant

Documentaries allow film viewers to empathize with the plights of those involved in the truest sense of word, more so even than most other types of film, including historical dramatizations. Sitting in a darkened theater, surrounded by the sights and sounds of a story, the audience reacts simultaneously to the events depicted. This can create a very moving experience on the individual level. This is certainly true of Freedom Riders, a PBS American Experience documentary based on the book by Raymond Arsenault, that was presented by the American Studies department Thursday night in the Lown Auditorium. The film was created by the awardwinning filmmaker Stanley Nelson, who was present to answer questions after the screening. Freedom Riders covers the history of the Freedom Riders movement, a civil rights crusade that occurred throughout the early 1960s. The idea for the first ride was conceived in 1961: A group of 12 college students, both black and white, would ride public buses together from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans. Today, this seems like a simple idea, but it was nearly unthinkable at the time. The case of Morgan v. Virginia had made mixed-race transportation legal in 1946, but no southern states upheld the law at the time the rides began. Black people were still forced to sit in the back of the bus, and any white people who chose to sit with them were viewed with equal animosity. The Riders thought they could predict

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORBIS

INJUSTICE: The Freedom Riders used peaceful tactics to protest racial inequalities. the hatred they would face, but they were unaware of how truly hostile their opponents would become. However, a central belief of the group was nonviolence. No matter what happened, the Riders swore they would not react. The organizers of the ride planned

to take about 2 weeks to travel from Washington D.C. to New Orleans. At each stop the buses made, the group would get off and ask to be served at restaurants together instead of in the separate sections for whites and for blacks. They would stand in the same waiting areas and use the same rest-

rooms. The participants were broken into two groups, one of which rode on a Greyhound bus, the other of which rode on a Trailways bus. At the beginning of the trip the Riders encountered little backlash. This quickly changed, however, as they moved further south. Outside of Birmingham, Ala., the Trailways bus was stopped by an angry mob carrying pipes, bats and other weapons. As the crowd grew, the bus was firebombed, and the Riders were trapped inside. They were only let out after they had inhaled large amounts of smoke. Once off the bus, some Riders were beaten. In Freedom Riders one of the contributors to the documentary recalls tending to the injured passengers as the adults around her inflicted more damage. As I was watching the film, I was struck by how committed the Freedom Riders were. Even after they were continually harassed and physically hurt, they still chose to “not give in to the violence,” as Rider James Peck explained. Most of them dropped out of college to travel on the buses, often against the wishes of their parents. I wonder how many college students today would be willing to risk everything and put their futures in jeopardy to follow a cause that they believed in. There was only more trouble following the bus bombing. The first 12 Riders couldn’t make it to New Orleans by themselves. They faced such hatred and violence that, after repeated attempts to move forward, they were forced to board a plane to get home. This did not stop the movement, however. The Riders had gained a lot of press, and other students began forming their own trips. These Riders, too, encountered tremendous backlash, both from citizens and state governments. John Patterson, the governor of Alabama at the time, was a staunch segregationist. But even he could not

control Birmingham’s Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor. Connor, Patterson explains in the documentary, was racist to the point of near insanity. He made a deal with members of the city’s Ku Klux Klan to make no arrests for the first 15 minutes that the Klan met up with the Freedom Riders, allowing them time to inflict great damage on the young men and women. Freedom Riders features interviews with many of those who participated in the rides, most of whom are now in their 70s. The movement’s ranks eventually reached several hundred members. The documentary also includes recollections from John Seigenthaler, a special assistant to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy at the time of the Rides. Seigenthaler was the intermediary between the Freedom Riders, the federal government and state and local officials. He describes the Kennedy administration as focused solely on the Cold War in 1961. The president thought of the struggles for civil rights as “a bit of nuisance,” according to Seigenthaler. He just wanted the protests to end.This negative portrayal of the Kennedys is quite different from what is often remembered of the celebrated family. It was not until later in the decade, however, that JFK took up the cause of equality. The best parts of Freedom Riders are the segments featuring the various Riders themselves. It is a privilege to be able to hear, in their own words, what these brave people went through and how it affected the rest of their lives. The soundtrack, which features many protest songs and spirituals of the time, is another strong feature of the film. This music relates well to the journey of the Riders as they traveled throughout the country, attempting to abolish the racism and bigotry that was a mainstay of the Southern way of life.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

theater

Presenting a ‘Forum’ of laughs and fun ■ Hillel Theater Group’s production of ‘A Funny Thing’ last weekend was an enthusiastic display of talent. By AARON bERKE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Theater can be fun. If we’re lucky, theater can be extremely fun. Then there are those shows that are so much fun that their energy becomes palpable, takes over the entire theater and unites actors and audiences for a truly joyous occasion. This was the case with Hillel Theater Group’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a show rife with energy, spectacle, song and comedy, and it was clear the audience was having just as much fun as the actors. The surprisingly complex and convoluted plot of Forum is intentionally intricate, since it is a “comedy,” as clearly stated to the audience during the play’s opening scene. The main character, Pseudolus (David Frederick ’11), steps out to greet the audience during this bit. He explains that they will be in for a “Comedy Tonight,” the first and most rousing musical number of the play. The show centers around three households, one of which is home to Pseudolus, who is a slave to a young Roman named Hero (Levi Squier ’14) and his parents, Domina (Abigail Clarke ’13) and Senex (Christopher Knight ’14). Hero falls in love with one of the subjects—or prostitutes, rather—of the second house, that of Marcus Lycus (Isaac Rabbani ’14) who sells off his women to the highest bidder. The woman in question is the beautiful but airheaded Philia (Jackie Theoharris ’14) and Hero will do anything to have her; the problem is she has already been sold to the conceited Roman warrior Miles Gloriosus (Justy Kosek ’14). Pseudolus devises a plan to bring Hero and Philia together, with the promise from Hero that if he is successful, he will earn his freedom. From there shenanigans ensue, as Hero and Philia encounter continuous obstacles. The creator of many of these problems is Hero’s head slave, Hysterium (Herbie Rosen ’12), who is absolutely determined to be the best servant ever. Then there is the occupant of the third house, the elderly Erroneous (Zev Hait ’14), who has left to rescue his children from pirates, whose significance aren’t revealed until a comic twist at the end of the show. What is presented here is a plethora of wonderful characters and rip-roaring circumstances that can be a bit overwhelming to keep track of, but ultimately extremely rewarding if you do. The actors all gave top-notch performances; Frederick does a phenomenal job as Pseudolus, bringing an air of virtue and contrasting it with great comedic timing. He also has a wonderful singing voice that carries him through several solo pieces. Squier brings a great sense of earnestness and yearning to Hero, balanced by his romantically inclined singing voice. Theoharris proves to

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

SONG AND DANCE: The ensemble of ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ finish a rousing number composed by the well-known Stephen Sondheim.

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

TOP TRIO: From left, Hero (Levi Squier ‘14), Pseudolus (David Frederick ’11) and Philia (Jackie Theoharris ’14) smile and perform. be his superb counterpart, bringing a hilarious aura of naïveté to Philia that adds to her extreme likability. The supporting characters all give great performances, including the Eunuchs of Lycus’ house (Andrew Litwin ’11 and John Schnorrenberg ’14), who steal the show every time they’re onstage—but the true standout is Rosen, who brings a phenomenal, harebrained insanity to Hysterium, his desire to the keep the peace always leading him to burst out into frenetic hysterics. He also gets some of the best lines in the show (“I live to grovel!”; “More bad news—” [Hysterium interrupts] “It better be good!”) delivered with great energy.

Rosen commented to justArts after the show on how much fun it was to play Hysterium. “This character is everything,” he enthused, “Hysterium gets a part of all the action in almost every scene. He can freak out and dress in drag, and it’s just so much fun. Hysterium, hysterical! I was in love with the character. It’s one of the best I’ve ever played.” Rosen’s enthusiasm seemed to be shared by the whole cast, and indeed the cast’s best quality was not in the actors’ singular performances, but in how well the group came together and played off on one another. They also did a marvelous job with Stephen Sondheim’s masterful musical

numbers, particular in group pieces such as “Comedy Tonight,” “Free,” “Lovely,” “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” and “Finale.” Some of the solo pieces were a bit shakier but did not detract from the show, which in its entirety was too entertaining to be derailed by small distractions. One of the most impressive aspects of the show was the choreography by Beth Green ’12, which reached its height during the climactic chase sequence in which every character ran back and forth through the various doors on stage. The setup of the three houses provided an excellent backdrop for door access, and indeed the doors were positioned in such a

way that they allowed excellent potential for a full-out Scooby-Doo-style chase sequence. It was a chance for each character to shine. “We wanted to get everyone involved, but we also didn’t want it to be super fast-paced,” Green said, commenting on how this sequence was structured. “The audience had time to give and take, and [we wanted] to [use] characters that aren’t really played up in other versions of the show. We tried to bring them out, and give each actor a chance to be their character.” Squier also commented on the chase scene, sharing a particularly hilarious story about a moment of fun the cast had during rehearsals. “We ran that so many times … and people would start losing it a little bit, so that’s where half of our base came from—people just [messing] around,” he said. “Initially [Knight] was just supposed to get chased out backwards, but one time he runs back, trips over the bench and falls onto it—and keeps going, falls off onto the floor, and [army-crawls] out, and we [just shout] ‘Chris, you can do it!’” This moment of spontaneous mistake turned hilarity is exactly the sort of essential building block in producing a fun show that can reach beyond any limitations and that’s exactly what Forum did. For director Lizzy Benway ’14, the culmination of everything she and her team had been working for was when the cast first stepped out on stage. “Opening night for me [was when] everything came together. Everyone for the first time was on stage with an audience, everyone opened up and was in their character. Everything clicked and worked so well, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.” I think the audience would agree.

culture

Japanese theater showcase benefits relief efforts ■ A master of Kyogen, a

form of traditional Japanese theater, performed and spoke in the Mandel Center for the Humanities last week. By EMILY SALLOWAY JUSTICE editorial assistant

The most important theme of Kyogen, one of the oldest types of Japanese theater, is laughter. And true to its goal, laughter is what rang throughout the Mandel Center for the Humanities last Tuesday night, causing curious passersby to stop and learn about this beloved tradition. Katsumi Yanagimoto, a master of the art form, visited the University this week, thanks to the Waltham Group’s Department of Hunger and Homelessness. The department

sought a culturally educational way to fundraise for the people affected by the recent disasters in Japan. With the help of a translator, Yanagimoto taught a crowd of spectators about the history of Kyogen and some of its most popular moves. The proceeds from the event will go to the American Red Cross, which will forward the money to help with relief in Japan. The event, overall, was an excellent way to share the Japanese culture and bring a happier reminder of the place that has been recently afflicted by great tragedy. Yanagimoto explained that laughter is a universal response, and Kyogen explores several kinds of comedy in order to achieve this response. Within a Kyogen performance, there can be physical comedy, exaggeration, word play and satire of authority. According to Yanagimoto, Kyogen is performed on a type of stage called

a Noh stage, named after the Japanese musical theater called Noh, or Nogaku, which is very different from Kyogen. The Noh stage is unique because it has a roof on top of it, due to the fact that Noh and Kyogen theater were originally performed outdoors. However, today the Noh stage is always built within a larger auditorium. Yanagimoto listed the differences between the two types of theater, which would traditionally be performed in alternation. Whereas Kyogen plays follow everyday characters without personal names, Noh theater tells sad stories about famous figures. There are instruments that accompany the Noh performance, and Yanagimoto explained that Noh is very much like Western musical theater. However, there are no instruments involved with Kyogen, a traditional type of theater that has no Western counterpart. Because of the openness of the Noh

stage, Kyogen does not utilize large props, and most times, a fan is used in place of other objects. Yanagimoto demonstrated how a fan can be used in a dance as a saw to cut trees. He said the key to this type of prop usage is to see things that are not there and to not see things that are there. Because of the limited space and props, there is a special strategy for introducing and changing the setting. When they arrive onstage, characters introduce themselves and explain what they are going to do within the context of the performance. In order to go from place to place, they walk in a triangular shape and say, “I have arrived” at the end of their journey. Yanagimoto joked that this is very economical in terms of production. The overall movement on the stage is slow and “downward.” Yanagimoto contrasted this with ballet, in which movement tends to go “upward.” Be-

cause laughter is a release of tension, this slow movement, which builds tension, is very important to the comedy of Kyogen. After showing the audience a video of a famous Kyogen performance, Yanagimoto called Tanya Kostochka ’11 up to perform a piece of Kyogen called “The Mountain Priest and the Persimmons.” Yanagimoto played the mountain priest, a man hungry on his journey who seeks food from a local farmer’s persimmon tree. Kostochka played the farmer, and it was her job to try to trick the priest into revealing his identity from up in the tree. Kostochka’s Japanese was very impressive, and the performance elicited a lot of laughter from the group. This was thanks, in part, to the subtitles presented in slideshow format and also due to the sheer exaggeration of the actors’ movements and expressions—a successful Kyogen.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, april 12, 2011

Performances take off in

21

HILARY HEYISON/the Justice

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

ZOMBIE QUARTET: George Falk ’11 from Sax Appeal lays down the bass line for an entertaining rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

The annual performance filled the Levin Ballroom with colorful acts By mara sassoon JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Culture X 2011: Up, Up, and Away stayed true to its name. Last Saturday, students filled the Levin Ballroom for a night of music, dance, poetry and other performances of creative cultural expression, ready to be taken on a journey that spanned cultures and art forms. The committee for this year’s show was comprised of Karen Hu ’12, Divya Kanneganti ’11, Akash Vadalia ’12 and Ann Nin Wong ’11. All four took to the stage at the start of the show to explain the meaning of Culture X and its importance to Brandeis then proceeded to interact with the audience by loudly chanting “culture” and having the audience respond with “X.” As for their intentions behind the theme of the show, the committee expressed that they hoped to “blow [the audience’s] expectations away” with an amazing night of performances. It was with these words that the committee played an artsy video aptly set to the Far East Movement’s (feat. Ryan Tedder) “Rocketeer.” Far East Movement will also be performing at SpringFest in a few weeks. The film portrayed the committee’s efforts leading up to the show and also featured some of the staff members of the Intercultural Center, which sponsored the show. Following the short video, emcee Dan Ding ’11 introduced the first of the 22 acts of the night, titled, “BAASA Goes Hip Hop,” during which members of the Brandeis Asian American Students Association performed an energetic dance number to a medley of catchy hip-hop beats. After this spectacle, members of the Japanese Student Association gathered on stage and performed a mesmerizing dance that mimicked a stormy sea. Next up was the small but enthusiastic Brandeis Cheerleading Squad. The squad, which usually cheers at the varsity men and women’s basketball games, showcased its peppiness through its act, which was complete with high jumps and cradle catches. ¡AHORA! came on stage next and was greeted with particularly loud cheers from audience members anticipating the three Latin dance numbers performed by some of its members. The dances performed were the bachata, the punta/ merengue and the reggaeton faja. Another dance act, titled “Dhoom” after the Bollywood film, was next, combining elements

HILARY HEYISON/the Justice

MODERN AND TRADITIONAL: Walter Manongdo ’11 and Jeralyn Hawes ’11 of the Southeast Asia Club pose as royalty during the traditional part of their dance. of modern Indian and American culture. The beginning of the dance was set to Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and even included a Bieber impersonator, who received chuckles from the audience. Select members of the Korean Student Association then performed a striking dance that incorporated the use of fans. Audience members were so clearly taken in by the beauty and coordination of the choreography involving the fans that they cheered loudly when the dancers came together and moved their fans in unison in a wave formation. Other members of the KSA performed a more hip-hop-based dance after the fan act. One of the final performances of Act I included Sax Appeal, Brandeis’ saxophone quartet, which presented a version of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and even showed off some of their dance moves to the song. Before the intermission, Students for Tibet played a short video that spread the message of its goal to “bridge the gap between the Chinese and Tibetan students” and to “raise funds for the Tibetan Children Village school,” according to the description of the club provided in the Culture X program. The first performance of Act II was a touching rendition of Don Henley’s “The Heart of the Matter,” a song that discusses love, an element that connects all cultures. The number was sung by Stephanie Johnson ’13 and Danielle Pulton ’12 and accompanied by Nikhil Malik ’13, Joseph Recabo ’13, and Jake Weiner ’13 on various instruments. Dance performances made up the majority of the second act of the show. There was an energetic Russian folk dance, “Kalinka Malinka,”which that portrayed a coming-of-age story about love. Two other lively dance numbers followed this one. The African Dance Club presented choreography that originated in Mali and that is traditionally performed to welcome guests. This piece was followed by a performance by the R3b3ls of Wahala, a group of dancers decked out in intricate face paint. Continuing with the theme of dance, the Adagio Dance Ensemble performed the piece “Conversations about Dance,” during which the dancers showed off interpretive choreography set to a soundtrack of the dancers speaking about

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

RAH, RAH, RAH: The Brandeis Cheerleading Squad showed pep and energy in the first act of Culture X. why they love to dance. Next, Amanda Dryer ’13 added another kind of energy to the evening with the passionate performance of her original work, “Truth: a Letter to my Zadie,” a poem she had written for her grandfather. Three more of Brandeis’ many dance groups performed next. First, the Brandeis Swingers transported the audience back in time with their series of dance numbers. Then, the So Unique step team showed off their stomping talents. All of So Unique’s dancers were in complete unison, and this made for an amazing presence onstage. The Kaos Kids performed a circus-themed hiphop number next. Although they are a relatively new dance group on campus—only a year old— they proved that they are already a huge presence on campus, as the audience responded with deaf-

ening applause for their performance. After a fierce rap by Brandeis’ own Saz.É (Osaze Akerejah ’14), the Brandeis Salseros showed off some Latin culture with their salsa dancing. The Southeast Asian Club wrapped up what had been a terrific evening with a dance that told the story of a princess, followed by a more freestyle piece. The exciting and artistic evening showed the beauty produced when so many different cultures come together. All of the performances made for an exciting evening that really embodied Brandeis’ values. To continue the celebration of the many cultures and diversity on campus, the ICC, Student Events, ¡AHORA! and the Campus Center Team sponsored a ’90s glow rave afterparty in the Sherman Function Hall as part of Bronstein Week.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011

23

OFF CAMPUS music

Far East ushering in a new Movement ■ The Far East Movement

represents a new generation of Asian-American musicians with a multicultural identity. By wei-huan chen JUSTICE editor

They are the Asian-American hiphop sensations that have taken Los Angeles and the rest of the country by storm and dominated the Billboard and iTunes charts. Last year, they toured internationally with Lady Gaga and also have performed alongside Jay-Z and the Black Eyed Peas. Their name comes from a new cultural movement that they also like to call “free wired.” It’s hard to pinpoint what this movement is, but in the same way that the Grateful Dead paved the way for the hippie movement or the Sex Pistols created their own punk subculture, Far East Movement is the spearhead for a new, multicultural identity in 2011. Like many recent artists, no single genre defines Far East Movement’s music. Words like “hitronica,” “electro-hop” or “techno-pop” may give one a sense of their style—but this fails to capture the core energy that drives Far East Movement’s clothing and partying style as well. According to Kev Nish (Kevin Nishimura), essentially the front man of the group, “free wired” means two things: That they are free to be their own selves and create the music they want, and they are wired—always partying, staying up late and always on the Internet. Many interviewers have asked them if their lifestyle reflects a certain cultural background. Kev Nish is of Japanese and Chinese descent, Prohgress (James Roh) and J-Splif (Jae Choung) are of Korean descent and DJ Virman (Virman Coquia) is of Filipino descent. Do accolades, then, like “Top-Ten Greatest Asian-American Rappers of All Time” or “First Breakout Mainstream Asian-American Act” express the Far East Movement’s musical goals? On one hand, they never sing about race. Ethnicity takes a backseat to partying hard on the dance floor and getting slizzard (drunk). Consider these lyrics from their first hit, “Girls on the Dance Floor”: “I’mma get you drunk and make you lose control/Gotta arch your back, swing your hair/Just like that, I don’t care.” These are young people enjoying their life to the fullest in clubs all over the world—they just returned from a hectic tour in Asia— with or without the intention to pave the way for Asian-Americans in popular culture. “We never really made race our ba-

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

FANTASTIC FOUR: Far East Movement, consisting of Kev Nish, DJ Virman, J-Splif and Prohgress (from left), will perform at Brandeis. sis,” Kev Nish told the Dallas Morning News. “We just grew up as L.A. kids. ... 95 percent of the kids just want to party rock and they don’t care about race. They just want to wild out. That’s refreshing to us.” On the other hand, Far East Movement has always stressed the importance of coming from the L.A. Koreatown music scene. They began their careers performing at charities, such as Movementality, that benefitted Southeast Asian communities and networked with important industry members over Korean barbeque in downtown L.A. Like the hip-hop scene that emerged in Brooklyn in the late ’90s and early 2000s, the recent Asian-American music scene in L.A. has created an environment where “people are pushing themselves up at the same time,” Prohgress said in an interview with soompi.com, commenting on the recent flood of Asian-American artists emerging out of Koreatown. “You’re constantly inspiring each other.” It’s hard to say exactly what movement the members of Far East Movement represents, but they have always cited the people who influenced them in the community. They’re huge fans of rappers like Lyrics Born and Bambu and have given nods to YouTube stars like David Choi. They’ve known Koreatown rappers like Roscoe Umali and Dumbfounded for years. Officially formed in 2003, Far East

RECOMPOSE/Flickr Creative Commons

BOMBASTIC BOYS: The group has dubbed its lavish partying style as “free wired.” Movement’s path to mainstream success had its ups and downs. In the beginning, it was like most other emerging artists in the area. The crew brought their gear to the back of Prohgress’ parents’ house and spent the day making beats and jamming out to them. After a few hours, they’d listen to their work and post it online on aznraps.com and hollafront.com and wait for replies. If someone wrote that it was okay, then they’d say, “Hey! He thought it was a’ight!” If others

thought their rhymes were corny, then they’d take the criticism and use it as inspiration for the next jam. It wasn’t until after countless tracks posted online, repeated complaints from Kev Nish’s girlfriend at the time that they were “losers” and hours of waiting for feedback that aznraps. com finally featured their song, “That Feels Good,” as an “A+” track on the website’s main page. They performed at open mics and charity events until their first big

break came in 2006 with the inclusion of “Round, Round” in the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Deals began to come in and their music appeared on TV shows like CSI: Miami, Gossip Girl and Entourage. DJ Virman became their official disc jockey, and they struck collaborations with The Stereotypes, Bruno Mars and Wiz Khalifa and teamed up with Wong Fu Productions in concerts titled “International Secret Agents” celebrating Asian-Americans in popular culture. Far East Movement cemented its success in 2010 with a major record deal with Interscope Records in February. “It’s a dream where we don’t want to wake up,” Prohgress said in an interview with soompi.com. “We used to intern at Interscope in the PR department. We were in the third floor and I never got to go to the fifth floor. It was like heaven. You never got up there. It’s the home of Dr. Dre, it’s the home of Gwen Stefani, … Eminem, … Black Eyed Peas. This was the holy grail for us. … The fact that we got signed to them is just crazy.” After entering the pearly gates of Interscope, Far East Movement recorded “Like a G6” later that year, propelling the group to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 list and iTunes. It was a song that defined the lavish, hardcorepartying lifestyle and created a new vocabulary for young clubbers. Type in “what is” into Google during late 2010 and it would have automatically generated the words “what is a G6?” The lyrics of the song are catchy and make witty references to a drink made with promethazine and codeine (sizzurp), rap group Three 6 Mafia and the Gulfstream 650, the fastest civil plane in the world: “Sippin’ sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6/Now I’m feelin’ so fly like a G6.” Far East Movement’s mainstream success caused the Dallas Morning News to ask, “Does ‘Like a G6’ signal the arrival of Asian hip-hop?” It’s still early to see how they will influence Asian-American culture, but the emergence of shows like K-Town—the Asian-American version of Jersey Shore to premiere later this year—indicate the proliferation of a new type of lifestyle. Free wired will not burn out anytime soon. “It’s a generation of kids that aren’t defined by specific genres but are defined by a playlist of music,” Kev Nish told Schema Magazine about the Free Wired movement. “Hip-hop, trance, pop, alternative rock. Kids that geek out. Kids that live online. Those multicultural kids that you don’t know their race but you know their screenname. Kids that blog. It’s this new influx of kids or adults who are living free wired.”

film

Filmmakers craft an ‘Insidious’ rare gem for horror fans ■ The creators of ‘Saw’ have

crafted a fun and intense film that delivers on its promise to thrill audiences. By aaron berke JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Ladies and gentlemen, I am stunned. The unthinkable has occurred. For the first time in years, a horror movie has been produced that is actually—for lack of a better word—horrifying. And it’s a movie that has been delivered by none other than director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell, the creators of the Saw series. To their credit, the original Saw was quite intense, if not altogether frightening. But with Insidious, they have crafted a classic, haunted-house scarefest that is both frightening and intriguing. The original story by Whannell is one of those rare scripts that takes a beleaguered genre like horror and injects it with adrenaline-fueled doses of inspiration. The plot sometimes borders on utter gut-punching absurdity, but in a good way, because it’s all completely new. Wan manages to take Whannell’s pumped-up screenplay

and turn it into a vividly frenetic film full to the brim with inspired camera tricks. The story begins with a series of mysterious shots in which the camera creeps slowly down a long hallway and turns a corner to reveal a boy asleep in his bed. The camera pan continues to reveal a horrific face pressed against the boy’s window that looks like the Joker wearing a bridal gown. The next shot is of massive block letters spelling out “INSIDIOUS” in blood-red lettering. This admittedly cheesy introduction paves the way to the story’s proper introduction as we meet the Lambert family that has just moved into their innocent-looking new home. Josh (Patrick Wilson) is a school teacher who is away from home too often, and Renai (Rose Byrne) is a songwriter/ stay-at-home mom who spends most of her time with their three children. Of the three, the middle child Dalton (Ty Simpkins) becomes the major catalyst for the ghostly events that will soon befall the ill-fated family. Dalton, an ordinarily active and curious lad, is one day found by Josh to be asleep and cannot be woken. Doctors assume he is comatose, but there appears to be nothing wrong with him. Three months pass with Dalton in

this state, during which mysterious events start to occur: doors swing open on their own, unidentified voices are heard over a baby monitor and ghostly figures appear at random. These events increase, and soon, demonic figures are walking all about the house. The family must figure out the cause of these events and if they’re linked to the condition of their chronically sleeping son. The basic setup of these events is fairly straightforward, and during the movie’s first half hour there isn’t anything particularly eventful to earn notice. Some of the film’s early scares are generated a bit cheaply— with doors slamming and the volume of the score cranked up to deafening proportions in order to make the audience jump—but these early tricks soon segue into genuinely frightening material. Some of the best scares can be attributed to Whannell’s extremely creative artistic designs for the demons that haunt the Lambert family. These original creations include the Joker bride described earlier; a dancing boy/puppet hybrid wearing a beret; a gigantic figure with a melted face resembling Halloween’s Michael Myers; and a freakish black and red demon with clawed hands, hooved feet and a

face that strikingly resembles Darth Maul of Star Wars. Whannell and Wan prove to be an extremely collaborative team, as Wan takes Whannell’s freakish material and combines it with his brilliantly twisted camerawork. Wan’s camera has a way of showing the demons without really showing them, portraying them with a slightly skewed angle that cuts off parts of their bodies or covers them in shadows. This trickery makes it harder for the demons to be seen, and sometimes unnoticeable even when they’re fully framed in the shot—but this makes them even scarier when they are finally seen. The film hits its highest note in the third act, when the film’s setting shifts from the human world to a dream world haunted by demonic spirits called the Further. Although I think the name the Further sounds like it’s trying to be too cool for its own good, its concept is the film’s most original aspect and what sets it apart from many other horror films. Some viewers may find this hard to swallow, as it does take a departure from traditional haunted-house movie formula, but I believe it is exactly this change in setting that makes the idea so intriguing. Wan’s direction during this sequence is especially interesting, as he shows

us a kind of alternate version of the Lamberts’ house, swathed in Wan’s characteristic green lighting (made famous in Saw) amid a shadowy and murky fog. This manages to give the world an ethereal quality that is both terrifying and hauntingly beautiful. The actors all do a fine job playing their respective roles, although I found Wilson’s portrayal of Josh to be rather annoying and self-serving, and he hams up the role a bit. The best acting is probably to be found in Lin Shaye, who plays Elsie Rainer, a woman who can communicate with the dead. Elsie’s two ghost-hunting cronies are played with great comedic affect by Angus Sampson and Whannell, who seems to love popping up in his own films. But acting is never the strong point in horror, and it is the creators who put their stamp on Insidious. It may not be the best horror film ever created, and it’s quite possible that Insidious will not leave any lasting impression on the genre. It’s nevertheless a fun, intense and well-crafted film that delivers on its promise. With Insidious, Wan and Whannell have proven two important points— that they have a creative life after Saw, and that horror films can still, indeed, be horrifying.

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TUESday, April 12, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME 1. Duncan Jones, director of Source Code, is the son of what famous rock musician? 2. What is a dirk? 3. What TV show propelled the career of comedian Robin Williams? 4. Rabat is the capital of what African nation? 5. What Nazi war criminal was captured in Argentina 15 years after World War II ended? 6. In what legend does the Sheriff of Nottingham play a major role? 7. Daimler was an early designer of what kind of machine? 8. Which month of the year is named for Mars, the Roman god of war? 9. What literary form did Thespis invent? 10. Where is the appendix in the human body? Answers 1. David Bowie 2. Long dagger 3. Mork and Mindy 4. Morocco 5. Adolf Eichmann 6. Robin Hood 7. Automobile 8. March 9. Greek tragedy 10. The junction between the small and large intestines

SHOWTIMES 4/15 – 4/21 The King’s Speech Fri-Sun: 1:00, 3:40, 6:20, 9:05 Mon-Thurs: 2:10, 4:50, 7:40 The Conspirator Fri-Sun: 1:10, 3:50, 6:30, 9:10 Mon-Thurs: 2:00, 4:50, 7:30 Your Highness Fri-Sun: 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:25 Mon-Thurs: 2:40, 5:10, 8:10 Limitless Fri-Sun: 1:30, 4:10, 6:50, 9:20 Mon-Thurs: 2:30, 5:00, 8:00 Hanna Fri-Sun: 1:20, 4:00, 6:40, 9:15 Mon-Thurs: 2:20, 5:00, 7:50 Source Code Fri-Sun: 1:50, 4:30, 7:10, 9:30 Mon-Thurs: 2:50, 5:10, 8:20 Coming Soon: Water for Elephants 4/22 The Greatest Movie Ever Sold 4/29

The Embassy is located at 18 Pine Street in Waltham

CHARTS Top 10s for the week ending April 10 BOX OFFICE

1. Hop 2. Hanna 3. Arthur 4. Soul Surfer 5. Insidious 6. Your Highness 7. Source Code 8. Limitless 9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules 10. The Lincoln Lawyer

NYT BESTSELLERS

LENNY SCHNIER/the Justice

P-P-P-POKER FACE: Justice layout staff member Lenny Schnier ’13 drew this colorful oil pastel on paper of Lady Gaga, using her hit single “Poker Face” as his main artistic inspiration.

ACROSS 1. Dandy 4. Thrash 8. Injury 12. Flightless bird 13. Wash 14. Diva’s showstopper 15. Secular 17. Cincinnati team 18. Not digital 19. Mimic 21. Hubbub 22. Entices 26. Suburban sprawls 29. Leprechauns’ dance 30. Storm center 31. Rue the run 32. Vehicle with sliding doors 33. One of the Three Bears 34. “No seats” sign 35. Mediterranean fruit tree 36. Mathematician Leonhard 37. “—fugit” 39. Mountain 40. “Entourage” role 41. Grape that’s seen better days? 45. Walked (on) 48. Pattern 50. Tart 51. Bullring cheers 52. Mauna— 53. Sampras of tennis 54. Carousel, e.g. 55. Charlemagne, for ex. DOWN 1. Crumbly cheese 2. Portent 3. Cougar 4. Deluges 5. Very slowly, in music 6. Eggs 7. Glutinous matter 8. Sultan’s wives 9. Exist 10. Disencumber 11. More (Sp.) 16. Wood-smoothing tool 20. “Married ... With Children” mom 23. Ring out 24. Work at the keyboard 25. Burn somewhat

CROSSWORD

Fiction 1. The Land of Painted Caves – Jean M. Auel 2. Lover Unleashed – J.R. Ward 3. Mystery – Jonathon Kellerman 4. Live Wire – Harlan Coben 5. Toys – James Patterson and Neil McMahon Nonfiction 1. Onward – Howard Schultz with Joanne Gordon 2. Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand 3. The Social Animal – David Brooks 4. Moonwalking with Einstein – Joshua Foer 5. Red – Sammy Hagar with Joel Selvin

iTUNES

1.Katy Perry feat. Kanye West – “E.T.” 2.The Black Eyed Peas – “Just Can’t Get Enough” 3. Rihanna – “S&M” 4. ADELE – “Rolling in the Deep” 5. Britney Spears – “Till the World Ends” 6. Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull – “On the Floor” 7. Jeremih & 50 Cent – “Down on Me” 8. Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer – “Give Me Everything” 9. Ke$ha – “Blow” 10. Bruno Mars – “The Lazy Song”

BILLBOARD

26. Ultimate 27. Farm fraction 28. Part of TWIMC 29. Binge 32. Guest 33. Student 35. PETA no-no 36. Pass by 38. Chaplain 39. Ready for battle 42. Benefit 43. Twosome, to TMZ 44. Tide variety 45. Recipe meas. 46. Shad product 47. Chic no more 49. Yale grad

1. Britney Spears – Femme Fatale 2. Wiz Khalifa – Rolling Papers 3. Adele – 21 4. The Strokes – Angles 5. Chris Brown – F.A.M.E. 6. Various Artists – Songs For Japan 7. Jennifer Hudson – I Remember Me 8. Snoop Dogg -- Doggumentary 9. Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear 10. Mary Mary -- Something Big Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided by Fandango. iTunes top sellers provided by Apple.com. Bestellers list provided by The New York Times.

Solution to last week’s crossword

King Crossword Copyright 2011 King Features Synd, Inc.

STRANGE BUT TRUE  It was evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins who made the following sage observation: “We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.”

the ancient Romans believed that when Sirius, known as the dog star, shone the brightest—which was during midsummer—it added its heat to the heat of the sun, making the hot season even more unbearable.

 It’s been reported that for one 2-year stretch, Elvis Presley ate nothing but meat loaf, mashed potatoes and tomatoes.

 Libra is the only sign of the zodiac that is not an animal.

 In parts of Asia, tradition holds that if you sneeze once, someone is saying something good about you; if you sneeze twice in a row, something bad is being said; if you sneeze three times, someone is in love with you; and if you sneeze more than three times, you’re about to catch a cold.

 The world championships for the game of RPS, also known as rock-paper-scissors, are held every year in Toronto, Canada.

 If you’re like the average human, you have about 1,500 dreams every year.

 Even if you don’t remember it from its original air dates in the 1950s and ’60s, you surely have heard of the iconic American situation comedy Leave It to Beaver. You might not realize, though, that the original working title was Wally and the Beaver. The producers thought that made it sound like a show about a boy and his pet, so they changed it.

 We all know that the phrase “dog days of summer” refers to the most sultry days of the year, but have you ever wondered where the term came from? It seems that

Thought for the Day: “A conservative is a man who believes that nothing should be done for the first time.” —Alfred E. Wiggam

STAFF PLAYLIST

“Traveling Songs” By FIONA LOCKYER Justice EDITOR

I make most of my playlists when I’m traveling. Whether it’s been by car, train or even just walking, these songs have been with me. THE LIST 1. “Untitled 2 (Morrissey Song)” – Brand New 2. “Until We Bleed” – Kleerup feat. Lykke Li 3. “Boy With a Coin” – Iron & Wine 4. “Anyone’s Ghost” – The National 5. “Coat Check Dream Song” – Bright Eyes 6. “Mystery Girl” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs 7. “An Animal In Your Care” – Wolf Parade 8. “Brown Skin Lady” – Blackstar 9. “Service Bell” – Grizzly Bear & Feist 10. “Bullet to Binary (pt. two)” – mewithoutYou

just ARTS

presents

April 12, 2011

Your guide to the

Leonard Bernstein Festival of the

Creative Arts Art is All

Around

Photos courtesy of the Office of the Arts. Design: Robyn Spector/the Justice.

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TUESDAY, April 12, 2011

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THE JUSTICE

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Schedule of Events Thursday, April 28: ‘Acting Together on the World Stage’ screening

This documentary explores the lives of theater artists around the world attempting to promote peace and social justice through their work and the obstacles they face. The film was created by Cynthia Cohen, the director of Peacebuilding and the Arts at Brandeis, and local filmmaker Allison Lund in cooperation with Theater Without Borders. Noon to 3 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room.

Entering the Stream: Creativity and Timelessness

Influential Jewish feminist poet Rosie Rosenzweig moderates a panel featuring various artists and writers from the Women’s Studies Research Center. The group will be discussing the concept of “being in the flow.” 12:30 p.m. in the Women’s Studies Research Center.

Visual Thinking

Two pop art paintings by influential American artists, Andy Warhol’s “Saturday Disaster” and Tom Wesselmann’s “Still Life No. 25,” are the subject of this engaging discussion. The Rose Art Museum’s Director of Academic Programs, Dabney Hailey, will preside. 4 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

Festival Opening: Art is Happening all Around This piece of improvisational performance art, the jubilant kickoff to the Festival, will be enacted by students of the Brandeis art students. 5:10 to 5:30 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

Friday, April 29: Art happenings

Various performance art pieces will be popping up throughout the day all over campus. All day, campuswide.

Boris’ Kitchen: Cooking Up Trouble Brandeis Early Music Ensemble: Music for Birthdays, Anniversaries and Splendid Occasions

This concert celebrates the 25th anniversary of Early Music America, the North American service organization for the preservation and awareness of early music. This genre includes music of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods, and the music is performed on instruments of the time periods. 7 p.m. in the Berlin Chapel.

A Cappella Fest

This wonderful event features all 11 of Brandeis’ a cappella groups together on one stage. Proceeds benefit the Waltham Teen Chill Zone. 8 p.m. in Sherman Function Hall in the Hassenfeld Conference Center. $3 suggested donation.

‘Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead’

This dark comedy by Bert V. Royal examines the lives of the Peanuts gang once they enter high school. Charlie Brown and his friends brood, philosophize and do recreational drugs in this adult-themed take on the classic comic, presented by the Brandeis Theater Company and directed by guest artist Summer Williams. 8 p.m. in the Spingold Theater Center. Tickets are $18-20. Contact the Brandeis Box Office or order online.

‘In the Name Of’

The Free Play Theater Cooperative puts on this thought-provoking original play by Renana Gal ’12. The play explores the consequences of one Israeli girl’s choice to forgo the draft due to her moral beliefs. The play is based on the author’s real-life experiences. 8 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities G10. Recommended for ages 16 and older.

Current perform teract wi producti 1 to 1:20

Brandeis’ hilarious sketch comedy troop performs original material as well as sketches from past years. 8 p.m. in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. Recommended for ages 16 and older.

Guy Men ‘Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead’

See Thursday’s schedule. 8 p.m. in the Spingold Theater Center. For this special Festival of the Arts-sponsored performance, go to the Brandeis Box Office in the Shapiro Campus Center and mention “Festival” to receive a free ticket (limit two per person, Friday performance only).

‘In the Name Of’

See Thursday’s schedule. 8 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities G10.

This col and wor from aro 1 to 1:5 ater.

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The Bra accolade pella Soc tions. At ing num tour. 1 to 1 Plaza.

Art break Saturday, April 30: BEAMS electronic music marathon

Prof. Eric Chasalow (MUSIC) curates this marathon of innovative and experimental new electronic music in cooperation with the Boston Cyberarts Festival. Performers and composers from all over the world come together for 12 hours to share their latest work in this exciting new field. Noon to midnight in the Slosberg Recital Hall. For a complete list of performances, visit the marathon website at www. brandeis.edu/arts/festival/attendees/ schedule.html

Jamfest

Anyone who enjoys jamming out on their

guitars or drums or with their voice, or anyone who likes to listen to others do so, is welcome to come play together for a few hours in this informal gathering sponsored by the Brandeis Justice League. 2 to 5 p.m. on the Great Lawn.

Boris’ Kitchen: Cooking Up Trouble

See Friday schedule. 8 p.m. in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater.

‘Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead’ See Thursday schedule. 8 p.m. in the Spingold Theater Center.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, April 12, 2011

chedule of Events: Super Sunday

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and Student Events sponsor this concert, one of the most lookedto events of the year. Far East ent, of Montreal and Dom perform bers of the audience lounge in the e justArts’ announcement article 19 and an in-depth profile on Far vement on page 23. p.m. at Chapels Field.

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e beloved Boston artist Sidewalk ho will be creating works of art on s’ walkways using chalk. ghout the day on the Great Lawn.

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students, alumni and faculty all original modern pieces that inith the art on display in this short ion. 0 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

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lorful quintet plays its Sephardic rld music on unique instruments ound the globe. 50 p.m. in the Carl J. Shapiro The-

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andeis a cappella group has won es from the Contemporary A Capciety and other musical organizat the Festival they will be performmbers from the groups 2011 national

1:20 p.m. in the Bernstein-Marcus

Brandeis Swingers

Student swing dancers jive to original pieces choreographed by Sarah Goliger ’12 and Maayan Bar-Yam ’12 in this toetapping short set. 1:30 to 1:50 p.m. in the Bernstein-Marcus Plaza.

Bronze Pour

Alumnus John Koppel ’95 demonstrates how many ancient tools and artifacts were created when he casts molten bronze in this educational exhibition. 3 to 3:20 p.m. outside of the Rose Arts Museum.

“Dreams”

Undergraduate composers concert

Two original compositions by Brandeis students Bradley Kuhn-McKearin ’12 and Jared Field ’11 will debut at the Festival of the Arts. 1:30 to 1:50 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

Members of the Brandeis Juggling Club interpret the four elements—earth, water, air and fire—in a juggling performance. 3 to 3:20 p.m. in the Bernstein-Marcus Plaza.

‘Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead’

Len Cabral

See Thursday schedule. 2 p.m. in the Spingold Theater Center. Tickets are $18-20. Contact Brandeis Tickets or order online.

Ethnic storyteller Cabral shares tales from Africa, the Caribbean and elsewhere in his spellbinding show. 3 to 3:20 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

Hoop workshop

This 19-piece brass band, whose influences as far-reaching as hip-hop and Bollywood, travels around the University campus spreading merriment and music. 2 to 2:45 p.m. beginning on the Great Lawn.

Before the Boston Hoop Troop performs later in the afternoon, they teach Festivalgoers how to hula-hoop themselves. It may not be as easy as it looks. 3:30 to 3:50 p.m. in the Bernstein-Marcus Plaza. Hula-hoops provided.

Words and music by Keith Muslow

Top Score

What Cheer? Brigade

Munslow’s charmingly odd poems and songs provide a fun diversion from the Festival’s more adult fare. 2 to 2:20 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

Brandeis Belly Dance Ensemble

Talented students perform the exotic art of belly dancing in this captivating and festive performance. 3 to 3:20 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

The student-run wind ensemble performs tunes from theater, film and popular music, including a medley from the hit musical Wicked. 3:30 to 3:50 p.m. on the Great Lawn.

Boston Hoop Troop

You’ve never seen hula-hoops like this. The Troop puts on a freewheeling show that includes spinning, dancing and gymnastics all while hula hooping.

4 to 4:30 p.m. in the Bernstein-Marcus Plaza.

Playback Theater

This imaginative Brandeis theater group puts on improvisational performances depicting stories from audience members’ own lives. 4 to 4:30 p.m. in the Rose Arts Museum.

Rhythms of the Middle East

Brandeis’ B’yachad dancers perform to modern and traditional Israeli numbers. 4 to 4:30 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

Festival finale: Lydian String Quartet

Brandeis music professors perform a series of classical pieces for strings, including Leonard Bernstein’s own “Agathon” in this special Festival concert. Sunday at 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Music Center.

‘In the Name Of’

See Thursday’s schedule. 8 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities G10. Recommended for ages 16 and older.

‘Sweet Escape’ screening

Sweet Escape is an original film created by Brandeis film students. The movie tells the modern fairytale of a young girl who escapes from her evil mother in 10 different genres. 8 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities G3. Recommended for ages 16 and older.

ks out of the box Sunday, May 1: Folk Fest Carl J. Shapiro Theater Jolly Beggars

The New England-based Beggars recreate traditional Celtic music. 2:30 to 2:45 p.m.

Danielle Miraglia

This bluesy singer-songwriter performs her original music. 2:50 to 3:15 p.m.

Ryan Fitzsimmons

Fitzsimmons’ folk aesthetic brings to mind political singers from America’s

past. 3:20 to 3:40 p.m.

Bender Unplugged

The band’s southern roots echo their 1960’s folk-rock influences. 3:45 to 4:10 p.m.

Jim’s Big Ego

This comedic musical trio performs its own mix of politically conscious hip-hop/ pop. 4:15 to 5 p.m.

Each year, for one long weekend, our campus comes alive with a creative spirit known as the Festival of the Arts. Everywhere, people are performing, dancing, singing or simply admiring the work around them. This year, the theme of the festival is “Art Is All Around.” Throughout the Festival, student and professional artists will be expressing their talents, hopes, fears and desires through their creations. Take some time to get lost in the excitement and beauty of the festival between April 28 and May 1. “An artist cannot fail. It is a success to be one.” –Charles Horton Cooley

♦ Photos courtesy of the Office of Arts

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THE JUSTICE

Band honors

global musical legacy PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF THE ARTS

TRADITIONAL RHYTHMS: The Guy Mendilow Band will perform Ladino-style music—a genre of Jewish music that was created by Sephardic Jews from Spain, Greece and elsewhere—but with a twist of their own.

The Guy Mendilow Band combines various musical genres from all over the world in its own unique, folksy style By aLEX deSILVA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

There isn’t much that could be called “average” about Guy Mendilow. Born to an Israeli music professor father with an interest in Brazilian jazz, Mendilow found himself moving from Israel to South Africa and finally to the U.S., where he joined the American Boychoir. Though he had grown up surrounded by music, Mendilow’s first true performing experience was the choir. The performers toured 280 days a year, playing venues from small local churches to packed music halls. Mendilow says he’s been a musician ever since. These global roots carry over to Mendilow’s current project, the Guy Mendilow Band. The band plays what can truly be called world music, melding together the traditions of Brazil, the Middle East, Britain and countless other places. The band plays guitars and violins alongside the Brazilian berimbau—a one-stringed, bow-like instrument—and the Peruvian cajón—a box-shaped drum. The band will be bringing this multinational sen-

sibility to Brandeis on May 1 as one of the acts of the upcoming Leonard Bernstein Festival for the Creative Arts. At the Festival, the band will perform songs from their latest work, The Ladino Project, a modernized take on the music of the Ladinos, Spanish Jews who fled Spain during the Spanish Inquisition of 1492 and settled in North Africa and the Mediterranean, including Greece and the Balkans. The band’s music is sung in the Ladino language, a mix of Hebrew, Spanish, Arabic and Greek that reflects how farflung the Ladinos were after the migration from Spain. However, the band isn’t just rediscovering old folk music; the musicians are taking the songs and reimagining what they would become if the Ladinos had migrated even farther to Bahia in Brazil, Appalachia or other parts of the world. Even though the music isn’t well known in the U.S., Mendilow spent much of his early life hearing it through the Sephardic communities in Israel, where the Ladino musical tradition still thrives. Though much of

this music is a celebration of the Ladino culture, there’s also a darker side to it. The band will debut a new piece at Brandeis, which was arranged for Holocaust Remembrance Day, and based on a Ladino poem from 1940. Mendilow describes the piece as a “lament” to the many Ladino communities in the Balkans and Greece that were wiped out during the Holocaust, a tragedy that is oftentimes overlooked by most people. However, most of the music is a celebration of the Ladino culture and its continued survival and adaptability in the face of migration and hardship, as well as recognition of the ways cultures have been migrating, changing and mixing for thousands of years. Of course, Mendilow isn’t the only member of the band. The quintet is made up of members as diverse as the music they play. In addition to Mendilow, there’s jazz vocalist Aubrey Johnson; multi-instrumentalist Andy Bergman (who’s been involved with jazz, classical and world music); violinist Tomoko Omura; and percussionist Rich Stein, who

has a has a background based in West Africa’s drumming traditions, especially Ghanaian drumming. Despite the band’s disparate musical styles, Mendilow says the divisions melt away when they’re playing. According to Mendilow, the music becomes akin to a conversation, and as they “chat music” with each other, they’re able to cross the boundaries of their individual styles—a perfect metaphor for what Mendilow tries to accomplish through music in general. As for what the band will go on to do after they perform at Brandeis, Mendilow says the members haven’t decided yet. He’s been writing music for the Ladino project for about a year now and is still finding new songs and new places to take the music. He says the music’s age is part of what makes this so compelling, with time working “like a sieve,” filtering out the bad songs and leaving the good ones to carry on to the present day. “Bad songs don’t survive like good songs,” says Mendilow, and right now, he’s working with “500 years of the best.”

ARTISTS SOUND OFF T

The key to the mystery of a

great artist is that for reasons unknown, he will give away his energies and his life just to make sure that one note follows another ... and leaves us with the feeling that something is right in the world. —Leonard Bernstein

—Compiled by Olivia Leiter/the Justice

T

he Festival has been a great opportunity for students to bring work out of the privacy of the studio and into the public eye. ... I am [always] impressed with students [who] realize their ambitious projects and it is always rewarding to see [them] experience the community engage and respond to each festival project. —Prof. Tory Fair (FA)

he Festival of the Arts makes visible the ambitions and values of our creative community. Artwork comes out of the studio, new performances come to life, and we see people engaging with art all around campus. he thing about perfor—Ingrid Schorr, mance, even if it’s only an Office of the Arts illusion, is that it is a celebration of the fact that we do contain within ourselves infinite possibilities. —Sydney Smith, essayist

T

M

y favorite thing about the Festival is that it demonstrates the diverse ways art can be appreciated. At Brandeis, everybody has such different interests, but the Festival proves that in some way, we can all appreciate some form of art. —Diana Flatto ’12