The Justice, April 27, 2010 by The Justice

ARTS PAGE 17

FORUM Commencement controversy 8

CULTURE X

SPORTS Softball loses to Eastern Connecticut 12 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

the

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY SINCE 1949

Justice www.theJusticeOnline.com

Volume LXII, Number 25

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

GREENING THE CAMPUS

ACADEMICS

Univ conference draws controversy ■ The use of the swastika

in advertisements for the event drew criticism from the conservative media. By ALANA ABRAMSON JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The Center for European and German Studies’ April 28 conference on the rise of right-wing radicalism in the United States and Europe has generated controversy resulting in conservative political commentator Michael Graham’s discussion of the conference on Fox News. The poster advertising the event originally included the depiction of a swastika, and the online description of the event included a “related link” to the Tea Party Express rally at Boston Commons that took place April 14. Last Friday, Graham responded to the incorporation of the Tea Party into the description of extremist groups on Fox Business Channel, asserting that the use of the swastika symbol to promote the event coupled with the link to the Tea Party event, implied that the University, as the host of the conference, was linking the Tea Party with neo-Nazism. Graham wrote on his website, “It will be fascinating to listen to Brandeis faculty members trying to link the Tea Party to political violence when, just months ago, they hosted an actual terrorist bomber,” referring to founder of the Weather Underground Bill Ayers’ visit to campus last spring. Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL), the director of the Center for German and European Studies, said in an interview with the Justice that she received a multitude of e-mail responses after

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

EARTH DAY: Ivana Kovacikova ’11 gathers produce from on-campus gardens that were created as a class project last semester.

Green proposal approved ■ Students voted to approve

a constitutional amendment to create the Brandeis Sustainability Fund. By CLARE CHURCHILL-SEDER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

An amendment passed today to create the Brandeis Sustainability Fund, which would increase the Student Activities Fee by $7.50 per semester, after a referendum received the nec-

essary two-thirds majority of student votes cast. According to the amendment, funds generated by the increase will be allocated to the newly formed Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board. The Board will distribute the approximately $50,000 per year to fund student-led campus sustainability initiatives. The Brandeis Sustainability Fund amendment included four separate amendments. One amendment made the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board a secured club, a club considered to provide services integral to Brandeis’ mission, according to the

Student Union Constitution. As a secured club, the Board will be guaranteed recognition and formation, but it will not receive Finance Board funds like other secured clubs. Another amendment put into effect is the election of two representatives to the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board every year. The representatives will serve yearlong terms and be elected during the first round of spring Elections. The Brandeis Sustainability Fund was voted on by 918 students, of

See VOTE, 5 ☛

Michael Graham posted the link on his website, many of which were from members of the Tea Party. Von Mering added that the controversy was completely unexpected because the reference to the Tea Party was only incorporated into one presentation, Chip Berlet’s talk titled “From Tea Parties to Armed Militias.” “Three papers cannot do justice to the many facets of the American right wing, but the idea is to have some point of comparison to the European perspective and discern similarities and differences between right-wing political activity on both continents,” she said. The statement on the conference’s website explained that the swastika logo was removed from the event page providing information about the conference and that the implied link between the Tea Party and the Neo-Nazi movement was unintentional. Senior Vice President for External Communications and Affairs Andrew Gully wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the logo was removed last Friday because “it created an impression that Brandeis and conference organizers equated a range of organizations, including the Tea Party in the U.S., with right-wing extremist groups in America and Europe and that was not the intent.” Gully wrote that he did not find the controversy over the logo unexpected. “It’s the nature of advocacy news today, so I wasn’t surprised. Issues are boiled down to hot button sound bites and all context is lost,” he wrote. Von Mering said that the use of the swastika was not intended to generate controversy or imply a connection with right-wing radical groups but instead to draw atten-

See CONFERENCE, 5 ☛

COMMENCEMENT

Community reacts to choice of Oren as commencement speaker ■ Students reacted strongly

to the choice of the Israeli ambassador as the keynote speaker at graduation. By MIRANDA NEUBAUER JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

The Class of 2010, which in its first year at Brandeis lined up to hear President Jimmy Carter and

Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz discuss their divergent opinions about Middle East policy, will have Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren as the keynote speaker at its commencement ceremony. While the announcement of Oren’s selection as commencement speaker prompted mixed reactions from the graduating class, two seniors began an effort to encourage honorary degree recipient Paul

Simon, the Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter, to sing at the ceremony. The other honorary degree recipients are Judith S. Kaye, the first female chief judge in New York State; award-winning Spanish author Antonio Muñoz Molina; Dennis B. Ross, a member of the National Security Council; and Paul Farmer, a founder of Partners in Health. University President Jehuda Reinharz told the Justice that any-

one could submit a suggestion letter for an honorary degree to the Honorary Degree Committee of the Board of Trustees. Once the Committee decides whether to put a name forward, the suggestion goes before the entire Board of Trustees for consideration. The name then stays on a list of approved names for five years, during which the University president can select the honorary degree recipients and the commencement speaker. Reinharz

said he usually makes his selections a year in advance. “The decision to select any honorary degree recipient is whether this particular person is someone that reflects the values, the mission, the scholarship of the Brandeis community,” he said. “I see this honorary degree ceremony as the last opportunity for students to learn something from these hon-

See OREN, 5☛

Josephs Two

Improvathon amuses

New institute

■ The restaurant owner talks about his successes and Waltham’s evolution.

■ Students kept the comedy going for 24 straight hours in Cholmondeley’s.

■ The Heller School will house an institute on Global Health and Development.

FEATURES 5 For tips or info call Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online (781) 736-6397 at www.thejusticeonline.com

INDEX

ARTS 19 ARTS SPORTS

13 12

EDITORIAL FEATURES

6 5

OPINION POLICE LOG

7 2

COMMENTARY

NEWS 3 7

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

●

THE JUSTICE

NEWS BRIEF

POLICE LOG

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee tables Pass/Fail Plus

Medical Emergency

The Faculty Senate supported the Student Union’s Pass/Fail Plus proposal, but the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee has tabled discussion about final approval of the proposal until next year due to continued concerns about its implementation, Dean of Arts and Sciences and UCC chair Adam Jaffe said in an interview with the Justice. The proposal would allow students to fulfill their general University requirements with a class taken pass/fail as long as they achieved grades above a C+. The March 25 minutes state that Senate members supported the proposal to allow one class to be pass/fail, “especially as it would encourage students to attempt more challenging course work and most felt that it should not be limited to only one course in the general education requirements.” Additionally, according to the minutes, “[Senate members] felt this plan would alleviate the need for several sections of the larger lecture courses and allow some of the small seminar classes to fully enroll.” The Senate passed a motion in support of a Pass/Fail Plus proposal that would be applicable to all classes except the University Writing Seminars. According to the Faculty Senate minutes, UCC members had suggested that this plan should not apply to foreign language, writing intensive and UWS requirements. Union Director of Academic Affairs Danielle Wolfson ’11 said she would incorporate the UCC’s proposed changes into a revised proposal. Senate members asked Wolfson why the proposal only allowed students to apply the option to one required class, according to the minutes. Wolfson explained that usually one class out of the required general University requirements is of student concern, and that the proposal would allow students to take a more challenging class without fear of failing. “Many in the Senate supported this idea, especially as it would encourage students to attempt more challenging course work and most felt that it should not be limited to only one course in the general education requirements,” the minutes state. “Faculty in general see the benefit of pass/fail in terms of allowing students to explore options and consider taking courses they would otherwise not take because they seem to frightening,” Jaffe said. “But at the same time faculty also have concerns in general about pass/fail because they observe some students in their classes who are not doing the work, … and there is some suspicion … that the people who are not doing the work are people who are taking the course pass/fail,” he said. Jaffe added that there is also concern about the “apparent practice among students of using Pass/Fail essentially for GPA maximization by taking courses and getting an A- or B+ and then covering it up with a P.” He also said that there was some concern, whatever the outcome, that allowing required courses to be taken pass/fail would create the impression that the University took those classes less seriously than before. Jaffe said that Brandeis was “unique” in allowing students to decide whether a class will remain pass/fail after they know their grade. He said he expected the UCC to appoint a committee to undertake a broader examination of university pass-fail policies next semester. Senior representative to the UCC Michelle Barras ’10 said, “We did research about other universities, … and there were a bunch of universities of our caliber that do allow you to pass/fail some or all of the general requirements.” Senate member Prof. Judith Herzfeld (CHEM) wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that she did not have concerns about students taking classes pass/fail to avoid challenging work. She encouraged students to consider what covering a grade for an easy class would look like on their transcript and added that it was not the University’s place to step in if students opted not to take advantage of the opportunities the University offers them.

April 20—The Golding Health Center requested an ambulance for a 21-year-old male with chest pain. The party was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. April 22—A party in Usen Residence Hall reported that she was running a fever and having trouble breathing. BEMCo was dispatched, and the party was treated on-scene with a signed refusal for further care. April 24—A 20-year-old in Pomerantz Residence Hall reported that she was experiencing leg pain. BEMCo responded and the party was treated on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Larceny April 21—An individual reported to University Police that his wallet was stolen in the Gos-

man Sports and Convocation Center. University Police filed a report.

Harassment April 22—A party reported to University Police that he or she was harassed in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. University Police compiled a report. April 24—A party from offcampus filed paperwork for police services concerning stalking.

Vandalism April 23—Three students met with the Provisions on Demand market management for restitution of $75 of damages to the store. No judicial charges were filed.

Traffic April 20—University Police re-

ceived a call about a minor motor vehicle accident in Kutz lot. University Police compiled a report about the accident. April 21—A caller reported that her motor vehicle parked in Library lot had been hit and significant damage had been done to the vehicle. No information was left. University Police compiled a report.

Miscellaneous April 20—University Police received a call from the community development coordinator on duty in Massell Quad to report that that a small group of students were involved in drug activity. University Police confiscated contraband. The CDC will submit University judicial charges. April 21—University Police responded to a report that individuals in Ziv Quad were attempting to spray fire extinguishers into

Economics and Finance Review approved

AMY BISAILLON/the Justice

An article in Arts misstated the name of the UTC. The UTC stands for Undergraduate Theater Collective, not University Theater Company. (Apr. 20, p. 20) An article in Arts misstated the age of Carly Saada, a character in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She is eight years old, not nine. (Apr. 20, p. 20) An article in News misstated the position of Amy Mandel. She is the Senator for the Foster Mods, not for the Class of 2010. (April 20, p. 2) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail justeditor@ brandeis.edu.

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SENATE LOG

—Miranda Neubauer

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

first floor residence windows. University Police found no individuals on-scene and no apparent damage. April 22—University Police received a report from Sherman Dining Hall that five or six males were making noise, possibly from the roof. University Police checked the area and found nothing. April 22—University Police advised individuals using a couch from the Shapiro Residence Hall lounge outdoors to return the couch. April 24—University Police received a report of an individual on the Usen Castle roof. The subject, observed by University Police, was above the common area. Officers on-scene were unable to locate the subject, and no further action was taken.

Holi helps welcome spring Students appreciated Indian culture by throwing dye at each other and enjoying Indian food. Proceeds went to Akshaya Patra, a nonprofit that provides food to underprivileged youth in India.

Andy Hogan ’11 swore in newly elected Student Union president Daniel Acheampong ’11, who subsequently swore in newly elected senators, judiciary members and representatives. Acheampong also proposed and swore in his appointments for the executive board. Ryan Fanning ’11 will be the new director of executive affairs, J.V. Souffrant ’13 will be the new director of community advocacy, and Andrea Ortega ’13 and Zoe Siegel ’13 will serve as co-directors of communications. Marla Merchut ’12 and Danielle Wolfson ’11 will be co-directors of academic affairs. Tamar Schneck ’13 will serve as the Director of Student Rights Advocacy, and Linda Li ’13 will become the new director of special events. Shirel Guez ’12, newly-elected Vice President, introduced herself to the Senate and said that she is looking forward to working with the senate and expected the senate to be a place for mature discourse. Brandeis Economics and Finance Review requested to be approved as a club. The purpose of the club would be to produce a student-run publication in economics, finance and business. The leaders said that the new review would be important to have in conjunction with the new Business major. The club was approved. A representative from a proposed testpreparation organization asked for approval from the Senate. The club would serve to help students prepare for higher tests by networking students preparing for tests like the MCAT and LSAT. The representative from the club said she had been talking with Kaplan and Princeton Review, who would be willing to donate test preparation materials. Senator for the Class of 2010 Jackie Saffir raised concern as to how the services offered by the proposed club would be different from services currently offered by Hiatt. Abraham Berin ’11, senator for the Charles River Apartments, was concerned the club would overlap with services offered by other clubs like the Pre-Health and Pre-Law societies. The representative said that the club would be purely about mentoring for test preparation—a service not currently offered by other organizations. The proposal was passed.

—Alana Abramson

ANNOUNCEMENTS Medical discussion panel for Autism Awareness Month Students will have the opportunity to listen to Harvard Medical School professor Martha Herbet and Northeastern University professor Richard Deth speak about new research in the field of autism. The event is sponsored by SPECTRUM: For Autism Awareness and Advocacy as part of Autism Awareness Month. Today from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room.

Looking Forward: Sustainable Development in Haiti A six-speaker panel will discuss development topics related to health, environment, social justice, gender and education in Haiti. Panelists include: Dr. Marc Prou (Haitian Studies Association, University of Massachusetts at Boston), Marion Howard (Heller School for Social Policy and Management), Mary Smith Fawzi Sc.D. (Partners in Health), Carline Desire (Association of Haitian Women in Boston/Asosiyasyon Fanm Ay-

isyen nan Boston) and Martha Thompson & Gretchen Alther (Unitarian Universalist Service Committee). Theevent is sponsored by the Global Haiti Initiative, Brandeis Haiti Relief Effort and Heller School Gender Working Group. Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Goldfarb Library.

New Right-Wing Radicalism Conference The Center for German and European Studies at Brandeis is convening European and American scholars who have studied skinhead and neo-Nazi movements. Panelists will address questions about the most recent developments in the organizations’ demographics, their ideological framework and the role of different free speech laws vis-à-vis the groups’ media/Internet presence and activities both here in the U.S. and in Europe. For more information, e-mail vonmering@ brandeis.edu. Wednesday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the International Lounge.

Clean and Green: Business, Policy, or Slogan? This symposium organized by the Rosenberg Institute of Global Finance will address issues concerning the financial, business and economic policy of green technology in a moderated panel discussion. The discussion will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a reception. Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Lee Hall, Lemberg Academic Center.

That Moment Of Creating: Women Artists Report This is the Women Studies and Research Center’s 11th annual panel participating in Brandeis’ Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts. Panelists include: Alexandra Borrie, performance artist and director; Ornit Barkai, documentary filmmaker; Georgia Sassen, psychologist, poet and writer; with respondent Elinor Gadon, art historian; with moderator Rosie Rosenzweig, writer. Thursday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Epstein Lecture Hall.

THE JUSTICE

SWEARING IN

By ALANA ABRAMSON JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

NEWLY ELECTED: The new Student Union president, Daniel Acheampong ’11, swears in Vice President Shirel Guez ’12.

Senators elected in second round of Union elections members of the Union Judiciary and two members of the Finance Board. By FIONA LOCKYER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The 2010 Student Union elections concluded last Thursday as students elected two class senators for the classes of 2011, 2012 and 2013, the racial minority senator, and two senators-at-large. Students additionally elected five positions on the Union Judiciary and filled two Finance Board seats that remained empty after the first round of elections. The newly elected senators for the Class of 2011 are Michael Newborn and Abraham Berin. Abby Kulawitz and Liya Kahan were elected senators for the Class of 2012, and Jessica Christian and David Fisch were elected senators for the Class of 2013. Candidates elected to the Student Judiciary were Matthew Kriegsman ’11, Judah Marans ’11, Rasheedat Azeez ’13, Jessica Granville ’12 and Alex Norris ’11. J.V. Souffrant ’13, who was on the ballot for associate justice of the Student Judiciary, withdrew from that election after being appointed by Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 as director of community advocacy. According to the Union website, the director of community advocacy is responsible for “working towards increasing club collaboration, supporting social justice initiatives,

New institute established at Heller School Health and Development will have an opening event at the start of the fall semester.

and increasing awareness of diversity on campus.” The elected senators-at-large are Abdul Aziz Sohail ’13 and incumbent Beneva Davies ’13. “So many candidates were passionate about campaigning and making sure the community was aware of the elections,” said Acheampong in an interview with the Justice. “[The election] was really exciting,” he said. Davies stated in an interview with the Justice that she was “looking forward to helping all of the new senators get on the same page.” Sohail echoed Davies’ statement. “I’m going to work on getting acquainted with the Senate,” he said in an interview with the Justice. Sohail plans on advocating for the Student Activist Resource Center, which offers information about the broad range of activist opportunities both on and off campus to the Brandeis community, as his first goal. The two winners of the special elections were Julia Blanter ’13, elected to fill the remaining F-Board position, and Gabby Castellanos ’13, elected to fill the F-Board position of racial minority representative. Leslyn Hayes ’13 was elected to the position of racial minority senator. A Facebook group was recently created that disagrees with the racial minority senator position because nonminority students cannot currently vote in the election for racial minority senator, and it is a position focused on racial minorities instead of all campus minorities. “The position might once have

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

CENTERS AND INSTITUTES

■ The Institute for Global

■ Students also elected

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been needed but not now,” group creator Ross Benar ’13 said in an interview with the Justice, “It just seems like an extra layer of bureaucracy.” Hayes, the newly elected senator for racial minority students, said in an interview with the Justice. “I think it’s something to look at [the racial minority senator position]; I can represent [the creators of the group] too.” Acheampong declined to comment on the subject. Kriegsman, elected yesterday by the Student Judiciary as chief justice, said in an in interview with the Justice that he wants the Student Judiciary to focus more on mediation instead of public trials. “I want to change the reputation and dynamic of what it actually means to be a part of the Student Judiciary,” he said, by moving away from publicized trials. Former Student Union President Andy Hogan ’11 wrote that although there were no problems with the runoff voting system, some students experienced voting trouble because of issues with their graduating year and the registrar. “Our lists [that decide which students are eligible to vote for certain elections] are built by the registrar so if people have issues with their class status they may have issues with voting.” Hogan also wrote that the vote for the Junior representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committe was accidentally left off the ballot, and was included with the April 26 vote regarding the constitutional amendment for a sustainability fund.

The Schneider Institutes and the Programs in Sustainable International Development at Brandeis are collaborating to create an Institute for Global Health and Development, a research institute housed within the Heller School for Social Policy and Management designed to garner information that will help policymakers increase their focus on the impoverished, wrote Prof. Allyala Nandakumar (Heller), who will serve as the director of the institute, in an e-mail to the Justice. The Institute will be the third housed under the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy at the Heller School. The other two institutes are the Institute on Healthcare Systems and the Institute for Behavioral Health, according to the Schneider Institutes website. Nandakumar explained in an interview with the Justice that Provost Marty Krauss approved the establishment of the institute this month, but that he is working with Vice President of Global Affairs Daniel Terris to plan a campuswide launch event in the fall that will highlight the institute’s main objectives. Nandakumar said the institute’s website would be launched May 15. The mission of the institute, according to a PowerPoint presentation Nandakumar gave to the Heller School’s Board of Overseers on Jan. 29, of which he provided a copy to the Justice, is “to bring the best research in global health and development to leaders and policymakers who can use the knowledge to achieve results at scale with a focus on the poor and social justice.” Nandakumar presented information about the institute at the April 15 faculty meeting. Nandakumar wrote in his e-mail about the idea for the institute that the Heller School offers a Master of Arts in Sustainable International Development, a Master of Science in International Health Policy and Management and a Ph.D. concentration in Global Health and Development, but that the institute is designed to consolidate all research initiatives. “What we are doing is pulling together a community of researchers interested in this topic, both in global health and across the University. When we put out proposals going forward, the institute will become the focal point, and the institute can put the best teams together,” he ex-

plained. Research projects that are currently under way, according to Nandakumar, include evaluating the investments in the maternal child health program in Egypt, researching what can be done to ensure the sustainability of these investments in the future and researching why investments in reducing mortality rates from malaria have not produced that outcome. Prof. Stanley Wallack (Heller), the executive director of the Schneider Institutes, said in an interview with the Justice that the establishment of a doctoral concentration in Global Health and Development reinforced the need for a research institute in this area. He explained that a research institute creates a different model for how to do research in a given field. The PowerPoint presentation states that the institute will focus on channeling its research into certain geographical regions such as Nigeria, where the institute will work with the Office of the President on programming debt relief funds; India, where it will work with the Gates Foundation on creating a maternal and neonatal program; China, where it will work on combating HIV/AIDS; and Rwanda. Nandakumar explained that the institute is initially focusing on these specific areas because the research environment is competitive in terms of obtaining grants, and members of the Heller School have previous experience working with these countries. “We want to build off expertise we already have in these areas,” he said. He went on to explain that the institute would increase its’ geographical scope as it expanded in size. When asked about the financial costs of the institute, Nandakumar responded that the institute would essentially be funded through grants provided for its research. He wrote that the institute has already obtained $2 million in research grants, and he would like it to grow by $500,000 annually. Nandakumar said he is in the process of formulating a fundraising strategy, but it is in the formative stages. “This is an ambitious target given the current global economic environment and the competitive nature of the market place. However given the outstanding faculty and researchers both at Heller and Brandeis we are optimistic of achieving our goals,” he wrote. Wallack said he was very optimistic about the success of the institute. “We are starting off with a good set of projects, and we will build from there, and we will be able to leverage what we have,” he said.

TECHNOLOGY

New system of online course evaluations implemented ■ Students who complete

their course evaluations will have earlier access to their ﬁnal semester grades. By EMILY KRAUS JUSTICE EDITOR

The online course evaluation system will change this semester so that students can include final exams in their evaluations, and early access to grades will be available only to students who fill out their evaluations, according to an April 22 e-mail to the student body from Provost Marty Krauss. Under the new system, students will be able to complete their course

evaluations throughout finals week, in addition to during the three weeks before finals, which was the case last year. According to Krauss’ e-mail, students who complete their evaluations will be able to see their grades as soon as they are posted. “For those students who have not completed all of their evaluations, grades will remain suppressed until five days after the close of the examination period,” she wrote. Krauss wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that course evaluations have several important functions beyond their use in the Course Evaluation Guide, which the Student Union compiles to provide summaries of evaluations for students choosing classes, including faculty assessments. “The results of course evaluations are

used annually in the review of faculty pursuant to merit increases, in the review of faculty for tenure and promotions, and in the mentoring processes in place for assisting junior faculty,” she wrote. According to Brandeis’ website, the undergraduate completion rate in fall 2009 was 57 percent, and the overall completion rate was 61 percent, excluding evaluations from the Rabb School of Continuing Studies. Krauss’ e-mail to the student body explained that withholding early grades is an attempt to improve those rates. Also, students who complete all of their course evaluations will be entered into a raffle as an additional incentive. Krauss wrote in her e-mail to the

Justice that her office has monitored the response rates since the online evaluation system was implemented in 2007. She wrote that the Committee for the Support of Teaching, Library and Technology Services, University Registrar Mark Hewitt, the academic deans and student advisory groups were all consulted in the discussion of the changes. Krauss wrote, “We all hope that students will understand that completing course evaluations is part of the process of taking a course. I have received many e-mails from students praising the changes we’ve instituted, particularly because they feel they will provide more thorough evaluations once the stress of exams is over.”

Dara Yaffe ’10 said that she would want to fill out her course evaluations regardless of the new measures, but “at Brandeis, for good or for bad, people are grade-conscious, so they really hit the nail on the head” in choosing a system that withholds students’ grades until after they fill out their evaluations. Miriam Nachum ’10 said of the change in times that the evaluations will be available, “It’s good that it’s after finals, because I think your final is always a big part of the grade.” She said that she understands that some students would want to take their grades into consideration when evaluating a course, but she considers the changes to the system improvements.

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

VOTE: Money to fund green projects

EXPLORING RELIGION

CONTINUED FROM 1 whom 626 voted in favor of the fund. Students for Environmental Action president Hannah Saltman ’12 attributed the turnout and the passage of the amendment largely to SEA’s campaigning efforts of the last few days. “Tabling and dormstorming were essential to getting the vote passed because we were able to answer questions and correct misinformation,” she said in an interview with the Justice. “We feel that in this time of climate change, advocating for sustainable culture is one of the most important things we can do,” said Saltman. She has been working on creating the Sustainability Fund along with other members of SEA since last September. Saltman said that because the fund will consist of “student money devoted to student projects,” the fund will increase awareness of sustainability on campus and cause students to take more responsibility for Brandeis’ collective carbon footprint. Furthermore, Saltman said the fund will help to raise awareness of and realize Brandeis’ goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. In response to the critique that the fee will set a dangerous precedent by allowing individual clubs to campaign for mandatory fees in support of specific causes, Saltman said that the precedent for similar funds has already been set at schools including Harvard University, Tufts University and Colorado College. She also said that the process of getting the fee approved was not simple and included meeting with the administration, getting the support of 10 Student Union senators and winning yesterday’s vote with a two-thirds majority. Another criticism Saltman said she encountered while lobbying for the fund was the idea that the money would only go to serve SEA. However, Saltman explained that the Sustainability Fund Board would only be able to allocate funds to individual proposals, not to groups. The board will be made up of two representatives elected from the student body, the Student Union treasurer, the Student Union Social Justice Committee chair, a staff member from the Office of Facilities and Services, a representative from the dean of Arts and Sciences’ office and one faculty member from the Environmental Studies program, said Saltman. As outlined in the amendment proposal, the Sustainability Fund Fee will add $7.50 per semester to the Student Activities Fee. Saltman said that if greater than 5 percent of the fund remains at the end of an academic year, it will be transferred to the Sustainability Coordinator and used for sustainability initiatives led by the University. Rena Singer ’13 told the Justice yesterday afternoon that she was planning on voting but was conflicted as to how to vote. She said that while she understands that SEA does what it can to promote sustainability, she she is concerned that students cannot be guarenteed that the money from the fee will be put to good use. Nathan Robinson ’11, who wrote against the Sustainability Fund on the blog Innermost Parts, said that he is not opposed to the intention of the fund to promote sustainability but that he is opposed to the way the objective is being handled in terms of imposing a fee on students.

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

The origins of secularism Last Wednesday, Brandeis community members took part in a workshop that discussed the intellectual origins of secularism in Europe and the current relationship between secularism and religious and ethnic identity. The event was cosponsored by the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry and Facing History and Ourselves.

CONFERENCE: Controversial logo removed CONTINUED FROM 1 tion to the conference itself. “We saw the use of the swastika as a provocative way of raising awareness on campus about the conference,” she said. Von Mering noted that the decision to remove the swastika was independent of the attention Michael Graham drew to the link and instead stemmed from the fact that “even in our own community some people were upset by the sym-

bol because of personal connections with the Holocaust.” Nipun Marwaha ’12, the president of the Brandeis Reapublicans, said in an interview with the Justice that while he believed there was an implication regarding the usage of the swastika and the incorporation of the Tea Party into the conference, he did not believe the swastika logo should have been removed. “Though I felt that the logo was definitely abusive and misapplied to Tea Parties, I am a strong believ-

er in the freedom of speech, and them removing the logo was kind of a step back. While I completely disagree with the association that the Tea Party members are Nazis, removing the logo was kind of their way of backing away from their right to free speech as well,” he said. As a result of the controversy, von Mering said that there will be security guards at the conference on Wednesday but emphasized that the controversy would not be the

main focus of the event. “If people expect the conference to be about the Tea Party they will be extremely disappointed,” she said. Profs. David Cunningham (SOC) and Mingus Mapps (POL), who will serve as the moderators for the conference, did not respond for comment by press time despite repeated requests for interviews. —Harry Shipps and Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.

OREN: Speaker draws criticism from students CONTINUED FROM 1 orees, and so that’s the guiding principle in every selection.” Reinharz stated that in Oren, students “can see somebody whose job it is to represent an important country in the Middle East and who also is a great historian, and I mean a great historian, … speak about an issue that is constantly in the press, constantly part of American/Israel relations.” Union Vice President Amanda Hecker ’10 and Senator for the Class of 2010 Michael Weil formed the Facebook group “Paul Simon should sing at Graduation 2010,” which has over 700 members as of press time. Additionally, Hecker and Weil formed another Facebook group for seniors and their families and friends outside of Brandeis, which has 188 members as of press time. Director of the Office of the Arts Scott Edmiston wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he was “thrilled that so many students are excited about Paul Simon receiving an honorary degree. It’s not customary for arts honorees to be asked to perform, but I shared news of the student interest and Facebook Group with Mr. Simon’s management. He will be on tour through May, so we may not have a response for a while.” Reinharz said he responded to the students’ inquiry saying, “This is a great idea, and we will ask Mr. Simon whether he is willing to sing. That’s really up to him, it’s not something I can mandate.” Members of the senior class offered both positive and negative reactions to the selection of Oren, culminating in the creation of three different Facebook groups joined by seniors, other current students and alumni. Weil said that as an Israel sup-

porter he is happy to hear Oren speak, but he understands the concern about hearing a Middle East speaker given that many speakers address this topic at Brandeis. He added that he wouldn’t be surprised to see protesters at commencement, “but I would be a little disappointed if people chose to protest, because it’s supposed to be a celebratory day.” Praising the caliber of the honorary degree recipients overall, Weil said he was glad “we are graduating, in a sense, with them.” Senator for the Class of 2010 Jackie Saffir said she was disappointed because she felt that the purpose of graduation speakers was to encourage graduates to think “outside the box,” which she doubted Oren would be able to do, “given that he is essentially paid to espouse a particular opinion.” She added that his perspective “is not a fresh one; it’s almost unavoidable to be at Brandeis for four years and to have not heard the pro-Israel perspective.” She went on say that she was concerned that Oren’s speech would feed into an impression among outsiders that Brandeis is a Jewish school. Manny Halberstam ’10, the executive advisor to the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee for the Brandeis Zionist Alliance, said he had read some of Oren’s work and that Oren “refuses to let [his biases] steer him away from the idea of objectivity, and that’s something that I really respected.” “I didn’t expect for the commencement speaker to be such a divisive figure,” said Mariel Gruszco ’10, a member of Students for a Democratic Society. She said she felt commencement speakers should be “uncontroversial figures that people on campus can unite behind.” She added that students

feel that the speaker choice is already disruptive to the commencement ceremony and that they did not wish to disrupt the ceremony through protests. Gruszko said she felt “a little bit excluded by the selection of Oren as a commencement speaker because I feel like he represents a side of Jewish and Israeli policy that I don’t necessarily agree with.” Praising the other honorary degree recipients, she added that she hoped graduates could hear from Farmer about what Partners in Health had been doing in Haiti. “I was actually really thrilled to hear that Brandeis invited Michael Oren,” said Rebecca Schlangel ’10, president of BZA, who added that she had heard him speak before at a Harvard event. “He was really concise and clear; he got all the points across that he was trying to talk about, and the audience responded really well to him,” Schlangel recalled. “I think that there is this stereotype on the Brandeis campus that the second anyone says ‘Israel,’ everyone freaks out and has this overreaction; I really don’t feel that his politics are overly controversial,” she said. “I don’t feel like what he’s going to be saying is going to be overly political. … He’s going to be talking to us about graduating and our future lives.” In February, there were several arrests after students protested a speech Oren delivered at the University of California at Irvine. In October, Oren initially declined to meet with leaders of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel lobbying group, and stated that its views “endangered” Israel before agreeing to meet with representatives of the group on April 15. Jeremy Sherer ’10, founder of J Street U at Brandeis, wrote in an email to the Justice that while he

did not necessarily agree with Oren or how the ambassador conducted himself concerning J Street, he will “be attending Commencement as a graduating senior, not as the President of J Street U Brandeis.” As of last night, 192 students had joined a Facebook group against Oren as commencement speaker, and 132 students had joined a group formed in favor of Oren’s speaking. In addition, 26 students joined a group stating that the division the two groups demonstrated was enough reason for him not to speak. Also, 95 students signed an online petition against Oren’s speaking, while 71 signed an online petition begun later in support of his presence at commencement. Brandeis attracted criticism for commencement honorees previously in 2006 when it invited playwright Tony Kushner and Jordanian Prince Hassan bin Talal who had expressed negative sentiments about Israel. “Frankly, I’m astonished by the fact that people think that they know what the political views of Dr. Oren are. … If they would [read his work] they would actually learn what a great scholar he is.” Reinharz stated. “I’m surprised that people who are so intent on promoting free speech would be reluctant to a point of view that may or may not be different from theirs,” he said. “I think it’s important for the community to hear about this subject that is of great interest. … There’s not a day that passes by that Israel and the Middle East are not featured in the news in some form or another.” He said he hoped that “people at Brandeis have learned … to argue only after they have heard what the person has had to say, not in advance.”

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

VERBATIM | Mark Twain Often it does seem a pity that Noah and his party did not miss the boat.

ON THIS DAY...

FUN FACT

In 1865, the New York State Senate created Cornell University as the state’s land-grant institution.

The site where the Parthenon was built had to be cleared of hundreds of dinosaur bones before construction could begin.

MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/the Justice

DEDICATED OWNER: Josephs Two, a popular family-owned restaurant, was opened in 1972 by a father and son. The two Josephs have cooked for and have watched Waltham change over the years.

A family dining experience An owner of Josephs Two talks of the diner’s early days By REBECCA KLEIN JUSTICE EDITOR

Tucked at the intersection of Bacon and Main Streets is a restaurant that has endured decades of change. Josephs Two, a breakfast and lunch restaurant located next to a McDonald’s, stands out against the background of chain restaurants it is next to, representing a small piece of Waltham’s past in the face of the restaurant world’s constant turnover and expansion. When you walk into Josephs Two, you hear calming music playing in the background. Although the restaurant has a diner-like atmosphere, it still feels relaxed and personal. Originally opened in 1972, Josephs Two has watched the Waltham community transform. Joseph Santo, the restaurant’s middle-aged owner, says that his father bought the restaurant from his uncle, who used to own a chain of restaurants. Although the restaurant was initially named Sigun Pizza, it reopened under its current name in 1979 after Santo graduated from culinary school. The restaurant was named Josephs Two after Santo and his father, who are both named Joseph. In the first few years of business, the restaurant didn’t have to compete with chain restaurants, Santo says. He say the restaurant did well in it’s early years, and only competed with other independent restaurants. As chain restaurants began to infiltrate Waltham, Josephs Two had to make some changes in order to compete financially. While the restaurant used to sell mainly pizza, it switched to serving breakfast food after chains started to undersell the family-owned enterprise.

MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/the Justice

JOSEPH JR.: Restaurant owner Joseph Santo talk about why the restaurant is a popular place for Brandeis students. Santo says that although Waltham is now known for its diverse culinary selection, since Josephs Twos opened, the amount of restaurants in Waltham have “[increased] by threefold [while] retail went down threefold.” Santo, who has graying hair and a face full of stubble, sees the amount of restaurants in Waltham as a problem. “We can’t have a whole city [where] the only reason to come is to eat.” True to its family-owned roots, Josephs Two has a tight-knit staff of about 25. A recently-retired wait-

ress named Norma worked at the restaurant for 31 years, while the restaurant’s chef has been working there for 30 years. Other staff members, such as the restaurant’s two dishwashers, have been working at the restaurant for 20 and 25 years, respectively. Santo treats his staff like family, which is why he believes so many of them have stayed for so long. “I take care of my help [and] never missed a payroll in 30 years,” says Santo. “I’ve never laid anyone off in 30 years.” Linda McDonald has been a wait-

ress at Josephs Two for 14 years. “It's like working for a family. They treat me like part of the family,” she says. McDonald adds that she and Joe are “good friends. He’s still my boss though.” Santo’s least favorite parts of owning a restaurant are “the hours and trying to keep good help all the time.” But Santo says he has been able to meet many different kinds of people who come in to eat. Santo reminisces, “[One time a] waitress [was] here, who ... wasn’t related to me [and] was one of the

better ones I’d ever had. It was a busy evening, so she came around the corner with two trays of food in her hand, and her pants fell down to her ankles, and the place was packed and she didn’t want to drop the food. She had to have the cooks help her, everyone was clapping. She made about 400 dollars that night!” Santo says the restaurant attracts a lot of Brandeis customers. He recalls that he has had “Brandeis parents that come into the kitchen and say, ‘Joe, we were here last year, do you remember?’... Parents all the way from New York.” “A lot of Brandeis kids... their parents come back at the end of the year and take pictures with me,” says McDonald. Carmel Sandler ’12 goes to Josephs Two every weekend to catch up with a good friend. “It’s a friendly family atmosphere. You see other people your age from Brandeis and Bentley, but it’s also just nice to get off campus,” says Sandler. Sandler, whose favorite dish is the Bostonian, a breakfast sandwich, feels the warm atmosphere whenever she’s there. “There are little kids in the kitchen. The family atmosphere makes me want to come here,” says Sandler. By now, Sandler and her friend have gotten to know the staff. “We’re regulars. [Whenever we’re there], they’re like ‘Hey girls! Two, right?’” she says. Sandler believes that Josephs Two is a unique dining experience in Waltham. “It adds a nice homey comfort away from home.”

—Lexy Brooks contributed reporting.

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

the Justice Established 1949

Brandeis University

HANNAH L. KIRSCH, Editor in Chief J OANNA SCHORR, Senior Editor B RIAN FROMM, Deputy Editor REBECCA B LADY, Managing Editor ANYA B ERGMAN, B RIAN N. B LUMENTHAL, ANDREA FINEMAN, SHANA D. LEBOWITZ and MAX B REITSTEIN MATZA, Associate Editors NASHRAH RAHMAN and HARRY SHIPPS, News Editors REBECCA KLEIN, Features Editor HILLEL B UECHLER, Forum Editor J OSH ASEN, Sports Editor SARAH BAYER, Arts Editor ASHER KRELL and ROBYN SPECTOR, Photography Editors DEBRA FRIEDMANN, Acting Layout Editor EMILY KRAUS, Copy Editor C ODY YUDKOFF, Acting Advertising Editor

Oren is poor choice for address Last week, the University formally announced that Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, will deliver the keynote address at the 2010 commencement exercises. Although under different circumstances he could have been a fascinating speaker to bring to the campus, Mr. Oren is a divisive and inappropriate choice for keynote speaker at commencement, and we disapprove of the University’s decision to grant someone of his polarity on this campus that honor. For the administration, Mr. Oren’s invitation constitutes at best naïveté and at worst disregard concerning the reality of the range of student political orientation on this campus. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a hotly contested political issue, one that inspires students with serious positions on the topic to fervently defend and promote their views. That reality is visible at most events concerning the conflict. During last semester’s joint appearance of Justice Richard Goldstone, who headed the United Nations fact-finding mission following the 2008 Israeli incursion, and former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Dore Gold, several students interrupted Mr. Gold’s speech in silent protest. Despite the disrespect of some students, that thought-provoking forum was exactly the type of event that this university should host—and in such a context, we are certain that

Polarity may mar ceremony Mr. Oren would have been an excellent choice for speaker. However, commencement is a time to bring the University together in celebration of the achievements of the graduating class. Commencement is not a forum for academic or political debate. Already, many students are expressing anger toward the University regarding the choice of keynote speaker, and Mr. Oren’s address will almost undoubtedly inspire some form of protest at the ceremony, permanently marring the 2010 exercises. We are pleased with the University's choices for honorary degree recipients overall. All of them, including Mr. Oren, are accomplished individuals who are most deserving of honorary degrees from this University. Despite his credentials and whatever the content of his speech may be, Mr. Oren remains a polarizing choice for keynote speaker, and commencement simply remains an incorrect format for predictable controversy on this level. The University’s decision to offer Mr. Oren that coveted speaking position at commencement ultimately reflects its overlooking of the needs of its diverse student body. The arrangements with Mr. Oren may already be finalized, but we urge the administration to prevent further insensitivity and, foremost, to prioritize students.

Alter survey; solicit other ideas The Office of Capital Projects recently released a survey to the Brandeis community asking what should be done with the space being created by the ongoing removal of the Friedland and Kalman science buildings. It suggests three proposals for the interim until the University has the funds to build new science buildings in place of the ones being demolished—a four-season garden, sand volleyball courts and a combination of the two—and asked which proposals community members preferred, with a box underneath simply labeled, “Share your comments.” We appreciate the University seeking out student input for decisions that affect our campus; however, we feel that the current survey makes serious suggestions difficult to give. The three existing proposals need to be rethought. This board does not see the addition of sand volleyball courts, which must be carefully maintained for hygiene and safety, as a project that will significantly contribute to campus life, especially when the temperature in Waltham is often too low for the average Brandeisian to desire to play outdoor volleyball. While a garden would be a pleasant addition to our campus, we feel that with these proposals, the University may miss an opportunity to take advantage of the potential of an empty plot of land in the center of a campus that is all too often short on usable space. We suggest that this area be used pragmatically rather than aesthetically. While major projects would not be practical due to the temporary nature of this space, there are still many options for the area that would serve a more useful function than a garden or

Proposed plans are not ideal volleyball courts. This university has a severe parking shortage, and adding a temporary parking lot to that area would help alleviate this problem. While we understand that the Brandeis Campus Master Planning Project envisions a campus free of cars, that same Master Planning Project also envisions the construction of one or more parking garages on the periphery of the campus. Since Brandeis does not have the funding to complete such a structure at this time, we feel that adding an interim parking lot is a better option than the currently offered ones, especially in light of recent parking cuts. Additionally, the nature of the survey itself hindered the University’s chances of receiving helpful suggestions regarding the use of this space. By simply placing checkboxes next to the three existing proposals along with an ambiguous comments box, this survey is funneling the community into choosing among what we feel to be three subpar options. We do not believe most students would view the comments box as an opportunity to suggest new options but rather as simply a place to offer tweaks for those already present. We recommend that Capital Projects release a second survey with more options, or at the very least, a more prominent request for student suggestions. While we encourage the University to continue to solicit student input on both academic and nonacademic proposals, we feel that this particular project will simply lead to a large plot of interim wasted space.

RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice

Affirm “green” values

OP-BOX Quote of the Week

Eitan

COOPER DOWN TO BUSINESS

Imagine you’ve been granted your own private viewing of the Rose Art Museum collection. As you embark on your tour of some of the art world’s greatest creations, you feel around in your pocket and you realize that you are carrying a Sharpie marker. Feeling incredibly rebellious, you decide that when your tour guide is not looking, you will draw a tiny black dot on the biggest painting you see. You are confident that there is no way you will get caught. Your minor vandalism does not detract from the overall quality of the art piece. I think it’s fairly obvious that most people in their right minds would never think it appropriate to draw tiny black dots on paintings, even if they have something against the Rose. Most people would refuse to vandalize a painting because we all have a moral conscience. Our sense of right and wrong tells us that even adding the most insignificant blemish to a painting is morally reprehensible. This may be called the absolutist perspective; that is to say, certain actions are absolutely wrong, no matter how minimal their consequences. However, when this moral lesson is applied to our lovely planet, the message seems lost. This past week, the University celebrated the earth and did its part to help the environment. There was a plethora of activities on campus, including a “Green Labs Fair” and a “Heller School Arbor Day,” both geared toward the same message: Green is good. In Sherman Dining Hall, there was even a delicious green Earth Day cake (it was the last act of a week-long celebration that featured a different environmentally-friendly message every day). Everyone was happy to pig out, including myself. But the mood was quite different in Sherman Dining Hall on the second day of our weeklong earth celebration. This is because the managers in Sherman had the creative idea of dimming the lights for the entire day. Most people I spoke to were pretty perturbed. This definitely was a dimmer on the celebration (pun intended). And, if I’m perfectly honest with myself, I was slightly annoyed, too. The general feeling that I got from most people was that turning off the lights simply made no difference in our campaign for the environment. Many people—including myself—operate under the logical assumption that the Earth’s outlook cannot be affected by the actions of one person. If I left my lights on all day, every day, the damage to the environment would be minimal. This may be called the consequentialist perspective—that is to say, an action is considered ethical based on what its results will be. Why put us through all of this inconvenience if this one, tiny action of turning the lights off doesn’t really help the environment very much? It took some playing devil’s advocate on my part to arrive at an answer: I had been viewing the situation from the wrong angle. The lights were not actually turned off in Sherman to save electricity. The money saved, as well as the aid to the environment, was definitely minimal. What the managers of Sherman instead wanted was to raise awareness. This is because the Earth is just like that painting in the Rose Art Museum. We all carry around “Sharpie markers”— that is to say, we all have the ability to vandalize the environment around us with poor choices. But the truth is that these poor choices would have a very small affect on the environment around us. Just like the painting isn’t really ruined by a tiny dot, the Earth would definitely not be ruined if you left your lights on all day. But nonetheless, just like we have a moral conscience when it comes to the paintings in the Rose (at least most of us do), doesn’t it make sense, to have a moral conscience when it comes to the Earth? Just as no one would draw on that painting with their Sharpie, it should not sit well with any of us if the Earth’s resources are wasted. Certain acts are just plain wrong, regardless of how harmless their consequences are. The managers of Sherman were trying to enlighten us (again, pun intended). They were not attempting to save the Earth’s resources or money on the electricity bill. Turning the lights off sent a clear message: Don’t think that you’re exempt from treating the environment well. Don’t be a crass consequentialist. Instead, view the situation from an absolutist perspective: It’s never right to vandalize the earth. This idea may be the essence of Earth Day. And if it took turning off the lights to make the point, then so be it.

“We can’t have a whole city [where] the only reason to come is to eat.” —Joseph Santo, the owner of Josephs Two, regarding the abundance of new restaurants in Waltham (See Features, page 5).

Brandeis Talks Back How do you feel about the changes to the course evaluations system?

ILANA SPECTOR ’11 “I dislike the fact that they kind of force you to fill it out, but the school benefits from student feedback for professors.”

SHANA BHATTACHARYA ’11 “I haven’t seen them yet.”

ASHER FEIL ’12 “I think it’s a fair thing. It doesn’t take that long to fill these things out.”

WALID SHARIF ’12 “I think it is not a very harsh punishment, and it’s good to improve the accuracy of course evaluations.”

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

READER COMMENTARY Do not interrupt Oren’s address In response to your article “Michael Oren to serve as commencement keynote speaker” (Breaking News, April 21): I am a student at the University of California at Irvine and Jewish. I was there in the second row when I heard Oren’s speech disrupted by hateful hecklers. All your negative comments are fine; however, if you have any decency, you will respect the school’s decision to bring in this person as a speaker and let him speak. Do not disrupt him. I promise you will be arrested and embarrassed in front of worldwide media. I warn you to help, as a kind gesture. I promise you, if you even so much as disrupt him for a second, the media will have a field day. As a speaker, Oren has definitely earned his title as ambassador. He has a view of the conflict that everyone should hear. As a pro-Israel advocate on probably the most controversial campus in the nation on these matters, I love hearing the other side’s opinion and educating myself on the most unbiased view. Everyone is free to have their own opinion. However, I will say that hating never makes any progress. Where has hate ever gotten someone very far in life? I suggest you respect him while he is speaking and do not be too closeminded on what this very well-educated and influential political figure has to say. —Lauren Gindi

Embrace opportunity to hear Oren In response to your article “Michael Oren to serve as commencement keynote speaker” (Breaking News, April 21): Michael Oren is a brilliant public speaker with topical views on a wide variety of subjects that are near and dear to a majority of the attendees at this commencement. He is a great choice. It is too bad that the school has a few small-minded detractors on whom his speech will no doubt be lost. —Mark Greenblatt The writer is the parent of Adam Greenblatt ’10.

Granting honor to Oren is wrong In response to your article “Michael Oren to serve as commencement keynote speaker” (Breaking News, April 21): This is outrageous! For a school committed to “social justice” to invite as a keynote speaker a man whose job it is to justify the massacre of civilians in Gaza goes beyond chutzpah. —Jonathan Sussman ’11

Ambassador’s speech will mar event In response to your article “Michael Oren to serve as commencement keynote speaker” (Breaking News, April 21): You’ve got to be kidding me. While I have no doubt that it’s possible that Michael Oren is a strong orator and academic, I think graduation is a time to encourage about-to-be-graduates to think outside of the box and take a different perspective. Certainly there are people, myself included, for whom Michael Oren will present a perspective different from my own, but the press release’s focus on his role as an Israeli Defense Forces spokesman implies that not only is his expertise on a subject for which it is hard to avoid a wide variety of perspectives while being a student at Brandeis but that this person was paid to support a particular perspective to the public. Regardless of which side Oren defends, I’m disappointed that Brandeis would select someone to speak to us whose role in the international community is to defend one group’s interests no matter what. To me, that is counterintuitive to one of the core principles of Brandeis: that we should investigate ideas based on their merits, not based on who it is that espouses them. Especially in light of the controversy about inviting Dore Gold to the Justice Goldstone event, I look at this choice as a slap in the face to students at Brandeis that don’t support Israel no matter what. Can’t we have just one major event in which we don't have to have a spokesman for Israel? I didn’t require someone who agrees with me. In fact, I'd prefer that they don’t. I just wish it was someone for whom it was possible to have an unbiased perspective on their area of primary expertise. —Jackie Saffir ’10

Different honoree should speak In response to your article “Michael Oren to serve as commencement keynote speaker” (Breaking News, April 21): Michael Oren as keynote speaker is a divisive and polarizing choice. The graduating class should not be sent off with words from an apol-

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ogist for war. Why not hear from one of the other honorary degree recipients, such as Paul Farmer or Judge Kaye, whose experiences can surely provide students with more inspirational, constructive and useful advice. —Ricky Weiss ’78

Politicization of ceremony is wrong In response to your article “Michael Oren to serve as commencement keynote speaker” (Breaking News, April 21): Commencement is supposed to be a time to celebrate the achievements we have made together. Why invite such a divisive speaker to mark this date? I, for one, am quite angry that my commencement is being turned into a political statement. Regardless of your thoughts on Oren’s opinions, you should recognize that he is the wrong choice. —Allison Morse ’10

Sustainability amendment is flawed In response to your article “Rework ‘green fee’ amendment” (Forum, April 20): To the editorial board, thank you for this fair assessment of the flaws of the Sustainability Fund as it was proposed. I had a hard time believing what I was reading when I first saw the points contained within the proposal. The mandatory fee was compared to the technology fee in the sense that both would be required addons to tuition in order to provide funding for the intended services. Furthermore, there seem to be central issues concerning the importance and role of this fund and of its timing in relation to the other constitutional actions of this year. If the Sustainability Board is truly comparable to the Technology Fee, quite simply, it should not be administered by students. We each pay some fixed amount to the University that gets put aside for use by Library and Technology Services for network maintenance, storage and assistance. These elements of our University are equally shared by everyone—by professors making international calls for research; by anyone streaming WBRS wirelessly from campus; by staff and facilities members keeping accounts and making orders; and of course by you, all the time, even when you should be sleeping. These are absolutely essential functions of the University, and as the primary group of people who are paying to be involved here, we end up footing the technology fee. The Sustainability Board, on the other hand, is in no way similar. It is essentially a club, conceived and presumably run by those who are also members of Students for Environmental Action. Nothing it says it would do would be an essential service to the entire University community. A “green-themed” dance party? I presume that means the glowsticks would be LEDs instead of nasty chemicals. Bravo—but let’s be serious here, and I’m not going to bother spelling out why that is absurd. If this is a University function that demands an addition to our tuition paid to the University, it should be run by the University in the way that LTS is. Qualified, paid professionals should be making decisions, and I believe they are—the Office of Capital Projects makes decisions and no doubt consults with other professionals, including environmentally oriented ones, before embarking on new construction. If the Sustainability Board would duplicate that, it would be unnecessary, and if it would be different, it’s hard to see how it would serve the University in general. Finally, we come to the issue of timing and club definitions. It is awfully suspicious that we’re hearing about a Sustainability Board getting “secured” only a few weeks after the student body voted down SEA’s proposal to be given that same recognition. As the editorial board pointed out, “labeling [the Board] as ‘fundamental to the mission of the university’” is premature given that it does not and has not existed. I believe it took Student Sexuality Information Service nearly 40 years from its inception to be listed as “secured.” I may be wrong, but it sure looks like this was an alternate plan to be proposed in the event that SEA was not “secured.” The Board wouldn’t even be a club, as I understand it, so marking it as “secured” would not make sense. On the other hand, if it is a club, then why is it getting its own pipeline of funding rather than taking out of the Student Activities Fee, and how does it contend with questions of duality of purpose with SEA? Students should not face a mandatory fee to provide $50,000 per year to a student club that has never existed before and has not yet satisfactorily answered significant questions about its formation and identity. —Gideon Kilonsky ’11

The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www.thejusticeonline.com. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from off-campus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and op-ed submissions that have been submitted to other publications. Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community—that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice—are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words. All submissions are due Friday at 5 p.m.

ARI TRETIN/the Justice

Avoid creating a messy beach: Fill temporary space carefully Hannah

GOLDBERG EVERYTHING ILLUMINATED

It’s a frosty winter day; the wind is howling through the walls of the Castle and nipping at your ears, and the only thing your mind can seem to settle on is how much you wish you could just be at the beach. Well, good news: There is a chance that Brandeis will be bringing the beach to you—in the form of sand volleyball courts inside the Shapiro Science Complex, that is. After the near-completion of the first phase of the Science Complex Renewal Project, which includes the demolition of the Friedland Science Building and the Kalman Science Building, the Office of Capital Projects is looking for an interim use of the previously science-dedicated land. Phase two of the Renewal Project has been indefinitely postponed due to budgetary constraints. In the meantime, the committee is polling students to learn what use would be preferred by the student body: a four-season garden, a volleyball court or a combination of the two. While it is admirable that the committee is bringing students into the process by surveying us, the options offered truly make little sense for both the meteorological and social climate of Brandeis. As much as I enjoy playing volleyball, there is an excellent reason that I shouldn’t be able to find very many outdoor sand volleyball courts at Brandeis—it is cold and snowy for six of the nine months we are at school. A sand volleyball court requires consistent maintenance in order to remain in a working and aesthetically pleasing condition. To many students, the science complex as it is now is little more than a mysterious labyrinth in the center of the doughnut that is our campus. While I personally appreciate and frequent the Science Complex, a majority of Brandeis

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 3,000 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.

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students cannot say the same. The Science Complex is not the most “hopping” location on Brandeis’ campus (a tribute both to its maze-like reputation in both subject matter discussed there and its layout). Installing volleyball courts and a garden likely will not change the reputation of the Science Complex, and they will ultimately go unused. In other words, a garden and volleyball court will likely not be enough to coerce people to venture into the forbidden forest of science. Of course, a garden is always a pleasant thing and goes a long way in improving the warmth of campus. However, Brandeis could be more creative with their ideas for a garden and consider planting peach or apple trees. Not only would these trees bear fruit (which would definitely draw bored, hungry students in the fall), but it would provide a quirky touch to a school always looking to stand out. Fruit trees could be used to make natural fruit jam (which could even be sold for a profit) or be served in the Sherman and Usdan dining halls in an effort to consume (extremely) local foods. Brandeis could always use more places to socialize, but this is probably not the form of socialization Brandeis students are looking for. What Brandeis could really use in this location is a hangout, such as a bar or diner where both students working in labs and students involved in the humanities can go to take a break from their work. At present, the only such location on campus is Ollie’s Eatery, which is better known for its chicken fingers and waffle fries than its fun, relaxed and social atmosphere. If a significant amount of money is to be invested into this project at all, then options to create a more permanent and sought-after campus social venue should be considered in place of the current garden/volleyball court idea. While we are on the topic of the social and potential “beach-like” vibe of Brandeis, all Brandeis needs to fulfill our winter-triggered beach fantasy is a pool. I hear there have been some issues with that.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS NEWS: Alana Abramson, Fiona Lockyer FEATURES: Tess Raser FORUM: Eitan Cooper ARTS: Bryan Flatt

STAFF Senior Writers: Miranda Neubauer, Melissa Siegel Senior Photographers: Julian Agin-Liebes, David Sheppard-Brick Senior Copy Editor: Joyce Wang Senior Illustrator: A. Eli Tukachinsky News: Clare Churchill-Seder, Erin Doniger Features: Sarah Gilson, Deborah Salmon Forum: Hannah Goldberg, Rebecca Kellogg, Matt Lawrence, Ethan Mermelstein, Liz Posner, Leah Smith, Avi Snyder

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TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM COMMENCEMENT CONTROVERSY

Honoring Oren and Ross contradicts Univ mission By HARRY MAIRSON SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE

I am really taken aback at the honorary degrees being awarded this spring by Brandeis to Michael Oren and Dennis Ross. Oren was designated an Israel Defense Forces spokesman last year and was its apologist during attacks where the IDF dropped white phosphorus on Gazan civilians. Years ago, we repeatedly dropped napalm on Vietnamese civilians. Do we now know better? That’s enough discredit to rule out an honorary degree. Maybe some day he will have his (Robert) McNamara moment. Dropping white phosphorus or napalm on civilians anywhere and being an apologist for it is not my idea of social justice. Ross bollixed Mideast negotiations. In his telling mea culpa, Aaron David Miller, foreign policy advisor to six U.S. secretaries of state, summarized Ross’ revisionist recounting of their flawed, failed 2000 Camp David diplomacy: “You don’t want to give centrality to how you f---ed up. Dennis could have never brought himself to do it, and neither could I.” Miller concluded that American peacemaking efforts founded on being what he called “Israel’s lawyer”—the role for which Ross is being recognized—cannot succeed. All that is enough of a failing grade at statecraft and international relations to rule out an honorary degree. Even dual degrees to Judge Richard Goldstone and Dore Gold, who spoke together on campus this year, would have been better. It might have underlined the proper role of a university. Instead, Brandeis is making a very clear political statement, emphasizing what ex-Chairman of the Brandeis Board of Trustees and current Chair of the Presidential Search Committee Stephen Kay told the Faculty Senate Council three years ago: “We support Israel.” But a university is not a political action committee like AIPAC or J Street. While I sympathize with his challenging position in having to spin the unspinnable, the public comments of Andrew Gully, the University’s senior vice president for communications and external affairs, are not convincing. Oren is not “a great historian.” No expert would rank Oren among the renowned historians of modern Israel in the class of Tom Segev or Benny Morris. While Oren might “contribute to dialogue,” so would numerous unsuitable honorary degree candidates. Freedom of speech has nothing to do with it. The First Amendment doesn’t say you

have a right to speak at commencement or get an honorary degree. Oren and Ross merit invitations to speak on any college campus. American campuses have heard the likes of Jimmy Carter, whose appearance at Brandeis I facilitated, Dan Meridor, Norman Finkelstein, Dore Gold, Richard Goldstone, Ethan Bronner and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. These speaking engagements don’t imply that they deserve honorary degrees. Politics aside, it’s worth recalling the relevant words of the University’s mission statement. It says: “In a world of challenging social and technological transformations, Brandeis remains a center of open inquiry and teaching, cherishing its independence from any doctrine or government. It strives to reflect the heterogeneity of the United States and of the world community whose ideas and concerns it shares.” There are no exceptions in the statement for Israel, Zionism or Palestinian nationalism, even while individuals differ on these subjects. Honorary degrees to Michael Oren and Dennis Ross are University-sponsored hasbara—the Hebrew word for political propaganda, used positively by advocates and pejoratively by critics. Either way, these inappropriate honorary accolades do not reflect the heterogeneity expressed above. In this instance, the administration, the president and the Board have failed to observe the letter and the intent of the University’s own mission statement. This is not the first time that they have made this mistake, but it is among the more egregious of them. Their actions also compromise Brandeis’ commitment to social justice. When Brandeis becomes a political and parochial advocate, it squanders the universality of its potential service to the greater community and demoralizes the communal spirit essential to commencement celebration. That observation is underlined in the disappointment being expressed by those across a wide political spectrum. Years ago, my parents gave me a wonderful gift: a full set of academic regalia. I like wearing it at commencement. But I surely cannot in good conscience wear my parents’ gift this year. To my faculty colleagues who agree with what I’ve said here: Don’t compromise your public respectability through your presence in the implicit sanction of what is indefensible at a university. Editor’s note: The writer is a professor in the Computer Science department.

Choice of speaker is too divisive By JEREMY SHERER SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE

As the president of J Street U Brandeis, I’ve been consistently asked about my opinion on the selection of Ambassador Michael Oren as commencement speaker. I’m not bothered by it because of past issues between J Street and Oren; the two parties are on fine terms. I am, however, bothered because I disagree with his politics. Just as the head of Brandeis Republicans was probably perturbed when Gov. Howard Dean spoke in the Levin Ballroom recently, I’m not exactly thrilled that a representative of the current right-wing Israeli government will be delivering the keynote address at my commencement. Far more important to the Brandeis community than my political views, however, is the possibility that Oren’s address will alienate portions of the senior class on their final day as Brandeis students. Despite its strong Jewish foundation, Brandeis has evolved into a university that prides itself on diversity, and its current student body reflects that pursuit. Even as a secular Jew of Israeli heritage, over the past four years I have often been agitated by the persistent questions, albeit half-serious, of my non-Brandeis peers: “Is there a Jewish studies requirement to graduate? I thought it was a rabbinical school.” If these queries bother me, I can only imagine what it must feel like for the half of Brandeis students who aren’t Jewish to answer these questions. Isn’t it possible that the selection of Oren is nothing but the icing on the cake, a silent confirmation that after four

years of living and breathing Brandeis, these students really are outsiders in this community? Oren is an undeniably controversial figure in a debate that is vibrant on our campus. Such speakers have a history of drawing protesters at Brandeis, something that now seems to be a likely feature of next month’s commencement. I will not be among the protesters and don’t believe that the ambassador’s selection warrants such demonstrations. Though I know that there were only the best of intentions in choosing the ambassador to speak, the University should have been more cognizant of the conflict that Oren’s selection would inevitably produce, particularly on a day that is supposed to represent unity and solidarity among a group of 800 graduating students. There’s no doubt that Oren’s big name will draw lots of attention—and more importantly, money—to Brandeis. But I can’t help but question if Oren’s experiences and message are completely relevant to the majority of Brandeis students. I sincerely hope that I’m getting worked up over nothing and his speech gives us broad advice completely unrelated to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But I’m not holding my breath. I can’t help but fear that this could amount to pouring salt on an open wound for some students, a lasting reminder that they were the exception: Brandeis students not interested in Israel. Doesn’t the administration owe it to the student body to at least try to be inclusive of the diversity it has attempted so hard to cultivate?

RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice

Ambassador has much to offer at graduation By HEDDY BEN-ATAR SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE

Last November, I was privileged to attend a private meeting between Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren and Bostonarea students. His message, in this private setting, was that more students should pursue honest academia. This story tells a lot about Ambassador Oren and why Brandeis chose to honor him this year. As a student serving on the Honorary Degree Committee, I sincerely support President Reinharz’s decision to honor professor and ambassador Oren and to choose him to address all seniors as the commencement speaker. Many argue that the problem with inviting Oren is that he is a divisive speaker because of his connection to Israel. Again, I would like to stress that he is being invited for his academic achievements, not his political ones. Oren is a first-class historian who produces brilliant work and who believes in the importance of intellectual accountability. He graduated from Columbia University and received his Ph.D. from Princeton University. He served as a visiting professor at Harvard University, Yale University and Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He was a research scholar at Israel’s Shalem Center, and he frequently writes for the New Republic. He wrote two New York Times bestsellers, and his books have been praised in The New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, the San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications. Multiple copies of his books can be found in the Goldfarb Library. I encourage you to read them. Let his own work prove his worthiness of being Brandeis’ 2010 commencement speaker. Radical students claim that Michael Oren is a “war criminal” because of his role as the Israeli ambassador and as an Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson. I would understand the absurdity of honoring an academic if he were a war criminal, but to call Oren a war criminal goes above and beyond offensive and unfounded. Clearly President Barack Obama does not believe Israel committed war crimes, nor does he believe Oren to be a war criminal. On July 20, 2009, Obama himself happily awarded Ambassador Oren his credentials. A large majority of Americans from all political backgrounds (not only Jewish Americans) reject the illegitimate accusations of war crimes. That is why in November 2009, 344 members of the House of Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, voted in favor of a bill that rejected any attempts to

legitimize the Goldstone Report. The topic is not especially divisive on campus either, where 15 campus groups (Jewish, non-Jewish and non-religiously affiliated groups) co-sponsored an “Israel Week” on campus without any disruption. Every semester, Brandeis students fill two Birthright buses. Brandeis students engage with the topic through the Brandeis-Al Quds program, and both the Crown and Schusterman Centers provide multiple programs every semester with good undergraduate attendance. Last semester, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor filled Rapaporte Treasure Hall. Israel is a common subject of discussion and intellectual exploration. Oren offers a final opportunity for the Class of 2010 to engage with interesting questions. Finally, Brandeis does not only invite “proIsrael speakers” like many fanatic students would like us to believe. Only four years ago at commencement, Brandeis honored Prince El Hassan of Jordan, a representative of the Jordanian monarchy that was responsible for Black September—a Jordanian massacre of Palestinians and the PLO. Where was the outcry of war crimes that year? That same year friends of Israel on campus were upset that Brandeis granted Tony Kushner, who called the creation of the state of Israel a “mistake,” with an honorary degree due to his academic achievements. I am proud to attend an institution that is not afraid to invite and honor deserving, though perhaps controversial, figures. If Ambassador Oren was not being criticized, who would be next? Dennis Ross? He is the Obama administration’s special adviser for the Persian Gulf (including Iran) and Southwest Asia. He has served under Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and now Obama. Would such a transient and objectively valuable Middle East expert be protested instead? The radical ideas to protest stifle free speech and intellectual discussion—exactly what extremist students claim to stand for— before actually hearing what Oren may have to say. He is damned without even having said a word. It is silly to pretend he will try to solve the Middle East’s problems during commencement. He has much else to say. More important than Oren’s politics and current role as ambassador, he represents academic excellence, rigorous research practices and fearlessly honest writing. Let the entire Brandeis community unite and aspire to that intellectual greatness, regardless of politics. Editor’s note: The writer is the junior representative to the Board of Trustees.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

SPORTS

SOFTBALL: Judges score two runs in home loss

READY TO PITCH

CONTINUED FROM 12 because it gave us a chance to regroup,” she said. “At the same time, it can be tough because your muscles freeze and all that. … But in this situation, it was nice.” Although she was sidelined with a sprained ankle, catcher Courtney Kelley ’11 maintained a similar attitude to her teammates regarding the game delay. “The delay helped us to refocus and rethink what we had done in the first couple innings,” she said. “We were able to think about those mistakes and try to execute the plays we needed to in order to win.” Kelley was impressed with the team’s defense during the first four innings but suggested that better pitch selection could help Brandeis capitalize when players are on-base. Following a set of unproductive innings at the plate once play resumed, the Judges finally delivered their response. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Korp beat the throw to first after a grounder to short. Cagar capitalized on Korp’s onbase position, sending a shot over the center field fence on the first pitch of her at bat. Cagar’s two-run home run, her fourth home run of the season, was just the sixth and seventh runs given up by Rathbun in 90 1/3 innings this season, and brought the Judges within one run. The hit gave the Judges some momentum, according to Korp, but the team was unable to hit the ball to open space and gain the base. The Judges were unable to repeat the success of the sixth inning. Berg struck out swinging, catcher Erin Ross ’10 grounded out to Rathbun, and Lara Hirschler ’12, who pinch hit for third baseman Danielle Lavallee ’11, struck out to end the game. In the loss, Emily Vaillette ’10 pitched a complete game, giving up six hits while walking two and striking out six. Brandeis was not given the opportunity to play in the scheduled second game of the doubleheader, which was called in the fourth inning due to darkness. At the time the game was called, Brandeis and Eastern Connecticut were locked in a 3-3 tie. Kelley commented on the frustration of having the game canceled, especially against a team to which the Judges had just lost to. “It is frustrating when a game gets called for darkness,” said Kelley, “because that is something that is out of our control. That second game could have gone either way, but I think our bats were a little smarter in the second game, which could have given us the win.” The Judges take to the field in a doubleheader against Rhode Island College, who has a record of 23-5, on Thursday, starting at 3:30 p.m. After facing RIC on Thursday, the Judges will face Emerson College on Friday and Framingham State College on Sunday, which will close the softball team’s regular season.

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

ON THE MOUND: Alex Tynan ’12 pitches in the baseball team’s 11-2 loss to Amherst College last Tuesday. He gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning in the team’s loss.

Team loses three contests in week ■ The baseball team was

outscored 28-12 in three losses over the week. They now have a record of 9-21. By MELISSA SIEGEL JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

After giving up eight runs in the seventh inning in an 11-2 loss to Amherst College on Tuesday, the Brandeis baseball team suffered the same fate in Friday’s 13-7 loss to Suffolk University. The Judges also lost 4-3 on Thursday to Endicott College in 11 innings and now stand at 9-21 on the season. “It’s pretty frustrating,” second baseman/right fielder John O’Brion ’10 said of the team’s tendency to give up big innings to the opposing team. “It seems like it’s been happening quite a bit this year. We’re playing well for most of the game, and it’s almost like a little bit of bad luck.” Brandeis got out to an early lead against Suffolk in the first inning, as center fielder Tony Deshler ’11 led off the game with his second home run of the season. The Judges then scored twice more in the inning thanks to two Rams errors to take a 3-0 lead.

Suffolk, however, came right back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to pull within one and tied the game in the bottom of the third inning. The Judges then retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI fielder’s choice from left fielder Chris Ferro ’13 and an RBI single from first baseman Eric Rosenberg ’11. These moves put Brandeis up 5-3 before the Rams once again pulled within a run in the bottom of the inning. After a home run from third baseman Jon Chu ’12 in the top of the seventh put the Judges up 6-4, Suffolk sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on seven hits, all with two outs. Brandeis starting pitcher Drew Brzozowski ’10 gave up six straight hits and four runs after getting the first two outs of the inning, prompting head coach Pete Varney to replace him with right-handed reliever Kyle Ritchie ’10. Ritchie walked the first batter he faced to load the bases before hitting the next two batters to bring home two more runs for the Rams. Ritchie then gave up a two-run double before being pulled for rookie left-hander Jesse Link ’13, who was able to end the inning. The Judges got one unearned run

TENNIS: Men place fourth in the UAAs CONTINUED FROM 12 is one match left on the court and everyone is rowdy and cheering,” said Lamanna. “It’s a pretty hyper and unbelievable situation, where fitness was a huge factor. Simon just hit some incredible winners and served really big.” Miller was overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the match. “Honestly, not much was going through my head except to get the ball back in the court and hope he missed it,” said Miller. “It was just pure adrenaline.” On Tuesday, the Judges faced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the match, which took nearly five hours to complete and spanned two venues, the men fell 5-4 against the No. 26 Engineers. The women’s team defeated

Trinity College (Conn.) 7-2 on Saturday in the team’s final regular season match. Rachel Rosman ’12, Faith Broderick ’13, co-captain Ariana Sanai ’10 and Nina Levine ’12 all went 2-0 on the day. Summing up the season, Lamanna said he could not have been prouder of both squads. “We made more progress than we even had, beating nationally ranked teams and doing well in the tournament,” said Lamanna. “I think playing the tournament and playing against all of these nationally ranked teams exposed our weaknesses a little, but we’ve got a majority of our starters back next season and we will be a much more mature team, the men and the women.” With the win, the women finished the season 10-10 and No. 28, while the men closed out their season 9-10.

in the eighth inning, but then Suffolk added one of their own in the bottom of the frame to secure the 137 win. On Wednesday, the Judges again got out to the quick advantage when a sacrifice fly from Rosenberg scored Chu. Endicott scored twice in the bottom of the frame to take its first lead of the game, aided by an error from Rosenberg that scored a run. The game remained tied until the sixth inning, when the Judges loaded the bases with two outs. A walk from shortstop Sean O’Hare ’12 tied the game 1-1, but the Judges were unable to score again in the inning. Brandeis briefly got the lead back in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Chu, but Endicott came back in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game. The Gulls, however, walked off with the win in the bottom of the eleventh inning on a one-out RBI single from rookie third baseman Joe Kasabuski off Brandeis relief pitcher Mike Swerdloff ’13, wasting a strong outing from starting pitcher John McGrath ’11. “It seems like one game we’ll have a strong pitching performance, but we won’t be able to score, and the next game we’ll score a bunch but our pitching will struggle a little bit,

so it’s just aggravating that we can’t really gel together as a team,” O’Brion said. On Tuesday at home against Amherst, the Judges once again took a lead going into the seventh inning before giving up eight runs. Brandeis was up 2-1 after a home run from second baseman James Likis ’10 and an RBI single from Rosenberg in the fourth inning. Lefthander Alex Tynan ’12, who replaced starting pitcher Dylan Britton ’13 in the seventh inning, gave up a walk and two hits, including a two-run double, before recording his first out. Tynan, along with relievers Andrew Weissenberg ’13, Stephen Weiss ’13 and Nick Pollack ’10 combined to give up seven hits, two walks and a hit batter as Amherst pulled away. For good measure, Amhrest added two more runs in the eighth inning off of Link. The Judges hope to bounce back with two straight games at home today versus University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth at 3:30 p.m. and tomorrow against Bowdoin College at 4 p.m. They then wrap up the season with three straight road games at Keene State College Thursday at 3:30, Wheaton College Saturday at 1 p.m. and at University of Massachussetts at Dartmouth on Sunday at 1 p.m.

TRACK: Women win events; men earn All-UAA honors CONTINUED FROM 12 800-meter race with a time of 1:57.72. He finished within 0.37 seconds off the championship time. “It was a great race for Aaron,” Devon Holgate ’11 said. “He just blew by people at the end.” Holgate rounded out the All-UAA performances, finishing third in the 1,500-meter race with a time of 3:57.69. For Holgate, it was a 3-second improvement over his previous personal best. “It went about as well as I could have expected,” he said. “It was pretty windy, so I just relaxed in the pack and tried to be patient.” Several other runners on both squads grabbed points in the meet. For the women, Sinjour finished seventh in the 200-meter race with a time of 26.76 seconds. In the 800-meter race, Owen finished fourth with a time of 2:24.08,

while Bisceglia finished less than a second behind her, good for sixth. In women’s field, Capano finished fourth in the triple jump, while Kim Farrington ’13 finished eighth. Desiree Murphy ’10 finished eighth in the discus. On the men’s side, Brian Foley ’13 finished sixth in the 400-meter race with a time of 51.53 seconds. Though neither squad finished particularly high in the overall team rankings, both squads were happy with the results. “It was a solid weekend for us—all the distance events had an All-UAA performance,” Norton said. “We did pretty well,” said Holgate. “We did the best that we could given the size of our team.” Both squads will next compete in the Open New England Championships on Saturday.

THE JUSTICE

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

hits for the softball team in their 3-2 loss to Eastern Connecticut State University on Thursday.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

individual player, Sacks noted that cohesion is a defining element of the team, and it has played an important role in their success. “I feel like every year this team has been pretty close together. [We] just have

the right group of guys right now. … Everybody’s getting their games on. Everybody’s working pretty hard at it.”

—Trevor Cohen

UAA STANDINGS Baseball Rochester Case Emory WashU JUDGES Chicago

4 1 32 8 3

st-place finish for the 4x800 women’s relay team at the UAA Championships at Washington University in St. Louis. The team finished with a winning time of 9 minutes, 18.83 seconds.

shots-over-par for the golf team in the Worcester State College Invitational on Tuesday. The team finished third out of 16 teams.

runs allowed by the baseball team in the seventh inning in the team’s 13-7 loss to Suffolk University on Friday.

All-UAA performances by the men’s track and field team at the UAA Championships.

In the University Athletic Association Championships hosted by the University of Rochester, the golf team finished fifth out of five teams. The team finished with a 90over-par 666, 53 shots behind winner New York University. “We didn’t play as well as we could have. ... We could have kept our composure better,” coach Bill Shipman said. Charles Sacks ’11, Brandeis’ first first-team All-UAA golfer, finished the tournament tied for fifth with a 10-overpar 154. He shot an impressive even 72 on the second day of the play, the third lowest round score of the tourament. Aaron Cusato finished tied for 16th, shooting an 18-overpar 163. “Cusato played very well on the back nine [on the second day]; he made some putts and got his confidence back,” Shipman said. Captain Lee Bloom ’10 shot a 28-over-par 172, finishing tied for 21st. Scott Beaulac rounded out the team, shooting a 33-over-par-177. Last Tuesday, Sacks and the rest of the team continued their impressive play in the Worcester State College Invitational, finishing third out of 16 teams, their best finish in a tournament of that size. The team finished with a 32-over-par 320, 12 strokes behind second place finisher Salem State College and 22 strokes behind winner Trinity College (Conn.). “That was our best finish, said Shipman. “It was a pretty tough course. We were a long way from first, but we were ahead of a lot of teams. We had pretty good consistency that set us apart.” Sacks, who has been the team’s top finisher in every competition this semester, once again led the team with a four-over-par 76 to tie for seventh place out of 78 competitors. It was his fifth top-10 finish of the year and the 10th round he has finished below 80. “I was pretty happy with it,” Sacks said. “I played my final 12 [holes] one-under[par]. I started off badly, but changed my game, and ended pretty well.” Sacks was especially impressive on the 11th hole, where he birdied a tough par five. Even before the UAA Championships, Shipman thought Sacks was performing well. “He’s playing with confidence,” Shipman said. “[He’s] swinging well; he’s always been a good putter, and he’s putting up some low scores now.” Cusato finished two strokes behind Sacks with a sixover-par 78 to finish in 13th, and Beaulac shot a 14-over-par 86. Bloom finished with an eight-over-par 80. With the golf team’s season now over, this will be perhaps the last time the team will compete as a varsity sport. The University plans to suspend the program from the fiscal budget.

Softball

Not including Monday’s games UAA W L 4 1 4 2 3 2 1 4 1 4 0 0

Overall W L 26 7 24 18 19 20 17 14 9 21 14 12

Not including Monday’s games Overall UAA W L W L Emory 6 2 25 15 WashU 5 3 31 6 JUDGES 5 3 22 6 Rochester 4 4 22 13 Chicago 0 0 20 9 Case 0 8 9 33

TEAM LEADERS th-place finish for the men’s tennis team at the University Athletic Association Tournament hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.

Golf team finishes in last place at the UAA Championships

■ Sacks, the school’s first firstteam All-UAA golfer, tied for fifth in the University Athletic Association Championships, shooting a 10-over-par 154. He shot an even 72 yesterday.

Judging numbers

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

VARSITY BRIEF

Charles Sacks ’11

The golf team’s season is over, but Charles Sacks ’11 ended the year on a high note. In the Unviersity Athletic Association Championships on Sunday and Monday, Sacks tied for fifth, shooting a 10-over-par 154. In the second round, he shot an even 72, which was the third-lowest round score in the tournament. Before the UAA Championships, the members of the golf team ended the regular season at the Worcester State College Invitational on Tuesday the same way they started it: with a third-place finish. Sacks finished in a tie for seventh place out of 78 competitors, shooting a fourover-par 76. It was his fifth top-10 finish and tenth score in the sought-after 70s range this season. The key to becoming a competitive collegiate golfer lies both in skill and mindset, and one source of Sacks’ development has been in his approach to the game. A familiar mantra has become a philosophy of sorts for Sacks. “‘One shot at a time’ is the best way to become more consistent,” said Sacks, “just because you never have to worry about anything except for the next shot.” The third place finish out of 16 teams at the Worcester State College Invitatioal marked the Judges’ best finish in their 12 tournaments. “We’ve set our expectations higher, … and I think that’s why we’re starting to play much better,” said Sacks. While the focus of golf may be on the

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Baseball (hits)

Baseball (runs batted in)

Third baseman Tony Deshler ’11 and left fielder Chris Ferro ’13 lead the Judges with 38 hits.

Left fielder Chris Ferro ’13 leads Brandeis with 22 RBIs.

Player Tony Deshler Chris Ferro Sean O’Hare John Chu Artie Posch

Player Chris Ferro John O’Brion John Chu Artie Posch Tony Deshler

RBIs 22 15 15 14 12

Softball (hits)

Softball (runs batted in)

Third baseman Brittany Grimm ’12 leads Brandeis with 44 hits.

Catcher/designated player Stacy Berg ’13 leads the Judges with 39 RBIs.

Player Brittany Grimm Marianne Specker Stacey Berg Melisa Cagar Erin Ross

Player Stacy Berg Marianne Specker Erin Ross Brittany Grimm Melisa Cagar

RBIs 39 25 24 24 17

UPCOMING GAMES OF THE WEEK Softball at Rhode Island College on Thursday The Brandeis softball team will play RIC in a doubleheader starting at 3:30 p.m. After suffering a 3-2 loss to Eastern Connecticut State University at home, the Judges will see if they can take down Rhode Island College on Thursday. The first game of the doubleheader will start at 3:30 p.m. On April 23, 2009, RIC swept a doubleheader from Brandeis, defeating Brandeis 9-4 and 4-1. In the 9-4 loss, pitcher Caroline Miller ’12 started the game and pitched three innings, giving up six hits and six runs. In the second game of the double-

header, pitcher Emily Vaillette ’10 pitched a complete game for the Judges, giving up four runs while striking out four as well. RIC has a record of 24-5 on the year, including an 8-2 record in the Little East Conference. Junior shortstop Donielle Mattoon has a team-leading .471 batting average and 41 hits for RIC. Junior first baseman Chelsi Panarell leads RIC with six home runs and 29 RBIs.

—Max Goldstein and Josh Asen

AP BRIEF Thunder even series with 110-89 victory over Lakers OKLAHOMA CITY—At the time last summer when forward Kevin Durant suggested the Oklahoma City Thunder should be shooting for the playoffs this season, it was considered an outlandish statement. But look at them now. Durant scored 22 points, point guard Russell Westbrook added 18 points and eight rebounds, and the Thunder evened the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 110-89 victory in Game 4 on Saturday night. “A lot of people didn’t expect us to be here and once we got here, people were saying we were going to get swept and a lot of different things,” Durant said. “We knew what we were capable of and how hard we play every day and how hard we practice every day. “With those attributes, I think that we can go far as a team. It’s all on us. We control our own destiny at this point.” For the second straight game, the Thunder capitalized on a significant edge at the foul line and on the boards despite the presence of the Lakers’ 7-foot tandem of forward Pau Gasol and center Andrew Bynum. Oklahoma City never trailed after the opening 5 minutes and led by double digits for the final three quarters in a thorough dismantling. “This is as big as a game can possibly be,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “You’re playing against one of the best teams in the playoffs on your home floor. Like I told the guys after the game, the Lakers did a good job the first two games. They took care of their home court. We did the same thing.” Bynum had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Gasol also had 13 points to lead Los Angeles. Shooting guard Kobe Bryant had 12 points after spending the entire first quarter deferring to his teammates and the whole fourth quarter on the bench with three other LA starters. “I was managing the game exactly how I wanted to. Unfortunately, it got away from us,” Bryant said. “By them getting out in transition and getting those buckets, I wasn’t able to do what I normally do at the end of the game and close games out.” Lakers coach Phil Jackson stood by Bryant’s decision to wait nearly 15 minutes into the game and until his team was down by 15 to take his first shot but said, “It was a pretty good meltdown” in the second half. “Our expectation is we wanted to win both of these games and be done with it,” Bryant said. “I think that’s every team’s mindset coming on the road being up 2-0. It’s not the reality of the situation. We’ve got a tough fight, and it should be fun.” Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. After Durant clamped down on Bryant in the fourth quarter of the Thunder’s 101-96 win in Game 3, the matchup between the NBA’s youngest scoring champion and the 2008 Most Valuable Player never materialized this time around.

just

ALL-UAA GOLFER

Sports

Page 12

Charles Sacks ’11 became the first golfer in team history to be named to the first-team All-UAA squad, p. 11.

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

TENNIS

Men’s tennis has best finish in the UAAs since 2003 ■ The men’s tennis squad

ﬁnished in fourth place at the University Athletic Association Tournament. By JONATHAN STEINBERG JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Despite losing to third-seed and nationally ranked No. 7 Carnegie Mellon University 5-2 in the thirdplace match at the University Athletic Association Tournament in Pittsburgh, the men’s tennis team had its best finish during coach Ben Lamanna’s six year tenure over the weekend. On Sunday morning, the Judges, seeded fifth in the tournament, found themselves down 2-1 after doubles against Carnegie Mellon. The Judges’ only point in doubles play came at second doubles, in which Steven Milo ’13 and Dave Yovanoff ’13 won 8-5. In singles play, the Judges found themselves down 3-1 after Carnegie Mellon senior James Muliwan defeated Milo 6-3, 6-1 at third singles. Simon Miller ’11 brought the match back within one point with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles over Tartan junior Bobby MacTaggart. The Judges were put on the brink of defeat, however, when junior Alex Nemerov defeated Nick White ’11 7-5, 6-1. Yovanoff then took on Tartan freshman Duke Miller with the match on the line. Miller went on to win the match 6-2, 5-7, 7-5. Lamanna expressed how pleased he was with the team despite the loss. “I was really proud of the boys,” said Lamanna. “We got a lot of compliments from the judges, officials and coaches about how we really wanted

it. The guys came together and fought hard, and this was the best finish we’ve had here.” On Saturday afternoon, the Judges lost to first-seed No. 2 Washington University in St. Louis 7-2 in a semifinals match for the rights to play in the championship game. The squad’s lone win came at second doubles. Milo and Yovanoff took the match to a tiebreaker and earned an 8-6 decision for a 9-8 victory. In singles play, the Judges were defeated at first, second, third and fourth singles without a set win. In the opening round of the tournament, the Judges defeated fourth-seeded and No. 15 University of Chicago 54. In doubles action, the men put themselves in an early hole, going down 2-1. Fred Rozenshteyn ’13 and Michael Tatarsky ’12 were the only doubles winners at the third slot. Trailing early in the match, the Judges dug their hole even deeper with losses at fourth and sixth singles. The Judges scored their second point at fifth singles, once again off Rozenshteyn’s racket. White and Milo played in very matches at first and things singles and were able to bring the Judges back to a tie. With the score even at 4-4 in matches, the pressure fell on Miller to clinch for Brandeis the come-from-behind victory. In the third set, Chicago sophomore Troy Birnker took the first twogame lead at 5-3, but Miller held off Birnker on two match points and forced a tiebreaker, where he won the match for Brandeis. Lamanna said that the match was the Judges’ best in the tournament. “You’re in the situation where there

See TENNIS, 9 ☛

SOFTBALL

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

LOOKING UP: Nick White ’11 serves in the men’s team’s 5-4 loss to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last Tuesday.

TRACK & FIELD

Judges lose at home Brandeis comes out on top at UAAs to Eastern Connecticut ■ The women’s team won

■ The softball team lost to

Eastern Connecticut State University 3-2 at home on Thursday afternoon. By QUINCY AUGER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Last Thursday afternoon, the softball team, ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Regional Poll and No. 14 by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in Division III, fell 3-2 to Eastern Connecticut State University. The loss to the Warriors, the No. 1 team in the Regional Poll and No. 19 team by the NFCA; dropped the Judges’ record to 22-6-1. Eastern Connecticut sophomore pitcher Molly Rathbun controlled the game for the Warriors. The pitcher, who batted third in the lineup, started strong at the plate with a first-inning two-run home run. After walking second baseman Melisa Cagar ’11 to start the first inning, Rathbun struck out 11 batters and retired 16 Judges overall.

She pitched a complete game, allowing only two hits and two walks in the win. Shortstop Chelsea Korp ’10, who got one of the Judges’ two hits, articulated the difficulties in facing Rathbun. “The combination of speed and location [challenged me],” Korp said. “[Rathbun] threw harder than most of the people we’ve faced this year. And with her hitting inside and outside corners [for strikes], it [made it] especially difficult.” Eastern Connecticut increased their lead to three with a single by Rathbun in the third innning, which scored senior center fielder Ashley Sullivan. With the game slipping away from the Judges, inclement weather postponed play at the top of the fourth. Due to nearby lightning strikes, nearly an hour elapsed before the players returned to the diamond. Noting that such delays can be difficult for players, Korp mentioned the benefit of inclement weather on Thursday. “It was nice [to have the delay]

See SOFTBALL, 9 ☛

three events, while the men’s team had All-UAA performances last weekend. By JEFFREY BOXER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Brandeis women’s track and field team had three first-place finishes, set two school records and broke one meet record, while the men’s team had three AllUniversity Athletic Association performances in the UAA Championships at Washington University in St. Louis. The women placed fifth in the meet, and the men placed seventh. The women’s 4x800 meter relay team had the squad’s most impressive race of the weekend, breaking the UAA record by nearly 4 seconds. The team of Erin Bisceglia ’12, Emily Owen ’11, Grayce Selig ’11 and Beth Pisarik ’10 finished with a time of 9 minutes, 18.83 seconds, obliterating the previous Brandeis record. They also finished nearly eight seconds ahead of secondplace Case Western Reserve University. “[Bisceglia] put them right in the mix, and each leg after that

their lead continued to grow,” men’s runner Paul Norton ’11 said. “They were in it from the get-go, and it was a great heat for them.” Suzanne Bernier ’10 set the other school record, breaking her own school-best in the high jump on her way to a first-place finish. She reached a height of 1.68 meters, a 0.03-meter improvement over her previous NCAA-qualifying and Brandeis record-holding height. “She looked really good jumping, and it was a great way for her to end her UAA career,” teammate Annifreed Sinjour ’13 said of Bernier. The win also marked Bernier’s second UAA title in the high jump—she won the event at the 2009 UAA Indoor Championships. Brandeis’ third first-place finish was in the women’s 1,500-meter run, where Selig barely held off New York University sophomore Maeve Evans with a time of 4:36.79 to Evans’ 4:37.25. “It was a picture finish. Everyone was running to the finish line to see the end of it, and the whole crowd got really into it,” Sinjour said. “It was a really tactical race,” Norton said, adding “From 500 meters out, she made a huge move, and there were a couple girls with

her, but she was able to hold them off.” Selig’s win came just a week after she set the Brandeis record with a time of 4:33.91. Pisarik finished just over three seconds off of Selig’s time, grabbing fourth. The women’s team also claimed All-UAA honors in two other races. Alyssa Pisarik ’12 finished second in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 17:49.76. The underclassman finished just 4 seconds behind Emory University senior Rebecca Flink. The women’s 4x100 relay team of Lucia Capano ’11, Michelle Gellman ’11, Brittany Bell ’13, and Sinjour turned in a time of 51.28 seconds, finishing third. On the men’s side, the team was paced by its distance runners. Norton was named All-UAA for the fourth time this season, finishing second in the men’s 5,000meter run with a time of 15:19.47. He was the performer of the year at the UAA Indoor Championships in March after winning the 3,000meter race and finishing second in the 5,000-meter race; Norton also finished second in the league cross country meet in the fall. Also finishing second in his race was Aaron Udel ’10, running the

See TRACK, 9 ☛

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ARTS

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t n e l a t lt ess

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Photos and design: Robyn Spector/the Justice.

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

14-20

■ SunDeis opening night 14 The 2010 installment of Brandeis’ annual film festival opened with a screening of a film titled The Greater Meaning of Water. ■ SunDeis screenings start 14 On Friday, the SunDeis film festival’s first full night, the films screened revolved around themes of personal struggle and emotional perserverance. Some submissions had been screened at previous campus events, while others were new and originated from as far away as the Czech Republic.

16 ■ Culture X Campus cultural groups came together for the showcase’s 10th annual performance, themed “Limitless Dreams.” The evening’s entertainment exemplified a wide range of interpretations of the meaning of culture. 18 ■ ‘Notes in the Wall’ Manginah’s newest album showcased its members’ voices with 12 well-crafted arrangements. The group’s fourth effort drew on a variety of musical sources ranging from Mika to Matisyahu. 19 ■ Improvathon Improvisational comedy groups performed nonstop for 24 hours in Cholmondeley’s from Saturday to Sunday evening. 19 ■ Pacific Rim Music Festival JustArts interviews Prof. Judith Eissenberg (MUS) about the upcoming appearances by Contemporary Music Ensemble Korea.

CALENDAR

INTERVIEW by Shelly Shore

Lindsay Lohan has had a rough week. Despite her various rehabs and drug treatment programs, Lindsay has been hitting the party scene for the last couple of months, getting spotted at clubs in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris. Unfortunately, she hasn’t done much work since her straight-to-DVD movie, Labor Pains, and her ill-fated fashion design attempts haven’t exactly paid the bills. Even though she hasn’t had a steady income, she hasn’t cut back on her spending and is now deeply in debt. This week, RadarOnline.com learned that according to a source, “Lindsay owes credit card companies $600,000. One card cut her off last week, and it’s only a matter of time before all her other credit cards cut her off, too.” While the starlet used to make big bucks doing club appearances, her falling star appeal and constant off-the-wagon behavior is taking its toll. RadarOnline.com reported that the invites are becoming very sparse, and Lindsay gets about $5,000 to $10,000 at the absolute most—a pretty rough drop, considering she used to earn an average of about $20,000 per appearance. Lindsay also made headlines in March when her landlord threatened her with eviction because Lindsay had fallen two months behind on the rent for her LA apartment. Lindsay allegedly paid $23,000 to catch up and stay. As if financial woes weren’t enough, Lindsay had her share of personal problems this week. Her younger sister, Ali, has been staying with Lindsay for the last few weeks and on April 22, the girls’ estranged father Michael Lohan barged into Lindsay’s apartment accompanied by the LA County Sheriff’s Department, to check on Ali’s welfare. Sources tell TMZ that Michael went to the Sheriff’s Department and said that he was concerned for Ali’s safety—this

Parks peeks at Usdan patterns ■ Evan Parks ’10 spoke to justArts

about the “intervention” he will stage in Usdan lobby from April 25-28, which complements his European Cultural Studies thesis about architecture and ideology.

EVAN AGOSTINI/The Associated Press

INSOLVENT INGENUE: Actress Lindsay Lohan’s money troubles coincided with family strife. from the father who has not paid child support for any of his children for years. Lindsay took to Twitter to express her anger over the situation, writing: “OMG! … ‘my ex-dad’ just WALKED INTO MY APT like the devil’s advocate with officers…when will it ever end…it’s been going on my whole life with him—hasn’t he caused enough pain?” (This tweet has been edited for spelling, grammar and punctuation.) Ali was allowed to stay with Lindsay, but seriously, honey? It might be time to find a new role model.

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

ON CAMPUS EVENTS Contemporary Music Ensemble Korea with Del Sol Quartet As part of the Pacific Rim Music Festival in collaboration with the University of California at Santa Cruz, Contemporary Music Ensemble Korea and the Del Sol String Quartet will perform new pieces written for the occasion, incorporating Western and traditional Korean instruments. The pieces are influenced by the musical traditions of Cambodia, Japan, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Korea, Bosnia and the U.S. Tickets for students are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information, see article on p. 19. Today at 7 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Brandeis Open Mic Series For this year’s final installment of the Brandeis Open Mic Series, participants are asked to select and perform works by a single poet. Costumes and props are encouraged to help performers get into character. Those who wish to claim a particular poet should contact Jason Henry Simon-Bierenbaum ’11 through Facebook. Today from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in Cholmondeley’s.

Postbaccalaureate painting and sculpture exhibition Postbaccalaureate art students exhibit their recent work. The exhibition is running between April 14 and May 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Dreitzer Gallery in the Spingold Theater Center.

Louise Glück reading Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Louise Glück will read from her latest book of poetry, A Village Life. Glück has penned more than 10 books of poetry, and in 2003 she was appointed the 12th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. Today from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

Science of Art exhibition The Women’s Studies Research Center is sponsoring an exhibition of paintings, prints and sculpture that explores the connections between science and art. Painter/printmaker Guhapriya Ranganathan is currently the artist-in-residence at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, where she works alongside genome researchers creating drawings and prints that reference neural networks, root structures and organisms as seen through a microscope. Sculptor Nancy Selvage’s sculptures and installations invite viewers to interact with her art in many ways by using a range of materials, including light, perforated metal and mirrors. Slide talk tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum. Opening reception Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Epstein Building’s Kniznick Gallery. Gallery talk and reception Tuesday, May 4 from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Kniznick Gallery.

CHARLES ERICKSON/Boston Lyric Opera

PIOUS PRINCE: The Greek prince Idamante (Sandra Piques Eddy) offers himself to be sacrificed by his father, Idomeneo (Jason Collins) in order to pay off the king’s debt to Neptune. Hall, the group of Brandeis undergraduates, graduate students and staff will perform completely improvised music. The ensemble includes a variety of instruments including mandolin, trumpet and bass. Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

ning author David Remnick will discuss his experience writing his latest book, The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama. The book offers a comprehensive look at Obama’s rise to the presidency. Tickets are $5. Thursday at 7 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church, Cambridge.

Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts For more information, see pullout section. Wednesday through Sunday across campus.

OFF CAMPUS EVENTS Gilad Barkan concert Cambridge’s acclaimed jazz club Regattabar plays host to one of the most talented local pianists, Gilad Barkan, as he marks the release of the album Proceso de Duelo (New Step Music) with his band, which is composed of flutist Amir Milstein, bassist Keala Kaumehelwa and drummer Harvey Wirht. Tickets cost $12. Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Regattabar, Charles Hotel, Cambridge.

The Hot Club of Detroit concert The Django Reinhardt-influenced ensemble Hot Club of Detroit consists of acoustic-guitar player Evan Perri, button-accordionist Julian Labro and saxophonist Carl Cafagna. The group won first place in the 2004 Detroit International Jazz Festival competition and received multiple Detroit Music Awards. Hot Club of Detroit’s latest album, It’s About That Time, released today, includes classic jazz tunes such as Reinhardt’s “Heavy Artillerie” and Charles Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Time Square.” Tickets to the concert are $20. Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Scullers Jazz Club, DoubleTree Guest Suites, Boston.

Brandeis Improv Collective

David Remnick speaks

Under the direction of jazz saxophonist Tom

New Yorker editor and Pulitzer Prize-win-

Beethoven and Bartók Famed pianist Emanuel Ax will join the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the final three performances of its 2009 to 2010 season. Ax will serve as soloist for the orchestra’s performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. The program will open with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 2, and conclude with Bela Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. The latter was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky for the BSO and premiered at Symphony Hall in December 1944, just months before the composer’s death. Bernard Haitink conducts. The preconcert Talk, which is free to performance ticketholders, will be given by Marc Mandel, BSO director of program publications, from 6:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Symphony Hall, Boston.

‘Idomeneo, re di Creta’ Boston Lyric Opera stages a production of the opera that initiated Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s career in 1780—one that is rarely presented today. The passion-filled opera tells the story of Idomeneo, King of Crete (Jason Collins in his BLO debut), as he and his son Idamante (Sandra Piques Eddy) experience the consequences of breaking a promise to the god Neptune. British conductor David Angus will make his Boston debut with this production. Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., running through May 4 at the Citi Performing Arts Center, Shubert Theater in Boston.

For his senior thesis, Evan Parks ’10 has prepared maps of people’s movements through the Usdan Student Center lobby based on hours of video footage. The video and the maps are currently on display in the lobby. JustArts: How did you decide to focus on Usdan for your research? Evan Parks: I’m writing about European modernist architecture in my larger thesis work, and there’s something singular about modernist architecture that tries to at once reduce space to absolute function, only provide basic human needs but also enhance or liberate or allow the inhabitants of spaces some sort of distinct personal identity. Usdan struck me as a case study on campus to look at a space that flows very functionally and has a very prescribed order but also purports to be a mouthpiece of the student body. It is at once dictating how students navigate it and the university, and endowing students with a sense that they are voicing their needs and interests. JA: Had you thought about that before, or was it only after learning about modernist architecture that you started to see it that way? EP: I’ve always felt very uncomfortable in that space. I’ve done some research in the archive and looked up the philosophies behind it and the functions behind it. ... There was rhetoric about it being a living room, about how it was the first building on campus that was entirely devoted to student life. ... It really struck me, the contradiction between the idea that this building is a living space and its actuality as a space that never leaves you quite comfortable. Every room puts pressure on you suddenly to move on or to go to another room. Even the dining halls and the game room, and particularly all the entrances and open forum areas, never let you settle or congregate. It wasn’t until I started looking at it critically after thinking about modernist architecture that I was able to see it as having these two functions at once. I’m in [Prof.] Chris Abrams’ (FA) architectural drawing and design class, and I’ve gotten the opportunity to draw floor plans and sections and elevations of the building. Once I was able to look at those it was more clear to me that the building had an ideology. ... I think that there’s a tendency when you walk through spaces to not think about them or not think about the fact that you’re in a new space, but really I think that buildings are narratives. ... There’s a voice there and it’s encouraging us to think and behave and I guess I see my project somehow trying to raise people’s awareness that there is a voice, a particularly strong one in this case. JA: What do you think that voice is? How would you characterize it? EP: Well I think that this building is very radical. There’s this campus lore—unsubstantiated so far as I’ve been able to research—that the building was designed in response to student protests in the ’60s. ... And whether that’s actually true or not, I think that there’s certainly an element of the space that encourages a thoughtless circulation that I believe reflects a larger shift in the university experience. The space that I’m working with, the opening room, which is the upper Usdan lobby, where my installation takes place, is a space that has, I believe, a fundamental contradiction between a plaza or forum ... [for] spontaneous interaction, and a corridor with intensely directed pathways of circulation. JA: What do you hope your installation will achieve? EP: I’m hoping that there’s going to be something really disconcerting about this installation. For one thing, I’m going to have these videos screening and I’m going to place them right in the middle of the room so that a) it disrupts pathways of circulation and b) makes people just stop and look at and think about how people circulate and go through that room. It’s remarkable, I took hours and hours of footage— I’m only going to screen about an hour and a half—but almost no one, maybe one or two people in all of the footage I took, noticed that there was a camera in the space filming. ... So I think that there’s going to be something disconcerting about people seeing these videos, often perhaps of themselves, and thinking, “Wow, when was this video taken? I thought I had some sort of familiarity in this space, but I’m not really aware of what’s happening here.” The video intends to accentuate a sense of surveillance, because I think that this building is in a certain sense about monitoring student activity and ensuring that students have a meal plan and get funneled through these university businesses with the illusion that they are making their own decisions. I’m also going to have these charts posted, and I think that it is a little disconcerting to see your actions reduced to these very scientific-looking data points. —Sarah Bayer

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

ON CAMPUS SUNDEIS BEGINS

‘Greater Meaning’ makes a promising start to festival ■ Thursday’s SunDeis Film

Festival screening of ‘The Greater Meaning of Water’ set a poignant tone. By LIAT ZABLUDOVSKY JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Thursday night marked the opening night of the SunDeis Film Festival. The annual Brandeis film festival began with a screening of The Greater Meaning of Water, a critically acclaimed film about a competitive athlete whose sport is dedicated to diving as deeply into a body of water as possible. He is fighting to break the world record before he succumbs to the perils of his chronic lung disease. The Greater Meaning of Water was a fantastic way to kick off the twoweek festival. The film follows a competitive freediver as he attempts to train and subsequently break the world record for freediving. The cinematography is easily the most striking thing about The Greater Meaning of Water, with expansive underwater scenes that fluidly and wordlessly express the film’s themes of freedom and escape. The cast of the film deserves a great deal of praise. At points the film would reach a height of drama that was perhaps slightly overdone, however, at all points during

the film, the actors made these moments seem natural. The beautiful film was screened in our state-of-theart Wasserman Cinematheque, which captured well the intensity of the powerful cinematography. The overall effect was mesmerizing. The high quality of this year’s SunDeis is no accident. For the first time in its history, the festival received films from international filmmakers in countries such as the Czech Republic and Japan. The films were chosen one at a time in an intensive process by the devoted students on the SunDeis committee. In an interview with justArts, SunDeis committee member Alanna Drasin ’13 explained that this new international outlook is “a positive step to raising both the quality of the films we screen, as well as global awareness for SunDeis.” Over the remaining week and a half of the festival, look out for special screenings, an alumni panel and, of course, the SunDeis awards ceremony on May 1. If you’re able, I suggest attending every event—you will undoubtedly be impressed with the impeccable quality achieved by the dedicated SunDeis committee, comprised entirely of Brandeis students. If you attend for only one reason, at least go to witness what is possible for our peers at this university to create with no small amount of resourcefulness and commitment.

MANSI LUO/the Justice

FESTIVAL FLICK: After opening Thursday, the SunDeis Film Festival continued through Sunday with screenings of submissions.

Friday night’s movie selections reflect on personal struggles ■ The sometimes tragic,

often uplifting ﬁlms shown on SunDeis’ second night showed insightful curation. By ALEX DESILVA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER Drama was the order of the night on Friday, as the SunDeis Film Festival held its second round of screenings. Some coming from as far away as the Czech Republic, the evening’s eight movies ranged from student art films to professional-grade productions, all connected by the themes of memory, loss and fighting inner demons. Some of the films had been circulating around campus for some time. Ben Harel’s ’12 Aiden Own was first shown during the winter by the Brandeis Student Film Collective. The studentmade Annabelle Lee and Michael J. Gomes’s Eulogy were shown at the IndieLouies festival only a few weeks

ago, and Pinch Me was shown at the BTV spring premier night. But by no stretch of the imagination does that mean SunDeis was airing reruns. The other four movies were completely new to campus, and all of them, new or familiar, captured the themes of the night in moving, vastly different ways. Director Aaliyah Miller’s After the Headlines was one of the new screenings, and it took on the theme of loss in a very direct way. Concerning a grieving mother as she tries to move on after her daughter’s murder, the film’s subject matter and acting made it one of the most raw, emotional features of the night. Unlike the other films, very little was expressed as metaphor. While other films here left the audience to interpret an event on their own or put the tragedy into a denunciation at the end, Headlines presents death to the audience straightaway, even going so far as to show the victim’s body. It’s this directness that gives the movie its impact. The audience is given the facts in such a way that it almost feels like in-

truding on something private, watching a woman’s personal fight through grief to reach a feeling of peace with herself and what happened to create a tale of strength and resilience by the end. Perhaps the only film more powerful than Headlines was A Conversation With My Mother, for the simple reason that unlike the other features, it was a documentary. A very simple production, it consisted of a short interview with the filmmaker’s mother as she was being treated for brain cancer. As she talks about her diagnosis, treatment and outlook on her cancer, it becomes apparent just how much inner strength this woman has. As the camera lingers on X-rays of her tumor and the large scar on her head, it becomes amazing just how much she’s overcome, an amazement intensified by how positive her outlook is. She doesn’t seem bitter or angry at all; instead she sees it as part of herself, accepting it while working to overcome it. Though short, Conversation shows remarkable strength in the face of

daunting problems. The night’s “48-Hour Film” submission, a movie made entirely within 48 hours, was Rude Awakening, the story of a woman who fears her nightmares might be coming true. While the story was admittedly a bit confusing, the time constraint was unnoticeable in every other aspect. The camera work was very well-done, capturing the bleary, blurred nature of the dreams perfectly. Another strong point was the writing. One of the problems with student films is that the dialogue can feel a bit stilted or forced, but there was none of that here. The dialogue seemed natural, and everything flowed pretty well, making this just as much a testament to the actors as to the writers. Plus, the fact that it was all made in 48 hours and adhered to a number of requirements shows just how talented of all those involved were. A highlight of the night was the film from farthest away, specifically, Prague. That’s where filmmaker Jacob Mandel made Zlata Rybka (The

Goldfish), which traced the intertwining paths of an average man and a cat on the last of his nine lives brought together by a missing goldfish. Everything about this movie is incredible, from the crystal-clear, black-andwhite cinematography; the moving soundtrack, the acting; and the offbeat, inspired story. This is an uplifting film that displays true style in its presentation and settings along with infinite care, with near flawless camera and sound work. This is the first year SunDeis has faced competition, in the form of this month’s IndieLouies festival. In order to stay relevant, it has to differentiate itself from its counterpart, and though there were some repeats, SunDeis definitely set itself apart from its progeny with Saturday’s screening. Showing heavy emotion, from the darkness of grief to the strength and inspiration of hope, SunDeis proved that there’s more than enough room for two film festivals on campus. Editor’s Note: Justice editor Brian Fromm acted in Annabelle Lee.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

Culture X pushes the limit By GLORIA PARK JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By the time I arrived at the Levin Ballroom, the seats were completely packed with people excitedly chattering about “Brandeis’ biggest annual campus-wide cultural event,” as Culture X’s coordinators describe it. The crowd included not only fellow students coming to support their friends or check out the cultural variety of the show, but also adults with little children holding their hands. As the four coordinators, Taisha Sturdivant ’11, Talisa Torres ’10, Ann-Nin Wong ’11 and Kevin Yim ’10, appeared in front of the audience, everyone in the room hollered and hooted. After establishing the cheer for the night (“We say ‘Culture,’ you scream ‘X!’”), the performers behind the curtain and up in the balcony, the audience and the staff members all united to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Culture X. As the coordinators successfully heated up the atmosphere, they went on to raise the question: what exactly does Culture X mean? Kevin Yim explained, “Culture X is the embodiment of the idea that everyone has something special to the table … every group has a special way to show their cultural backgrounds. On another level, it could represent a philosophy … [for] any given problem that needs solving, everyone’s different perspective gives you, personally, a special way to view your life ... ‘X’ represents a variable, any person or any thing … that can contribute to making your life more special and more meaningful.” Wong further elaborated: “This year our theme is ‘Limitless Dreams’… we want to emphasize just how far we’ve come with the success of this event and our promotion of acceptance, cooperation and diversity.” With that said, the next three hours consisted of 24 different performance groups who were a total delight overall. The first act began with spellbinding music performed by Aatma, featuring Arun Narayanan ’10, Ashni Dave ’12, Ethan Geringer-Sameth ’12 and Chamith Fonseka ’ll. The group completely enraptured the audience with an eccentric combination of classical Indian elements, consisting of the vocals and an Indian drum called tabla, with Western instruments consisting of bass guitar and saxophone. The atmosphere became more enthralling as Danielle Myers ’12 performed Poi, a Maori traditional dance, with glow-in-thedark, color-changing balls and as the Korean Student Association performed two popular dances from Korea. However, for the next act the audience became solemn as Tribute to Haiti sang sweet melodies in memory of those who suffered from the earthquake in Haiti this year. The following acts mainly consisted of a variety of cultural dances, such as a Russian dance that showcased traditional Russian folk dancing fused with lofty gypsy dancing. Argentine Tango introduced a romanticized, flirty couple dance; African Dance, presenting an energetic traditional dance from Mali choreographed by master drummer Jon Camara; and AHORA!, inviting the audience to take a break and indulge in breezy Caribbean rhythms and a display of bachata and meringue. However, Culture X did not confine itself to the conventional definition of culture, which most people often associate with nationality. Although traditional cultural acts

YOSEF SCHAEFFEL/the Justice

WINNING WAVE: Members of BC3 incorporated modern elements into their traditonal Chinese fan dance at Culture X. such as the classy performance of Scottish smallpipes by Otis Munroe ’12 increased people’s appreciation for a culture in the ethnic sense, many groups demonstrated a broader perspective of what culture means to them. For example, the Brandeis Black Student Organization flaunted its own distinctive culture by exerting explosive energy through hip-hop dance. On the other hand, Maze Runner provided a baffling yet comedic performance with references to the Lord of the Rings, displaying their imaginary hobbit culture. Lastly, Michael Castellanos ’10 performed a dance inspired by Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” video, reminding the audience that pop culture is indeed another type of culture to be respected. Other groups defied categorization under specific cultural groups, such as So Unique, whose creative and original step dance dazzled the audience, and Kaos Kids, whose impressive hip-hop choreography and fearless execution challenged the audience view of hip-hop as just another type of a dance fused from various origins—it too established itself as a proud culture. In fact, Southeast Asia Club got the crowd wild by incorporating modern hip-hop to its

traditional Filipino tinikling stick dance. Chak de Deis produced a similar reaction by combining both South Asian and South Asian fusion music. Thus this year’s Culture X, a bold fusion of traditional elements and more modern elements such as hip-hop, generated particular excitement from the audience, as exemplified by Mixed Heritage Club’s performance of a “hip-hop fusion dancepiece exploring the way American identity intersects with other cultural identities.” The program went smoothly until the last act, which had a 15-minute delay due to technical difficulties. Once the group decided to play without the microphones, the audience was soon captivated by Mochila’s performance of its Arabic-Jazz fusion music, in spontaneous collaboration with the Brandeis Step Team and Dave dancing Kathak. As I left the ballroom, I found myself agreeing with what the announcer Daniel Acheampong ’11 told me about his view on the symbolic representation of the letter “X”: an intersection at which different cultures meet and react. Editor’s note: Justice staff writers Sujin Shin and WeiHuan Chen performed in Culture X.

YOSEF SCHAFFEL/the Justice

BLUE LINE: Chak de Deis added its own perspective on the meaning of culture as members danced to music that blended traditional and fusion South Asian styles during Culture X.

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

MUSIC

Manginah album hits all the right ‘Notes’ ■ On Manginah’s fourth

album, ‘Notes in the Wall,’ the Jewish a cappella group’s repertoire beneﬁts from powerful arrangements and a polished sound. By BRYAN FLATT JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Before I first listened to Manginah’s new album, Notes in the Wall, musical director Harrison Bannett ’11 gave me a disclaimer: “Everything you are about to hear on this album, one year in the making, has been created entirely and exclusively by the human voice.” At first I brushed it off as a silly thing to mention before listening to an a cappella album. “Of course everything has been created by the human voice,” I replied. “This is a cappella, after all.” With a chuckle, he replied with two words: “Just listen.” In a moment, I understood exactly what he meant. The tracks and layers on this album—from the first song until the very last—are elaborate and sound incredible. I had heard many of the songs performed live at previous campus events, and their talent as a group transferred flawlessly to this album—maybe even improved. The amount of time and effort Manginah put in as an entire group to ensure a quality album is quite clear and makes for an engaging listen the full way through. This is the fourth album for Manginah, Brandeis’ co-ed Jewish a cappella group formed in 1994, and quite the senior effort. The title of the album, Notes in the Wall, alludes to both the notes left in the Western Wall in Jerusalem and music notes, thus combining both the musical and culturally Jewish aspects of the group.

The album begins with a new track, “Adam Tzover Zichronot,” which the group recently debuted live at a Hillel Shabbat dinner. Arranged by producer John Clark, whose production studio was used once or twice a week for just over a year to create the album, the track beautifully emphasizes Manginah’s ability to perform as a group. While many a cappella arrangements make the soloist the most important aspect of the song with the rest of the group falling behind as support, this track uses the strengths of every group member to create a full sound that increases the power of soloist Louis Polisson ’12, whose vocal range and soul shines through brilliantly. After only the first minute of the song, I was instantly hooked and ready for more. Thankfully, the rest of the album follows the trend set by the first track, with arrangements that allow for the voice of each group member to be heard both individually and as part of the group, which makes for a unique listening experience. The transitions from song to song fit so perfectly that between the first track and the second, fan favorite “Jerusalem,” even a musically trained ear would have trouble realizing that the track switched until the familiar back beat of the Matisyahu song chimes in. I was privileged to hear a rough cut of “Jerusalem” from early in the recording process, and the group’s evolution from rough to reality made a good song into a great one. The beat boxing of the rough copy turned into an almost indiscernible percussion that would give a drum kit a run for its money, the harmonies became sweeter and the voices of soloists Elizabeth Imber ’09 and Adam Ross ’10 clearer and stronger. This change is not just a result of the recording process, but also of what a year in the studio can do for a group—increase confidence and promote unity. Other notable tracks on the album in-

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

RECORD SALES: Max Fischlowitz-Roberts ’10 performs his solo in the song “Mi’ma’amakim” at Manginah’s spring concert. clude the incredibly multi-layered and elaborate-sounding “Yoshvim B’Beit Café” soloed confidently by Max Fischlowitz-Roberts ’10, the funky Middle Eastern track “Ein Ani” and the sweet and perfectly titled final track of the album, “Happy Ending.” All in all, the album should aurally

satisfy almost everyone from Manginah’s biggest fans to miscellaneous casual music listeners. Every single member of the group should be proud of the work he or she put in as the final product really shines. If one didn’t know that this was the first time in a professional recording studio for many

of the singers, it would be almost impossible to tell. The confidence and poise of their voices give the impression that many of them are seasoned pros. For Manginah’s first album in four years and the first from this specific group of students, they certainly finished on a high note.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

COMEDY

Improvathon’s laughs last all night long ■ Brandeis’ improvisation

groups came together for 24 straight hours of random spontaneous hilarity to help raise money for charity. By ELLY KALFUS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Some might think that no human event can continue for 24 consecutive hours and still be funny. Well, they might be right, but who cares what they think? It’s still a cool feat to accomplish, which is exactly what this year’s set of improvisers did at the sixth annual Brandeis Improvathon, hosted at Cholmondeley’s from 7 p.m. last Friday until 7 p.m. last Saturday. Members of all four improv groups—Bad Grammer, Crowd Control, False Advertising and To Be Announced—joined forces to bring laughter to the world and raise money in the form of donations for the Oxfam Charity. The event was organized collaboratively by a few of the improvisers assembled into a committee by Crowd Control member Paul Gale ’12. The marathon of improvisation comes with certain traditions and rituals that have been venerated over the years. First and most importantly, all of the improv groups are represented at Improvathon, bringing them together in a way only paralleled at Improvaganza, a monthly event also hosted at Chum’s. However, improvisers are not the only ones who go onstage to perform. Due to the delirious, exhausting nature of the show, the improvisers are bound to get tired, and audience members are encouraged to try their hand at improvising. By 4 a.m. it’s difficult to think up new and original “I like my women like I like my …” jokes, and any contributions are appreciated, from audience members or even passersby. Special recognition must go to Abraham “Abe” Roisman ’10, who, although not a member of a Brandeis-recognized improv group on campus, is still an accomplished improviser at heart. Roisman is credited with lasting the longest of all audience members and improvisers, spending almost all of the 24 hours at Improvathon, except for a brief break to visit a friend’s dorm. The second rule of Improvathon is that someone must be onstage at all times. This rule was invoked when Roisman called out frantically, “Wait! There are no improvisers onstage!” at one point. However, his fears were subdued once it was established that someone always had to be onstage, but not necessarily one of the members of the im-

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

FUNNY FOLKS: Members of the improv group Bad Grammer performed skits and played games during “Bad Grammer hour” between 10 and 11 p.m. at Improvathon. prov groups. And besides, Roisman was deemed an honorary improviser by all present, due to the extreme dedication he demonstrated to the cause. Another time, during Sleepover Hour (each hour was assigned a theme), Ida Chelengar ’12, a member of False Ad, was assigned to perform a scene that involved touching each and every window inside of Chum’s. In order to allow her to do so, the other improvisers agreed to stay onstage while her character drove around in a car and hit each and every window. Another Improvathon tradition is the exchange of kisses for money. While donations are requested at the door, people are also encouraged to pay a dollar and choose which two improvisers they would like to see kiss onstage as part of a scene. These kiss assignments resulted in much hilarity, for instance when False Ad member Zane Relethford ’13 resorted to getting down on his knees and singing a love serenade to a reluctant Jeremy Slosberg ’11, another member of his troupe, although he was ultimately shot down. By the end of the night, even some nonimproviser audience members were goaded into kissing—all for the sake of charity, of course. It’s pretty hard to do the same thing for 24 hours without varia-

tion, so the improvisers routinely incorporate different improv games and forms into the show. These games ranged from “Flock of Seagulls” to “Ding” to long-forms (one story inspired by many short, interconnected scenes), and each brought a much-needed aspect of creativity and change to the stage. Musicality is also a huge part of Improvathon, since what is more amazing than watching people improvise songs onstage? However, something key to Improvathon this year was freestyle rapping. Due to people’s enthusiasm to experiment in a new field from their usual, and perhaps in part due to a lack of keyboard, almost all of the improvisers partook in freestyle rapping throughout the night, singing over famous beats. Often ignoring the designated theme of the hour, they instead spit rhymes about an array of topics ranging from their pets to saltwater taffy and have performed with an astonishing amount of skill. The most poignant moment of the night/morning came when Roisman and Crowd Control member Maya Siegel ’10 sang personalized love songs to people in the audience, truly breaking down that old fourth wall. The most touching tradition (aside from the kisses) is the communal shouting of “__ hours down,

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

ENDURANCE TEST: The audience ﬂuctuated in size throughout improvathon, whose years-long tradition dictate that someone has to always be performing onstage. __ hours awesome,” which is called out every hour on the hour. By the end of the ’thon, Saturday at 7 p.m., everyone had gone back to their rooms to sleep at one point or another, but many of the improvisers came back to end the night in style. After 24 hours happily devoted to improv, I think it’s safe to say

everyone left with a heavy heart, as many made their bleary-eyed ways down to Gosman Sports Center for the 12-hour overnight Relay for Life, another charity fundraiser. Well, don’t let anyone say Brandeis students just sleep all day! Editor’s note: Zane Relethford is a member of the Justice Copy staff.

MUSIC

Korean music traditions fuse with modern at Pacific Rim fest ■ The two-day Paciﬁc Rim

Music Festival will explore culturally rich Eastern and Western musical themes. Brandeis is hosting a unique opportunity for students and faculty alike to enjoy a special mélange of both Eastern and Western influences in music. The Pacific Rim Festival, which started yesterday and continues today, will be taking place in Slosberg Recital Hall. JustArts had an opportunity to interview Prof. Judith Eissenberg (MUS) by email about the festival. JustArts:What exactly is the Pacific Rim Festival? Is it a celebration of culture? A social statement? Judith Eissenberg: The Pacific Rim refers to countries and cities located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The festival was founded in 1996 to celebrate and explore the rich variety of musical cultures of the world; this year’s festival features over thirty composers from both sides of the Pacific. A special feature of the Festival, whose motto is “Music from the Past, Music for the Future” is the presentation of world

premiere compositions from the Cultural Synthesis Project, written especially for the combination of western and traditional Asian musical instruments. Your instinct to ask if the PR festival is a social statement is right on—Artistic Director and composer Hi Kyung Kim [said]: “We hope to gain a deeper understanding of the music and the people of our nations. Through music we celebrate the common bond of our humanity.” This week (beginning in Santa Cruz, [Calif.] and heading toward the two concerts at Brandeis on Monday and Tuesday nights at 7 has been an incredible experience. All of us in this project realize that the music that we performed was necessarily new—that in order meet each other, violin and daegum, cello and gayagum—we needed to play music that was somehow OF and at the same time NEW to each of our traditions. We learned from and were inspired by each other, and helped each other through the journey of each piece. One of the composers, when confronted with composing music that adapted stylizations of traditional Korean repertoire or the vernacular of Western contempo-

rary music, decided to create a fictitious folk tradition, from the mythical island of N’Shima. The music he wrote came from this new imagined place. JA: What types of instruments are going to be played? JE: The Western ones will be violin, viola, cello and clarinet. The traditional Korean instruments will be daegum (long bamboo flute), haegum (two string violin), agaeng (giant zither, bowed with a stick), and gayageum, (zither). The Korean performers are revered soloists making up the Contemporary Music Ensemble Korea. JA: Can you tell us a little more about the specific groups collaborating on this project? JE: There are three groups that are coming to Brandeis: CMEK (Contemporary Music Ensemble Korea) is renowned as one of the most innovative ensembles in the world, on the forefront of new music creation in Korea and abroad. The four members who will be at Brandeis are Sang-Hun Kim, ajaeng; Soo-Neon Chung, haegum; JeongSeung Kim, daegum; and Jiyoung Yi, gayageum. CMEK was founded in 1998 with the aim to construct a new

kind of music—one that goes beyond a distinction between Western and Korean music—and promote it in the world as part of a universal musical language. The Lydian String Quartet … has been on the faculty for 30 years. In that time, we have championed the new, explored the traditional, and recently have been on a musical journey with our project “Around the World in a String Quartet.” This festival has opened up our ears and imaginations to new possibilities, and we have had the great pleasure of working with our colleagues from the Pacific Korea. As part of the festival, another ensemble as well is taking part, the Del Sol String Quartet from San Francisco, known for their adventurous programming. Together, the musicians from these groups are performing stunning new compositions, most of them world premieres. Included are works from Brandeis faculty composers Yu Hui Chang and [Prof.] David Rakowski (MUS), Brandeis graduate Laurie San Martin ’03, and Brandeis Ph.D. candidate Seunghee Lee. JA: Why these two types of music? Is there some sort of special thing going on that can’t be achieved with

other types of musical collaborations? JE: One of the hardest things I am asked to do is to talk about music. I can tell you that to me, these two musics concentrate on different aspects of sound, … one (the music from my own Western European tradition) seems concerned with harmony, hierarchies of structure and materials, … the other with what happens with the sound of a single note after it is first presented. Before playing with these musicians I never considered that so many potentialities existed. How do these two perspectives interact? What is the chemistry of the music that results when these aesthetic values meet? Are these things in fact more than aesthetic viewpoints in music? … Could they reflect cultural perspectives, or even represent world views? If it is this last, I can’t help wondering more about the composer’s mythical land of N’Shima. N’Shima was imagined to create a soundscape where the two musics can meet on equal footing, both adventurers in a newborn world. Here, dissonance offers possibility and we treasure difference. There is a lesson in that. —Sujin Shin

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME 1. What 1997 movie starred actors Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson? 2. What was the unusual feature possessed by Sleipnir, the horse belonging to the chief Norse god, Odin? 3. What is meant by the French term lèse-majesté? 4. Who wrote the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay”? 5. What is the only kind of food that a silkworm will eat? 6. If someone dies “intestate,” what does that mean? 7. What is the symbol for the element tungsten? 8. How many trips does Jack make to the Giant’s castle in Jack and the Beanstalk? 9. What did 17th-century scientist William Harvey discover about the human body?

CHARTS Top 10s for the week ending April 27 BOX OFFICE 1. How to Train Your Dragon 2. The Back-up Plan 3. Date Night 4. The Losers 5. Kick-Ass 6. Clash of the Titans 7. Death at a Funeral 8. Oceans 9. The Last Song 10. Alice in Wonderland

WBRS

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

FUSCHIA FOLIAGE: As winter weather ﬁnally comes to a close and students hope that the cold and rainy days are left behind, a weekend of sunny weather allows trees to blossom into an array of beautiful colors that brighten and complement the Brandeis campus.

1. As Good as it Gets 2. Eight legs 3. Crime against a ruler 4. Robert Frost 5. Mulberry leaves 6. Without a will 7. W 8. Three 9. The role of arteries and veins in the circulation of blood ANSWERS

CROSSWORD

SHOWTIMES 4/30 - 5/6 Kick-Ass Fri-Sun 1:10, 3:50, 6:50, 9:25 Mon-Thurs 2:10, 4:50, 7:50 The Runaways Fri-Sun 1:20, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30 Mon-Thurs 2:20, 5:00, 8:00 Clash of the Titans in 2D Fri-Sun 1:40, 4:20, 7:20, 9:40 Mon-Thurs 2:40, 5:00, 7:30 Greenberg Fri-Sun 1:30, 4:10, 7:10, 9:35 Mon-Thurs 2:30, 5:10, 8:10 The Ghost Writer Fri-Sun 1:00, 3:40, 6:30, 9:20 Mon-Thurs 2:00, 4:50, 7:40 Date Night Fri-Sun 1:50, 4:30, 6:40, 9:15 Mon-Thurs 2:50, 5:10, 8:20

The Embassy is located at 18 Pine Street in Waltham

ACROSS 1. U.K. TV network 4. King (Latin) 7. 9-Down, for one 11. Came to Earth 13. Corroded 14. “— Lang Syne” 15. Assess 16. Chatter 17. Note from the boss 18. Rosemary’s partner? 20. Bound 22. Tiny legume 24. Fasteners 28. Graceful animal 32. Otherwise 33. Furniture brand 34. Reverence 36. Mischievous Norse god 37. Dynamite constituent 39. Authorize 41. Slow crawlers 43. Eg. and Syr., once 44. Ardor 46. Rosters 50. “Scat!” 53. Freedom, for short 55. Willy Wonka’s creator 56. Chess piece 57. Victory sign 58. On the Mediterranean 59. — Karenina 60. Roulette bet 61. Explanation DOWN 1. Homer’s imp son 2. Mediocre 3. Metropolis 4. Tatter 5. And others (Latin) 6. Three-masted sailing ship 7. Home of the Buccaneers 8. Regret 9. Shade provider 10. Tokyo’s old name 12. Suburb of Phoenix 19. Conger, e.g. 21. Will Smith biopic 23. Carte intro

1. Titus Andronicus – “A More Perfect Union” 2. Hurricane Bells – “I Can’t Remember” 3. Slow Club – “Giving Up On Love” 4. Codeine Velvet Club – “Hollywood” 5. The Bird and The Bee – “Heard It On the Radio” 6. Talisman – “Don’t Wake Her At Dawn” 7. St. Fort – “Keep Pushing feat. Masspike Miles” 8. New Young Pony Club – “The Optimist” 9. The Morning Benders – “Excuses” 10. LCD Soundsystem – “Drunk Girls”

COLLEGE RADIO 1. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach 2. Broken Bells – Broken Bells 3. Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me 4. Hot Chip – One Life Stand 5. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor 6. Yeasayer – ODD BLOOD 7. Liars – Sisterworld 8. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks 9. Beach House – Teen Dream 10. Spoon – Transference

BILLBOARD

25. Winter forecast 26. Jab 27. Use a teaspoon 28. Traps 29. Related 30. Catherine — -Jones 31. Ram’s mate 35. Ostrich-like bird 38. Bullring bravo 40. Crony 42. Spirited attack 45. Told a whopper 47. Beauty pageant ID 48. The Cosby Show role 49. Cabbage salad 50. Hot tub 51. — Solo 52. Possess 54. Foundation

1. Justin Bieber – My World 2.0 2. MGMT – Congratulations 3. Lady Antebellum – Need You Now 4. Usher – Raymond V Raymond 5. Coheed and Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow 6. Various Artists – NOW 33 7. Lady Gaga – The Fame 8. Ke$ha – Animal 9. Monica – Still Standing 10. Justin Bieber – My World (EP) Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided by Yahoo! Movies. Radio charts provided by CMJ.

STAFF PLAYLIST

“Strange Brew” By HILLEL BUECHLER

Solution to last issue’s crossword.

STRANGE BUT TRUE ■ It was Pulitzer Prize-winning American author John Steinbeck who made the following sage observation: “The writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. And he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true.”

■ If you’re planning a summer trip to Maine, you won’t want to miss the stunning tourist attraction to be found on Peaks Island. There you’ll find an entire museum devoted to housing a rather extensive collection of umbrella covers.

■ In the United States, January is the least popular month for weddings.

■ If you’ve never heard of the quagga, don’t blame yourself. The creature, once found on the plains of Africa, has been extinct since 1883. An odd-looking creature, this subspecies of zebra was once thought to be half-zebra, half horse. Though the front part of its body had the

zebra’s stripes, those stripes faded out midbody, and the rest of the equine looks remarkably like a common horse.

■ It’s been claimed that 19th-century English naturalist Charles Darwin devoted eight years to studying the lowly barnacle.

■ We all know that the day after Thanksgiving is commonly known as Black Friday, thanks to all the crowds seeking out deals on Christmas gifts, but have you ever wondered how it got that name? It seems that the moniker originated back in 1965 when the Philadelphia police department came up with the name after having to deal with the traffic jams and shopping crowds.

Thought for the Day: “Everybody believes in something, and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, uses that something to support their own existence.” —Frank Zappa

JUSTICE EDITOR

It was as if I didn’t even know music existed until I hit high school, when I delved into the magnificently rugged world of classic rock, from which I stubbornly refused to stray for years. I’ve made limited headway since then, as several songs on my playlist indicate, including the first—a soon-to-be summer staple from an extraordinarily talented and powerful duo. Elements of this playlist may appear out of place or utterly incompatible with other items. But trust me: It works if you let it work. So let it.

THE LIST 1. Nikki and Rich – “Next Best Thing” 2. The Doors – “Peace Frog” 3. The Who – “Won’t Get Fooled Again” 4. Led Zeppelin – “Black Dog” 5. The Beatles – “Oh! Darling” 6. The Beatles – “Something” 7. Subliminal – “Prachim Bakaneh” 8. Queen – “Love of My Life” 9. Billy Joel – “So It Goes” 10. Flo Rida – “Right Round”

just Arts presents

April 27, 2010

A Guide to the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts

ART IS THE SOURCE Design: Robyn Spector/the Justice. Photos courtesy of the Office of the Arts.

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

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TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

RECONNECT TO THE ARTS Schedule of Events Wednesday, April 28 Festival Opening: ‘Source/ReSource’ Kicking off the five-day arts festival is the unveiling of an original, Brandeis-community created, piece of public artwork by Boston artist Michael Dowling. The entire campus is invited to participate in a ritual of becoming a resource by filling the reservoir with water from your source, be it your dorm, your home, or elsewhere. 5:10 to 5:30 p.m. outside the Rose Art Museum, rain location in Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

Art of Science ... Science of Art Featuring many great scientists and artists alike, this interdisciplinary event sponsored by the Brandeis Women in Science Initiative will further explore connections between art, molecular biology and the cosmos. 6 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

Beatitudes and Benedictions from Another Age Directed by Prof. Sarah Mead (MUS) and performed by the Brandeis Early Music Ensemble, discover the marvelous music of the 16th and 17th centuries. 7 p.m. in the Berlin Chapel.

A Cappella fest Hosted by Starving Artists and produced by Ellyn Getz ’13 and Jordan Brown ’12, join all the on-campus a cappella groups as they come together to put on a concert for a great cause. $3 suggested admission with all of the proceeds going toward the Brandeis Haiti Relief Effort. 8 p.m. in the Sherman Function Hall.

Thursday, April 29 That Moment of Creating: Women Artists Report Giving insight into the experience of the unique process of creating art, scholars at the Women’s Studies Research Center discuss their artistic creative process in aspecial report moderated by writer Rosie Rosenzweig.

12:30 p.m. in the Women’s Studies Research Center.

to unite for a special a midday art connection. 10:30 to 10:40 a.m. on the Rabb steps.

Art Happening I

‘Angels’

Surprise yourself with a grand, mysterious performance and art connection. 1 to 1:30 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

Come watch the reimagining of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America in dance and movement by Michael Castellanos ’10. The play takes place in the mid-1980s and follows two men, Prior Walter and Louis, as they deal with Prior’s AIDS diagnosis. 5 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ Directed by Steven Maler of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and put on by the Brandeis Theater Company, Love’s Labour’s Lost revisits Shakespeare’s most flamboyantly intellectual comedy that shows a witty battle between heart and brain. 8 p.m. in the Spingold Theater Center.

Owl's Nest Enjoy Mathiew Greenfield’s (GRAD) commentary on power and vulnerability through performance art. 7 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

‘Fables’ Fables is a new play by Hank Lin ’10 entirely written produced and performed by Brandeis students that connects five famed storytellers across time, space and cultures. 8 p.m in Pearlman Hall, Saturday at 11 p.m.

Themes and Variations: by the Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra A concert performed by one of the finest student orchestras in New England to honor the festival of the Arts founder Leonard Bernstein as well as Aaron Copland, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and theater/film composer Alan Menken. Conducted by Neal Hampton. 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Friday, April 30 Art on the Lawn Take some time to come and join Brandeis students from the Big Siblings and Afternoon Enrichment programs in an art project that will represent the positive impact of community service and mentoring. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Great Lawn.

Art Happening II In the second of the Art Happening series, Brandeis students, faculty and staff are invited

Voices of Praise gospel fest Listen to Brandeis’ only gospel choir, along with guest artists including Joys Ministires, Living Water and other choirs from area universities and churches, as they reinvigorate the soul and lift spirits through song. 7 p.m. in th e Levin Ballroom.

‘Love's Labour's Lost’ See Thursday’s schedule. 8 p.m. at the Spingold Theater Center.

BEAMS in concert Graduate students in the renowned and unique Brandeis Electro-Acoustic Music Studio play futuristic music live in concert. 8 p.m. at the Slosberg Music Center.

‘Proscenium: The Musical’ Brandeis’ a cappella group with an all-showtunes repertoire will perform selections from popular Broadway musicals. 8 to 11 p.m. in Golding Auditorium.

Boris’ Kitchen: Laugh your Ass Off Take a break from studeis to watch hilarious parodies of campus life from Brandeis’ irreverent sketch-comedy troupe. 8 p.m. in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater,

‘Harold’: The Musical In an original musical satire co-written and directed by brother-and-sister student pair Jared Field ’11 and Jessie Field ’13, Harold: The Musical explores when truth and illusion become indistinguishable. Not reccomended for children under the age of 12. 8 p.m. in the Schwartz Auditorium.

Saturday, May 1 ‘Angels’ See Friday’s schedule. 11 a.m. in the Rose Art Museum.

‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ See Thursday’s schedule. 2 and 8 p.m. at the Spingold Theater Center.

‘Harold: The Musical’ See Friday’s schedule. 2 p.m. in Schwartz Auditorium.

Opening reception: Science of Art exhibition Appreciate the unique combination of scientific inquiry and artistic discovery through the works of two prominent Boston-area artists—Guapriva Ranganathan and Nancy Selvage. 4 to 6 p.m. in the Kniznick Gallery at the Women’s Studies Research Center.

Irving Fine Tribute Concert Featuring members from the Brandeis Lydian String Quartet and the class of 2011 Leonard Bernstein Scholars directed by Nicholas Alexander Brown ’10, the Irving Fine Society Ensemble will perform pieces from the 20th century. 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Boris’ Kitchen: Laugh Your Arts Off See Friday’s schedule. 8 p.m. at the Carl J. Shapiro Theater.

Fables See Friday’s schedule. 11 p.m. in Pearlman Hall.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF THE ARTS

Sunday, May 2 Schedule Slosberg Music Center

Rose Art Museum

Brandeis Folk Stage

Brandeis Dance Collective

The first ever Folk Stage, produced by Rebecca Sniderman ’10 and Chaya Bender ’11 along with Too Cheap for Instruments, will feature some of New England’s best folk singer/songwriters. The schedule of the stage will include party songwriter and storyteller Rebecca Katz ’05 at 1 p.m., 2010 International Acoustic Music Awards Grand Prize Winner Liz Longley at 1:20 p.m., 2009 Boston Music Awards nominee for best folk act Rose Polenzani at 1:40 p.m., 2010 Grammy Award nominee and upcoming Newport Folk Festival Sarah Jarosz at 2 p.m., the blues-andjazz playing “spiritual godfather” of the Cambridge folk scene Geoff Bartley at 2:30 p.m. and the vocally radiant ukelele-and-mandolin-accompanied Tripping Lily at 3:10 p.m. 1 to 4 p.m.

Experience original and exquisite modern dance performed by alumni, faculty and students from across the country. Directed by Prof. Susan Dribble (THA) with Katharine BraunLevine and Susanna Katsman as managing directors. 1 to 1:20 p.m.

Sol y Canto One of the festival’s featured artists, Sol y Canto, a nationally touring Pan-Latin ensemble, will perform its rich vocal harmonies, smooth Spanish guitar and marvelous ballads and Latin rhythms. The emsemble has performed at many venues from the Kennedy Center and White House to Puerto Rico’s Conservatorio de Musica. The group features Rosi Amador (vocals), Brian Amador (Spanish guitar) and many other extraordinary musicians from Cuba, Uruguay, Mexico and Argentina. 4 to 5 p.m.

Mochila Mochila is a unique band that, as its name (the Spanish word for backpack) implies, incorporates many different musical stylings including Arabic, jazz, reggaeton and more. The band, which opened SpringFest last year, will play its farewell concert to the group founder Mohammad Kundos ’10. 8 p.m.

Tour Enjoy a tour of the famed Rose Art Museum collection, which contains works ranging from modernism to minimalism. 1:30 to 1:50 p.m.

Not Your Average Cellists Cellists Christy Kang ’13 and Gloria Park ’13 break genre boundaries with their classical, pop, movie themes and heavy-metal music. 2 to 2:20 p.m.

Ba’Note Brandeis’ newest a capella group Ba’Note (Hebrew for “girls”) is an all-female a cappella group that sings songs in both Hebrew and English celebrating community and family while honoring the Jewish tenet of kol isha through a rich choral blend. 2:30 to 2:50 p.m.

Leonard Bernstein Trio Emily Gelb ’11, Connor Massey ’11 and Ethan Valinetz ’11, the talented students who received the Leonard Bernstein Scholarship for music, will perform Irving Fine’s Fantasia for String Trio. 3 to 3:20 p.m.

Carl J. Shapiro Theater ‘The Dragon King’: Tanglewood marionettes In an exciting underwater fantasy based on Chi-

nese folklore, a boy and his grandmother undertake the task of saving the earth to find where the life-giving rains of the Dragon King have gone. 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Amanda’s Climate Change Cabaret What is the best way to express views on the topic of climate change? Amanda Hoffman ’11 believes it is with humor, optimism and an accompanying harmonica! 3:30 to 3:50 p.m.

‘Meu Fado: Seeking the Depths of Women’s Dance’ Anna Pancheshnikov ’10, Anna Korkhin ’10, Ashni Dave ’12, Kseniya Khmara ’10, Natasha Vadera ’11 and Stephanie Spiro ’10 perform dance traditions of Spain, the Middle East and South Asia. 2:30 to 3 p.m.

‘Putting It Together’ Featuring producer Arielle Kaplan ’10, music director Robert Orzalli ’11, stage manager Kelsey Strouse ’13, choreographer Julie Judson ’11 and accompanist Mindi Cimini ’12, Putting it Together is a marvelous student revue of 37 songs from Follies, Assassins, and Sunday in the Park with George, as well as many other shows by composer Stephen Sondheim. 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

Shapiro Campus Center Atrium Bad Romance: The Buildings of Brandeis Presented in an Entirely Gaga-esque Fashion In an unlikely partnership, the Brandeis Fashion Design Club presents a fusion of architecture and Lady Gaga through original clothing designs inspired by unique and provocative points of view. 1:30 to 1:50 p.m.

Great Lawn The Diamond Sisters The Diamond Sisters—Marci Diamond ’91 and Gina DeFreitas—perform mesmerizing aerial acrobatics and offer courageous audience members the chance to fly. 2 to 2:50 p.m.

Bernstein-Marcus Plaza The Four Elements: Juggling the Material World Students of the Brandeis Juggling Club reimagine the four elements—earth, air, fire and water. 3 to 3:20 p.m.

Brandeis Playback Society Using mime, music and spoken scenes, audience members and actors will interact in this unique experience. Audience members will tell a story as actors Amanda Brown ’09, William Chalmus ’08, Zohar Fuller ’10 and Etta King ‘10 interpret them onstage. 4 to 5 p.m.

Lower Campus ‘The Stories of Us (A Devised Theater Project)’ Brandeis undergraduate women created this piece that connects identity formation to mythologized representations of family history and lore. Directed by Lynda Bachman ’10; produced by Stefan Isaac ’10; and featuring Carly Lenhoff ’13, Rachel Garbus ’13, Ashley Lynette ’13 and Cathy Messier ’12. 3 to 3:50 p.m.

Chapels Field SpringFest Concert Rock out and relax on Chapels Field with friends as a part of Student Events and WBRS’ annual spring concert. Artists scheduled to perform include: Passion Pit, Streetlight Manifesto, Chiddy Bang and Man Man. 1 to 6 p.m.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010

Acrobats fly

high

An alumna will soar as part of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts By ROBYN SPECTOR JUSTICE EDITOR

From being a mother to working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services to performing as a circus aerialist, Marci Diamond ’91 is continuously perfecting a balancing act. And this year for the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts, she is bringing her talent back to Brandeis. With trapeze partner Gina DeFreitas in their two-woman aerial art show The Diamond Sisters, the Brandeis alumna will be performing and even giving audience members a chance to try “flying” on the aerial hoop, for all ages out on the Great Lawn on Sunday at 2 p.m. A current Waltham resident, Diamond has been back to campus on numerous occasions; this spring, however, will be her first time performing in the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts. “Hopefully the weather will be nice because we are bringing an outdoor rig and hope to do some trapeze and a lyra [aerial hoops] act, which has always been close to my heart, because that is how I got my start,” she said in an interview with the Justice.

Watching this Brandeis alumna up in the air, one would never know that she got her start in aeronautic performance a mere two years ago when her teenage daughter, Marisa, encouraged her to give it a try. “My daughter is a circus performer. She started pretty young as a clown and acrobat, and now she’s an aerialist. A couple of years ago, she said ‘Hey Mom, you try it,’ which is pretty interesting because a lot of circus families start the other way around.” But for Diamond, “[Becoming an aerialist] was like coming home again.” As a child, Diamond was a competitive gymnast who practiced dance and contortion; her biography reads, “When her sisters had snapped the legs off all their dolls, [Marci] became their ‘Gymnast Barbie.’ The girls were pleased to learn that Marci’s legs didn’t come off as easily [as their dolls’], and Marci thanks them for helping her to get her start in contortion.” Diamond transferred her agility to the field when she entered Brandeis as a member of the track team. As an undergraduate student majoring in Sociology and Education Studies, Diamond was peripherally connected to the art scene at Brandeis through a few audited modern dance classes and her roommate’s productions for the The-

ater Arts major. “The art scene at Brandeis has always been fantastic, and I hope that it always will be,” Diamond said. “There is something special about being in a setting that cultivates the arts whether it is your major or not, and I think that being in that type of environment really influenced my work now as a performer.” In the past few years, Diamond has created a contortion act for a Waltham YMCA fundraiser, a lyra act for fairs in Vermont and clubs in New York and trains in her free time at the New England Center for Circus Arts. Her most recent and time-intensive endeavor has been collaboratively choreographing the duo trapeze acts of the Diamond Sisters with Gina DeFreitas. The two, who are not actually related but are often mistaken to be, began performing together less than a year ago in Vermont. This winter they have performed their aerial acts in venues such as New York’s Galapagos Arts Space and as guest artists with MAVI Dance Company in Boston. To Diamond, the ability to “make that human connection and share [the artistic] joy with someone … is what it is all about.” And as her daughter asserted, “It’s selfish not to perform, Mom, … if you can bring that feeling to other people.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARCI DIAMOND

HANGING OUT: The Diamond Sisters perform their acrobatic tricks

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL This year’s Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts ventures to the source of all that is artistic inside each and every one of us. Mysterious copper buckets that have graced the campus will be filled with water from reservoirs around Brandeis to enhance the beautiful new fountain in front of the Rose Art Museum; student artists will paint, dance, sing and express themselves, and an array of professional performers will treat the campus with their talents. From kickoff to SpringFest and every event in between, during the coming week the Brandeis community will connect and continually reconnect to everything the artistic community has to offer.

DAVID SHEPPARD-BRICK/Justice File Photo

SOAKING UP RAYS: Brandeis students on Chapels Field enjoy the beautiful warm spring weather as many Festival of the Arts activities like Big Nazo and SpringFest are put on around them throughout the campus day.