The Justice, February 15, 2011 issue

ARTS Page 22

FORUM Adopt a core curriculum 12

TATUM TALKS

SPORTS Women split UAA home games 16 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

of

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

Justice

Volume LXIII, Number 20

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

STUDENT LIFE

SUPER MASH BROS.

Next Pachanga to take place in 2012 ■ Members of the

International Club and University administration chose to change the event.

By EMILY KRAUS JUSTICE EDITOR

Pachanga, a popular dance hosted by the International Club, will now be held annually instead of semesterly, according to an e-mail to the Justice from Director of the Intercultural Center Monique Gnanaratnam.

Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams said in an interview with the Justice that Pachanga will next be held in spring 2012; it will not take place this semester, and it will be held each spring starting next year.

When asked why the event was made an annual event instead of a semiannual one, Adams said, “We

don’t want to run the risk of having a duplication of the negative things that surround the event happening.”

He said that it will be held in the spring because “the hope is that by the time an event of the magnitude of Pachanga comes around, folks, particularly our newest members of the Brandeis family, our firstyears, would have had time to already [be] exposed to all [kinds] of these things before this huge event that, for all intents and purposes, has become an event that folks heard about being something social, something that involves drinking.”

Adams said that the Office of the Dean of Student Life and the IClub collaborated in deciding that the dance should take place annually. According to Can Nahum ’12, I-Club President, “[The I-Club executive board] had a bunch of

See PACHANGA, 5 ☛

Waltham, Mass.

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

Brothers mash it up The Super Mash Bros. provided nearly 700 students with a solid hour of mashup mixes last Saturday in the Levin Ballroom. See Arts, p. 20.

STUDENT LIFE

Union studies social life ■ A Social Life Committee

will analyze the use of resources and the vitality of social activities on campus.

By SARA DEJENE JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The Student Union has formed a Social Life Committee, aiming to improve student social life on campus, according to a Feb. 8 press release from the Student Union Executive Board. The press release stated that the committee “will consolidate resources and communications, share ideas, and may provide financial support to plan and improve parties/events.”

According to the press release, the committee is comprised of Student Union President and committee chair Daniel Acheampong ’11; Director of Student Activities Stephanie Grimes, who helped Acheampong form the committee; Student Union Treasurer Akash Vadalia ’12; Union Director of Community Advocacy Sarah Geller ’13; Kathy Lawrence of the office of the President; Student Events director

Lauren Brodsky ’11 and other unnamed representatives from Student Events; Associate Director of Student Activities Nicole ChabotWieferich; Director of the Intercultural Center Monique Gnanaratnam; in addition to leaders of clubs with large event budgets. These leaders include Can Nahum ’12 of the International Club, Mary Dunn ’12 of Triskelion and Michael Zonenashvili ’13 of the Punk, Rock n’ Roll Club.

The Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps also agreed to provide its input to the committee since it “plays an important role in students’ health and social life,” wrote Acheampong said in an e-mail to the Justice. “[The groups] all play a different role on campus,” said Acheampong in a phone interview with the Justice. “I wanted to bring them all together.”

Acheampong said he developed the idea of forming a committee focused on social life after the weekend of Oct. 23, when two students were arrested and several students were hospitalized.

He said he had brought up and

Students encounter problems reclaiming coats This past Saturday, mashup artists Super Mash Bros. played for students in the Levin Ballroom at a concert organized by Student Events.

Before the duo could play its encore, the concert was shut down by the Department of Public Safety. According to yesterday’s Student Events press release, both Public Safety and Student Events were unaware that Super Mash Bros. wanted to perform an encore. Since the duo had already played for their contracted time, Public Safety officials followed orders and ended the concert on time, albeit abruptly, according to the release.

Both Director of Student Events Lauren Brodsky ’11 and Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan attribute the confusion to a miscommunication between event organizers and the band themselves.

Following the show, the 700 students who attended the show

attempted to retrieve their coats and personal belongings from the small coatroom across the lobby.

The press release explained that, in order to alleviate the congestion, members of Student Events and Public Safety attempted to bring out the coats to the students rather than having the students fight through the piles in the coatroom.

Nicole Nightingale ’13, who attended the show, said in an interview with the Justice that she saw some students “pushing people in order to get to their coats.” Nightingale then described how Public Safety officials managed to organize students into a single-file line that extended back into the ballroom while members of Student Events attempted to return people’s belongings to them. Nightingale says she was lucky when, after waiting 25 minutes, her friend found her coat.

She said there were still many students waiting to retrieve their

­—Daniel Heinrich

See SOCIAL, 5 ☛

Going green

Twice as sweet

Cost of Dengue

Students work toward achieving a more environmentally friendly campus.

 The men’s basketball team won two UAA games at home last weekend.

 Brandeis faculty calculates the economic cost of the Dengue Virus in the Americas.

FEATURES 7 For tips or info call (781) 736-6397

things by the time she left.

“Never before had anything of the sort happened to Student Events, though it had happened at other events,” said Brodsky in an interview with the Justice.

Because Student Events did not organize any form of coat check, Brodsky explained, the coats were the responsibility of the students.

Callahan said that he has been in conversation with Student Events about using different venues that have more space for coats to alleviate the concerns associated with having a small coatroom.

The 29 remaining unclaimed items, mostly coats, hats and gloves, are now in possession of the Department of Public Safety and can be claimed anytime, said Callahan. An inventory of the items was released via Facebook message to all those on the event page.

Let your voice be heard!

Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

INDEX

SPORTS 16 ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 7

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

News 3 COPYRIGHT 2011 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.

2

TUESDAY, February 15, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

NEWS AP BRIEF

POLICE LOG

Boston planetarium reopens after its $9-million renovation

Medical emergency

BOSTON—Soon, visitors to the newly renovated Charles Hayden Planetarium will be leaving the solar system on their virtual spaceship, traveling at fasterthan-light speeds in search of other planets in the Milky Way. And they will do it, of course, without ever leaving their seats.

The 52-year-old planetarium at Boston’s Museum of Science has staked its future on the success of a $9-million facelift that the museum hopes will instill a new generation with a sense of awe for the beauty of the cosmos and the mysteries it holds.

After being closed for more than a year for renovations, the planetarium has been retrofitted with sophisticated new gadgetry and is reopening to the public on Sunday with the world premiere of “Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun.’’ Dubbed the most technologically advanced digital theater in New England, the planetarium uses a powerful new star projector—called the Zeiss Starmaster—to display more than 9,000 celestial object on the planetarium’s 57-foot domed ceiling. Objects from bright stars to galaxies are all so realistic that one might forget it’s not the heavens on a crystal clear night.

“You can actually bring binoculars in here, look at those same objects and they look just like they do in the real sky,’’ boasts Daryl Davis, the planetarium’s systems coordinator and the man who runs the starmaster, which is one of only two in the United States.

The fiber-optics video projection and animation system not only creates the illusion of traveling through space, but through time as well.

The planetarium has averaged about 185,000 annual visitors in recent years, down from the 260,000 it averaged from the mid-1990s to 2003, according to the museum. The planetarium’s aging technology was cited as one factor in the drop, along with competition from other ticketed venues at the museum and fewer school field trips.

The museum projects an increase to about 235,000 planetarium visitors next year.

The first new show was created with the guidance of Alan Lightman, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist and author of the best-selling 1992 novel “Einstein’s Dreams.’’

Lightman said in an interview that he tried to present complex and rapidly-changing science in a way that could be understood by the average person.

And nothing in astronomy is happening at a faster clip than the search for “exoplanets’’—worlds that exist outside our own solar system.

Too small and too dim to be spotted by conventional telescopes, exoplanets can only be discovered through painstaking scientific-detective work.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced earlier this month that its orbiting Kepler telescope had found 1,235 possible planets outside the solar system.

Among those who contributed to the fundraising campaign for the planetarium was New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was among the guests at a VIP showing of the new exhibit on Thursday.

Feb. 8—A party reported that a female in Shapiro Residence Hall was vomiting and experiencing stomach pains. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Feb. 9—A 21-year-old female reported to have a twisted ankle and chest pains in the Stoneman Health Center. BEMCo responded, and the party was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Feb. 10—A party reported a student with a dislocated finger in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Feb. 10—A party reported a student with a cut finger in Usen Residence Hall. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care.

Feb. 10—BEMCo was requested on scene after Univer-

sity Police responded to a disturbance in Ziv Quad. One party was transported to the Newton Wellesley Hospital for threat to self.

Feb. 11—A 19-year-old female had an allergic reaction in Sherman Dining Hall. BEMCo responded, and the party was transported to the NewtonWellesley Hospital.

Feb. 12—An 18-year-old female exhibited flu-like symptoms in Village C. BEMCo responded and the party was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Feb. 12—A party reported a 22-year-old female vomiting with stomach pain in the Charles River Apartments. BEMCo responded, and the party was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Feb. 12—A party reported that a 20-year-old female was intoxicated in Ziv Quad. BEMCo responded, and the party was transported to the Newton-

Wellesley Hospital.

Feb. 13—A party reported an intoxicated male in Ridgewood B. BEMCo treated the party onscene with a signed refusal for further care.

Larceny

Feb. 9—A student reported that jewelry was stolen from her locked dorm room in Gordon Residence Hall. There were no signs of forced entry. University Police compiled a report.

Feb. 13—A student reported that her coat was stolen from the coat room outside the Levin Ballroom.

Traffic

Feb. 9—A student reported that his vehicle was struck while parked in Theater Lot. There was no information left by the individual who dented the car.

Feb. 10—A minor accident occurred at the main entrance

Check our website, www.thejustice.org, periodically for updates.

MORGAN FINE/the Justice

Justice

the

www.thejustice.org

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Editor in chief office hours are held Mondays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Justice office.

Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing

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

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

Feb. 10—Three parties reported a disturbance in Ziv Quad.

After University Police arrived, BEMCo was requested. One party was arrested and transported to the Waltham Police station.

Feb. 13—A party reported an ex-boyfriend causing a disturbance in the Foster Mods. Student was located and referred to the community development coordinator for counseling.

Miscellaneous

Feb. 8—A party reported that people were smoking cigarettes in Shapiro Residence Hall. The CDC was notified and a student judicial referral was composed.

—compiled by Andrew Wingens

Senate swears in new senators, passes SMRs

The Justice is on hiatus for midterm recess. Our next issue will be published March 8, 2011.

n An article in News incorrectly stated the position of a student. Liya Kahan is the senator for the Class of 2012, not senator for the Class of 2013. (Feb. 8, pg. 3) n The Senate Log in News failed to include one of the senators involved in planning the first-year and sophomore formal event. Senator for Rosenthal Quad, Elizabeth Fields ’13, is also involved. (Feb. 8, pg. 2) n This Senate Log in News misspelled the given name of the senator for the Class of 2014. The senator’s name is Dillon Harvey, not Dylan Harvey. (Feb. 8, pg. 2) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail editor@ thejustice.org.

Disturbance

SENATE LOG

NOTE TO READERS:

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

to campus. No injuries were reported and the University Police compiled a report.

Cupcakes spread the love

Students gathered in the Shapiro Campus Center last night to make dozens of deliciously decorated desserts to demonstrate their dedication to celebrating Valentine’s Day whether they had a valentine or not.

Senator for East Quad Andrew Hayes ’13, Senator for Village Quad Nathan Israel ’14 and Senator for the Class of 2012 Sara Wiesenfeld were sworn in by Executive Senator Abraham Berin ’11. The senators were elected in a special election last week.

The Senate unanimously recognized the Brandeis National Committee Student Ambassadors.

The Senate chartered the Brandeis International Journal by a vote of 12 in favor, two opposed and seven abstentions. The International Journal plans to release a magazine each semester containing articles and editorials that would be dedicated to international politics and global affairs.

The Senate also chartered the Brandeis Magicians Circle by a vote of 20 in favor and one abstention.

The Magicians Circle’s purpose is to “educate the Brandeis community regarding the history and performance of the art of magic.”

The Senate unanimously passed Senate Money Resolution S11-01 which allows the Student Union to donate $100 to the Relay for Life charity event.

The Senate also unanimously approved SMR S11-02, which allocates $300 to publicize the new global positioning satellite systems that will be on the Crystal shuttles. The GPS system would allow students to check the location of shuttles via a website or by sending a text message to a specific number, said Berin.

The Senate additionally approved SMR S11-03 by a vote of 20 in favor and one abstention. The SMR provides $500 for a WBRS rave that would take place this semester. The rave will be co-sponsored by the Student Union because, according to Article 9 Section 9 of the Brandeis Student Union bylaws, “all Senate Money Resolutions must be used for Student Union Government projects and/or operations.”

The Senate also confirmed new chairs for Senate committees.

—Andrew Wingens

ANNOUNCEMENTS Lunch & information session

Aileen Sanchez from the Admissions Office at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice will be on campus to discuss programs offered through the Dartmouth Institute. Lunch will be provided.

Today from 12 to 1:30 p.m. in the Financial Services Conference Room.

Furor in the Arab Street

A panel discussion featuring Prof. Eva Bellin (POL); Prof. Ibrahim Karawan; and David Makovsky, a Ziegler distinguished fellow and director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Project on the Middle East Peace Process. Prof. Shai Feldman, the Judith and Sidney Swartz Director of the Crown Center, will moderate the event. Today from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.

Jews and homosexuals post-World War II

Matti Bunzl is a professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include the anthropology of Europe, modern Jewish history and culture, the history and theory of anthropology and the contemporary art world. His most recent publications include Anti-Semi-

tism and Islamophobia: Hatreds Old and New in Europe, and Symptoms of Modernity: Jews and Queers in Late-Twentieth-Century Vienna.

Tomorrow from noon to 2 p.m. in the Hassenfeld Conference Center.

How to Find an Internship workshop

Come learn about tips and techniques for finding a summer or academic internship.

Also, learn about Hiatt’s World of Work (WOW) fellowships to fund unpaid internships this summer! Tomorrow from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Usdan Student Center.

Social Justice & Education Careers Forum

The Forum will bring together diverse representatives and top employers in the field for networking with Brandeis students.

Take this opportunity to connect with education professionals to ask questions and learn about potential career paths. Tomorrow from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the International Lounge.

Professor McGuffey speaks

Boston College Prof. McGuffey’s research agenda examines the social psychology of family life and the experience of inter-personal trauma. His work primarily highlights how

race, gender and social class both constrain and create the choices survivors pursue in the aftermath of trauma. McGuffey is the recipient of two American Sociological Association awards: the 2006 Sally Hacker Award for research excellence from the sex and gender section and the 2009 “Best Research Article Award” from the section on sexualities.

Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Pearlman 113.

BaRuCH Dinner and Discussion

Dinner and Discussion consists of large and small group discussions based on texts and discussion questions. Explore and challenge relevant issues in Judaism from biblical, rabbinical, philosophical, moral, and social perspectives over kosher, vegetarian food! The dinner will include a discussion about the afterlife. Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Usen Castle Commons.

OSRA: Meet the members

Meet with members of the Office of Student Rights and Advocacy. OSRA members will be informing students about Rights and Responsibilities, the Student Conduct System, and the role that OSRA plays. Tomorrow from 9 to 10 p.m. in Village C TV Lounge.

THE JUSTICE

student Union

●

TUESDAY, february 15, 2011

3

A FRIENDLY MATCH

Union releases election results ■ The new senators are

Andrew Hayes ’13, Nathan Israel ’14 and Sara Wiesenfeld ’12.

By allyson cartter JUSTICE contributing WRITER

A special Student Union election was held last Wednesday to fill three vacant Senate seats.

Those newly elected to the positions are Andrew Hayes ’13 as senator for East Quad, Nathan Israel ’14 as Senator for Village Quad and Sara Wiesenfeld as Senator for the Class of 2012.

The positions to represent the Village and the Class of 2012 were filled last semester by Missy Skolnik ’12 and Abby Kulawitz ’12, respectively; both students are abroad this semester. The position for Senator of East Quad opened after Albert Feldman ’13 resigned on Jan. 31, according to a Feb. 3 press release from the Student Union Executive Board.

Though Andrew Ramirez ’12 ran unopposed for the position of Senator for the Class of 2012, Wiesenfeld was elected as a write-in candidate.

In an interview with the Justice, Wiesenfeld said that she is “thrilled to be a part of the Student Union” and looks forward to being a liaison between students and the Union.

“We need more of the student voices to be heard. … I’m just very excited to explore the options that the Student Union will afford me,” she said. Some of her first goals are to look into renovation of dorm rooms in Usen Castle and to expand the hours of operation at Einstein Bros. Bagels.

As senator for East Quad Hayes hopes to focus first on “get[ting] something somewhere that provides [the quad] with drinkable water,” such as installing filters on sink taps, as both Hassenfeld and Pomerantz residence halls lack water fountains.

“I think I can do a great job as a senator,” he said in an interview with the Justice, “and I’m motivated to represent the constituents.”

Israel said in an e-mail interview with the Justice that he was happy to be elected as Village senator, as “there were several great candidates from the Village.”

“My platform was simply that I would listen to all of the residents in the Village and try to implement their requests,” Israel said. “That is exactly what I plan to do over the coming months.”

His first course of action, he said, will be to set up “various channels for the Villagers to reach [him],” including a drop-box.

Student Union Secretary Herbie Rosen ’12 wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he was happy with the number of students who ran for open positions, citing Wiesenfeld’s “successful write-in campaign” as an example of student interest.

“It was a fair election, and I am glad that all ran smoothly,” he wrote.

He wrote that his goal for the next round of Student Union elections is to have greater studentbody participation in the elections and “to create a simpler way of voting so students don’t have to follow such elaborate details to have their voice heard.”

Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on the Justice website on Thursday, Feb. 10.

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

Beat the Police Head Coordinator of Operations for the Escort Safety Service Abraham Berin ’11 plays a round of ping-pong with University Police officer Sean Coughlin during the “Beat the Police” social gaming event on Feb. 10, aimed at building discussion between University students and police officers. The event followed an Eat and Greet event held on Feb. 3.

TECHNOLOGY

Lawrence accepts LTS recommendations ■ The LTS Advisory

Committee report discussed recommendations for LTS leadership and the budget.

By Fiona lockyer JUSTICE editor

University President Frederick Lawrence announced in a Feb. 10 campuswide e-mail that himself, Provost Marty Krauss and Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins had reviewed and accepted three main recommendations made by the Library and Technology Services Advisory Committee in their latest report concerning the replacement of Vice Provost and Vice President for Library and Technology Services Perry Hanson, who has announced his retirement.

The committee was charged in August by Collins and Krauss to examine how to best replace Hanson, according to the report.

On Jan. 21, the committee presented its report to Collins, Krauss and Lawrence, which examined the merged nature of LTS, the search for a new LTS leader and the LTS budget and resources.

The report recommended that LTS remain a merged organization on campus during the search for a new LTS leader because “libraries and information technology are two of the most rapidly-changing components of colleges and universities” and that “there seems to be general satisfaction with Brandeis’ merged organization.”

This recommendation was accepted

by Lawrence, Krauss and Collins.

Concerning the search for the new LTS leader, the report suggested that the new LTS leader be advertised as a “Vice President (Provost) for Libraries and Technology” that would report to the Provost while also working closely with Lawrence to develop a strategic plan for the continuance of LTS. Moreover, the report suggested three possible models for LTS leadership, where additional staff should be hired depending on the strengths of the newly selected vice provost. According to the report, Gene Spencer, an external consultant to LTSAC, recommended a model in which a head of LTS with a broad background of experience hire a chief technology officer in addition to a university librarian to oversee all of the areas of LTS. However, the campuswide e-mail

from Lawrence only addressed that there would be the creation of a search committee for the next LTS leader, and did not elaborate into the future leadership model.

In an interview with the Justice, Hanson explained that the leadership model would likely be discussed once the LTS leader was selected based on his or her strengths and background.

The last section of the report, not addressed in Lawrence’s e-mail, described the LTS budget and resources, which were cut dramatically during the 2008 to 2009 academic year, resulting in a 15-percent cut of staff and a million-dollar budget reduction across the department, according to Hanson.

The report explained that because of budgetary cuts, “some measures that LTS has taken to cover the shortfall are clearly unsustainable over the middle or long term,” measures which Hanson described as not updating technology as much as possible and placing more responsibility on the heavily student-run LTS Help Desk.

“One of the big, big challenges for libraries and technology is that we never have money, we’re always viewed as the sinkhole where all the money goes,” said Hanson, who further ex-

plained that according to the LTS strategic plan, LTS is responsible for 44 University services, ranging from sustaining infrastructure to supporting teaching and learning.

Prof. Robert Sekeuler (PSYC) wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that LTSAC is very concerned with the sustained budget cuts, but that “despite extraordinary budget stringencies, LTS has already managed to carry out a number of the consultants’ recommendations” from a Shepley Bullfinch Richardson & Abbott consulting report conducted several years ago to determine how to make the library run more efficiently. “[LTSAC’s] issue, one of the 200 issues Fred Lawrence has to figure out, is where the library and where IT services stack up in terms of redirecting money,” Hanson said.

In an e-mail to the Justice, Senior Vice President of Communications Andrew Gully wrote “resources for LTS are among the items we need to examine and think about during the current and future budget cycles.”

Both the campuswide e-mail and Gully wrote that the search committee will form in the coming weeks. Hanson will continue to serve in his position until a replacement is found.

research

Study finds Dengue costs over $2 billion per year ■ Professors from the Heller

School find that the Dengue Virus costs more than the HPV and the Rotavirus.

By Daniel Heinrich JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Prof. Donald Shepard and research associate Yara Halasa, of the Heller School for Social Management and Policy published a study in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene on Feb. 4 in which they calculated the financial impact of the Dengue Virus in the Americas to be $2.1 billion annually.

The Dengue Virus is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito that has been common in the Americas, Africa and Asia, putting about two-fifths of the world population at risk. While there is neither a cure nor a vaccine for the virus, basic medical treatment can help some cases. Untreated cases

can become more severe as the virus becomes hemorrhagic and can be devastating, especially in places with subpar medical facilities, according to the World Health Organization.

The research was completed with the help of three other contributing authors from Sanofi Pasteur, an independent French pharmaceutical company. The projection of the costs of the effects of Dengue exceed both the Human Papilomavirus and the Rotavirus, according to the study.

In a joint interview with the Justice, Shepard and Halasa said that the goal of their research was to influence policy makers to take preventative action and that presenting it from an economic perspective would be most effective.

In order to calculate the figure of $2.1 billion, Shepard, Halasa and their associates assessed the economic burden of individual cases by analyzing four major factors: the number of cases while factoring in a certain amount of underreporting; the direct

and indirect costs of each case; the demographic information of each country; and the disability-adjusted life years, or the years of potential productivity lost due to the disease.

Direct costs relate to the immediate costs of health care and ambulatory aid, said Shepard and Halasa, while indirect costs refer to the financial quantity of production that is lost with each individual case.

Shepard has been studying the costeffectiveness of a variety of strategies for maintaining the spread of Dengue for the last 20 years, but he only began the current phase of research 2 years ago. He said they must have looked into hundreds of thousands of cases throughout the Americas.

According to the study, 50 to 100 million people worldwide could be infected with the virus. Of those, an estimated 24,000 will pass away from Dengue annually.

The disease itself is not limited to developing countries. In 2009, Shepard said, Florida experienced a signifi-

cant outbreak of the disease.

Shepard and Halasa said that the best way to prevent the spread of the disease throughout the States is to eliminate potential breeding places that hold stagnant water for the mosquito, such as old tires and outdoor potted plants.

In 2004, Mironda Heston ’04, who had only months prior graduated with a master’s from the Heller School of Sustainable International Development, passed away after contracting the virus while in Haiti on a medical mission.

Heston’s fascination with Haiti began at a young age when her mother would bring her on her own medical missions, said Shepard who has been in contact with Heston’s sister, mother and friends among the faculty.

The medical center that Heston helped to establish in Paypaye, Haiti was named in her honor after she passed. Additionally, her graduating class of the SID program set up a scholarship fund in her honor.

4

TUESDAY, february 15, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

research

EXPANDING THE ECO-COMMUNITY

Study defines drug measures ■ A research professor

examined how to prescribe drug treatment to alcoholism and opioid addiction patients.

By tyler belanga JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Associate Research Professor at the Schneider Institute for Health Policy Cindy Parks Thomas recently led a research initiative regarding addiction. Her team released new performance measures for tracking the use of medications intended to help patients end their alcohol and opioid addictions, according to a Jan. 24 press release from the Washington Circle, an organization that works to ensure the quality and accessibility of alcohol and drug services.

The new measures were released in a study that Thomas led in conjuction with the Washington Circle. According to the Washington Circle’s mission statement, which is located on its website, “There is a clear need to promote quality and accountability in the delivery and management of alcohol and other drug services by organized systems of care, both public and private.”

These new measures, which are the first steps toward monitoring the use of medications in individual treatment plans, are meant to assure that medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating alcohol and opioid addictions are being prescribed to patients who could benefit from these medications, according to a news release from Boston University School of Health’s Jointogether.org.

Thomas made it clear, however, that these standards have only been released, and they have not yet been implemented by health care providers.

The next step for these new measures, said Thomas, is for insurers or medical care providers to supply them.

“Health plans like Aetna and [health maintenance organizations] can come in and say, ‘We would like to encourage our providers to use more medications to treat alcohol because we think it’s a more cost-effective approach,’” explained Thomas.

The research into these new measures was funded by the federal government, said Thomas.

Thomas said that Brandeis has worked in partnership with the Washington Circle, developing new indicators, metrics and approaches to monitoring in order to make sure providers are using the correct amount of medication for the right populations and for enough people.

In addition, insurers, provider groups and health care plans can use standard measures to ensure that medications are used efficiently, according to Thomas.

Thomas said that in the past, drugs like methadone, which can have serious side effects, were used to help people overcome addictions.

In the last 20 years, there have been new approaches, such as the use of prescription drugs to treat addictions rather than counseling as the primary means of changing an addict’s behavior.

“Not only do you provide counseling, you provide a medication to go with the counseling that helps you from craving the drug,” said Thomas.

Now that these drugs have been developed, a problem concerning their use may be the negative perception toward them on the part of doctors and patients, according to Thomas.

“There’s a lot of misinformation about the effectiveness of these drugs. … Although they are not perfect, [these drugs] have really improved outcomes,” Thomas said.

Thomas explained that the research was done using a modified Delphi panel, which involved gathering a group of experts including researchers, policymakers, clinicians and government officials to provide opinions on what they believed would be the best performance measures.

Thomas and the research team then experimented with sample claims data and reported back to the panel experts to review their findings.

“We did quantitative analysis to make sure the specifications work … and are feasible and easy enough to apply,” explained Thomas.

The research implies that “health plans and providers are going to be increasingly accountable for the care that they provide. ... The more standardized ways we have of measuring quality of care, the better,” said Thomas.

“The more effective health care can be, the better chances we have of reaching a goal of an efficient system,” said Melissa Seidmann, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Social Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management who was also involved in the study, in an interview with the Justice.

Seidmann added, “The idea of performance measures is that [it] is important to first have a baseline for treatment and then you can measure that over time. … It is used to improve quality of care: If you don’t measure performance, then how do you improve anything in the big picture?”

JOSH SPIRO/the Justice

Room of Requirement A student monitors the “Room of Requirement,” a space where students can drop off any items they do not need for other students to use them free of charge.

awards

Univ awards MIT professor ■ Prof. Peter Schiller won the

Jay Pepose ’75 Award in Vision Sciences, which is given by a Brandeis commitee.

By andrew wingens JUSTICE editorial assistant

The selection committee for Brandeis’ Jay Pepose ’75 Award in Vision Sciences awarded Dorothy W. Poitras Professor in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Peter Schiller, said Prof. John Lisman (BIOL) in an interview with the Justice.

The Pepose Award, which recognizes contributions to the understanding of vision, was established in 2009 by a $1 million gift made to the University from alumnus Jay Pepose ’75 and his wife, Susan K. Feigenbaum ’74, according to a BrandeisNOW press release.

Lisman and a committee that consisted of Prof. Robert Sekuler (PSYC), Prof. Daniel Oprian (BCHM), Prof.

Sacha Nelson (BIOL) and Dr. Joseph Rizzo, a neuro-opthalmologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, selected Schiller about a year ago to win the award, said Lisman. Lisman also said that the Pepose Award was granted to Schiller based on his research achievements throughout his career.

For example, Schiller was one of the first people who designed an experiment to help “bridge the gap between

understanding neurons and neurotransmitters, which are relatively simple structures, [and] … understand how their interaction actually functions to promote human behaviors like recognition or perception,” said Lisman.

Lisman described Schiller’s research as “a dramatic breakthrough in terms of being able to span the gap between simple cellular and neurotransmitter properties and actual behavior of the organism.”

Additionally, Lisman credited Schiller with training “an incredible number of scientists” who have become leaders in the field of neuroscience. “He was really a father figure for a very large component of neuroscience,” said Lisman.

“It is a tremendous honor; I am very pleased, and I am excited to be able to give a presentation about the research I have been doing,” he said in an interview with the Justice.

Schiller also recognized that the award could have an impact on his future research. “There is little doubt that awards are something that improve your recognition worldwide, … and that certainly also helps, which is very important nowadays, in trying to secure funds to carry out your basic research,” he said.

Schiller is scheduled to receive the award and speak about his research on March 14 at 4 p.m. in Gerstenzang 121. Schiller will deliver a lecture titled “Parallel Information Processing Channels Created in the Retina.”

Everybody’s got an opinion.

It’s time to share yours!

Write for the Forum section of

Justice.

Contact Eitan Cooper at forum@thejustice.org. the

According to Schiller, in his lecture he will speak about research that “examines the organization of the retina and how there are several very traumatically different kinds of retinal ganglion cells that analyze different aspects of the visual scene.”

Schiller will also speak as a guest lecturer in Lisman’s “Systems Neuroscience” class on March 15, discussing “the neural mechanisms of eye movement control and the various pathways that are involved in various aspects of eye movement control,” he said.

Schiller is also involved in several other lines of vision research, such as depth perception and how humans can see a third dimension to determine distance.

Lisman noted that Pepose, who donated the money to establish the award, worked in Lisman’s laboratory as an undergraduate at Brandeis in the field of vision research. After Brandeis, Pepose founded and became the medical director of the Pepose Vision Institute in St. Louis, according to BrandeisNOW. Pepose is also a professor of clinical ophthalmology at Washington University in St. Louis.

This is the second year the Pepose Award has been granted.

Last year, the committee granted the Pepose Award to Jay and Maureen Neitz who, according to BrandeisNOW, are researchers at the University of Washington. according to BrandeisNOW.

THE JUSTICE

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011

5

BOOK SIGNING AND TALK

AP BRIEF Mass to use social media in lottery BOSTON—State lotteries across the country are increasingly turning to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to connect with customers, a trend that Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman said is one of his top priorities as he looks to boost sales in coming years.

Massachusetts may have one of the oldest and most successful lotteries in the country, but other states are well ahead when it comes to embracing social media sites to stay connected with longtime customers and reaching out to new players.

Grossman said he’s determined to catch up.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Grossman said that with a limited advertising budget of about $2 million, the lottery needs new ways to reach younger players who get their information in nontraditional ways.

“I don’t think we have yet used new, imaginative and forwardlooking social media tools and techniques at the lottery the way other consumer businesses have,” Grossman said. “We’re going to make the lottery a little fresher, a little more interesting, a little more imaginative.”

Grossman said he and his newly appointed Massachusetts State Lottery Executive Director Paul Sternburg are exploring social media as part of a wider strategy to boost sales, from selling tickets at Logan International Airport to enlisting lottery sales agents who speak languages other than English to reach immigrant communities.

Grossman’s overall goal is to increase lottery profit by $100 million, which would bring the total amount of lottery dollars returned to cities and town in the form of local aid to about $1 billion.

Because $1 of every $5 spent on lottery tickets is profit, that would require increasing overall sales by upward of $500 million.

“A lot of people say the lottery is successful, it’s topped out,” Grossman said. “I don’t believe that.”

Other states long ago ramped up their social media profiles.

Iowa lottery officials posted their first YouTube videos in 2007 and then created a Facebook page and began sending out tweets the next year.

At first the lottery had 30 followers on Twitter. Now it has thousands of Twitter and Facebook fans, according to Mary Neubauer, vice president of external relations for the Iowa Lottery.

While it’s difficult to say whether that’s translated directly into higher profits, Neubauer said sales have been increasing in the past few years. Besides, she said, not adopting social media is no longer an option.

“This is a necessary part of doing business,” she said. “Being on social media is something that the public expects today and is going to be demanding soon.”

Alex Traverso, spokesman for the California Lottery, said the number of social media followers grew exponentially in the past year. The lottery now has 12,000 fans on Facebook and 6,000 followers on Twitter.

Because lotteries involve gambling, officials have to take some precautions, especially on Facebook, which has restrictions against directly promoting gambling.

Traverso said that while the lottery won’t put up messages urging people to go out and play a specific game, officials can post images of the latest tickets and answer questions.

Maintaining a social media presence isn’t the same as issuing press releases. To be successful, Neubauer said, businesses have to adopt a more informal, conversational tone with their followers.

For Traverso, that translates into an increasing amount of work to keep the lottery’s Facebook page fresh. That also means answering questions, sending tweets and posting videos.

“It’s the work of one full-time person for sure and it’s going to get to the point where it’s more than that,” he said. “People want to see new content.”

●

EMILY LAI/the Justice

Changing medical school culture Last Thursday, Dr. Linda Pololi gave a talk about her newest book, ‘Changing the Culture of Academic Medicine: Perspectives of Women Faculty,’ before signing copies of it for students in attendence, arguing for a core change in medical school culture that encourages trustworthy relationships and supports the needs of health professionals.

PACHANGA: I-Club planning an alternative event for March 5 CONTINUED FROM 1

meetings with both [Adams and Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer] and Monique [Gnanaratnam], and we did say whatever we wanted to say, but … when the administration doesn’t want to take any risks on a particular event, then there’s not much to do. … What ended up happening was we accepted what they were saying. They had pretty good reasons.”

Sawyer referred requests for comment to Gnanaratnam; she did not respond to requests for further comment before press time.

In an October 2010 interview with the Justice, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said that approximately 20 students required medi-

cal attention and two students were arrested on Oct. 23, 2010, the night of the most recent Pachanga event. “[Pachanga] has been marketed … by folks in the community as the one time where everybody goes and gets very inebriated. The hope is that by the time that it comes around in the spring, … that won’t be the mantra,” Adams said.

Nahum said, “We wanted to … have another Pachanga this semester as we do every semester; however, it is kind of a tricky subject, because when you look at it from administration’s point of view, it’s not very easy to let an organization continue to create an event which may potentially have some risks toward the community itself.”

According to Nahum, I-Club proposed “[working] with certain or-

ganizations on campus to create a campaign against over-intoxication [and about] drinking responsibly” and finding a system of selling tickets that would make counterfeiting tickets more difficult so that Pachanga could take place this semester.

However, he said, “from the administration’s point of view, [Pachanga] still has a lot of risks to it, and they believe there is no more room for error. … They wanted us to come up with something else, another event, one where the International Club can actually celebrate … more cultures and diversity.”

Nahum said that I-Club had already booked the Levin Ballroom for March 5 in anticipation of holding Pachanga on that date.

Now that the dance will not take

place, Nahum said, the club is planning another event. He said that the Custom Clothing Club and Colleges Against Cancer will co-sponsor an event and he hopes other cultural clubs on campus will also participate.

“We talked to a lot of people about [Pachanga] and what we hear from the administration and our peers is that what the ICC and International Club did that night was not wrong.

We played it by the book. We always do everything to the best of our abilities. But when you have 850 people intoxicated, some of [whom are] ... very angry, it gets very hard to put up with that,” Nahum said.

—Fiona Lockyer contributed reporting.

SOCIAL: Members to define social life

CONTINUED FROM 1

discussed the proposal of a committee with the Board of Trustees and with Grimes before discussing it with different members of the committee.

In a phone interview with the Justice, Undergraduate Student Representative to Board of Trustees Heddy Ben-Atar ’11 said that the Board of Trustees supports the Social Life Committee. “[Daniel and I] brought [the idea] up to [the Board of Trustees] in a meeting in October and it’s something that concerns them ... and it’s something that they want to address and they want our input on it,” said Ben-Atar, who also helped form the committee.

Acheampong said that he had personally reached out to these individuals and organizations about

forming the committee.

He does not plan to add new members in the near future to ensure that the committee would not be too large and slow down discussion and progress.

As for appointing new members in the future when current ones graduate, Acheampong said that he would still like to keep the committee small and focused but said that new members of represented clubs would be trained to be on the committee in order to ensure a high level of commitment.

Acheampong said that, despite his desire to keep the committee small, the committee welcomes ideas from other students and clubs on campus.

The committee had its inaugural meeting Feb. 8.

According to Acheampong, one issue discussed at the meeting was the committee’s role in looking at large

organized events on campus as well as more casual on-campus gatherings and parties.

Ben-Atar said that the committee will look at past events on campus and analyze what has been successful and what has not and then decide how to help structure future events.

However, Ben-Atar said that the goal of the committee is not to plan its own events but provide input and resources for future events.

In an e-mail to the Justice, Grimes wrote that the committee “will assess what aspects of social life are most lacking for current Brandeis students” and “hopefully can gain insight on what elements are currently lacking and evaluate what is successful now.”

“I don’t see [campus] social life as something lacking,” said Nahum in an interview with the Justice. “But there is room for improvement.”

Acheampong stated that there will be another meeting in the near future to continue discussion on ways to improve on-campus social life.

Nahum announced that there would be an event on March 5 that the committee is working on and said to “look for flyers.”

Acheampong said that the SLC will be a permanent committee at the University.

“This is not a committee that is going to go away,” said Acheampong.

“This is a committee that’s going to be there, that’s going to really work hard with students, work with administrators, making sure we are providing excellent resources for our students.”

—Fiona Lockyer contributed reporting.

Start Your Career in Accounting

Get theJustice delivered to your door!

Subscriptions are $35 per semester and $55 per year.

Northeastern’s MS in Accounting/MBA for non-accounting majors: • Earn two degrees in just 15 months.

• Complete a 3-month paid residency at a leading accounting firm.

• Proven track record of 100% job placement.

Application deadlines: March 1 and April 1

To subscribe, mail a check to: The Justice—Subscriptions Mailstop 214, Brandeis University 415 South St. Waltham, MA 02454-9110

For more information, contact Rebecca Blady at managing@thejustice.org.

617-373-3244 gspa@neu.edu http://cba.neu.edu/grad/accounting-mba/

Take photographs for theJustice!

FIND YOURSELF ABROAD Internships> Liberal Arts> Language> Science> Engineering

www.bu.edu/abroad

Financial aid is available.

An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.

Asher Krell/the Justice

Contact Yosef Schaffel and Tali Smookler at photos@thejustice.org for more information.

just

features

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011

7

VERBATIM | RUSSELL BAKER Happiness is a small and unworthy goal for something as big and fancy as a whole lifetime and should be taken in small doses.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

in 1972, sound recordings were granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.

Texas is the only state that permits residents to cast absentee ballots from space.

Going green

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

ROOFTOP ENERGY: A windmill was built on campus as part of the effort to become more sustainable.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBYN BLUMBERG

SOUVENIRS: Midyear students received reusable coffee mugs during their orientation, which had a green theme and a focus on environmental practices this year.

Students work toward a more environmentally friendly campus

By TYLER belanga justice staff writer

As climate change and protection of natural resources has become an increasingly large issue in the United States and around the world, college campuses are striving to employ “greener” practices. Recycling programs, hands-on environmental educational programs and the implementation of cleaner sources of energy are emphasizing more sustainable living practices at almost all colleges in the nation.

Brandeis is no exception, as efforts are being made to make the campus more eco-friendly with the development of the Brandeis Sustainability Fund, which was created to help students implement their own sustainable ideas on campus and also to educate students on the importance of living sustainably.

One recent Brandeis effort was the “GO GREEN & Beyond” program that took place at the beginning of this year’s midyear orientation. It was led by four students who took Prof. Laura Goldin’s (AMST) Environmental Studies Class, “Greening the Ivory Tower.” This is a hands-on course in the fall semester that focuses on the study, design and implementation of sustainable practices.

As a final project, students Robyn Blumberg ’11, Elana Reinholtz ’11, Amira Mintz-Morgenthau ’12 and Jordan Longert ’11 chose to design their own individual ways of making the midyear orientation more sustainable and environmentally educational.

Longert came up with the idea of having an “eco-tour” in which midyears were taken on a tour of Brandeis that showcased the most sus-

tainable locations across campus. Longert was responsible not only for organizing the tours but also for leading several of them.

“As a senior, I felt like I never had anything to educate me about this type of stuff until this year,” Longert said in an interview, emphasizing that students have the right to know what is happening on campus when it comes to sustainability efforts.

“Students really needed to know the second they got here that Brandeis really does want to become a more sustainable environment, and we really are trying to make an impact not just on campus, but also in Waltham,” Longert continued.

The tour featured nine stops, beginning with the examination of the porous pavement designed to reduce water runoff on the walkway between the Village and the Shapiro Admissions Center and concluding with a visit to the rooftop gardens of the new Mandel Center for the Humanities.

Also included on the tour were the solar panels on the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center; the Chapels Field Wetlands behind the library, which serve as a basin for water runoff that would otherwise flood Chapels Field; and the highly energyefficient solar trash compactors located throughout campus.

The other three students involved in “GO GREEN & Beyond” also incorporated their creative ideas into orientation. Blumberg ran the “Give & Go Move-In Market,” a program that gathered up unused belongings left behind by students studying abroad, which were then either sold to midyears or donated to several different charitable organizations, including the Global Thrift Store in Waltham.

YOSEF SCHAFFEL/Justice File Photo

MOVE-IN MARKET: Eliana Light ’13 attended the market at the beginning of last semester to buy goods.

Mintz-Morgenthau created a “green quiz” for the midyears to fill out, while Reinholtz undertook the task of keeping the entire orientation paperless. Rather than all orientation materials being printed, a compressed zip file was sent to each new student’s e-mail address to avoid unnecessary paper waste. While the group originally applied for a grant from the BSF for the purchase of bamboo flash drives to give to every midyear, the idea was rejected in favor of five other student proposals, which were awarded a total of $47,000.

While the five BSF projects are currently in the works, according to Janna Cohen-Rosenthal ’03, sustainability coordinator at Brandeis, because the students are heavily involved with their design and development, the date of the completed implementation of all the ideas is not yet clear.

“I really want the students to act as the managers of their projects. … It was the students’ idea, it is the students’ money, and part of the value is having the real-life experience of implementing a project,” Cohen-Rosenthal said.

The BSF and “GO GREEN & Beyond” midyear orientation are only the beginning of the plans to make Brandeis a more eco-friendly campus in the future, according to Cohen-Rosenthal. In 2007, University President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz signed the American University College Presidents’ Climate Commitment, an agreement signed by hundreds of other schools to eventually become climate-neutral campuses.

This means that the campus must drastically change the way that it thinks about and uses energy. “The biggest long-term goal is to become climate-neutral by 2050, and we also set some short-term goals for next 5 years,” Rosenthal said.

She stressed, however, that focusing on just one aspect of sustainability on campus would not help Brandeis attain its ultimate goal. “You really have to be doing a little bit of everything,” she said. When comparing the overall efforts of Brandeis to become more environmentally sustainable with those of other schools, CohenRosenthal is optimistic but also feels that there is plenty of work to be done.

“We are not at the top of the pack, but we are definitely not at the bottom. I think we are doing a lot of things that we should be doing,” she said.

One setback to Brandeis becoming a more sustainable campus is the fact that there has been little recent investment in upgrading many aging buildings, as the focus has instead been on building new ones, according to Cohen-Rosenthal. Instead, she believes that Brandeis has been most successful in terms of education and student projects.

“That is where we have been excelling. Things like the BSF [and] the ‘Greening’ class where students do hands-on projects are examples, and especially in doing the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System report, I have realized that we are very strong in those areas. We have to move forward in other areas, but we are trying,” she said.

STARS, a program designed to provide a framework for colleges and universities to gauge progress toward sustainability, is an account of all energy consumption across campus that will likely be released later this month. After its completion, it will be easier to “see the full picture of sustainability and see the areas in which we are lagging,” she says.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBYN BLUMBERG

A GREEN TOUR: Orientation included an eco-tour, which pointed out the sustainable aspects of campus.

the sillerman prize for

Innovations in Philanthropy on College Campuses

Submit your innovative, creative and original business plan to increase philanthropic behavior, attitudes and practices on college campuses. Application deadline is Friday, March 11, 2011.

A $5,000 prize will be awarded for the best plan.

Visit sillermancenter.brandeis.edu, email cjacobs@brandeis.edu or call (781) 736-3806. the 2011 philanthropy business plan The Sillerman Prize for Innovations in Philanthropy on College Campuses

$5,000 PRIZE! deadline is march 11, 2011

for more information visit sillermancenter.brandeis.edu

Like meeting interesting people and hearing their stories?

SUMMER ABROAD Internships> Liberal Arts> Language> Financial aid is available.

APPLY TODAY! APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2011

www.bu.edu/abroad

An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.

If so, write for the Features section of the Justice!

To write for Features or for more information, contact Dafna Fine at features@thejustice.org.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, February 15, 2011

From

Russia to the

ring

ONBEING/Flickr Creative Commons

NATIONAL PRIDE: Yuri Foreman raises an Israeli flag after becoming the super welterweight champion.

Yuri Foreman shared his climb to become a boxing champion

By AVI POPACK JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

DEBRA FRIEDMANN/the Justice

CROWD PLEASER: Yuri Foreman kept a Brandeis audience laughing as he spoke about his career.

YOSEF SCHAFFEL/the Justice

WELCOMING YURI: Esther Tandetnik ’13, a member of the BGI, introduced Foreman at the event.

“I’d label myself as a Russian-Israeli-Jewish boxer living in America,” Yuri Foreman told a crowd of about 45 in Rapaporte Treasure Hall last on the night of Feb. 8 at an event hosted by the Brandeis-Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry.

Foreman shared the unique story of his journey from his hometown in Gomel, Belarus in the 1980s all the way to Yankee Stadium in June 2010, where he defended his super welterweight title from the World Boxing Association.

Foreman’s career began at the early age of 7, when his parents wanted him to become a swimmer. His swimming career, however, was short-lived. “I got bullied. … I came home with a shiner, and my mom took me the next day to the boxing gym and told them to ‘make a man out of him,’” Foreman told the crowd.

This was the first of the many tales that Foreman told in a humorous and inspiring narrative that portrayed the life of someone who overcame many obstacles in order to reach his potential and, on the way, found a new life that motivates him through his stressful and exciting career.

At the age of 10, Foreman and his parents moved to Israel and settled in Haifa, where there were no boxing gyms to be found. After giving up the sport for a few years, an opportunity to revamp his would-be career appeared.

He heard about a boxing gym in an Arab village close to where he lived, and although he knew that he “[might] not be very welcome there … [he] came and starting fighting the Arabs.”

From there, he just kept fighting. He won three national titles in Israel, but despite the victories, he felt that he would not reach his potential until he competed on the international stage. “I figured I [had] reached [my] potential [in Israel]. I figured I needed to go to a place where I could achieve more.”

That place was America. “In Israel there were no role models for me,” he explained.

“There was no Israeli boxer that I was looking up to. When I was starting, all the boxers were from America. Muhammad Ali [and] Mike Tyson [were the] big names.”

A year after tragically losing his mother when he was only 17, Foreman made his way to Brooklyn, N.Y. to follow his dream of being the best. Leaving his home, his family and his friends, Foreman traveled alone to a big city which he knew was prone to swallowing up the weak and allowing the strong to flourish.

“Since I was a little kid, I knew in New York you could make anything happen. … I went to Ben Gurion [International Airport] with [just] the American dream and a backpack. … After that I was pretty much trying to grab the bull by the horns,” he said.

Once in America, Foreman found that attempting to fend for himself while simultaneously training to become a professional boxer was not exactly the American dream he had pictured.

“I needed to find a place to live, to find a job to pay for a place to live and to put some food in my belly,” Foreman said. After working 9 hours a day at a garment store, he would force himself to train, knowing that his goal was not just to make it in America but to make it as a professional. Both mentally and physically drained, Foreman contemplated going back to Israel. While dealing with these hardships, something unexpected occurred that sparked a new life within him—he met a rabbi.

Meeting the rabbi initiated a progression of events that led Foreman to where he is now— in his third year of studying in a rabbinical school. While attending a class on mysticism, Foreman was hooked from the first piece of advice the rabbi shared: “Life is like a boxing match. Sometimes you’re lying on your back and looking at the light. Judaism helps you dodge the punches.”

The concept of Judaism and observance was very foreign to Foreman when he first encountered the rabbi. Born in the Soviet Union in 1980, Foreman had no exposure to Judaism because religion was forbidden. “If Christianity was like Judaism, even Jesus would not have gotten a visa,” Foreman joked about his religious experience in the Soviet Union.

With a childhood devoid of religion, Foreman felt that “Judaism was something of a very abstract piece of art. I’m not great with abstract art,” he admitted. “I was ignorant,] … but that shaped me in many ways.” The deeper he delved into Judaism, the easier it became to connect his career with his newfound spirituality. He expressed that he thinks Judaism “goes hand in hand with boxing.”

“Young kids can achieve their potential by pursuing their goals and dreams,” Foreman emphasized.“Each of us has tremendous unique potential. The potential we can achieve is something we can’t even imagine. Most of humanity never even achieves [this] potential; it’s possible to do all this with hard work,” Foreman said, sending an inspirational spirit rippling through the crowd. “We are all fighters, no matter what we do.”

9

10

TUESDAY, February 15, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

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

Pachanga hiatus disappointing As a result of the mayhem that transpired at last semester’s semiannual Pachanga dance, sponsored by the International Club, the University administration has decided to temporarily suspend the event until spring 2012. The administration has also instructed the International Club to hold Pachanga on a yearly basis in the spring rather than once each semester.

Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams explained that a large part of the rationale behind this decision was to reduce the hype surrounding the event in order to create a less overwhelming situation for first-years. While we understand this reasoning, the fact that the administration has chosen this course of action comes as somewhat of a disappointment to this editorial board.

As one of the most highly attended and eagerly anticipated events on campus, we are saddened that the administration has clearly chosen to oppose student interest and prevent the International Club from holding a party that draws many students to participate in on-campus social life. Considering Brandeis’ relatively poor reputation regarding social life, this decision likely will not serve to garner more enthusiasm for enjoying social events on campus. Furthermore, because of Pachanga’s legacy as a major on-campus social event, we doubt that canceling the event for two consecutive semesters will alter the nature of Pachanga as a party. The culture surrounding Pachanga has developed into a high-energy party scene in which Brandeis students enthusiastically participate one weekend each semester.

Although Pachanga’s two-semester hiatus will cause widespread upset among the student body, we do support the decision to make Pachanga an annual instead of a semesterly party. We agree with Mr. Adams’ assertion that holding Pachanga in the spring will likely change the culture surrounding the event within the first-year class. After an entire semester of attending various events and parties on and off campus, new college students should have a better idea of their limits and less of a drive to experiment in un-

Improve campus social life healthy ways. Considering the fact that the majority of calls to BEMCo during last semester’s Pachanga were made on behalf of intoxicated underclassmen, we hope that the transition to Pachanga as an annual spring event will generate a healthier overall experience.

We hope that the Brandeis community will use its two semesters without Pachanga to seriously think about how to improve on-campus social life and avoid problems similar to those that arose last semester. This is not to say that making Pachanga less frequent should force upon the student body a completely revamped perspective on alcohol and drugs; the decision of the administration will probably have little bearing on substance use and abuse among upperclassmen. However, over the next two semesters, student groups should consider holding social events on campus that garner as much enthusiasm as Pachanga but may also have a slightly different role than the typical club party. The recent Battle of the DJs, for example, attracted a comparable audience to Pachanga with well over 700 people; however, this event aimed to not only provide a conventional college party but also to celebrate a new era in Brandeis history. More of these types of well-done events will likely reduce the hype that is exclusive to Pachanga and reshape the widespread discouraged attitude toward campus socializing.

While the administration has good intentions, the decision to suspend Pachanga for two semesters will probably not generate positive student perception and most likely will not change the party’s culture in any significant way.

However, we commend the administration for making a constructive change to this event in order to encourage its healthy enjoyment.

As the administration and the International Club determine how best to proceed in the coming semesters, we urge students to explore other ways to enhance social life on campus in a safe and productive way.

LTS survey should be shortened Library and Technology Services sent an e-mail on Feb. 3 to a number of randomly selected students asking them to participate in a national assessment survey regarding its services.

The MISO Survey, which according to the LTS Strategic Plan for fiscal 2010 through 2014 is designed to “track trends in services and evaluate our services against those offered at peer institutions,” is sent out annually to a random group of students.

While this editorial board appreciates the LTS effort to gauge student input in improving its services, we recommend using briefer surveys in the future that are quicker and more convenient for students to answer.

A typical student, who needs to complete his homework and participates in extracurricular clubs, may not have had the time to participate in the comprehensive, eight-page survey containing 25 multiple-choice questions per page. Ac-

Student feedback is important cording to the MISO website, the survey should take approximately 15 minutes.

Given that the survey comprises 200 questions, this seems to be an inaccurate time estimate.

In the interest of saving students’ time, LTS should send out shorter surveys that students in turn will be more likely to complete. While LTS claims that the surveys have, in the past, “helped LTS staff define the core service elements in this [its] strategic plan,” this board feels that a briefer survey may increase student participation. With more student participation, the results of the yearly survey will be more reflective of the student body.

We recognizes the importance of soliciting student feedback regarding the services offered by LTS and, therefore, urges LTS to take steps to ensure that it is easier for students to participate.

RISHIKA ASSOMULL/the Justice

Free speech rights disrupt protests Liz

Posner But I Digress

OP-BOX Quote of the Week “Playwriting is a lonely, difficult endeavor that makes you question everything about your existence.”

—Maria Alexandria Beech on writing ‘Little Monsters,’ which will play this week at Spingold Theater. (See Arts, p. 19).

Brandeis Talks Back Thanks to national news, Valentine’s Day this year will commemorate one of the most torrid love affairs in the history of modern American youth. I’m speaking, of course, about college students’ perpetual romance with their right to free speech.

The New York Times recently reported that the district attorney of Orange County, Calif. has pressed charges against a number of students at the University of California, Irvine for disrupting a speech given by Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren last February. The 11 students, all members of the Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine, used Oren’s speech as an opportunity to protest what they saw as Israel’s criminal actions against the Palestinian people and now face criminal sentences for their actions. The “Irvine 11,” as they have come to be known, have rallied the sympathy of much of the faculty at UC Irvine, including 100 professors and administrators who have called for the dismissal of the charges against the students.

Supporters of the protesters claim that the university’s decision to suspend the Muslim Student Union for one half-semester was punishment enough.

This case raises several important issues regarding political life on college campuses and conflict between state and university authority. Even more interesting is the debate over the extent of students’ rights to free speech and the university’s obligation to protect them. In my opinion, students certainly have the right to object to statements made by speakers, but the Irvine 11 chose to express themselves in a manner that did not lead to any productive dialogue. This incident calls for a more thorough conversation on the exact nature of the right to free speech at the university in order to protect the best interests of students. I think it is helpful to compare the demonstration by the Irvine 11 to a recent protest here at Brandeis. When Noam Chomsky spoke at Brandeis last November, a group of students staged a silent walk-out in response to his comments. This sort of protest would have been a preferable alternative to the UC Irvine students’ disruptive and disrespectful demonstration.

On the other hand, the protestors at UC Irvine booed, heckled and interjected Oren’s speech with prewritten comments. Video footage of the protest, accessible on YouTube, proves that their comments were delivered out of context and were not a direct response to any of Oren’s specific statements. Because of their continued disruption, Oren was forced to halt his speech. Other audience members lost the opportunity to hear what he had come to the university prepared to say. By this logic, it was the student protestors who are guilty of impeding on Oren’s right to free speech.

The UC Irvine case complicates what is usually a romanticized picture of student’s rights on college campuses. American universities have a rich tradition of serving as a persuasive and influential outlet for freedom of expression. The Vietnam era anti-war protests and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s symbolize the best of youth protests and their potential to incite political change. The image of the Irvine 11, though, opens debate over the merits of silencing student protest that is aggressive and disruptive.

Undoubtedly, students deserve the right to express themselves on campus. However, we as college students have to break away from the glamorous image of the martyring protestor, who shouts catchy slogans of protest over the droning words of the enemy while campus police escorts him from the lecture hall. Students such as those at UC Irvine who see themselves as a lone voice of truth resort to methods of protest that are merely immature and lack content.

As a consequence, the effectiveness of student protests in general deteriorates when the the public begins to see protestors as agitators. This doesn’t seem fair at all, especially to demonstrators like the Brandeis students last semester who chose alternative and nonbelligerent methods. Universities serve a purpose in public life to put forth new ideas. Student protest in its nature complements this role of the university by making sure student opinions are heard. I feel the ultimate goal of student protest, then, should be to enable the expression of as many different viewpoints as possible. Any demonstrators who use the banner of free speech to claim sanctuary from this responsibility ultimately discredit the right of individuals to free speech by abandoning its overall educational value.

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Sydney Appelbaum ’13 “I have a neuroscience exam tomorrow, so I didn’t celebrate.”

Laurel Adams ’12 “By going to The Stein and the Anime Club.”

David Azer ’11 “By singing with my friends in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium. ”

Manny Zahonet ’14 “It’s also my birthday, so everyone has been showering me with love.”

—Compiled by Eitan Cooper Photos by Yosef Schaffel/ the Justice

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, February 15, 2011

Respect the privacy of Facebook users

11

Leah

Smith In a Word

Yesterday I had an interview for a prestigious internship at an organization I really admire. To say that getting this internship is important to me would be a minor understatement. Yet, instead of spending as much time as I could researching the organization and preparing for the interview, I spent hours scouring Facebook, removing anything that had the potential to even remotely hurt my chances.

One might call me paranoid, but a February 2011 Chronicle of Higher Education article suggests otherwise. According to the article, a student at Millersville University of Pennsylvania was denied a teaching degree because administrators found a photo of her on Myspace that was captioned “drunken pirate.” In the photo, the student was drinking out of a cup and wearing a costume hat.

This story is more than a little disturbing to me. I happen to have friends who take a lot of pictures, and most of them frequently upload what some universities or employers might consider “incriminating” photos of me to Facebook without my consent. Furthermore, I have no control over what my friends post on my Facebook page. It would be incredibly bad luck if someone posted a lewd comment on my Wall while I was sitting in an interview.

I do not disagree that the Internet is public domain and that it is up to the user’s discretion to refrain from posting inappropriate material. But, on the other hand, when do employer and university searches of Facebook and other social networking sites stop being “innocent” snooping and start becoming invasions of privacy? My Facebook page is set to the highest levels of privacy that Facebook allows. People who are not “friends” with me cannot see any of the content of my page, and only a limited amount of people can find me in search results.

Yet, if any of my friends have less stringent privacy settings, people can still view photos and other content about me through their pages. Facebook’s facial recognition technology also makes photos of me easily identifiable, even if I have “untagged” myself in them. Suddenly, Facebook has become an open window into our personal lives which we have no way of completely closing. Even if one were to delete their Facebook page, content about them could still circulate on their friends’ pages for the entire world to see, all without their knowledge.

So yes, in many regards, keeping private content private is the responsibility of the social networking site’s user. But unfortunately, due to the very invasive nature of these sites, there are many aspects of privacy that are simply out of our hands. We cannot control the way our friends use social networking sites, and we should not have to worry that

ARIELLE SHORR/the Justice

their irresponsibility might negatively affect us.

So what happens when our friends’ irresponsibility becomes an invasion of our privacy in its own right? Should colleges have a right to step in to protect us if that happens?

After Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide because a video of his sexual relations with another man was posted online, many argued that Rutgers should have been more vigilant about preventing that type of online bullying.

But the only person who should be assigned responsibility for Clementi’s death is the individual who posted the video. If we grant colleges the right to view our private information

online to prevent bullying—a term that is difficult to define in the first place—it will most certainly lead to more abuses of that right.

Colleges will undoubtedly stumble across inappropriate material in their attempts to stop online bullying, and any punitive actions they take as a result will be an abuse of their power.

Perhaps the best way to protect our online privacy and our vulnerability to online bullying is to make it illegal for users to post content about another individual on a social networking site without that person’s consent.

Ultimately, employers and universities must be more respectful of our privacy. When employers and universities search Facebook, Myspace or any other social networking site

for information about someone other than what that person has knowingly posted, it is a violation of that individual’s privacy in the same way it is a violation of your privacy for someone to peer into your room through a crack you didn’t know existed.

Unfortunately, because social networking sites are a relatively new phenomenon, the law does not yet define what privacy means in the context of the Internet. As a result, those who take extensive measures to keep their lives private online can still suffer from the actions of irresponsible friends. The law cannot protect us from these violations, but employers and universities should take some responsibility and respect our online privacy.

E-readers, while popular, don’t threaten print books

By Tien Le JUSTICE Contributing WRITER

The Internet has been considered a miracle for society’s progression. Digitizing one’s conventional social network created an international community where ideas, news and even friends can circulate through wireless routers.

The Web even provides access to information and most of our joys in life. For instance, access to books is not limited by the distance of our local library or retailer. Electronic versions of texts, known as e-books, are available through the Internet and handheld devices known as e-readers.

E-readers were part of a dusty past until Amazon launched the Kindle in 2009. The ereader’s new look sparked appeal for many consumers, particularly students. Instead of hauling multiple books at a time, students are able to relieve the burden on their shoulders

Write to us

The Justice welcomes letters to the editor responding to published material. Please submit letters through our Web site at www.thejustice.org. Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted.

Letters should not exceed 300 words, and may be edited for space, style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity, and must relate to material published in the Justice. Letters from off-campus sources should include location. The Justice does not print letters to the editor and oped submissions that have been submitted to other publications.

Op-ed submissions of general interest to the University community­—that do not respond explicitly to articles printed in the Justice—are also welcome and should be limited to 800 words.

All submissions are due Friday at 5 p.m.

by simply carrying an e-reader. As e-readers begin to fill the homes of both the young and old, some people have wondered whether bookstores can survive in this new digital age. It has been a little over a year since the e-reader made its debut to American consumers since then and 6 million of the devices have been sold. This has had a significant effect on popular book store chains—Borders’ total revenue in book sales decreased over 17 percent after the launch of the e-reader.

Regardless of how enticing the Kindle appears, I view e-readers as an alternative to books, not a permanent replacement. Simply put, books elicit a sentimental value to humans that interconnected wires can not.

There are some who feel the need to have a paperback in their daily travels. Many are nostalgic for the act of flipping through the pages of a book from back when they were a child. We can collectively remember enjoying the simple pleasures of a book, which, unlike

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the opposite page, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers.

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,000 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.

our electronics, do not require a charger or a cable plug in order to be used.

E-readers pose other threats to print books specifically for college students. Aside from storing textbooks in a compact space, the ereader could potentially save students from spending more money than they would for physical books. In most locations, the e-book has been cheaper to buy than the physical textbook. Many universities, including Brandeis, provide students with the option of buying eTextbooks as part of Barnes & Noble’s NOOKstudy software.

However, print books still provide a sense of value in our lives that can not otherwise be satisfied by an e-reader. I can personalize my version of a Jane Eyre classic by writing beside the text, highlighting the words or even wrapping it as a gift to a friend. Visualizing the structure of a story and being able map out thoughts on paper allows for an environment that inspires creativity and, conse-

The Staff

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

quently, writing.

A physical book offers freedom and choice.

I can browse through a bookstore looking for a text that appeals to my very own personal tastes. I am offered the tactile experience of being close to the pages that I will read and to the words of the author. Furthermore, I can go to a bookstore or library, relying on my own mind to judge and understand a text without the constant suggestions that pop up on an e-reader.

Over time, students might be enticed by the idea of an e-textbook, yet as some of us continue to write in our diaries or purchase the classic novel, we must be reminded of our privilege in using the fabric that our ancestors used in an age without electronics. Ideas and concepts that we have learned were once discovered in documents that were written with only ink and paper. A physical textbook still offers us the intimate setting where we can experience history in our hands.

Editorial Assistants News: Sara Dejene, Andrew Wingens Arts: Emily Salloway Staff Senior Illustrators: Rishika Assomull, A. Eli Tukachinsky News: Tyler Belanga, Daniel Heinrich Features: Dave Benger, Rocky Reichman, Deborah Salmon Forum: Hannah Goldberg, Shafaq Hasan, Rebecca Kellogg, Ethan Mermelstein, Liz Posner, Sara Shahanaghi Leah Smith, Avi Snyder, Elizabeth Stoker, Naomi Volk Sports: Josh Asen, Julian Cardillo, Jonathan Epstein, Max Goldstein, Sam Liang, Jacob Lurie, Adam Rabinowitz, Jonathan Steinberg Arts: Taylor Baker, Aaron Berke, Eric Chow, Alex DeSilva, Julia Jerusalmi, Leah Igdalsky Elly Kalfus, Morgan Manley,

Amy Melser, Douglas Moore, Alex Pagan, Bryan Prywes, Sujin Shin, Shelly Shore Photography: Genevieve Armstrong, Amy Bissaillon, Lydia Emmanouilidou, Nathan Feldman, Morgan Fine, Nathaniel Freedman, Rachel Gordon, Hilary Heyison, Davida Judelson, Joshua Linton, Mansi Luo, Alex Margolis, Maya Shemtov, Jonathan Wexler, Janey Zitomer Copy: Taylor Baker, Rebecca Brooks, Allyson Cartter, Jacob Chatinover, Hilary Cheney, Erica Cooperberg, Philip Gallagher, Ariel Glickman, Patricia Greene, Celine Hacobian, Rachel Herman, Liana Johnson, Mailinh PhanNguyen, Maya Riser-Kositsky, Mara Sassoon, Dan Willey, Amanda Winn Layout: Nadav Havivi, Nan Pang, Denny Poliferno Illustrations: Stacy Handler, Ari Tretin Ads: Nicholas Violette

12

TUESDAY, February 15, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Black History Month falls short of goals Elizabeth

stoker Brevity

The impulse behind Black History Month is undoubtedly an honorable one. Moreover, it is a responsive one, an answer to the tendency of American education to ignore the role of black individuals in the making and development of our country.

Yet, like most programs created with the best of intentions, it seems to me that Black History Month has become just another stretch of pavement on the road to subtle racism. I don’t mean to say that dedicating a month to the study of black history is a racist enterprise—it isn’t. However, it has been cleverly manipulated by wrong-minded people into a tool through which black people and their role in American history has bene isolated.

First, Black History Month has been warped into another complaint in the long list of grievances rattled off by ignorant people any time racial privilege arises in conversation.

It has, unfortunately, joined the ranks of affirmative action and any number of black-centered scholarships, programs and even entertainment venues in that sense. Mentions of Black History Month often seem to spark discussions rooted in the negative experiences of other ethnic groups.

The unfortunate fact of the matter, though, is that Black History Month now carries the baggage of every other ethnic group with a claim to American history, purely as a result of racist abuse of its existence.

Furthermore, Black History Month inevitably manifests itself in a series of shortcomings; after all, how can one endeavor to represent the history of an entire ethnic group in a single month?

Instead of an in-depth examination of black history, February tends to dissolve into a group of factoids about peanut butter and Civil Rights activists, especially in schools that would rather not be dealing with the subject at all, such as my old schools in Arlington, Texas.

The shortness of just one month only contributes to the truncation

of what deserves to be a very long conversation that transcends learning about luminaries and celebrities to include the lives of ordinary black men and women.

Setting aside a single month for the study of black people in American history also has the unintended consequence of isolating the stories of blacks from those of other Americans, when in reality, their histories are inexorably intertwined.

One cannot accurately tell the story of any American without telling the story of blacks, and to do so is to reduce the role of black people in the American epic.

There is simply no genuine way to present the story of this country,

its economy, its history, its culture or its people without including black men and women every single step of the way, and singling out one month drives at goals opposite of that project.

This all concludes with a final point: The worst abuse of Black History Month has been to use it as a method of “getting off the hook.”

People with bad intentions simply set aside one chapter of the proverbial history book for February, go through the motions of discussing the role of blacks in America and then feel as though their obligation to black men and women past and present has been fulfilled.

In my high school, for example,

black men and women were barely mentioned by name outside of February.

Educators with the wrong mindset feel free, after February has passed, to go back to a white-malecentric version of American history. This version has been sanitized of its ugly parts and elevated to near mythological status, complete with Founding Father Fetishism and all of the other nasty tendencies of American history viewed through a lens of privileged bias. This is perhaps the most heinous outcome of a tradition begun with the best of intentions and is a true testimony to the nastiness of which wrongminded people are capable.

SARA WEININGER/the Justice

We can, as a culture, counteract this sort of behavior. To begin, we need to free February from its status as Black History Month and change our standards regarding the teaching of history at large.

If a single chapter in any American history book can be read without the serious, due consideration of the lives of black men and women, we can be sure that it is not a genuine depiction of our history.

It is texts and traditions like those that we must denounce. Instead of a single chapter, a single month, one history project or a handful of factoids, we must commit to integrating the stories of black men and women into everyday history.

Affirm University values: Adopt a core curriculum Avi

snyder Voice of Reason

I’m a big believer in the liberal arts.

So when I first began attending Brandeis, I was proud to say that I went to a college that was concerned with more than just vocational training but was also dedicated to producing well-educated graduates.

Indeed, just a brief perusal through the University Bulletin will illustrate Brandeis’ commitment to “encourag[ing] ... students and faculty to pursue a true liberal arts education.” However, after spending a year and a half here at Brandeis, I have learned that our school’s commitment to “a true liberal arts education” is quite shallow.

While Brandeis has a set of what it calls “General University Requirements” that are meant to ensure that each and every Brandeis student graduates as a well-rounded and educated individual, I certainly think that every Brandeisian knows that these requirements are more than a bit malleable.

I know that I’m not the only

Brandeis student to have placed out of University Requirement or studiously avoided classes that would have pushed me out of my academic comfort zone.

The ineffectiveness of our General University Requirements stems from flaws in both the standards and lack of enforcement of these requirements.

When it comes to standards, Brandeis allows relatively low scores on virtually every Advanced Placement Exam to exempt students from University Requirements. A score of a 4 on the AP Calculus AB Exam, for example, can exempt a Brandeisian from our School of Science Requirement. Now, it’s possible to get a 4 on most AP Exams while only getting approximately 60 percent of the questions correct.

Apparently Brandeis feels it has done its job of producing students familiar with basic science by making sure that they know a little bit more than half the material on an exam that they took in high school.

Furthermore, even if one would argue that similar test patterns exist in the heavily curved hard science classes at Brandeis, our University ought to take responsibility to ensure that each and every Brandesian gets an education that is up to Brandeis standards. I know from personal experience that many of

my high school AP classes were nowhere near as challenging or thorough as their equivalents at Brandeis.

The quality of the education one gains in any given class cannot be measured by a single test. Since Brandeis cannot know what goes on in any high school classroom, it seems foolish to count so many AP credits toward fulfilling the University Requirements.

“

Our school’s commitment to ‘a true liberal arts education’ is quite shallow.

Furthermore, and most importantly, I have suggested that our University Requirements lack “specificity.” Let me explain what I mean. The way our current requirements are structured, students are required to take classes from various “schools,” for example, the School of Humanities or the School of Science. This gives students a tremendous amount of leeway in

choosing which classes will count for any given “school” requirement.

Although this flexibility may seem enticing, it allows students to avoid exposure to the foundational texts, methods and knowledge that any well-educated citizen ought to possess.

As I mentioned earlier, a student could easily fulfill his/her School of Humanities distribution requirement without ever having read a single play by Shakespeare or a single line of the United States Constitution. These are classic texts full of ideas and images that form the foundation of Western social and political thought and culture. It is equally possible for a student to fulfill their School of Science requirement without ever setting foot in a lab.

The natural and physical sciences are the way in which we understand the world around us—they give us the tools to move civilization forward and make societies more prosperous.

How can someone claim to be well-educated without receiving a foundational education in the natural and physical sciences?

So what should the University change in order to stay true to its alleged commitment to the liberal arts? It ought to establish a real core curriculum that provides each and

every Brandeis student with training in the liberal arts and sciences Now, I’m not one to offer up criticism without any possible solutions, but space precludes me at this time from offering my own proposed core curriculum. I hope to detail the specifics of what I believe can constitute a truly well-rounded liberal arts education in an upcoming column.

For now I’ll end with the following thought. Some of you may be thinking that I want to remodel Brandeis into a place that it isn’t.

We aren’t Columbia University, but we aren’t Brown University either.

Brown has no University Requirements; it is truly dedicated to letting each student take full charge of his or her own education. But that isn’t Brandeis. We have University Requirements, and the reason we have them is because our University is dedicated to producing graduates who have received a well-rounded, liberal arts education.

But our University Requirements don’t achieve that goal. I’m proposing that the best way to achieve that goal is to have a thorough core curriculum. Such a curriculum will help us fulfill the truly Brandeisian commitment to providing each of our students with a world-class education in the liberal arts and sciences.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, february 15, 2011

13

SPORTS fencing

ATTACKING THE RIM

Women defeat Wellesley, go 5-1 at Stevens ■ The women’s fencing

team fought its way to a 6-1 record in two meets last week against local schools.

By adam rabinowitz JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The women’s fencing team had an action-packed week, hosting Wellesley College in a home meet last Wednesday before traveling to the Stevens Institute of Technology for the Stevens Tech Meet last Sunday. The women notched an overall 4-1 record at Stevens against the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Farleigh Dickinson University, Temple University and host Stevens. The team also pulled out a 14-13 win over the Wellesley Blue in an extremely close match.

The women prevailed in a 17-10 match against Stevens while comfortably beating NJIT by a 20-7 margin. The Judges also comfortably defeated FDU, winning 21-6.

The team’s bout against Johns Hopkins was extremely exciting and came down to the wire before the Judges were able to pull out with the 14-13 nail-biting victory.

The team did suffer a 21-6 loss at the hands of Temple.

Overall, coach Bill Shipman said that he was proud of the team’s performance.

“They did extremely well, only losing once, while notching some impressive victories. … Our team is in the process of overcoming the loss of some of our most experienced fencers during the season and has done so with good wins over [New York University] and Wellesley.”

Saber was the team’s strongest weapon, as Zoe Messinger ’13 earned a 9-3 record and Anna Hanley ’11 went 8-4 on the day’s action. Messinger earned University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week honors for her results.

Vikki Nunley ’13 led the foil squad with a formidable 11-4 margin at the tournament.

Captain Emma Larkin ’11, an épée fencer, agreed with Shipman that the team had a great tournament.

“Overall, we performed well, and even with the loss against Temple, the épée team did a good job on the day,” she said.

The Judges’ victory in the Wellesley meet did not come without its challenges. The meet was originally scheduled to take place 3 weeks ago but was postponed twice due to snow. Finally set to begin, Larkin was struck with food poisoning, placing the team at a notable disadvantage. The épée team lost 7-2 against an experienced squad, with both wins coming from Leah Mack ’14.

The foil team, distinct for its youth, had difficulty handling Wellesley’s top seniors but impressively held on to clinch the victory, thanks in large part to a notable 5-1 win by Alex Turner ’11 in the third round.

“This was a good meet for some of our younger fencers, who will gain some more experience in preparing to compete for future meets, including Stevens Tech on Sunday.”

Once again, saber was where the Judges held their best advantage. The team triumphed with an undefeated 9-0 record over the Blue. Hanley, Messinger and Emmily Smith ’13 all contributed three wins to the decisive victory.

“We knew we had the advantage in saber, and we made the most of it,” Shipman said. “There were several close bouts, but fortunately we were able to win all nine.”

“Focus was the key this week,” Larkin said of the team’s wins on the week. “We tried our hardest against our teams and put forth our best effort. That’s what makes the difference in these bouts.”

The women, along with the men’s fencers, host the Boston Beanpot Tournament tomorrow at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, where they will take on Harvard University, Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

ABOVE THE DEFENDERS: Forward Courtney Ness ’13 shoots over two Carnegie Mellon defenders during last Friday’s game.

WBBALL: Judges go 1-1 in two home conference games CONTINUED FROM 16 Tudi led all players with a careerhigh nine assists for CMU. The Judges failed to capitalize on Friday’s win and squandered last Sunday’s game against Case. In a reverse of last game, the Judges came out strong, propelled by a 10-2 run that put them up 12-6 in the early going, before fading down the stretch.

“We definitely carried the momentum from the last game,” Ness said.

“The second half, the story is that the other team had a run, we had a really good push at the end, but it was that 10-0 spurt that gave them the game.”

Case came back and tied the game at 16 with 1:18 to go in the first half, but the Judges ended the half with two-straight buckets from Ness to go

up 20-16 at the break. At the start of the second half, Brandeis and Case Western traded baskets, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

Brandeis took a 26-23 lead at the 14:16 mark after DePalo stole the ball from sophomore guard Erica Iafelice and drove down the court for an easy layup. The Judges, however, began to falter, as Case Western responded with 10 straight points to take a 3326 lead with 12:13 remaining. Layups from Kendrew and Strodthoff made it a 3-point game, but senior guard Caitlin Henry drained two straight threes to put Case Western up by nine.

The women, however, showed life with an 8-2 run, that brought them within 3 for a score of 43-40 with 3:27 left. However, this would be as

close as they would get. Despite holding Case Western to just 6 points in the final 3 minutes, the Judges only scored 5 points themselves, losing an up-and-down game at home.

“We offensively didn’t have much flow, and our communication defensively wasn’t where it should have been,” Ness said. “We weren’t making rotations. It was more of a mental lapse then a physical lapse; no doubt in my mind we played a tough physical game for 40 minutes,” said Ness.

Kendrew led Brandeis scorers with 13 points and six rebounds, while Ness continued her strong weekend with 8 points and nine rebounds.

Case junior forward Erin Hollinger led all scorers with 18 points.

The Judges are next in action at the University of Chicago on Friday.

TRACK: Squad races ahead at BU CONTINUED FROM 16

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

DUELING: Épée Kristen Ha ’14 (right) faces a Wellesley fencer in last week’s meet.

In the long jump, Pino placed 13th out of 31 contestants, leaping 6.35 meters on his final attempt.

On the women’s side, Michelle Gellman ’11 led the Judges in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 92nd place with a time of 27.77 seconds.

Casey McGown ’13 headed the effort in the 400-meter dash, placing 55th with a time of 1:00.98. Annifreed Sinjour ’13 finished 0.05 seconds behind McGown, placing 57th with a time of 1:01.03. Kristen Nichols ’11 also competed, coming in 99th with a time of 1:06.56.

“I think our team did a very good job [last] Friday,” Sinjour said. “I ran my fastest time of the season

and so did Casey McGown in the 400.”

In the 1,000-meter run, Victoria Sanford ’14 ran her way to 34th overall with a time of 3:06.54. Marie Lemay ’11 and Amelia Lundkvist ’14 also participated in the event, coming in 49th and 107th with times of 5:08.08 and 5:31.04, respectively.

In the 3,000-meter run, Hannah Lindholm ’11 spearheaded the Brandeis effort with a 75th-place finish at a time of 10:40.73.

In the high jump, Lily Parenteau ’12 achieved a final jump of 1.58 meters, placing her 14th among 30 competitors.

In the long jump event, Lucia Capano ’11 soared 4.78 meters, good for 20th out of 41 jumpers. Capano also

placed ninth out of 30 competitors in the triple jump, achieving a final leap of 11.14 meters. Kim Farrington ’13 also participated in the triple jump, reaching a distance of 10.64 meters and placing 17th overall.

“Farrington triple jumped her farthest jump of the season,” Sinjour said.

Norton said that he was optimistic about the team’s chances for the rest of the season. “I’m really excited with the lineup we’re putting together for the championships in a few weeks,” he said. “I think we’ll be really competitive in every event.”

Brandeis has its next meet this weekend at the Division III New England Championships, which will be held at Tufts.

THE JUSTICE

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Youri Dascy ’14

Judging numbers

6 11 19 11 8

wins on the week for the women’s fencing team. The squad went 6-1 overall.

rebounds for women’s basketball forward Courtney Ness ’13 last Friday, which is a career high for her.

-point deficit that the women’s basketball team overcame to defeat Carnegie Mellon University 59-54 last Friday.

points in the first half alone for men’s basketball guard Anthony Trapasso ’13 in the team’s victory over Carnegie Mellon last Friday.

th-place finish for Vincent Asante ’14 in the 60-meter dash at the Boston University Valentine Invitational last weekend.

TUESDAY, February 15, 2011

15

BOSTON BRUINS BEAT Boston Bruins fight past Montreal Canadiens in an offensive slugfest

■ The first-year center led the men’s basketball team in points in the Judges’ two victories over Carnegie Mellon and Case Western Reserve last weekend.

In a crucial home University Athletic Association contest against Case Western Reserve University last Sunday, center Youri Dascy ’14 hit a free throw for what turned out to be the winning point in a come-from-behind victory for the men’s basketball team. Dascy led the team in points on the game with 11 and also chipped in seven rebounds.

The team had lost to Case in their previous meeting, but Dascy said that because it was the last home game for the team’s only senior, Christian Yemga ’11, the team “went out with more fire than usual.”

Dascy also led the team in points in its victory over Carnegie Mellon University last Friday, when he scored 16.

He added 9 more points in a loss to Amherst College last Tuesday.

With only three games left in the season, all of which are critical if the Judges are to make the National College Athletic Association Tournament, Dascy said that he is confident that the team can win all three games and that it is important to him for the team to qualify because it’s Yemga’s last season and he has been able to go to the tournament in each season he has played at Brandeis.

Although Dascy is only a first-year, he has been in the starting lineup for much of the season and is one of the team’s leading scorers. He said he has had the chance to play because there are not a lot of upperclassmen on the team.

“I’m grateful that I get a chance to

●

DAVID YUN/the Justice

play right now,” he said. “In the coming games and seasons, everyone will get a chance to play.” The game against Case serves as proof of this sentiment, as 11 different Judges hit field goals, more than half of whom are rookies.

The team is extremely young right now, and Dascy will clearly be a central part of the youth movement over the next few years. ­—Natalie Shushan

UAA STANDINGS Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

UAA Conference Overall

W L W L Pct. Rochester 10 1 18 4 .818 Emory 9 2 18 4 .818 JUDGES 5 6 15 7 .682 WashU 5 6 11 11 .500 Chicago 5 6 8 14 .364 Case 4 7 8 14 .364 NYU 3 8 14 8 .636 Carnegie 3 8 6 15 .286

UAA Conference Overall

W L W L Pct. Chicago 11 0 19 3 .864 WashU 9 2 18 4 .818 Rochester 7 4 17 5 .773 Case 6 5 12 10 .545 NYU 6 5 12 10 .545 JUDGES 3 8 11 11 .500 Emory 2 9 9 13 .409 Carnegie 0 11 2 20 .091

Not including Monday’s games

Not including Monday’s games

TEAM LEADERS Men’s BBall (points per game)

Women’s BBall (points per game)

Vytas Kriskus ’12 leads the team with a 10.4 points-per-game average.

Morgan Kendrew ’12 leads the team with a 13.8 points-per-game average.

Player PPG Vytas Kriskus 10.4 Youri Dascy 9.7 Ben Bartoldus 7.9 Tyrone Hughes 7.8 Derek Retos 7.3

Player PPG Morgan Kendrew 13.8 Amber Strodthoff 8.8 Mia DePalo 7.4 Kelly Ethier 5.4 Kasey Dean 4.1

Men’s BBall (rebounds per game)

Women’s BBall (rebounds per game)

Christian Yemga ’11 leads the team with 5.8 rebounds per game.

Amber Strodthoff ’11 leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game.

Player RPG Christian Yemga 5.8 Youri Dascy 4.7 Vytas Kriskus 4.4 Tyrone Hughes 3.5 Alex Schmidt 3.2

Player RPG Amber Strodthoff 6.3 Samantha Anderson 4.7 Mia DePalo 4.0 Kasey Dean 3.6 Brighid Courtney 3.2

UPCOMING GAME TO WATCH Fencing Boston Beanpot Tournament The men’s and women’s fencing teams will host the Boston Beanpot tomorrow.

It is the men’s and women’s fencing teams’ turn to host the Boston Beanpot Tournament this season. The annual tournament is attended by Boston College, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Insititute of Technology and Brandeis—the four schools rotate who hosts the meet.

The men’s team faced MIT earlier this season, defeating them 18-9 in a Nov. 20, 2010 meet. The women fencers lost to MIT, 12-15, earlier this season, but they defeated BC 14-13 on Jan. 22.

The meet will take place tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

For the 2010 to 2011 season, justSports has been given a press pass to attend Boston Bruins home games. We will cover these games periodically throughout the year.

The Montreal Canadiens entered the TD Garden in Boston last Wednesday night having won five-straight games against the Bruins and eight of their last nine games.

Though they may not hold the head-to-head advantage in recent contests, the Bruins can now lay claim to the most entertaining game between the two sides in recent memory.

The Bruins defeated the Canadiens in an 8-6 slugfest that featured 45 penalties for a total of 182 penalty minutes, including 7 minutes in the box apiece for Bruins goalie Tim Thomas and Habs keeper Carey Price for fighting during a wild second period.

The Bruins now stand 31-18-7 after two losses to the Detroit Red Wings later that week.

“We knew it was going to be emotional coming in, and we wanted to get emotionally involved,” Bruins forward Michael Ryder said. “I think all the guys were pretty pumped about it; that’s why there were all the fights and everyone was just engaged. I think it was a battle right to the end.”

The first period started off relatively quietly, with the two squads battling back and forth until the Bruins scored 13 minutes, 16 seconds into the period. Forward Mark Recchi dropped the puck off for forward Patrice Bergeron, who found forward Brad Marchand cutting across the face of the net. Marchand skated around Price and dumped the puck in the back of the net.

From there, the hinges fell off for the Canadiens. Boston scored again just 12 seconds later, as defenseman Dennis Seidenberg took a deflection off of Price and fired home his fifth goal of the season. The 12 seconds tied the shortest amount of time between two Bruins goals this season, a feat they also accomplished in a Jan. 10 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

During the ensuing faceoff, Bruins forward Milan Lucic and Canadiens forward Travis Moen were called for crosschecking, and the two squads played 4-on-4. The Bruins soon went on a 4-on-3 advantage but couldn’t take advantage.

As time expired in the period, Lucic and Moen tangled it up again, and this time Lucic and Price were both called for roughing. Moen received a 10-minute misconduct penalty.

The second period made the first look like a walk in the park, as the two teams combined for 8 goals, 15 penalties and 27 shots in 20 jam-packed minutes of action. The Habs struck first, knotting up the game on goals by forward Brian Gionta and defenseman P.K. Subban. Gionta’s goal came just 25 seconds into the period and was the 200th goal of his career.

Defenseman Adam McQuaid put the Bruins back in front at 9:48 off of assists by Horton and Lucic. It was the first goal of the season for McQuaid. Montreal tied the game at 3 just 1:13 later, as Yannick Webber put home his first career goal.

The tie wouldn’t last, however, as the Bruins took the lead for good just 31 seconds later. Ryder chipped in his first of two goals on the night to put the Bruins up 4-3. Lucic added another goal less than a minute later off of assists by forward David Krejci, who finished the game with three assists, and Horton who tallied a goal and four assists in total.

Then things got ugly, as seemingly everyone on the ice dropped their equipment and started brawling. As soon as Price left his crease to help out his teammates, Thomas skated the length of the ice and took him on.

“It’s always fun to see those guys get involved,” Ryder said. “Timmy [Thomas] was emotionally into the game tonight. … He saw Price in the scrum and he wanted to come down to help his teammates.”

When the dust finally settled, the Bruins had six players in the penalty box and the Canadiens had five.

It took Montreal just 12 seconds to take advantage of the power play, as Habs forward David Desharnais scored at the 12:48 mark. Lucic added a shorthanded goal 2 minutes later to round out an eventful period.

When he was asked after the game, Desharnais said that it was a period that he will never forget.

“I think it was nuts out there,” he said. “In the first period it was pretty quiet. … Then in the second period, it just took off. … It is for a division title, so you know it will be a hard game, but no one expected it to be like that.”

The third period started off quietly, but the penalties soon began to add up again. Horton was called for tripping at 6:40, and it took the Canadiens just 26 seconds to cut the deficit to 6-5 as forward Max Pacioretty scored his first of 2 powerplay goals in the period off of a nice feed from defenseman James Wisniewski.

The Bruins responded with a power-play goal of their own, as Ryder pushed the margin back to 2 goals. Defenseman Steven Kampfer passed to Seidenberg, who found Ryder cutting across the net a yard in front of the crease. Ryder appeared to have scored earlier during the power play, but it was waved off for goalie interference. Marchand was whistled for running into Price even though replays showed that he was checked into the keeper by Webber.

“That was tough,” Marchand said of the play. “I did hit the goalie, but their guy pushed me into him. There’s nothing I could have done. I was trying to stop and I think it might have been a tough call but that’s how it goes. Thank God [Ryder] scored right after.”

Horton got in on the fun with 5:06 left in the game, netting his 14th goal of the season off of a Krejci assist.

Fists flew for the rest of the game, as the final 3 minutes saw countless roughing and fighting penalties as well as five game misconducts. By the end of the match, Boston had just five players left on the bench, while Montreal had six.

“We are going to stand up for one another,” Lucic said of the fighting. “We are going to stand up to anyone and we want to be team-tough. I think that is what we showed against Dallas, and that is what we showed tonight.”

With 14 seconds left in the game, the Habs scored their sixth goal, as Pacioretty scored his second. It was Montreal’s fourth power-play goal of the night, as McQuaid was sent to the box for roughing 11 seconds earlier.

The Bruins then lost a 6-1 decision to the Red Wings last Friday. The Red Wings scored on their first two shots of the game in the first 3:10 of the game and didn’t let up from there. The Red Wings defeated the Bruins 4-2 2 days later in Detroit. Forward Todd Bertuzzi led the Red Wings with 2 goals in both of the games.

The Bruins take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.

—Jeffrey Boxer

just

Sports

Page 16

EN GARDE

The women’s fencing team continued its hot start to the season, going 6-1 at two meets last week, p. 13.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Waltham, Mass.

men’s basketball

women’s basketball

Men sneak past two UAA foes Squad

splits its two UAA contests at home

■ The men’s basketball team

defeated Case Western and Carnegie Mellon after losing to Amherst earlier last week.

By JENNIFER IM JUSTICE contributing WRITER

After struggling against University Athletic Association competition earlier this year, the men’s basketball team began to right the ship, rallying past Case Western Reserve University last Sunday by a score of 55-53 in a gritty comefrom-behind win in the last home game of the season. The Judges are now 15-7 overall and 5-6 in UAA play. The team also won 80-63 against Carnegie Mellon University last Friday and lost at Amherst College 79-65 in non-conference action last Tuesday.

In last Sunday’s close game, the Judges and Spartans battled back and forth for the lead for much of the contest. The Judges fell slightly behind in the first period with a score of 26-23 and continued to struggle.

However, the Judges erased a 9-point second-half deficit and took the lead late in the half. Case took the lead 53-51 on two free throws by freshman Mike Byrne with 48 seconds left, but guard Tyrone Hughes ’12 tied the game back up with two foul shots of his own. Center Youri Dascy ’14 made the winning free throw with 8 seconds left, and forward Alex Stoyle ’14 hit one final free throw to clinch a 55-53 win for the Judges.

Brandeis was led by Dascy, who had 11 points and also chipped in seven rebounds. Guard Jay Freeman ’13 had 10 points off the bench and also had a team-high two steals. Forward Christian Yemga ’11 had a game-high 11 rebounds in his last home game at Brandeis.

The Judges won in easier fashion last Friday against Carnegie Mellon. The game started with Dacsy winning the opening tip and scoring the first three baskets. Guard Anthony Trapasso ’13 scored 11 points in the first half alone, and guard Ben Bartoldus ’14 chipped in 9 in the half as well.

Brandeis maintained the lead throughout the second half as guard Derek Retos ’14 scored 10 points off the bench in the half and Yemga added 9. Yemga also had six rebounds on the game and chipped in with five assists.

The team struggled during last Tuesday against the Amherst Lord Jeffs, falling behind 40-24 in the first half. Guard Bartoldus and for-

■ The women’s basketball team pulled off a huge comefrom-behind win against Carnegie Mellon before losing to Case Western.

By max goldstein JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

DAVID YUN/the Justice

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND: Guard Jay Freeman ’13 lays the ball in over a Case defender during the team’s win last Sunday. ward Alex Schmidt ’14 almost led the team back in the second half, scoring consecutive 3-point plays and reducing the deficit to 10 in the last 13 minutes of play. Minutes later, Dascy cut the lead to 7, but the team could get no closer.

Bartoldus led the team with 12 points in the game, while Schmidt chipped in 11 off the bench in just 20 minutes of action.

Last weekend’s games were also Yemga’s last home games of his career. Brandeis paid tribute to Yemga’s significant contribution to the team in his 4 years with a ceremony before the game.

Yemga, a native of Cameroon, left his homeland and family,

whom he hasn’t seen in 4 years, for Brandeis and basketball. He was the only player in the class of 2011 who stuck with the team for all four seasons.

“Some players left because of injuries, some because of academics and some for personal reasons, but CY, as we all call him, fought through all adversity and remains the only senior left,” said Schmidt.

Yemga expressed gratitude for both his team and the fans.

“It is always good to see the families and everyone coming to show their support,” Yemga said.

Yemga expressed confidence about the team’s future without him.

“The team will have to put work into the games, and when they come back and are more mature next year, they’re going to be really good—I just know it,” he said. “[Yemga] has been instrumental in guiding the freshman squad along through the next level of college basketball,” Schmidt said.

“His experience is beginning to ferment in each one of the young guns and will surely carry throughout the next 3 years with them,” he added.

Brandeis will compete at the University of Chicago on Friday and at Washington University in St. Louis this Sunday in two key UAA matchups.

track and field

Judges excel at the BU Valentine Invitational ■ Led by Paul Norton ’11

and Vincent Asante ’14, the track and field teams ran to several top finishes at BU. By jacob lurie JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The men’s and women’s track teams proved that they have the hearts of champions during the Boston University Valentine Invitational last weekend. Over two dozen squads took part in the event, including Tufts University, Williams College, Holy Cross College, Wheaton College, Johns Hopkins University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Though the overall results were not as high

at the meet due to the numerous competitors, many Brandeis runners ran personal bests in the meet.

Brandeis performed strongly across the board at the meet. On the men’s team, Paul Norton ’11 ran to an 11th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14 minutes, 32.35 seconds.

“This was the first 5K I’ve run this season,” Norton said of the race. “This has been a really long road this past year getting to that level, having those injuries and not being in the right place at the right time. It’s taken a lot of work to get back to the level where I thought I could be and where I’m running personal bests.”

Vincent Asante ’14 also had a notable performance, placing eighth in the 60-meter dash finals with a

time of 7.04 seconds. Stanley Xuelin ’12 also participated in the 60-meter dash preliminaries, placing 55th overall with a time of 7.38 seconds.

In the 200-meter dash, Asante was again at the front of the Brandeis pack, placing 27th overall with a time of 22.44 seconds. Other Brandeis runners in the event included Charlie Pino ’12, who came in 55th place with a time of 22.88, and Mingkai Lin ’12, who finished 121st. Xuelin ran his way to 135th with a time of 24 seconds flat.

“I think almost everybody ran personal bests,” Norton said.

Brandeis also had three runners in the 400-meter run. Lin came in 101st with a time of 51.63 seconds.

Josh Hoffman-Senn ’13 placed 139th with a time of 53.78, and Brian Foley ’13 placed 141st with a

time of 53.89.

In the 800-meter run Mik Kern ’13 placed 70th and ran to a time of 1:57.25, 10 seconds behind the firstplace finisher.

In the 1-mile run, Devon Holgate ’11 was the top Brandeis runner, finishing 35th with a time of 4:13.95. Taylor Dundas ’14 placed 53rd overall with a time of 4:18.35, Ben Bray ’11 placed 81st with a time of 4:21.96, and Marc Boutin ’12 placed 92nd with a time of 4:23.70.

Sam Donovan ’11 and Joe Jacobwitz ’14 placed 160th and 174th, respectively.

Ed Colvin ’14 and Dan Anastos ’11 ran in the 3,000-meter run, earning 57th-and 79th-place finishes, respectively, with times of 8:32.53 and 8:41.37.

See TRACK, 13 ☛

The women’s basketball team struggled to find momentum again this week, splitting its two matchups against University Athletic Association rivals. The women snapped their three-game slide last Friday with an impressive comeback victory at home against Carnegie Mellon University. The team then lost to Case Western Reserve University last Sunday and is now 11-11 on the season and 3-8 in UAA play.

Against Carnegie Mellon, the Judges fell behind 26-7 midway through the first half after 14 unanswered points by CMU. During that stretch, Brandeis committed three turnovers and went 0-3 from the field as their offense stagnated. The Judges were down 32-15 with 3 minutes, 35 seconds to go in the first when they began to turn it around with a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 34-22 at the half.

“It hit us at halftime that we were down to a team that we should have been beating, and it was our last weekend at home so we wanted to end with a bang, so we wanted to push ourselves for the last 20 minutes,” said forward Courtney Ness ’13.

The Judges came out of halftime on a roll, streaking on a 17-7 run in the first 4 minutes of play. A deep Morgan Kendrew ’12 2-pointer cut the lead to 41-39 with 11:26 to go. Both teams then began to struggle on offense, as neither team could consistently find the hoop. The teams combined for only 12 points were scored in almost 8 minutes. However, Brandeis tied the game for the first time with 4:55 to go on a 3-pointer from Kendrew.

CMU regained the lead on its next possession with a layup from junior guard Nicole Vaccarella, but this would be the last time CMU would lead in the game. Forward Mia Depalo ’11 connected from beyond the arc on the next possession, giving the Judges a 49-48 lead, which they would keep for the duration of the game. Two foul shots from forward Amber Strodthoff ’11 gave the Judges a 51-48 lead with 3:08 to go. CMU tied the game at 52 with 37 seconds to go, but Kendrew proved to be the hero, as she drained a critical 3 with 37 seconds remaining. The Judges defense and foul shooting sealed a thrilling 59-54 victory.

Kendrew led the Judges with 16 points, scoring 12 of them in the second half. Ness grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds, seven coming in the second half. DePalo added 11 points, with 9 coming from beyond the arc.

Vaccarella led CMU and all scorers with 19 points. Freshman guard Gina

See WBBALL, 13 ☛

just

ARTS

February 15, 2011

Professors of Bluegrass jam out in Slosberg p. 19 Photos: Jenny Cheng and Asher Krell/the Justice. Graphics: Cantorion.org/Flickr Creative Commons. Design: Robyn Spector/the Justice.

18

TUESDAY, february 15, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

19-21

■ ‘Little Monsters’ Interview

19

JustArts spoke to ‘Little Monsters’ writer Maria Alexandria Beech and director Michelle Bossy about their play, which premiers at Brandeis this weekend.

■ Professors of Bluegrass

19

Yale University’s Professors of Bluegrass and Washington, D.C.-based Big Chimney played at the Slosberg Recital Hall last Saturday.

■ Super Mash Bros. concert

20

■ Brandeis Open Mic Series

21

The mashup duo spoke to justArts in an interview before playing an intense set last Saturday at the Levin Ballroom.

The final B.O.M.S. competition last

Tuesday determined the five members of this year’s VOCAL slam poetry team.

OFF CAMPUS

22-23

■ ‘The Eagle’ review, interview 22

‘The Eagle’ lacked backstory and plot complexity but had great action sequences.

JustArts spoke to star Channing Tatum in an exclusive interview last week about the film.

■ John Blake at Berklee review 23 The jazz violinist, who performed last Thursday, has played with jazz greats such as McCoy Tyner and Grover Washington Jr.

■ Oscars’ nominated shorts

23

This year’s lineup features several foreign films as well as a Pixar favorite, “Day & Night.”

CALENDAR

Interview

‘The Story of’ Robert Orzalli

by Shelly Shore

Sometimes celebrities in political offices do good things while they are there. Sometimes they have very successful terms and set great examples for future political hopefuls. Sometimes, these things happen—but not very often.

This week saw two “celebrities” declare their intent to run for office: Bristol Palin and Donald Trump.

On Thursday, Palin told E! News that she would “probably” follow in her mother’s footsteps and become involved in politics “further down the line.”

“If I saw something that needed to be changed, then I would step up to the plate and do something about it,” she said. A source told Pop Eater, “Bristol has a new sense of confidence since she did Dancing With the Stars. She has seen her mother’s success and believes Washington should have more regular people like her in office making decisions for the country, rather than the elite that currently run D.C.” The insider added, “Bristol doesn’t have a strong political résumé, but that’s what will make her a great congresswoman, or even president!”

Yes, Bristol, of course! How silly of us to have highly educated people running the country.

Let’s call up the cast of Jersey Shore, too—I’m sure they have great ideas for the future of America!

While it seems unlikely that Bristol could actually get into office—though who knows, her mother got elected—Donald Trump, who has recently been quoted expressing interest in running for president, might actually stand a chance. Appearing on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, Trump said that he worries about how the United States is faring in the eyes of the world.

“I am seriously thinking about [running for President]. I won’t make a decision till June,” he said. “But I will make a decision … sometime prior to June. I love this country.” He added, “I hate what’s happened to this country. We’re a laughingstock throughout the world. We’re not respected.”

 JustArts recently spoke with Robert Orzalli ’11, whose senior thesis project, titled ‘The Story of My Life,’ will show this week.

DAVID SHANKBONE/Wikimedia Commons

TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT: ‘The Apprentice’ creator and mogul announced plans for the 2012 election.

Trump, who made his fortune in real estate and his reputation in reality television, has said that, if elected to the presidency, he would reevaluate U.S. foreign policy to tax Chinese products. “The first thing I would do is announce very strongly that we’re going to tax Chinese products—25-percent tax on all Chinese products. They will come to the table immediately and stop manipulating their currency, which is what they’re doing,” he said.

Between Trump’s foreign policy and Palin’s abstinence-only education plans, I’m not sure which presidential hopeful is worse. Maybe we should have a reality show about it? At least that would get people to vote!

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

‘The Story of My Life’ senior thesis musical Robert Orzalli ’11 presents his two-man show, written by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill. Co-starring Andrew Litwin ’11, the play details common life events from celebrations to moments of despair.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities.

BaRuCH’s community coffeehouse

Featuring many of the campus’ favorite a cappella groups and several talented solo acts, this coffeehouse will be a fun night of food and laughter you won’t want to miss!

Tonight at 9 p.m. in Cholmondeley’s.

‘Little Monsters’

This new play by Maria Alexandria Beech tells the story of a poet named Sara who lives with her hypochondriac mother in a small studio apartment in New York. Feeling isolated by her small and relatively solitary existence, Sara attempts to find a significant other through Internet dating sites. Throughout this journey she learns that she is looking for much more than a mate; she is looking to find herself and a way to express herself through writing. This workshop-style production will be presented along with post-show discussions with the playwright and members of the creative team, giving audiences an opportunity to contribute to the play’s continuing development.

Thursday through Saturday in the Spingold Laurie Theater. Tickets are $10 for general admission.

APAHM opening ceremony

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month will take place in March. The opening ceremony, hosted by several of Brandeis’ Intercultural Center clubs, will include student performances and a special concert with popular band afterschoolspecial. This year’s theme is “Generasian: The Transforming Asian American.”

Sunday, March 6 at 7 p.m. in Sherman Function Hall.

BAASA SKIN fashion show

As part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Brandeis Asian American Students’ Association will host the annual SKIN fashion show, featuring clothing and accessories from Asian-American designers only. All models are Brandeis students.

Friday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the Levin Ballroom.

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS ‘Mary Poppins’

Broadway Across America is bringing the hit show to Boston. The musical follows the story of the classic Disney film, with additional songs and theatrical magic. The story follows the Banks family and its new nanny, who brings fun and joy to the Banks’ daily routine.

Thursday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, March 20 at the Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston. Ticket prices and times vary.

AMA_LIA/ Flickr Creative Commons

GOING GAGA: Lady GaGa, pop sensation and style icon, is set to perform at the TD Garden in Boston as part of her “Monster Ball” tour. Expect a crazy show and new songs like hit single “Born This Way.”

‘The Secret Garden’

This revival of the play based on a classic book written by Frances Hodgson Burnett will take to the stage at the Wheelock Family Theatre. This new production is being headed by author and lyricist Jane Kosoff and composer Jane Staab, whose original ideas breathe new life into this enchanting classic.

The story revolves around British orphan Mary Lenox, who must move in with her uncle, Archibald Craven, a man consumed with grief over his deceased wife, Lily. Craven’s constant absences from his Yorkshire estate leave Mary alone, surrounded by confining castle walls and an empty road in front of her. Mary enlists the help of Colin, Archibald’s ill and bedridden son, and together the two of them set out to find the garden and bring meaning back into their lives.

Monthlong run at 7:30 p.m. at the Wheelock Family Theatre, 200 The Riverway, Boston.

Tickets range from $20 to $30.

An Evening with Bill Cosby

Comedian, humanitarian and crowd favorite Bill Cosby is coming to Boston for a night of laughs, fun and good food. Known for his successful family sitcoms and excellent representation of the African-American community, Cosby is a legend in the entertainment industry.

Saturday at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston.

Tickets range from $50.50 to $70.50.

Girl Talk concert

Greg Gillis is Girl Talk, a mashup artist from Pittsburgh whose gift for combination has led to five successful full-length albums since his high school beginnings. A Girl Talk show is guaranteed to be an energetic party, full of song bits from the last decade. If you enjoyed

Student Events’ Super Mash Bros. concert, this is your next stop!

Saturday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. at the House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. Tickets range from $25 to $35 and are available from ticketmaster.com.

Bon Jovi at TD Garden

Bon Jovi, originally from New Jersey, is a globally beloved quartet that has helped to define the genre of rock and roll. The group will be performing some of its greatest hits, with releases that span decades.

Tuesday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. Tickets start at $25 and are available from ticketmaster.com.

Lady GaGa Concert

Lady GaGa is coming to Boston on her “Monster Ball” tour. With hit after hit and a wild fasion sense, the pop wonder’s show is sure to be entertainment at its finest. Performing her new songs, such as Top 40 single “Born This Way” along with her beloved repertoire, GaGa’s show will make fans crazy.

Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. Tickets start at $25 and are available from ticketmaster.com.

‘Ajax’ at American Repertory Theatre

Based on Sophocles’ classic story, Ajax, a Greek soldier faces the pressures of war, struggling with injury and psychological aftermath.

Directed by Sara Benson, the show incorporates the voice of the modern Boston community in its depiction of war, loss and coping with disaster.

Until March 13 at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge. Ticket prices and showtimes vary.

Orzalli answered a few questions about his choice of major and the impact it has had on his life. His two-man show will be performed at the Mandel Center for Humanities.

JustArts: How did you decide what show you wanted to do for your senior thesis?

Robert Orzalli: The idea to do this show came to me first when I saw the show during its brief stint on Broadway 2 years ago. The show really spoke to me because of the theme of the deep connections that people form and profound impact they can have on their later lives. After seeing the show, I wanted to contact people from my past that I have lost touch with, but were formative in who I am as a person.

JA: What is The Story of my Life about?

RO: The Story of My Life explores the friendship between two men, Thomas Weaver and Alvin Kelby, as Thomas writes Alvin’s eulogy. After meeting in first grade, the two boys became fast friends and remained as such until Thomas went off to college and Alvin stays behind. Thomas becomes a successful short story author, but most of his stories are based on his childhood with Alvin.

Without Alvin being a presence in his life, Thomas struggles with writing. Through re-experiencing his relationship with Alvin, Thomas is able to finally move on and write once more—both stories and his best friend’s eulogy. While dealing with death, the play is mostly one of life.

JA: What role do you play in the show?

RO: I am playing the role of Thomas in this production. I chose this part for myself largely because of who I chose to be my cast mate for this journey. When thinking of who I wanted to do this show with, I wanted to pick someone I knew would both be dedicated and with whom a tangible bond of friendship could be felt. Andrew Litwin ’11 became that person for me. Being great friends in life and living together this year, I figured that our friendship would read easily to the audience. After picking him, I decided that I would play Thomas and Andrew would play Alvin, largely because of look. I believe firmly that we could each play either part, but physically it makes much more sense for me to be Thomas because I am much larger in stature than Andrew.

JA: What has been your involvement with theater at Brandeis?

RO: I’m very involved in Brandeis’ theater community and have been since my first semester.

I’ve been performing in shows since my first semester and have gone on to be one of the main carpenters for the University Theatre Collective, a set designer, co-director of the 24-hour musical version of Shrek, and am now the president of Hillel Theater Group. I am very attached to this community and choose to involved myself with nearly every group on campus. This semester, I am involved in several projects, including playing the role of Collins in Rent.

JA: What exactly about theater appeals so much to you that influenced your decision to major in it?

RO: My family brought me up seeing plays, watching movies, and listening to showtunes, yet I didn’t really get involved until the end of high school for various reasons. Once I did my first show, you could say I “got the bug,” and ever since, there have been very few stretches of time in which I am not involved in any show. I realized during my first Brandeis show, Cabaret, that I wanted to be a Theater major, because I couldn’t ever see myself not doing theater. As an interpretive art, those involved in producing theater are not always writing the shows they perform. Making each work personal is what I love about doing theater: I am able and often encouraged to make a decisions about a character that aren’t dictated to me by the script. I also love the theater, because of its live nature. What’s is happening on the stage is occurring right in front of the audience.

As much as people try to pretend that there’s a “fourth wall,” there is a tangible energy shared between the audience and the performers that is really what creates a show. A performance is nothing without the audience to witness it.

JA: What is the difference to you between the straight play experience and the musical theatre experience?

RO: When I got to Brandeis I had mostly been involved in instrumental music, but since arriving here, I somehow found myself as being a singer in many contexts. In addition to musicals, I have done chorus for a few semesters and am the music director of one of the a cappella groups on campus. Music opens something in me much more intensely than most other things. Doing musicals has allowed me to access emotions and sentiments that doing straight plays doesn’t do for me.

I have been involved in several straight plays at Brandeis and have loved each experience, but my experience in musicals has been more intense in many ways than the straight plays. Because musical casts sing together as well as act to together, a level of synergy must be reached so that their sounds form a cohesive unit. I love the unity that I have experienced from many of the shows i have worked on at Brandeis. I love working on straight plays, but my love has always been for musicals.

—Emily Salloway

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011

19

ON CAMPUS MUSIC

The Professors of Bluegrass know their music ■ Hailing from Yale University,

the bluegrass musicians brought joy to Slosberg Recital Hall last Saturday.

By ARIEL KAY JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

For most students on campus, the Super Mash Bros. concert was the big musical event of the weekend. However, two other bands also performed on Saturday night, and their sets proved to be both unique and extremely enjoyable experiences even though no laptops were involved.

The Professors of Bluegrass is a group from Yale University that performs old-time American country, gospel and bluegrass music. Originally formed in 1990, the group has gone through three incarnations thus far as university faculty came and left.

The current members are mandolin player Craig Harwood, guitarist and lead singer Sten Havumaki, banjo player Oscar Hills, fiddler and vocalist Katie Scharf, fiddler Matt Smith and bassist and founding member Peter Salovey. Originally, only members of Yale’s Psychology department played in the band, but the Professors of Bluegrass has expanded to include members from many areas of study in addition to alumni and university friends.

Bluegrass is often thought of as country music’s more hickish cousin by young people who are used to listening to electronically rendered songs or full-band accompaniments.

However, the genre is really likable, particularly live. I couldn’t help but get into the spirit of the evening.

The grins of the band members were contagious, and the Professors created an informal, friendly atmosphere. The whoops of delight from audience members added to the sense that everyone was there to have some fun.

However, the band members didn’t

JENNY CHENG/the Justice

MORE THAN TEACHERS: Katie Scharf, Peter Salovey and Sten Havumaki (from left) performed with their band on Saturday. let themselves get too comfortable despite this easygoing atmosphere.

Throughout the evening, I was continually impressed by how fast and deftly all six members played.

Bluegrass-styled songs involve lots of finger picking, as opposed to simply strumming on stringed instruments. This is where the “plunking” sound the genre is known for comes from. This technique, combined with the swift chord changes and the fast tempo of the songs, requires bluegrass players to be extremely adept at their instruments.

The visual performance of the players, with their fingers moving up and down the necks of their instruments in time with the beat, was almost as engrossing as the music. All of the Professors had solos during the performance, and Harwood, Hills and Scharf were featured in nearly every song.

After the Professors of Bluegrass’ hour-long performance, Big Chimney, a Washington D.C.-based blues, country and bluegrass group, performed. Big Chimney played more contemporary songs with an Ameri-

cana twist, including Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.”

This second band has five members: bassist Jeremy Middleton; mandolin player John Seebach; dobro player Alex Sens; guitarist Avril Smith; and fiddler Katie Scharf, who is a member of Professors of Bluegrass as well.

Big Chimney’s style was slightly calmer than that of the Professors’.

The band played more ballads and folk songs and sang three-part harmonies provided by Seebach, Smith and Scharf in most of their numbers.

Big Chimney also substituted a dobro

for a banjo, which led to a less-twangy sound.

Some of the most interesting parts of the concert were the instruments themselves. Mandolins, fiddles, banjos and dobros are not typically used in today’s pop or rock music, and even country performers today opt for guitars instead of more distinctive instruments.

The dobro, or resonator guitar, was a particularly fascinating element of Big Chimney’s performance. It is louder than the average guitar and has a distinctive country and blues sound.

Shaped like a guitar, it is balanced on the player’s lap and played with the opening, or sound hole, facing up, rather than out. The opening is covered with a circular aluminum plate, often with designs cut into it. There are also two smaller holes on either side of the neck of the guitar. Sens used metal picks attached to his first three fingers to pluck the strings and wore a metal tube over the ring finger of his other hand, which he slid up and down the neck of the guitar.

Along with its Prince number, the band also performed songs by Dolly Parton, Tom Waits and the Allman Brothers. Five of its songs can be found on its self-titled EP. After Big Chimney’s set, both bands performed several songs together. They were joined in this finale performance by Yoni Battat ’13 on the fiddle. These songs showcased how good a large bluegrass band can sound together, with multiple singers and many different stringed instruments all combining to create an energetic, down-home sound.

I found the bluegrass concert entertaining, and the musical talent of the bands far exceeds a lot of the Top 40 music I hear at a typical college party.

I recommend you listen to some of these older tunes, as well as looking into contemporary folk and bluegrass bands such as Iron Horse, Della Mae, Dan Bern and Allison Krauss. You may be surprised by what you hear.

THEATER

Director and writer of ‘Little Monsters’ speak to justArts ■ The writer and director of

Brandeis Theater Company’s latest show talked to justArts about the creative process.

Little Monsters is a new workshop production written by Maria Alexandria Beech and directed by Michelle Bossy. Co-produced by the Brandeis Theater Company and New York-based Primary Stages, the play revolves around a young poet named Sara who lives with a hypochondriac mother.

Sara seeks to find her perfect mate through the world of Internet dating, but she begins to learn that she’s really trying to find herself. In an exclusive e-mail interview with justArts, Beech and Bossy provide a unique insight into the creation of the play.

JustArts: How did you come up with the idea for Little Monsters?

Maria Alexandria Beech: I read over seven hundred scripts last spring for three panels and a theater, so I was pretty fried. I wanted to write something fun and light, similar to the plays and musicals I write for Bluebox in New York which produces pieces set in bars. But then I wrote a Christmas scene between a mother and daughter as a gift for my friend Marti Lyons ... and suddenly it occurred to me that a play about dates could be coupled with a play about a mother and daughter. In my experience, a mother sets the stage for how a woman approaches her dating (and the rest of her) life, so my exploration meant distilling that influence to dress, perception about men, behavior; the sky was the limit on how pernicious this dynamic could be. I was also interested in how the Internet created this strange world where people of diversely different religious and ethnic backgrounds could meet and possibly marry.

Finally, as a recipient of the Aspen Theatre Masters Award, I was commissioned by Primary Stages and As-

pen Theatre Masters to write a play based on the 2009 Aspen Ideas Festival. That year, a prominent subject at the festival was the rise of new media, and how that affected traditional media like newspapers. It was interesting to explore how information is handled by different generations. It’s funny because the play comes across as autobiographical, and while certain elements of it are, most of it is fictional.

I love creating questions about DNA and lineage in my plays. The Mother character [in Little Monsters] is a combination of mothers I have known throughout my lifetime. Maybe she’s the mother I never became, with her wisdom and practical approach to life.

I’d say I relate to the stasis these characters are in. As a biracial woman who has never married or stayed in one career, I’ve never conformed to any particular role. This has often made me feel like I’m on the outside looking in, maybe in a state of limbo. Sara is me to the extent that she doesn’t know her place in the world though she’s determined to figure things out. She also sees the world through this little window that is her I-Phone which is my favorite device. So the psychological elements are mine but much of it is invented.

JA: Has the development of your other written works influenced this one?

MAB: I wrote most of this play in ten page increments in the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group at Primary Stages, so I benefited from the feedback of my amazing colleagues there. ... Brandeis allowed us to go to a different level, to actually hear the play as it would exist in a theater on its own two feet. That’s where you realize that certain lines don’t work, they don’t move the work forward, or they’re murky. Jokes fall flat or create unnecessary distractions. Or certain lines are needed to illuminate a moment, or to create a transition.

Because I’ve often explored politics in

my earlier plays, I learned something really important in this particular process. I realized that some works are about politics, and some works are simply about our personal human relationships. Sometimes, the two don’t mix. I kept forcing politics on this play until the rehearsal process naturally purged them out. I’ve moved away from this imperious urge to say something about my political beliefs, and moved towards a vulnerable place where we shed labels and personas, and just become people. I want to continue in that vein.

“

I look for stories of redemption, where characters truly change.

MICHELLE BOSSY JA: Are there are particular devices you find yourself often gearing toward in your writing, in terms of characters and plot details?

MAB: I don’t understand a term like “device” when it comes to the theater except as a deus ex machina in plays like Medea. Or how a toaster works in a scene. My approach to playwriting is simple. Sometimes, a story comes to me but most important of all, I base scenes on characters that have something to say to each other, even in silence. If that scene works on paper, it will tell me what the next scene is.

You string those together, and you have a play. It’s like writing code for a program. If each element of the code works, you get a program that does something interesting.

JA: Little Monsters is being billed as a “workshop-style” production.

Does this mean that you’re look-

ing to tweak certain aspects of the show?

MAB: It’s mainly a workshop production in that we’re still carving the play out of the words as they existed in the first day of rehearsal. We’re in tech rehearsal now, and I’m still cutting lines. I’m amazed by how talented and capable our cast is. We provide the changes, and within 24 hours, they’ve incorporated them into the play. …

I’m really excited to get feedback from the audience. A play is a conversation between artists and the audience so it’s strange when an audience comes to see something, and then there’s no venue for the conversation. … Overall, I truly love conversations with an audience, both as a playwright and as a translator. Playwriting is a lonely, difficult endeavor that makes you question everything about your existence, so talking to people about your work can be fulfilling, affirming, and illuminating. On a practical level, there’s nothing more useful than including a group of people in the creation of a work. A community can sometimes find defects or problems that are blind spots for the artists who are intimately involved with a production.

JA: What types of stories do you generally look for as a director, and what about Little Monsters compelled you to direct it?

Michelle Bossy: When I am directing, … the focus is always been on new work, and excellent stories. I look for stories of redemption, where characters truly change. Alex’s plays are always fascinating but this play seems really special to me. It’s a story I identify with, being a Mexican American woman, living in New York City, having a mother of my own, and having searched for love, to quote the play, “in a city of endless options.”

JA: How did you become involved with Brandeis Theater Company, and what was the decision-making process in bringing the show to Brandeis?

MB: Primary Stages first began its collaboration with BTC a year and a half ago, when they solicited scripts from Elliot Fox, a Brandeis Alum, and the Managing Director of Primary Stages. Elliot asked me to send plays from the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writer’s Group, and last season, BTC produced Cocktail Time in Cuba

by Rogelio Martinez. I came up to see readings, rehearsals and the production of the play. After I sent Little Monsters (in addition to 3 other plays) to BTC, [Profs.] David Colfer and Susan Dibble (THA) chose the play. The play is fantastic for the program because it’s age and theme appropriate, and tells a wonderful story. … Alex asked me if I would collaborate with her on the play and I was thrilled to accept the position.

JA: Has the directorial process been a smooth run so far? Are there any noteworthy challenges that you’ve encountered during rehearsals, relating to either narrative or technical issues?

MB: The process has been wonderful. The actors are smart and entertaining, putting their craft to use by creating dynamic characters. The design process has been really collaborative and has changed quite a bit.

When you work on a new play, you have to plan for a lot of contingencies, and everyone has to stay loose and flexible. So it’s about asking the actors and designers to commit and also change on a dime. It’s tricky. We have cut about 8 pages from the script so far, and we will continue to look at the text for changes in the week to come. There’s talk about even adding an intermission. Each show may vary based on adjustments that are made as a response to the audience reaction the night before. It truly is a thrilling process.

Little Monsters will be performed at the Spingold Laurie Theater from Thursday to Sunday.

—Aaron Berke

20

TUESDAY, february 15, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

Super Mash Bros

heat up Levin

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

PARTY ON: Students packed into the Levin Ballroom and danced the night away as the Super Mash Bros. used their laptops to combine music ranging from ’80s and ’90s dance hits to hardcore rap.

Student Events brought the mashup duo to campus last Saturday By allegra grunberg Watching the Super Mash Bros. last Saturday night from a pit of sweaty, flailing body parts, it was obvious that both DJs onstage were enjoying themselves just as much as the students in the crowd. Although barriers surrounded the stage, the energy pulsing from the turntables was tangible and matched the energy from the crowd. The Levin Ballroom was transformed into a hot disc-jockey tent as 700 students danced up a storm. Behind the mashup artists, two large screens flashed haphazard clips of cartoons, commercials, old shows and, to the disgust of many in the crowd, a clip of the Los Angeles Lakers scoring on the Boston Celtics. The duo spun and mashed old and new tracks infused with hardcore rap, ’80s dance hits and throwbacks to the ’90s. It was impossible to stand still among the flashing strobe lights and heavy eclectic beats emitting from the speakers.

After a performance that lasted around 65 minutes and a fanatical call from the crowd for an encore, the group was ushered off the stage by a police officer. The duo gave in to being removed from the stage only after the lights were turned on and sound was turned off. “L’chaim, Brandeis!” they yelled, finishing their gig with the true air of rock and roll.

The first conversation I had with the Super Mash Bros. was about whether or not we should have the interview in an elevator. Sitting down with them in the middle of a stairwell outside the Levin Ballroom, which is what we finally decided on, seemed completely nonchalant. The Super Mash Bros. consists of Nick Fenmore, who is in charge of mixing; Ethan Dawes, who takes care of the visual aspect; and Dick Fink, who was not present at the concert.

Both Fenmore and Dawes originally grew up in Los Angeles and met as young children. They met during Passover at a neighbor’s house and

later rekindled their friendship in high school, where their love for music and being “too cool” fused an intense bond between them. Neither of them anticipated becoming stars or even being involved with the music business. With a little bit of prodding, Fenmore confessed to wanting to be a “dorky finance guy,” and Dawes divulged his dream of opening up a juice bar called “Bar Mitzvah,” a franchise that he hoped would one day be abundant at Jewish schools and synagogues. The group began with messing around on laptops and using them as instruments at par-

ties.

“We were just kids partying in L.A. Mashing up happened as an accident,” said Fenmore.

The first mashup that Fenmore ever made was at the age of 16. Although the initial inspiration to “mashup” was purely accidental, Fenmore said that in order to get a song right or to find the best beat, it takes “lots of hours of sitting at a computer listening to tons of 3-minute clips,” a somewhat tedious task. Yet the group’s creative ability to include ’80s, ’90s and other contrasting genres of music makes the variability of songs

and tunes endless.

On some of their new tracks, both want to use more modern genres of music like dubstep. As a generality, both look to sample instrumental music, listen constantly to Top 40 songs and make sure to keep the music multidimensional. Both Fenmore and Dawes admit to mostly using ’80s and ’90s throwbacks, because they seem to hold nostalgia and yet have great beats: “anyone can dance to 80s music.”

When onstage, both explain that the hardest part is trying to keep the music on beat and twisting all the right knobs. Fenmore could only relate this feeling of intense concentration to instant messaging while under the influence. “You know when you’re drunk and you go home and try to chat on AIM, and you just fail; try DJing and turning knobs while drunk.”

In the past couple of years, this new wave of mashups has become a fairly popular genre. The Super Mash Bros. are among many artists of the kind, such as Girl Talk and Milkman, yet their unique sound and energy make them stand out from the others. Dawes specified that “because there are two of us, it is the power of numbers which differentiates us from other mashup artists. The styles, the sounds and the videos also are different. In the end, it is the fans’ decisions to choose who to listen to.”

While wrapping up the interview, still crammed on two steps in a stairwell near Levin, it became apparent that these two very talented and passionate boys were also incredibly brave.

The Super Mash Bros. did not listen to the calling of the “social norms” of society or of their Jewish mothers but carried on with what they truly enjoyed doing—and succeeded because of their unyielding quest for a good time.

Fenmore and Dawes concluded with some words of wisdom for the student body: “Practice safe sex, and happy Valentine’s Day, lovers.”

And as it says on their website, “Kisses and thugs from the Super Mash Bros.”

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

ALEX MARGOLIS/the Justice

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

JUSTICE contributing WRITER

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

MASHUP MAYHEM: The Los Angeles-based group impressed the audience with its energy and sound.

DANCING TO THE BEAT: DJs Nick Fenmore and Ethan Dawes, who are both Jewish and met during Passover at a neighbor’s house, embodied a youthful and carefree spirit, encouraging students to party even harder.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, february 15, 2011

21

performance

BOMS competition ignites emotions ■ The night’s performances

determined the team that will represent Brandeis in the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational in April.

By EMILY SALLOWAY JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

As the names of the nine poets competing for spots on the Brandeis slam team were announced in the Castle Commons on Tuesday night, the final Brandeis Open Mic Series competition began. I was instantly reminded of one of my best encounters with slam poetry in my university career.

At my New Student Orientation in 2009, during a program about diversity, a young man stood up in one of the last rows of Spingold Theater Center and interrupted the staff member who had been lecturing the unresponsive, over-programmed crowd of wide-eyed first-years and their upperclassmen leaders.

The young man recited a poem in which he spoke about being associated with terrorism due to the color of his skin and the aftermath of Sept.

11, 2001.

It was a moving and bold moment, staged to seem as though he had spontaneously felt a need to contribute to the discussion and had, on the spot, come up with these brilliant lines.

The poet in the last row who spoke so beautifully that day was Usman Hameedi ’12.

Partially because of this performance during my first week at Brandeis, and also because of the omnipresence of Hameedi’s poetry at a variety of campus events, I arrived at Tuesday’s competition with 30 or so other eager spectators ready for a captivating slam performance.

Many of these audience members had gathered throughout the fall semester, supporting their favorite poets as they read new pieces and received feedback from the crowd. Only five could go on to make the VOCAL team, Brandeis’ competitive spoken word and activism group.

Everyone was expecting to hear great poetry, find out who would make the final team and see some familiar talented faces. But it turned out that slams are much more complicated and regulated than that. In contrast with the delicate nature of the poets’ metaphors, the competition was fierce.

The founder of B.O.M.S. and VOCAL, Jason Simon-Bierenbaum ’11, stepped forward and explained the rules of the game. A slam always opens with the “sacrificial poet,” a student who is not participating in the slam and who volunteers to read one of his or her poems to set the bar for the rest of the competition. Every poet who follows is then rated according to whether their poem was better or

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

SPOKEN FROM THE HEART: Three-time VOCAL team member Usman Hameedi ’12 performs “Science Chick,” in which he reveals his equal love for both women and science. worse than that of the sacrificial poet.

Judges, in B.O.M.S. fashion, are chosen at the start of the night of the competition. “We try for people who don’t know anyone who’s slamming or at least aren’t friends with them. … It’s sometimes hard; … we’ve, in the past, had to run around the Castle looking for sophomores and knocking on doors,” Kori Perten ’13, the night’s sacrificial poet, told me.

Within the competition, there is a lot of strategy that comes into play.

Hameedi explained his personal process for trying to make the team, influenced by the order in which the poets perform. Hameedi, who performed third on Tuesday, told me,“I knew my first poem had to be loud and performance-y. So that’s why I picked ‘Science Chick,’ ’cause I knew it was going to be funny. And the funny card … it’s really hard to play, ’cause at the wrong moment it’s not gonna go over.” Hameedi’s timing paid off as he began with a rousing, “I love science!

But even more, I love women.”

He scored the second highest in the

first round, after Jordan Hinahara ’12, whose intimate poems throughout the evening brought tears to her eyes and touched everyone in the room. One of Hinahara’s best and most poignant poems was about the loss of a childhood friend. “She drew thoughts across outer space, with wing-tipped elbows,” Hinahara told the enrapt listeners, in a voice that practically forced intimacy and connection, “The same elbows that steered her from tree-fort falls to soccer balls, and I wonder if she rests with them tucked in close like they know how precious her heart is.”

The rounds continued, with the lowest-scoring poet eliminated at the end of each one. In this particular slam, because of the high skill level of all the poets competing, the rounds played out a little differently. After the second bout of performances, there was a three-way tie between Rawda Aljawhary ’12, Rachel Downs ’13 and Rachel Parkin ’12. All three poets were allowed to continue onto the next round. Parkin shortly after withdrew herself from the competition,

and Downs, after reciting a crowdpleasing piece on the pros and cons of the Twilight series, was eliminated for exceeding the 3-minute time limit on all performances.

At the end of the night, only five poets’ scores qualified them to compete on the final team: Aljawhary, Hameedi, Hinahara, Sara “Kass” Levy ’12 and Ashley Lynette ’13. Hameedi will coach the team in preparation for Nationals, which will take place in April. “I’ve been observing our team for 3 years now—our positives and our negatives—and I’m really trying to hone in on and help us improve on things that have hurt us,” he said.

“It’s gonna take a lot of work, … but it’s going to be fun.”

The team started in 2008 when Simon-Bierenbaum decided it was time to clear the throats of several Brandeis voices.

“Everyone outside of me, who made it [onto the VOCAL team] the first year, had never slammed before,” Simon-Bierenbaum said. “This was their first experience, and I made sure

I brought diverse features to make sure they’d be exposed to a variety of [styles]. I made sure that … people would be encouraged to share. … It’s all family, it’s all about trying to get better.”

It was noticeable from the way that each poet snapped encouragingly when someone would lose his or her place on the page, prodding the performer to move forward undeterred, that everyone on the team felt connected and supported. It was evident in the way that the team discretely celebrated its success and congratulated those who didn’t make the cut, and also from the dedication of the individuals, performers and audience members, who showed up twice a month and in the end just couldn’t stay away.

“I can’t stress enough how much of this is because of Jason,” Hameedi praised his friend and mentor. “He’s a crazy performer. He came to Brandeis with a vision and he … is a major part of why this [endeavor] is so successful.”

music

Local bands push the boundaries of rock music ■ Punk, Rock n’ Roll Club

brought unique styles of rock to its first semester show.

By ALEXANDRIA CHUM JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Rock and roll used to be something you could easily define: a band—usually consisting of drums, guitar, bass and vocals—playing music considered “harder” than the preceding generation’s flimsy pop music. Yet with the show at Cholmondeley’s last Thursday night, the bands Screaming Females, Caspian, and Ryan Power put the definition of rock and roll into perspective.

The first indication that this wasn’t an average rock show might have been when Power started performance by plugging in his iPod. Power is a oneman production with his backing band conveniently pulled out of his back pocket. Eclectic and eccentric, Power’s music is a testament to the changes this genre has made over the recent years and to the diversified tastes of the college kids on campus. Where else would you hear a man harmonize

with himself through a system of microphones and pre-recorded tracks? A low-key start to the night, the mellow crowd began to file in as the local musical gents of Caspian started to set up on stage.

Caspian did not pull any punches when starting its set. Post-rock, essentially instrumental music with tons of reverb, tends to brings forth a listener’s feelings that substitute whatever could have been said in lyrical form.

Always loud, and with no shortage of hi-hat, Caspian showcased its musical capability as well as its ability to command attention from the audience. For the band’s final song, the drum breakdown made for a succinct summation of the culmination of emotions building up through the performance.

Screaming Females, headed by the strong vocals of Marissa Paternoster, made even the most passé audience member move to the beat. Danceable punk-pop-rock music made for a good ending to a surprising musical event.

With the three diverse performances on Thursday night, the following keeps running through my head: Rock and roll is dead. Long live rock and roll.

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

ROCKING OUT: Members of the band Caspian, a group from Beverly, Mass., played a post-rock set at Cholmondeley’s Thursday.

22

TUESDAY, february 15, 2011

●

THE JUSTICE

OFF CAMPUS LEADING MAN

‘The Eagle’ film proves difficult to save ■ Tatum’s first nonromantic

lead role is overshadowed by his co-stars’ great cameos in this new action film.

By sujin shin JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Eagle, a tale of moody, muscled men and unflinching patriotism, is a rehash of an old yarn: A man whose honor has been scorned must embark on a long and difficult journey to regain what he has lost. It is a valiant attempt at an epic adventure, but it doesn’t fully take advantage of characters that could really give energy to the plot. The Eagle has its moments, but on the whole it is a story that can’t seem to find its legs; and when it does, it drags its feet throughout.

The hero of this story is the singleminded young general Marcus Aquila, whose father lost the Golden Eagle, the emblem of the Roman legion, and 5,000 troops in northern Great Britain. Played by the always-hunky Channing Tatum, Aquila is never anything but stoic during his journey through the wilds of Britain to find and retrieve the Eagle.

Even when wracked with pain, his handsomely puckered visage never wavers in expression. Though his facial chops might need work, his physical scenes, per usual, are impressive.

The film really slimmed down on visual effects and instead sticks to classic sword-and-shield fights, keeping the action realistic.

Aquila’s journey is almost cut off from the start—he is cripplingly injured and relieved from his position as head of the Roman legion. He is taken in by his uncle, played by the screen legend Donald Sutherland, who takes him to a gladiator-slave battle to cheer up the brooding young warrior.

Aquila is immediately moved by the slave’s resolute determination to stay valiant in the face of death and persuades the crowd to spare the slave’s life. Aquila’s uncle buys the slave for him as a gift. The slave, named Esca, is actually the former prince of one of the many wild British tribes that roamed Britain before the Romans’ invasion. Esca, played by rising star Jamie Bell, is easily the more interesting character of the manly duo. He is conflicted: though his entire tribe

MATT NETHEIM/Focus Features

CAUGHT OFF-GUARD: Marcus Aquila’s (Channing Tatum) journey to regain his people’s lost eagle standards is lengthened by the obstacles he faces on the way. has been killed by the Romans, he is still bound to an honor code that forces him to stay with Aquila throughout the journey. Though he seems to have a much darker and more interesting past than Aquila, the amount of screen time allotted for the wiry and intense Esca is disappointing.

Equally a letdown was the amount of time devoted to one of the more interesting characters of the film, the

Seal Prince, played by French actor Tahar Rahim. The actor’s mastery of language is impressive: in addition to speaking French, Corsican and Arabic, he also learned Gaelic for his role in the movie. Unfortunately, his potentially powerful part is boiled down to the stereotypical role of the big bad violent guy.

One notable aspect of The Eagle is its sweeping backdrops. The film was

shot in both Great Britain and Hungary, and the natural attributes of the land create a beautiful and lonely scene in which the two heroes can brood.

Even though there are some nice moments in The Eagle, most of the film is a tease. It starts to build up to an interesting revelation about a character’s hidden past but then says too little to be satisfying. Other times,

when the scene calls for more-intense acting, the performers don’t fully deliver. And Tatum is shirtless for only a few tantalizing seconds.

The movie is not even 2 hours long, but it seems like it goes on forever.

Though the characters in the movie must go through what feels like an endless slog, the director should make sure that the audience does not feel the same about his film.

JustArts’ exclusive interview with Channing Tatum reveals actors’ real-life chemistry Channing Tatum, the star of the recently premiered film The Eagle, was in Boston on Jan. 31 to promote and answer a few questions about his role in the new period piece set in classical Roman times. The story details the journey of a young Roman general named Marcus Aquila, played by Tatum, who attempts to retrieve the golden emblem of an eagle from the savage, wild lands of northern Britain. Dressed in a casual sweater and jeans, Tatum had a likeable personality and he kept the atmosphere of the round-table interview light and casual throughout.

Many know him from his role in popular dance movie Step Up, during production of which he met his present wife, Jenna Dewan. Several times he has played soldiers but never one set in such an archaic time period. When asked about why he enjoyed playing such a specific role, he expressed his general respect for soldiers.

“I think being a soldier is one of the most noble things that you could possibly ever do, no matter what your politics are. … You get a glimpse of what [being a Roman soldier] would have been like. You can’t even imagine it, though. I couldn’t breathe afterward; I was exhausted.

I wish I could say I was that tough.

They were just different men back then.” In addition to Tatum, screen

KEITH BERNSTEIN/Focus Features

DON’T CHOKE: French actor Tahar Rahim (Seal Prince) and British actor Jamie Bell (Esca) both learned Gaelic for their roles.

legend Donald Sutherland also has a role in the film. Whereas Tatum has worked in the film industry for only a few years, Sutherland has been an actor for decades. When he was asked whether he felt intimidated by Sutherland, Tatum replied, “Of course! I’m even intimidated with Jamie Bell [who plays Esca].

They’re all top-notch; I look around in the movie and I think ‘I’m the weakest link here. Everyone’s been nominated for something here.’”

Bell is Tatum’s on-screen partner for most of the film. Tatum’s and Bell’s characters embark on the journey together to retrieve the Golden Eagle standards. JustArts asked how he and Bell prepared for their dynamic on-screen relationship, to which Tatum replied, “We just hung out. We just spent every waking moment with each other. It was hard to have the tension because we were such good friends. It was a hard ride, the movie in general. There’s

nothing that you can do but forge a friendship throughout that type of thing.” But don’t think that because Bell’s on-screen character is serious that the austerity carries over to his real-life personality. “He’s such a ham,” Tatum laughed.

Together, Tatum and Bell worked to try and get a realistic feel for their characters. Bell kept his natural Scottish highlands accent and learned Gaelic for his role. Tatum also prepared a lot to understand

the history of the period. The director, Kevin MacDonald, threw a lot of information at them to help them get into character.

In addition to being Tatum’s first true period piece, The Eagle was also his first film in which he played a lead role. In most of his films, he plays the love interest or a supporting character. Taking the lead comes with certain risks, about which Tatum expressed some reservations, “You try not to think about [being the lead in a film]. Because if you’re not good in the movie, then you hurt your career. You really put your life in the hands of the director.

[But with MacDonald], you feel really taken care of.”

There were a lot of laughs shared during the interview; Tatum was a genuine person with interesting and insightful things to say from his point of view of the Hollywod industry. As the interview wound down, a reporter asked Tatum if the actor had advice for new actors or those trying to get into the film business.

“If you think you might want to go do something, don’t wait. Just start failing early. If you want to sculpt and you don’t know how to sculpt, go buy some clay and just do it,” Tatum said with a twinkling smile. “Set yourself up to fail … so that you know where you’re not supposed to be.”

—Sujin Shin

THE JUSTICE

music

A new concerto featured at BSO concert

●

TUESDAY, february 15, 2011

23

BLUES PEOPLE

■ The Boston Symphony

Orchestra played pieces by Haydn, Sibelius and Korean composer Unsuk Chin.

By wei-huan chen JUSTICE editor

What first impressed me about the Boston Symphony Orchestra was the acoustics of its famous Symphony Hall. Located within a monumental and ornate building, the Hall gives each note a chance to resonate in all 2,625 of its seats. There is a single set of speakers above the orchestra and 20 or so microphones reach down from the ceiling like long, black vines, yet hardly any amplification is used during the concert.

Listening from the orchestra section of the Hall, I felt the sound of the strings and horns encompassing me, rather than bombarding me.

In any other large venue, such as a gymnasium, a violin’s sound would either be swallowed up by the empty space or have so many echoes that notes would lose their precision.

Neither is true in this hall, which has remained largely unchanged since it was built in 1900.

I couldn’t help but look around and marvel at the intricate golden decorations and the 16 Greek and Roman statues surrounding me, not to mention the humbling 4,800pipe organ behind the musicians.

Musical attractions aside, students should visit Symphony Hall just to look at the architecture, either before a show or during one of its many tours, and see current exhibitions such as the tribute to BSO Music Director Laureate Seiji Ozawa.

Every sound was precise in last week’s Underscore Friday program, which featured Korean composer Unsuk Chin’s “Concerto for Cello and Orchestra” and Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki. Sounds ranged from the soft string sections to the loud brass arrangements, from the jovial chords in Haydn’s “Symphony No. 59 in A,” which is also known as the Fire Symphony, to the dissonant punches in Chin’s pieces.

My band teacher once told me that the best measure of an orchestra’s caliber is the effectiveness of its crescendos. If this is true, then the BSO excelled last Friday, particularly in Chin’s unnerving and enigmatic pieces. In fact, a man in front of me jumped in his seat during a jarring climax of Chin’s second movement, “Energico.”

Solo cellist Alban Gerhardt—the virtuoso for whom the concerto was written—had built up tension in the piece with jittery runs and strained phrases and was interrupted by a loud clash of notes from the percussion and brass sections. The effect was not cheap; these sudden moments, when placed in the context of the four 30-minute movements, fit into a musical narrative with clear structural statements. While the 2008 piece lacked an easily discernible harmonic or rhythmic structure—Chin employs many unfamiliar compositional techniques—the essential elements, which are the beginning, middle and end, are all present.

The night concluded with a triumphant rendition of Jean Sibelius’ “Symphony No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 82.” Malkki’s interpretation was impressive and her small, forceful frame helped the orchestra accentuate the bell-like tolling motif of the three movements. The conclusion— a return to the same joyous figure with the call of trumpets—ascended with drama until Malkki raised her arms high to signal the six final hits, ending the night with a strong and definite E-flat.

WEI-HUAN CHEN/the Justice

FIESTY FIDDLER: Violinist John Blake solos alongside bassist Avery Sharpe last Thursday at the Berklee Performance Center, playing a variety of jazz and spiritual pieces.

Blake invokes soul and sorrow ■ The talented violinist, who

played with McCoy Tyner for 5 years, held a concert at Berklee Performance Center.

By wei-huan chen JUSTICE editor

Crying—that essential human act— is a large part of violinist John Blake Jr.’s music. He plays African-American spirituals, songs that originated from the cries of enslaved Africans after they were shipped to America in the 18th and 19th centuries. He also aurally invokes the sorrow of slavery in songs like “Go Down, Moses” with a technique on the electric violin that makes its strings sound like the cries of a human voice. Most remarkably, the jazz musician told me that the listeners of his music sometimes cry as well.

“Sometimes when I play, I see people crying. Some are hugging the wall or rocking their heads with their eyes closed. The music reaches people, engages people. It’s the greatest tribute

to the music to see people clap and cry during a performance,” he said, speaking about a time when he visited a retirement home with his quartet.

Playing for listeners who remember the songs and have experienced the hardships they describe was an enlightening experience for Blake.

Since blues songs and spirituals came from the struggles of AfricanAmerican slaves, the experience of listening to Blake’s music can affect people in various ways. A black teenager, around 13 years old and accompanied by his grandfather, approached Blake to shake his hand after his concert last Thursday at the Berklee Performance Center: Because of their age difference, the two listeners inevitably had a different understanding of the songs that were played. Yet while Blake’s music is defined by history and race, people of all ages and backgrounds attended and adored his concert.

Blake’s quartet—which consisted of pianist Sumi Tonooka, bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Harry Reed— played with Howard University’s jazz choir, Afro Blue, switching off between combo-based, instrumental blues

tunes and vocal-heavy spirituals. The concert was fantastic, and Blake’s electric violin blended with the choir as naturally as a singer would. Songs like “Hold On” had the choir singing like a horn section, using swinging hooks to accompany Blake’s warbling solos. Tonooka’s improvisations were steady and virtuosic, and the few solos by Sharpe and Reed were equally sturdy. On the other hand, Afro Blue featured soloists that ventured beyond the harmonic range of the song by using dissonant lines to build color and tension.

Blake’s violin wonderfully combines the soulful wails of vocalists and the technique of combo jazz improvisers. He is a gifted musician who toured with Grover Washington Jr.’s big band and played for 5 years with McCoy Tyner, the pianist known for his work with John Coltrane in albums such as A Love Supreme. Blake had listened to Tyner’s albums extensively in the 1970s and finally had the chance to collaborate with him in New York City.

“One of the things I learned how to do with McCoy was how to blend. Peo-

ple never associated the violin with jazz, but he made me feel very welcome playing with horns and piano,” he said. “He had a great influence on my playing. I understood how instruments blended with the violin, and I could begin to make my violin sound more horn-like or vocal-like. Sometimes, I hear air going through my fingers, even though the instrument I’m playing is made out of wood and string.”

Blake also highlighted how much he enjoyed recently working with students at The Berklee College of Music and using his experience to develop younger players’ ideas. He mentioned that the rehearsals with Afro Blue were very positive and had “the makings of a great performance.”

I may not have noticed anyone crying afterwards, but the warm applause and standing ovation indicated that the audience enjoyed his spirituals as much as I did.

“These were very powerful people who created this music,” he said toward the end of the night. “Without their sacrifices, none of us would be here.”

FILM

Short films to spice up Oscar evening ■ A variety of live action and

animated featurettes were nominated for the Oscars.

By karla alvidrez JUSTICE contributing WRITER

Wonder. Adventure. Suspense. Happiness. This year’s Academy Awardnominated short films offer audiences a plethora of experiences. As I sat in the nearly empty Kendall Square Cinema watching films that ranged in time from 6 to 29 minutes, I felt all of these emotions and more. Although they only have a few short minutes to get their points across, this year’s nominees bring a great variety of stories and emotions.

The animated film series starts with the vibrant “Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage (Madagascar, A Journey Diary),” written and directed by Bastien Dubois. The story follows a traveler named Vazaha, the Madagascan word for foreigner, as he visits his friend’s village for a traditional “turning of the bones” ceremony. The film parallels the upbeat tempo of its soundtrack as it swiftly turns through the pages of its travel journal. Figures rendered in watercolors, sketches and photographs stay in constant motion as we observe their happy celebration.

Next came Geefwee Boedoe’s “Let’s Pollute.” This film brought a more sullen feel to the series. Presented in the style of a 1960s educational video, the

6-minute short provides the viewer with instructions on how to best pollute the planet.

Shaun Tan’s “The Lost Thing” tells the story of a man trying to find the owner of the lost thing, a large red machine that also seems to be part octopus. Tan’s world, illustrated almost completely in gray tones and featuring tall cement buildings with large stovepipes, provides a commentary on what the state of the world will be if we continue to waste resources and lose things.

Max Lang and Jakob Schuh’s “The Gruffalo” uses claymation to illustrate the story of a mouse who travels through the woods to get to a tree full of nuts. Along the way, Mouse is harassed by a number of predators whom he manages to escape from with trickery. The story may be well-known to some, as the movie follows the children’s book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The attention to detail in the animation of this film makes it a truly enjoyable experience, and the cast of well-known actors who voice the clay figures do a good job bringing the characters to life.

The last animated short was Disney/ Pixar’s film “Day & Night.” Bringing a lighter tone to the series, this film depicts the first time the two title characters, Night and Day, meet. The characters exist in a black background and communicate through different scenes played out inside their bodies. The audience witnesses many sights in the

contrasting times of day and night as the characters get to know each other and learn to get along.

The series of live-action shorts returns to a more somber feeling with Tanel Toom’s “The Confession.” Sam, a boy about to make his first confession, is worried that he won’t be a real Catholic if he is not absolved of his sins because he doesn’t have any sins to confess. His best friend Jacob decides to take matters into his own hands and help Sam remedy his situation. Embellished with pleasant wide shots of the English countryside, the short tells of what happens when the boys try to deal with Sam’s problem.

David, a teenager suffering from cancer, uses his wish from the Dreamscape Foundation to ask for an hour with a naked woman in Ian Barnes and Tom Bidwell’s “Wish 143.” As he is visited by friends who hear of his wish, David begins to learn about the meaning of love and comes to terms with his cancer.

“Na Wewe,” written and directed by Ivan Goldschmidt, follows a group of travelers in 1994 Burundi. When their bus is stopped by militant Hutus intent on finding and killing any Tutsis who may be traveling with the group, the travelers have to make decisions about how to handle the situation. The story shows the complexities of human relationships and the mixtures in identities that these complexities bring.

The next short, “God of Love,” tells

a story about Ray, who is played by writer and director Luke Matheny.

Ray is a young singer in love with his drummer, Kelly, who happens to be in love with the band’s guitar player and Ray’s best friend, Fozzie. To try to get Kelly to fall in love with him, Ray prays to God every day until one day he is presented with a box of love darts. Hilarity ensues as Ray uses the love darts to try to heal his aching heart.

The final film in the series is a suspenseful short about a second grader’s experience with his first crush. Aptly titled “The Crush,” Michael Creagh’s movie begins as a cute narrative about 8-year-old Ardal’s crush on his teacher, Miss Purdy, then quickly turns into a suspenseful drama when Ardal challenges Miss Purdy’s fiancé to a duel to the death. By constantly keeping the audience guessing, this short keeps you at the edge of your seat until the very end.

It is difficult to tell which short films will be chosen as the winners during this year’s Oscars. There is a lot of variety in each of the two categories, but the two that I believe will win the most votes are “The Gruffalo” for animated short and “The Crush” for live-action short. Both of these films envelop the viewer in their worlds and deliver amazing productions.

The movies can be currently viewed at Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge and at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston from Feb. 21 to March 6.

24

TUESday, February 15, 2011 ● THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME 1. The North Sea is a part of which larger body of water?

2. Who directed the movie Nashville?

3. What was the name of Clark Kent’s boss at The Daily Planet?

4. How many Pulitzer Prizes did Eugene O’Neill win in his lifetime?

5. What was the name of the biblical Abraham’s wife?

6. What was the name of the apartment building where John Lennon lived before he was murdered?

7. Where are the adrenal glands located?

8. What revolution did Ernesto “Che” Guevara help lead?

9. Which United States president helped organize the Rough Riders cavalry?

10. Which company has the nickname “Big Blue”?

ANSWERS 1. Atlantic Ocean 2. Robert Altman 3. Perry White 4. Four 5. Sarah 6. The Dakota 7. On top of the kidneys 8. Cuban Revolution 9. Theodore Roosevelt 10. IBM

SHOWTIMES 2/18–2/24

The Fighter Fri-Mon: 1:10, 4:05, 6:50, 9:25 Tues-Thurs: 2:20, 5:00, 7:50 The Illusionist Fri-Mon: 1:40, 4:25, 7:10, 9:10 Tues-Thurs: 2:40, 5:30, 8:20 The Eagle Fri-Mon: 1:20, 4:15, 7:00, 9:30 Tues-Thurs: 2:30, 5:10, 8:10 The Social Network Fri-Mon: 3:55, 6:40 Tues-Thurs: 2:10, 7:40 127 Hours Fri-Mon: 1:30, 9:20 Tues-Thurs: 5:20 The King’s Speech Fri-Mon: 1:00, 2:00, 3:45, 5:00, 6:30, 8:00, 9:15 Tues-Thurs: 2:00, 3:00, 4:50, 7:00, 8:00

CHARTS Top 10s for the week ending Feb. 13 BOX OFFICE

1. Just Go With It 2. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3. Gnomeo and Juliet 4. The Eagle 5. The Roommate 6. The King’s Speech 7. No Strings Attached 8. Sanctum 9. True Grit 10. The Green Hornet 3D

NYT BESTSELLERS

JANEY ZITOMER/the Justice

COME SAIL AWAY: Janey Zitomer ’13, photographer and orientation leader, snapped this photo of several carefree Bostonians while on the Boston Harbor Cruise during New Student Orientation 2010.

ACROSS 1. Dresses in 5. Navy rank (Abbr.)

8. Early birds?

12. Colorful fish 13. Deteriorate 14. Chick’s sound 15. Prepare 17. Sicilian spouter 18. Cleans the cookware 19. Not as small 21. Wildebeest 22. Therefore 23. Joke 26. Historic time 28. Weapon in Psycho 31. Individuals 33. North Pole employee 35. Concludes 36. Annie of “Designing Women” 38. Three on a sundial 40. Space 41. Saharan 43. Director Howard 45. On the beach 47. Thwart 51. Military vehicle 52. Fare 54. Asian nursemaid 55. The whole enchilada 56. Approximately 57. Carnival attraction 58. Firmament 59. Trawler equipment DOWN 1. Canines 2. Oil cartel 3. Brussels-based org.

4. Unspoken “I don’t know” 5. Rubout 6. Affirmative action?

7. Fashion 8. Fancy centerpiece 9. Move on 10. Siskel or Kelly 11. Mast 16. Sea eagle 20. Noah’s boat 23. Bush league?

CROSSWORD

Nonfiction 1. Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand 2. The Pioneer Woman – Ree Drummond 3. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother – Amy Chua 4. Decision Points – George W. Bush 5. Cleopatra – Stacy Schiff

iTUNES

1. Lady GaGa – “Born This Way” 2. Katy Perry – “Firework” 3. Rihanna– “S & M” 4. Avril Lavigne – “What the Hell” 5. Colbie Caillat – “I Do” 6. Justin Bieber –“Never Say Never” 7. Bruno Mars –“Grenade” 8. The Black Eyed Peas –“The Time (Dirty Bit)” 9. Usher –“More” 10. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts”

BILLBOARD

24. “I’ll take that as —” 25. Advance 27. Will Smith biopic 29. Rx safety grp.

30. Kreskin’s claim 32. Stanza 34. Above all others 37. Round Table address 39. Tittle 42. “La Toilette” artist 44. Hose material 45. Open somewhat 46. Big rig 48. Oliver Twist’s request 49. “Meet Me — Louis” 50. Hollywood clashers 53. Wapiti

1. Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday 2. Red – Until We Have Faces 3. Ricky Martin – Musica + Alma + Sexo 4. Bruno Mars – Doo Wops & Hooligans 5. Rihanna – Loud 6. Kidz Bop Kids – Kidz Bop 19 7. Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party 8. Taylor Swift – Speak Now 9. Pink – Greatest Hits... So Far!!!

10. Eminem – Recovery Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided

by Fandango. iTunes top sellers provided

by Apple.com. Bestellers list provided by The New York Times.

STAFF PLAYLIST

“Soft & Beautiful” Solution to last week’s crossword

King Crossword Copyright 2011 King Features Synd, Inc.

STRANGE BUT TRUE  It was British author and publisher Ernest Benn who made the following observation: “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedy.”  If you live in Michigan, make sure you keep this in mind: If you want to hunt with a slingshot, you’ll need a special license.

The Embassy is located at 18 Pine Street in Waltham

Fiction 1. Tick Tock – James Patterson 2. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest – Stieg Larsson 3. The Help – Kathryn Stocket 4. The Inner Circle – Brad Meltzer 5. Dead or Alive – Tom Clancy with Grant Blackwood

 If you took all the other planets in our solar system and rolled them into one big ball, that ball would fit inside the gas giant Jupiter.  The next time you’re heading to Chicago, plan a stop in the nearby town of Niles. While there, you can visit the Leaning Tower of Niles, a recently renovated half-size replica of the somewhat more famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. The attraction was built in 1934 by industrialist Robert Ilg as part of a recreation park for employees of his Hot Air Electric Ventilating Company of Chicago.

 Although Billy the Kid was a notorious 19th-century outlaw, he never robbed a store, a stagecoach, a bank or a train.  A flea can jump 13 inches in a single leap. That may not seem like much, but to achieve a comparable feat, you would have to make a 700-foot jump.  Those who wish to cut federal spending today might want to take note of this historical fact: In 1790, United States senators earned a grand total of $6 per day—and only when Congress was in session.  The ancient Romans appreciated smooth, hairless skin—but to get that look, they used pumice stones to sand off their hair. Ouch.

Thought for the Day: “It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” ­—Oscar Wilde

By ARIEL KAY

Justice STAFF WRITER

This playlist is a bit melancholy, but all the songs are really beautiful and inspiring as well. I would listen to it after finishing a thoughtprovoking movie or book.

The end of the playlist is a bit more upbeat to pick your mood back up after listening.

THE LIST 1. “My Doorbell” – The White Stripes 2. “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” – Neutral Milk Hotel 3. “Polar Opposites” – Iron Horse 4. “Radio Song” – JET 5. “Criminal” – Fiona Apple 6. “Waitin’ for a Superman” – Iron & Wine 7. “Talking S--t About a Pretty Sunset” – Modest Mouse 8. “Syncopate the Beat” – Alice Walker 9. “Soco Amaretto Lime” – Brand New 10.“Goodbye” – Antarctica Takes It!