ARTS Page 21
FORUM Defaults exacerbate tuition crisis 12
EMPOWERMENT
SPORTS History of the Red Sox and integration 13 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 LXV, Number 19
www.thejustice.org
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Waltham, Mass.
STUDENT LIFE
STAGE PRESENCE
Snow storm halts campus activities ■ Winter Storm Nemo left
behind 25 inches of snow and forced school closures in Waltham and Boston. By TATE HERBERT JUSTICE EDITOR
Brandeis facilities staff and students continue to dig out from over two feet of snow in the aftermath of Winter Storm Nemo, the blizzard that forced the University to cancel classes on Friday and prompted
Gov. Deval Patrick to call for a 24hour driving ban starting Friday and ending on Saturday. Although the University resumed classes on Monday, with only light rain slicking the campus paths, Waltham and Boston public schools remained closed. The greater Boston area recorded about 25 inches of snow, according to the Weather Channel. University President Frederick Lawrence sent out a thank-you email on Monday, commending the “heroic efforts” of Brandeis staff
See NEMO, 7☛
JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice
BRING IT ON: Notable actress Eliza Dushku speaks at the ’Deis Impact keynote address on Wednesday evening in Levin Ballroom.
Dushkus share stories ■ Eliza and Judy Dushku
delivered the ’Deis Impact keynote address on their latest efforts in Uganda. By ALLYSON CARTTER JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER
Last Wednesday Eliza and Judy Dushku delivered the keynote address of the second annual ’Deis Impact festival, in which they discussed their philanthropic efforts in Uganda and their therapeutic organization, THRIVEGulu. The event, which took place in Levin Ballroom, was one of several programs planned by students, clubs and academic departments during the weeklong festival of social justice. The event and festival were sponsored by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life. Judy is a professor of government at Suffolk University and the founder of THRIVEGulu, which, ac-
cording to its website, is a “not-forprofit organization that is building and operating a trauma healing and reflection center in Gulu, northern Uganda to support the emotional healing and rehabilitation of trauma victims of the Ugandan civil war through educational programs.” Eliza, Judy’s daughter, is a film and television actor with credits including Bring It On, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse, for which she was also a producer. Associate Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life—and Eliza’s former Sunday school teacher—Marci McPhee said in her introduction to the event that the goal of the festival was “beginning to try to understand, ‘What is social justice?’” in the hope that a clarity in definition would lead to a clarity in action. Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel introduced the pair by saying that he is somewhat of a “fanboy” of Eliza’s television work. He described her as “a real, live ‘super-
heroine’” and said that the acting roles she has chosen are comprised of “characters that are strong and powerful, but that have to make really hard decisions to make a change in the world,” which Eliza herself does in real life. In her presentation, Eliza, who grew up in Watertown, Mass., said that though her involvement in social justice may seem surprising due to her film and television career, “ending up in Hollywood was more random.” She added that the trips that her mother, whom she calls “Mama Judy,” took with her students—examples of “rogue social justice travel,” Eliza said— “definitely shaped my life early.” On one such trip to Uganda, the Dushkus spoke with and listened to the stories of former child soldiers from the Gulu district, which has been a site of civil war for over two decades. It was that visit that inspired Judy’s founding of THRIVEGulu in 2009. These individuals, Eliza said,
STUDENT UNION
Zack Weaver ’16 wins seat on Student Union ■ Weaver was chosen to
fill the unoccupied Village Senator seat in a special election on Thursday. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Zack Weaver ’16 won a position on the Student Union after a close vote in the elections for Village Senator last Thursday after former Village Senator Ha Raum Cho ’13 was removed from the Senate after
See DUSHKUS, 7 ☛
violating Senate bylaws on attendance to regular Senate meetings. Following Cho’s removal, the position of Village Senator had to be filled. “[A]s stated in the bylaws I contacted Derek Komar [’15], the student who received the secondmost votes in the Senate election,” wrote Student Union Vice President Gloria Park ’13 in an email to the Justice. “I contacted him to see if he’s interested in filling the vacant seat for the Village Senator and asked him to respond by a firm deadline, and he has not responded
See ELECTION, 7 ☛
Discrimination debate
Away blues
Life on Death Row
The debate team tackled a sensitive topic for universities in a recent event.
The women’s basketball team couldn’t beat Carnegie Mellon or Case Western Reserve on their conference road trip.
Former death row inmate Damien Echols spoke at an event on Thursday.
FEATURES 8 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
BRI MUSSMAN/the Justice
FINDING NEMO: Students enjoyed playing in what Nemo left behind on Friday.
Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org
INDEX
SPORTS 16
ARTS SPORTS
17 16
EDITORIAL FEATURES
10 8
OPINION POLICE LOG
10 2
News 3 COPYRIGHT 2013 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.
2
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013
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THE JUSTICE
NEWS BRIEF
POLICE LOG
Bloomberg donates millions to Hopkins
Medical Emergency
BALTIMORE—New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is giving Johns Hopkins University $350 million for student financial aid and research addressing “complex global challenges,” bringing Bloomberg’s support of the Baltimore institution to more than $1.1 billion. The gift will provide $100 million over 10 years for an estimated 2,600 undergraduate scholarships. The remaining $250 million will be invested $50 million at a time over five years into endowments supporting 50 new faculty members charged with interdisciplinary research and teaching. Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels called the gift “spectacular” and “transformative.” University leaders presented Bloomberg with a vision for a more collaborative model of research addressing challenges like environmental sustainability and urban revitalization in June, and the business magnate and politician was receptive, Daniels said. “Words can simply not capture the incredible debt of gratitude that we owe to Mike and the amazing sense of fortune that we have in being able to claim him not merely as a graduate but as a graduate who so clearly understands us and has given so much of his time, his passion and his philanthropy,” Daniels said in an interview. “We’re just incredibly fortunate.” Bloomberg’s history of philanthropy to the university dates to 1965, when he pledged five dollars per year after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. He made his first one million dollar gift in 1984, creating a professorship in the humanities. Since then, gifts have added his family name to the university’s public health school, physics and astronomy center and newly opened children’s hospital. His gifts have totaled $1.12 billion, something that university officials say makes him the only person to have ever given as much to a single U.S. institution of higher education. The $350 million gift is among the largest single donations ever made to a university worldwide, according to a list of major philanthropic gifts maintained by the Chronicle of Higher Education. It ties as 10th-largest among all gifts and ties for fifth when not counting gifts made by foundations. Two other Bloomberg gifts to Hopkins appear on the list, which includes large gifts of $50 million or more. Bloomberg’s previous largest single gift was $120 million to help build the university’s $1.1 billion hospital that opened last year. The hospital’s children’s center bears the name of his mother, Charlotte R. Bloomberg, who died in 2011. Faculty appointed to the newly endowed positions will be assigned to at least two departments within the university, acting as what Daniels called “human bridges” between various disciplines in which research may be tacking the same challenges in different ways. For example, addressing environmental sustainability requires collaboration from engineers, economists, political scientists, philosophers and ethicists, among others, he said. Hopkins leaders explained the strategy to Bloomberg in seeking funding for the endowments. “When we brought him this idea, I think it really resonated with him because it really dovetails with what he has stood for,” Daniels said, citing Bloomberg’s efforts to promote collaboration within New York City government departments and within his financial data services businesses. “It was clear from the get-go Mike was very excited by the way in which the university had developed the proposal.” Bloomberg has also emphasized access to the university to all students regardless of financial means, in recent years funding 20 percent of all need-based financial aid grants for undergraduates in the university’s schools of arts and sciences and engineering.
Feb. 5—A party in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center sprained his or her ankle. University Police and BEMCo responded, and an ambulance was requested to transport the party to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Feb. 9—A caller in Cable reported a female party hurt her ankle while sledding. University Police and BEMCo responded, and she was treated on-scene with a signed refusal for further care. Feb. 9—A mother of a student in the Shapiro Residence Hall called University Police to report that her son reached out to her via text message to tell her of an unknown illness. BEMCo was called out to his dorm room, and the party was not located there. BEMCo was cleared. Roommates in the area of the missing party’s room said they saw him 15 minutes prior and he seemed fine. Feb. 9—A staff member at the Gosman Sports and Convoca-
tion Center reported a student with a split lip from playing basketball. BEMCo staff treated the student, and they were transported via police cruiser to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Feb. 9—University Police received a report of a student in Rosenthal East feeling ill. BEMCo and University Police responded, and the party was treated on-scene with a signed refusal for further care. Feb. 9—A student in the Charles River Apartments reported feeling ill. BEMCo was notified, and the student was transported via ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
Drugs
Feb. 3—A student in Gordon reported smelling marijuana in the common area in front of the building. A community adviser reported that the source was an unused electrical room in the basement. The party requested that fans be set up to clear the area of the marijuana smoke.
Upon the officer’s arrival, the area was vacant.
Feb. 4—A community adviser reported the past larceny of furniture from the second floor common lounge in Pomerantz. University Police compiled a report on the theft.
the music on; the student was advised to lower the volume. Feb. 8—There was a report of loud music in the area of Cholmondeley’s, which should have been closed at the time. University Police closed down the activities and cleared the crowd. The staff was left in the area to clean and secure.
Traffic
Harassment
Larceny
Feb. 5—A party reported that there was a vehicle parked on his bumper. University Police officers on-scene reported that the two vehicles were only touching bumpers with no damage. The reporting party was satisfied. There was no further action taken by the police.
Disturbance
Feb. 7—University Police investigated a complaint of loud music coming from a Charles River Apartment. Upon their arrival, there was no response from the occupants of the room. The party inside was asleep with
NOTE TO READERS: OLIVIA POBIEL/the Justice
Check our website, www.thejustice.org, periodically for updates.
The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.
Justice
the
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The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Editor in chief office hours are held Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Justice office. Editor News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing
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Feb. 5—A suspicious person interacted with a student. University Police took the student around campus in a police cruiser in an attempt to locate the person with no results. University Police compiled a report on the incident. —compiled by Marielle Temkin
Committees give reports
The Justice is on hiatus for February recess. Our next issue will be published March 5, 2013.
n The track and field results in Sports incorrectly identified a notable finisher in the Tufts Stampede. Ed Colvin ran a 4:24.99 in the one-mile run, not Greg Bray. (Sports, p. 15)
Miscellaneous
SENATE LOG
—MCT/The Baltimore Sun
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
Feb. 7—A student in the Foster Mods reported being harassed via email by a former club member. University Police compiled a report; an investigation will follow.
Celebrating a New Year Dancers dressed as a lion perform for a rapt audience in the Shapiro Campus Center yesterday to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which was on Sunday. The event also featured snacks, games and music.
The Senate met briefly on Feb. 10 to discuss its latest progress. No clubs were present at the meeting to request funding, and no Senate Monetary Resolutions were brought forward. Both the Outreach and Services Committees discussed the spring semester Midnight Buffet. Members of the Outreach committee suggested involving students in the process by asking them to submit T-shirt designs, while the Services committee suggested integrating the missions of the Student Union and showcasing what the Union does through slide shows to be presented at the Midnight Buffet. The Dining Committee primarily focused on the issues that occurred in dining due to Winter Storm Nemo, including the lack of available products and staff. It was established that the issues were not the fault of Dining Services but rather the conditions that the blizzard created. The Social Justice Committee is planning a wrap-up for ’Deis Impact, and wishes to receive feedback and suggestions for next year in order to improve the program. The Ways and Means Committee brought forth an amendment proposal that would make it easier for clubs to seek out the committee when dealing with issues. The amendment added a new component to the committee’s responsibilities, stating, “The Chair and committee retain the right to advise any UAO member on the proper handling of a constitutional issue. However, that advice is non-binding, but may be mentioned should the case proceed to the Judiciary.” The amendment passed with 16 votes for the amendment, zero opposed and one abstention. The Senate is planning to create a preamble to its by-laws explaining their purpose, and the responsibility was placed on the Ways and Means Committee. The Senate also plans to establish a new election system to make the process more convenient. Chief of Staff Jesse Manning ’13, who was not present at the meeting, had met with Senior Vice President of Administration Mark Collins regarding getting a possible bookstore stand in the library, healthy vending machines and SpringFest, among other matters. —Marissa Ditkowsky
ANNOUNCEMENTS Emancipation: 150 Years Later
Ta-Nehisi Coates, senior editor for The Atlantic, will be coming to Brandeis today to talk about “The Civil War and Emancipation in the Age of Obama.” This event is sponsored by the Department of African and Afro-American Studies with the History Department, Journalism Program, Student Affairs, the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism and the Black Students Organization. Today from 5 to 7 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall.
Winter Fun Bingo
Winter Fun Bingo! Grab some friends and drop by Ollie’s Eatery for bingo with a chance to win many winter-themed prizes to help you brave the snow or stay warm inside! Thursday at 10 p.m. to Friday at 1 a.m. in The Stein.
Youth and Service Panel
Seasoned panelists present their experiences working with youth. Reflect on your own
service experience and explore how it has impacted the education of youth and their overall well-being. Free dinner will be provided to attendees. Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Art Gallery.
The Soli Sorabjee Lecture
The Spring 2013 lecture, titled “Bureaucracy and Masculinity in India after Independence,” will feature Professor Inderpal Grewal from the women’s, gender and sexuality studies department at Yale University. Her research interests include transnational feminist theory, gender and globalization, human rights, non-governmental organizations and theories of civil society, theories of travel and mobility, South Asian cultural studies and postcolonial feminism. She is the author of Home and Harem: Nation, Gender, Empire and the Cultures of Travel (Duke University Press, 1996) and Transnational America: Feminisms, Diasporas, Neoliberalisms (Duke University Press, 2005). Currently she is working on a book-length project on the
relation between feminist practices and security discourses. Refreshments will be served. Thursday, Feb. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Shapiro Admissions Center Presentation Room.
Black History Month Closing: Soul Food Dinner
The Brandeis Black Student Organization invites you to attend the closing event for Black History Month. The event will feature delicious soul food and information about Black History Month. Thursday, Feb. 28 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Intercultural Center Swig Lounge.
Diversity One Day Conference
In honor of the 26th anniversary of the Intercultural Center, the ICC will be hosting a one day diversity conference comprised of knowledge on cultural and diversity education and open dialogue. Stay tuned for more information on this year’s theme, topics and guest speakers. Sunday, March 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Intercultural Center.
THE JUSTICE
panel
Students gather to discuss violence ■ The event, “Gendered
Violence is EVERYONE’S Problem,” featured a panel and breakout discussions. By marissa ditkowsky JUSTICE editorial assistant
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management Gender Working Group held an event on Feb. 7 in the Alumni Lounge of the Usdan Student Center as a part of ’Deis Impact on day seven. The event, titled “Gendered Violence is EVERYONE’S Problem,” featured five panelists who broke out into five separate discussion groups based upon their areas of expertise. They spoke about the different areas in which gendered violence is present in society and how event participants could continue to work as allies for victims. “One out of four women are survivors of abuse,” said Caitlin Feuer, a first-year master’s student of the Heller School who helped to organize the event, in an interview with the Justice. “[Gendered violence] affects people all over the place, and even if you aren’t a survivor …you’re still a part of society and society perpetuates norms that blames victims, asking why someone didn’t leave rather than ‘Why did the abuser do it?’” The panelists included Outreach Manager Jenny Efimova of Casa Myrna Vazquez, a group that focuses on domestic violence prevention and was initially founded as a safe haven for victims of domestic violence in 1977; Engaging Men and Boys Fellow Yves Singletary, as a part of the Boston Public Health Commission’s Engaging Men and Boys in Preventing Dating Violence Program; Community Awareness and Outreach Coordinator Stacey Lantz of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center; Project Manager Jessica Alder of the Boston Public Health Commission; Outreach and Education Manager Austin Bay of the GLBTQ Domestic Violence Project, formally known as the Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project. During the brief discussion period prior to the breakout sessions, the panelists were asked to state the reasons for their involvement in education relating to and prevention of gendered violence. “I care about gendered violence because trying to steal someone’s right to their body and their self should not be accepted, condoned or glorified,” said Alder in her response. “It is through norms like sexual violence and dating violence that limit society’s response to these unjust acts.” Efimova discussed the significance of working with victims of domestic violence on her current involvement in Casa Myrna. “It’s one thing to want to do this work because you understand the injustice that happens, but it’s different when you actually see it firsthand, and survivors and their experiences and their resilience is really inspiring,” she said. In the breakout sessions, the panelists primarily focused on victim blaming, strategies regarding becoming an ally to victims, understanding the culture of violence perpetuated by society and the presentation of violence in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer populations. “Gender is really part of our life everywhere, whether that’s gender identity, gender expression [or] the way we see gender represented in society,” said Lantz during the panel discussion. “Having conversations about gender [and] gender violence and recognizing the…different perceptions that we hold can all go into conversations about ways to make our culture better and ways to reduce types of gender violence.”
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TUESDAY, February 12, 2013
3
campus speaker
Former inmate shares his story
■ Damien Echols spent
years in prison after being convicted of murdering three boys in Arkansas in 1994. By luke hayslip JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Last Tuesday, Damien Echols, a former death row inmate now working towards his exoneration, spoke with students from the Justice Brandeis Innocence Project at an event called “Life After Death Row,” part of the second annual ’Deis Impact. Anne Driscoll, senior reporter for the Justice Brandeis Innocence Project at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, introduced a panel of speakers, which consisted of Echols, his wife Lorri Davis, his defense team advisor Lonnie Soury and CBS Broadcasting Inc. correspondent Erin Moriarty, who interviewed Echols as a death row inmate following his release from prison. Echols was wrongly convicted in 1994 as the ringleader of the “West Memphis Three,” along with Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin, who were convicted of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Ark. Following their convictions, the case has received considerable publicity as an example of a wrongful conviction, leading to the production of documentaries such as the Paradise Lost trilogy and West of Memphis, the latter one produced by Peter Jackson, and gaining celebrity support from wellknown figures such as Johnny Depp and Eddie Vedder. In 2007, new evidence showed that none of the crime scene material contained the DNA of any of the men. Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were released from prison in August 2011 after entering an Alford plea, which allowed them to proclaim their innocence while pleading guilty to the crime so that they could leave jail. After a brief screening of the trailer for West of Memphis and Moriarty’s interview with Echols after his release, the JBIP students posed questions for Echols and the panel. Echols discussed his struggles and hardships, as well as the health difficulties he faced, during his time in prison. After spending most of his days in solitary confinement in his last 10
ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice
QUEST FOR EXONERATION: Echols has been working to have his innocence recognized since his incarceration in 1994. years in prison, Echols lost the ability to see in most types of light without dark-lensed glasses. He addressed the constant fear of being attacked by inmates, who were often coerced by prison officials into doing so. Additionally, his health continued to decline to the point where he would sleep and not be confident he would live to see the morning. “You’re living with death hanging over your head at any moment and all of those things combined wear you down,” he noted in his 48 Hours interview. Echols segued into his relationship with Lorri, a landscape architect in New York who believed strongly in his innocence and began corresponding with him. In 1998, she quit her job and moved to Little Rock, Ark., an hour from the prison, to visit him. On Dec. 3, 1999, they married. “Whenever I was in prison,” Echols said, “people always asked me what things kept me going, what kept me from giving up, and it was two things: it was my spiritual practice and it was Lorri.” He continually expressed his love and thanks for his wife, who has remained one of his biggest advocates and supporters, while also discussing his admiration of Buddhism.
After meeting with a Buddhist monk who was performing last rites, Echols and the monk began correspondence as a healthy outlet for Echols. Echols spoke about the stress and depression he faced during his over 18 years on death row, and his eventual conversion to Rinzai Buddhism—a Japanese sect of Zen Buddhism practiced by Samurais—as a means of survival. Members of the audience asked Echols and the panelists questions relating to various topics from life in prison to the trial and the difficulties of transitioning into society. Carly Gutner-Davis ’15 asked about politically motivated prosecutions, to which Soury, responded that while prosecutions are not necessarily politically motivated, the issues themselves can become politicized. Celia Cataldo ’13 spoke in an interview with the Justice, after the presentation, of her longstanding interest in Echols and his story. “I heard about the case a few years ago. I watched the Paradise Lost documentaries on HBO and it just made me so interested. I’ve been following it for a while. People seemed to come here from all over, older people, young people, even from other colleges.”
In an interview with the Justice, Davis and Soury addressed their hopes and fears regarding Echols’ battle toward exoneration. “We would probably try to develop enough evidence to go to the governor,” said Soury. He continued that in the best scenario, “a judge could overturn the original verdict and throw out the original indictment,” which would allow the case to be re-opened without the potential for indicting Echols again. Before the close of the presentation, Echols again referenced his core beliefs and his focus on living. He spoke of his spirituality in depth, noting that he wants to open a meditation center in Salem, Ma. He finished with a message not to dwell on death, on the negative, but to keep alert and aware of your surroundings: “Whenever they train racecar drivers they tell them don’t look at the wall,” he says. “Look at your instrument panel, look at the track, look at the other drivers. But don’t look at the wall. Because you’re going to move in the direction that you focus your attention on.” Echols held a signing for his book Life After Death in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall at the end of the well-attended program.
panel
Panelists discuss LGBTQ movement ■ The speakers talked about
issues including diversity, marriage and persecution. By sam mintz JUSTICE editor
More than 50 undergraduates, graduate students and professors gathered in the Usdan Student Center Alumni Lounge on Thursday to participate in a panel discussion called “Progress and Future of the LGBT Movement: Brandeis and Beyond,” which featured discussion about the current status of a range of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues. The event, which was part of the second-annual ’Deis Impact, was sponsored by a new University club called Queer Policy Alliance. The panelists were Prof. Thomas King (ENG), Prof. Bernadette Brooten (NEJS), Triskelion General Coordinator Dillon Harvey ’14 and Queer Resource Center Co-Coordinator Sarah Hileman ’15. In the structured opening segment of the discussion, QPA Co-President Joe Babeu ’15, who served as the panel’s moderator, asked pre-determined questions for the panelists to discuss. The discussion began with a question about persecution of LGBTQ people in the Holocaust, and the panelists spoke about why the Holocaust is not as much of a part of LGBTQ history as it is a part of Jewish history. Brooten answered first, sharing her knowledge that there were gay men persecuted in the Holocaust, and that there is still an ongoing quest for reparations for these victims. King added that learning about history is not considered a vital part of being in the LGBTQ community.
XIAOYU YANG/the Justice
MAKING PROGRESS: Prof. Thomas King speaks as two other panelists look on. “Most other minoritized communities try to have access to history,” he said. “I don’t think queer communities have done such a good job with that.” They next discussed whether the recruitment of LGBTQ individuals by universities and businesses is “deserved, needed, or … morally correct.” Harvey’s answer highlighted the discussion. He said that though the practice reminded him of affirmative action, which he was unsure about, he could see the benefit of it. “I think diversity is a great thing, and I think pluralism’s great, and increasing the variety of people on a campus is incredibly important … and I’d rather have diversity come through rather than not let it be there,” he said. Later in the discussion, Babeu asked a question about marginalization and divides within the LGBTQ movement. In hir answer, Hileman said that many members of the community
fear that diversifying the movement and remaining open to a more diverse group of people could cause problems. “A lot of people think that it’s easier if there are not more things to deal with,” ze said. But this viewpoint, ze stated, represents “a rhetoric of exclusion from a community that’s fighting for inclusion.” “We can’t truly or fully understand the movement and fight for everyone if we don’t have this diversity of people, identities and experiences,” ze added. “Because you don’t know who you’re leaving behind and you don’t know what you need to fight for.” Later in the event, the discussion inevitably moved to the hot button topic of gay marriage. “Do you think it makes more sense to include LGBTQ people in the current approach to marriage, or instead end the practice of couples needing to ask the government for permission to
permanently tie themselves together financially?” asked Babeu. The panelists discussed the nuances of marriage, and the one of the few things that they agreed on is that there are no simple answers. “Marriage is the symbol that says we are fully human in our society, and therefore fully a citizen” said King. “That, to me, is the big problem that we have to be attacking. Why is it that marriage represents full humanity in American society the way it does, and how can we take the power away from that symbol?” King continued to say that, as a married man, he does not want to be included under the symbol or considered “more human” than others. The second segment of the event consisted of questions from the audience, the topics of which ranged from anti-gay sentiment in Africa to the role of allies to the LGBTQ movement. In response to the second question, Brooten spoke about what she sees as a “butterfly effect” of sorts, saying that even small, localized movements and changes are extremely important. “What we can change right here can have an impact,” she said. “One of the focal points that I’m giving my work to now is sexual assault on the Brandeis campus, right here. What effect does that have?” Babeu said in an interview with the Justice that he thought the panel, which was the first event organized by the QPA, went well. Other students who attended the event agreed with his assessment. “I thought it was fabulous,” said Aileen Finnin ’15. “I think it’s a conversation that really needed to happen on the Brandeis campus … and I think you can see by how many people showed up that it’s an important issue for lots of people.”
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TUESDAY, February 12, 2013
5
CLEANING UP
research
Student’s biology research published in journal
■ Asher Preska Steinberg
’13 was part of a team that studied a phenomenon called “self-organization.” By sara dejene JUSTICE editor
A Brandeis undergraduate student worked with researchers at New York University to create a model for the biological phenomenon known as “self-organization,” according to a Jan. 31 New York University press release. The model, detailed in an article in Science published the same day, uses light to activate small particles, causing them to move and assemble themselves. Asher Preska Steinberg ’13, along with NYU Professors in the Department of Physics David Pine and Paul Chaikin and Post-Doctoral Fellows in NYU’s Center for Soft Matter Research Jeremie Palacci and Stefano Sacanna, was named as an author of the article. Steinberg was enrolled in a summer research program at NYU. Common examples of self-organization are seen in flocks of birds or schools of fish that travel together in formation, as well as colony formations of bacteria. The authors of the paper studied this phenomenon by developing a “system of self-propelled particles” that were controlled by turning a blue light on or off. When the light was off, the particles were spread out with no order but when the light was turned on, the researchers saw that the particles formed crystallite structures. These structures were dynamic and would “actively translate and rotate, collide, join, and split,” leading the scientists to call them “living crystals.” After the blue light was turned off, the crystals dissolved back into colloidal particles. After performing follow up experiments, the researchers concluded that the self-organization of colloid particles was a result of both selfpropulsion and an “attractive interaction” that could be activated by light, magnets and chemicals. These controls allow the same organization seen in biological phenomena to be used in materials and could “enhance the design of a range of industrial products,” according to the press release. The press release also stated that understanding self-organization can help physicists create “new and enhanced materials.” Steinberg did not respond to requests for interviews by press time.
JON EDELSTEIN/the Justice
A worker plows after the historic Winter Storm Nemo, which dropped more than two feet of snow on Waltham. In a community-wide email on Monday, University President Frederick Lawrence sent his “heartfelt thanks” to Facilities and other staff for their “heroic effort.” international business school
IBS appoints new chairs to direct Board ■ Alan Hassenfeld and
David Hodes ’77 were chosen after a selection process led by IBS Dean Bruce Magid. By marissa ditkowsky JUSTICE editorial assistant
The International Business School recently announced that Alan Hassenfeld and David Hodes ’77 will take over as co-chairs of the International Business School Board of Overseers. Hassenfeld and Hodes were appointed in January, and their new positions are in effect for the spring semester. According to IBS Dean Bruce Magid, the selection process was initiated when Magid solicited input from board members, faculty
What’s new(s)?
and administration. He proceeded to formally recommend Hodes and Hassenfeld to University President Frederick Lawrence, and discussed the decision with Lawrence before making the final appointment. “As current members of the Board of Overseers, Alan and David both have already been involved with new programs at Brandeis IBS, and have begun some exciting discussions on how to deepen the relationships between the board and the community at large,” wrote Magid in an email to the Justice. According to a Jan. 29 BrandeisNOW article, Hassenfeld, a retired chairman and CEO of Hasbro, Inc. and adjunct professor at the University, is the current chairman of Hassenfeld Family Initiatives, an organization with a mission to support children in need and higher education, among other causes.
Magid described Hassenfeld’s efforts in establishing the Hassenfeld Overseas Immersion Program in 2011. The program allows students to take courses on developing economies and travel to these countries for a firsthand experience. According to Magid, the Hassenfeld family has been long involved in the University community. Hassenfeld’s mother Sylvia Hassenfeld is a former Brandeis Trustee, and his late grandfather Henry Hassenfeld was a former Brandeis fellow. In addition, his sister Ellen Hassenfeld Block has served on the Board of Overseers at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management since 2001. Hodes, an alumnus of the University has remained active in the Brandeis community, according to BrandeisNOW. Hodes has spoken in numerous real estate classes and has also guided students in
his spare time. Hodes has helped the recently introduced real estate specialization flourish through his continued support. He has also been a member of the IBS Board of Overseers since 2009 and was on the Dean’s Global Business Council from 2003 to 2009. As a managing partner of Hodes Weill & Associates, he has provided internships for a number of IBS students. The article continued to say that Hodes and his wife, Jolie Schwab ’78, who has served on the Brandeis Arts Council since 2008, have continuously acted as generous contributors to the IBS and Office of the Arts. “The leadership of the new cochairs, combined with our board’s ongoing commitment to advance our mission, will ensure our continued success and recognition as a leading global business school,” wrote Magid.
FRONT AND CENTER
Come find out.
Contact the editors at news@thejustice.org. No experience necessary.
OLIVIA POBIEL/the Justice
The Queer Resource Center presented an event on Tuesday called “Queerologues.” The event, part of ’Deis Impact, explored the question “What is queer?” through monologues, spoken word, songs and raps.
How does up to $3,500 sound for doing original research in Latin America, the Caribbean or the Latin American Diaspora in the United States? The Latin American and Latino Studies Program at Brandeis University is pleased to announce our 2013 Jane’s Travel Grant for Summer Research For complete information visit the LALS webpage: http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/lals/jan etravel.html Or email the LALS Academic Administrator, gamwell@brandeis.edu Summer applications are due March 13th, 2013 Apply today!
TUESDAY, February 12, 2013
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JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice
HEALING TOUCH: Judy Dushku is the founder of THRIVEGulu, a healing and reflection center for victims of the Ugandan civil war.
DUSHKUS: Eliza, Judy speak on social justice embodied THRIVEGulu’s motto of “from survivor to thriver.” She emphasized the importance of working as a team and of developing the organization’s agenda based upon the wishes of those they are trying to help. Of her work in Uganda, Eliza said that it has “brought me more happiness and purpose than anything I’ve done in my entire life.” Judy outlined in her presentation three factors that she researched before founding THRIVEGulu: trauma and trauma healing, Africa and returned veterans. She encouraged audience members to “do a lot of background work” and to bring together the ideas and experiences of a lot of people before embarking on such an endeavor. Judy said that she seeks to answer through her work with THRIVEGulu the questions of how people recover, as well as how they heal themselves and one another after times of conflict. To the audience she advised, “Set deadlines; decide it. You can’t learn everything before you start.” Daniel Terris, director of the
International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, moderated the question-and-answer segment following the presentations. In response to a question from Terris about THRIVEGulu’s current projects, Eliza described the organization’s computer literacy program. Program participants often want email and Facebook accounts, she said, so that they can connect with individuals in other parts of the world and because they “don’t want to be forgotten.” THRIVEGulu also offers a filmmaking class, Eliza said, because some of the former child soldiers they work with believe that many documentaries do not portray them accurately. One project the class participants chose, she added, was to perform and film a Bob Marley flash mob. In response to a question from a student about how her art has influenced her role in social justice, Eliza said “the best way to play characters and to play other people is to know something about them.” Acting involves being a good listener, she added, and having had others share their stories with her has helped her to tell stories.
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The Dushkus were available for photographs and autographs following the event. In an interview with the Justice, Class of 2013 Senator Sarah G. Kim, co-chair of the Student Union Social Justice Committee and one of the students who helped organize ’Deis Impact, said that the event was “eye-opening” and provided important information for students who may want to start their own organizations in the future. Lee Goldstein ’01, who resides locally and returned to the University for the event, said in an interview that the program’s message was “even more impactful and powerful than I was expecting” and that the presentations were effective in making Eliza’s celebrity endorsement secondary to the organization’s message. In an interview, Class of 2015 Senator Sneha Walia, Kim’s co-chair of the Social Justice Committee and an usher for the event, said that the Dushkus’ presentations were “dream-driven” in their primary message of “if you have the passion, you can make it happen.” “They were so eloquent, and they were so positive,” Walia added.
over the weekend, including facilities and dining services workers. Facilities Services staff, as well as additional support staff from Antico Snow Removal, were shoveling out campus during the storm on Friday and well into Sunday. “I think we got through a very difficult weekend due to the collective efforts of a lot of people across all the units within the University,” wrote Collins in an email to the Justice. Collins added that there were “a few isolated facilities issues (pipe breaks)” over the weekend, but they were a result of deferred maintenance, not the storm. Leakages in residence halls and an academic building were also reported due to the rain on Monday. The main dining halls remained open on relatively normal schedules over the weekend, with staff forced to stay at the University overnight due to the inclement weather and the driving ban, which started at 4 p.m. on Friday. “We prepared well for the storm,” wrote Director of Dining Services Aaron Bennos in an email to the Justice, adding that extra food had been ordered in anticipation of the winter storm. According to Bennos, some cooks and managers, including himself, spent the night at the faculty club lodge, while other managers stayed at a local hotel. Bennos added that he personally was able to pick up six employees who live in Waltham on Saturday, as his four-wheel drive “came in handy.” “I feel the entire dining team were [sic] outstanding especially knowing they have families at home and were concerned as I was,” wrote Bennos. “I cannot thank them enough for their tireless effort and dedication.” Several students took advantage of the day off to go sledding—and even skiing—on the hill beside Farber Library. “Once it stopped snowing, I went
out with other members of the [ski] team and built two large jumps towards the bottom of the hill,” wrote Ski Team Captain Jesse Manning ’13 in an email to the Justice. “We stayed out there till around 1 in the morning. It was awesome.” Many citizens in the area experienced trouble digging their cars out after the storm had passed, leaving snow drifts that almost entirely covered some vehicles. “They had piled a snow bank directly behind my car,” said Tori Allen ’15 in an interview with the Justice. Allen said that when she discovered her car buried in J lot after the storm, she called Public Safety for help, but was told that their staff had all gone home. A man from the company Brandeis hired as support staff, who was plowing the parking lot nearby, helped to clear her way with a snow removal vehicle, she said. Brandeis’ “severe weather” email account sent out an alert on Sunday night, advising commuters to take public transportation or carpool if possible, as some parking lots on campus had yet to be completely cleared and mounds of snow that had been plowed took up space in the lots. The email said that snow-clearing efforts would continue through Monday. While the weekend Boston and Cambridge shuttles were suspended, the Crystal Shuttle operated on the BranVan’s usual evening routes around campus and in Waltham on Friday and Saturday. According to reports from the Associated Press, over 126,000 people in Massachusetts were still without power as of press time. That number is down from about 400,000 at the peak of outages. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority resumed regular subway, commuter rail and bus service on Monday, having started to run a shorter schedule of the T on Sunday afternoon, according to the Boston Globe.
Do you, see the misplaced comma?
JOIN COPY Contact Maya Riser-Kositsky
copy@thejustice.org
ELECTION: Seat left vacant after previous senator removed CONTINUED FROM 1 to me by that time.” Park added that a minor communication error in running the elections for the Village senator position occurred, creating the need for a special election to be held after the regularly scheduled election. According to Weaver, he was not aware of the opportunity to run for the position until Friday, Feb. 1, less than one week before the vote. Weaver initiated his campaign on Monday for the Thursday election. Out of 214 eligible voters, 77 cast a ballot, meaning that 35.98 percent of Village Quad residents participated in voting in this election. “I appreciate the opportunity given to me by the Village Quad resi-
dents in representing them,” said Weaver in an interview with the Justice. Weaver plans to work on implementing changes to the Village Provisions on Demand Market hours and replacing a cracked ping-pong table in the Village, among other efforts and issues that might arise. “The Village is already one of the nicer quads, so in terms of quad improvement there isn’t really a whole lot in the way of that that I plan on looking into or doing, but my eyes are always open, and my ears of course, to the constituency,” he said. Last semester, the Senate attendance policy set a maximum of three unexcused absences for a member to remain a part of the Sen-
ate, according to Park. By the end of the fall semester, Cho had accumulated four unexcused absences and therefore had to be removed from his position. Cho explained in an email to the Justice that the primary reason for missing these Senate and committee meetings was that a close family member was battling an illness. All senators were required under the policy to notify the president of the Union Senate, who is Park, of absences in advance in order for any absences to be considered and noted as excused. “In order for us to vote on clubs, [Senate Money Resolutions], and other Senate agenda, we need to reach a quorum for us to start the meeting, so both [Class of 2014 and
Executive Senator] Ricky [Rosen] and I take Senate attendance quite seriously,” wrote Park. “Should a senator miss a meeting for personal reasons, he/she needs to simply communicate with me so that I can formally excuse them and understand the reasons for missing the meeting.” Park explained that although the attendance policy allowing an unlimited number of excused absences and a maximum of three unexcused absences had been previously upheld and was the policy in effect when Cho was removed from his position, the Senate recently passed an amendment to its attendance policy that has taken effect during this spring semester. “Now, we will no longer be dis-
tinguishing excused and unexcused absence. We now have a maximum number of three total absences per semester because as elected members of the Student Union, we need to fulfill our duty to represent our constituents,” she wrote. Park does not recall the last time a senator had to be removed due to an inability to meet the attendance requirement. “Usually when certain circumstances come up like this, they always communicate with me and I’m willing to work with them,” she said in an interview. “If you’re not even communicating with me, then that I think speaks for itself in terms of your intention and your heart behind Senate, and your desire to serve your constituents.”
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THE JUSTICE
VERBATIM | WALT DISNEY The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.
ON THIS DAY…
FUN FACT
In 1994, four men stole Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” from the National Gallery of Norway in Oslo.
In a deck of playing cards the king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.
badass takes the stage
The debate team opens dialogue on affirmative action By AlexA BALL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
When The Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society debates, everybody wins. Or at least this was the case last Thursday, when the debate team presented a public debate to the Brandeis community about the place of affirmative action in higher education as part of the second annual ’Deis Impact festival, consisting of over 40 events related to social justice in its many forms. On Thursday, Feb. 7, four members of the team ranked second nationally, Megan Elsayed ’14, Veronica Saltzman ’16, Rich Weisbach ’13 and Alexander Self ’13, presented opposing arguments on the necessity and legitimacy of affirmative action, which takes an applicant’s minority status into consideration during the application process. Intended to increase the representation of and opportunities for minority communities in higher education and in the workplace, affirmative action has sparked debates about whether or not it is justified or even effective. Elsayed and Saltzman represented the government side, or the side against the use of affirmative action in higher education. On the opposition, Weisbach and Self defended affirmative action as an effective means of combatting racism and societal inequities. Each side presented its arguments in 10-minute speeches, alternating between sides starting with Elsayed. The audience were then given the opportunity to present their own arguments and opinions, followed by the teams’ closing remarks. Elsayed and Saltzman started with the claim that it is philosophically unjust. “What does this mean?” Elsayed prompted, before continuing on to their supporting reasons. “We think that race-based affirmative action means traits and experiences based solely on race. We think this is unethical because it feeds into a racist narrative,” Elsayed said. Elsayed went on to argue that it makes minorities feel “burdened with the success or failure of their group. They got into the university, and now all of a sudden they don’t have to just get an ‘A’ on an exam, they have to undo slavery,” Elsayed challenged. Secondly, they argued, affirmative action is pragmatically harmful. “It makes people feel pressure to succeed not as a person with a goal, but as a racial identity,” Elsayed said. Saltzman agreed, arguing that “we want to perpetuate a society that doesn’t just look at race,” and that whenever the opposition “looks at race as a factor, they perpetuate the cycle of looking at race as a factor,” she said. In their argument, Elsayed and Saltzman offered alternatives to racebased affirmative action, including a policy that “corrects for people’s inability to access college,” Elsayed clarified, a policy that does not single out race as the only unbalancing factor. On the opposition, Weisbach began the argument by saying minorities face both structural and status quo difficulties. When a person’s race “actively [hurts] your ability to get in, or your ability to succeed, we think it’s fine for the system to check for these things, and we think that’s the way society moves forward.”
“When society has created a system where they systematically disadvantage certain people, they have obligations to stop the harm,” Weisbach argued. According to him, alongside repairing the damage of centuries of repression, affirmative action allows for increased diversity in higher education. This is beneficial, he explained, because “when people learn and can actually talk to people of different races and different cultures, people get better.” Self agreed, arguing that although “maybe in 50 years we will not have a society that judges people based on the color of their skin or their culture. … That is not the society today,” he said. “In society, there is prejudice, and we are the only ones who actually give you a chance to solve for this,” Self debated. Rich countered a point the opposition made about employers discrediting degrees earned by minorities aided by affirmative action, explaining that “not everyone starts at the starting line. Some people start further back, and when they finish at the same time I did, they sure as hell ran faster,” he said. The debate finished with both sides having passionately presented numerous arguments for and against the use of affirmative action in higher education. Each pair exchanged a firm handshake and a smile and came back together as teammates of BADASS, reminding the audience of the larger goal of the debate and the overall mission of the ’Deis Impact festival: to increase awareness and open up a dialogue about issues of social justice. For this debate, there were no winners. Audience member Clifton Masdea ’15 expressed that this event allowed him to “learn more about the issue of affirmative action. It’s something that I’m really interested in, and I wanted to learn more about the arguments for and against it,” he explained. Now, he said, if he were “ever to debate with someone in the future, I can actually have the facts.” Elsayed explained that public debates, such as this one, allow them to act as “objective actors who are capable of finding the arguments on both sides,” she said. Self agreed, adding that it’s a way for people “to see harsh topics talked about in a way that they can actually connect with and really identify.” For BADASS, participating in the ’Deis Impact festival presented the opportunity to have the “campus hear about important issues like social justice… Debate is always a valid way of getting two different opposing viewpoints to be heard,” debate team member and former president Russell Leibowitz ’14 explained. In regards to choosing the topic of affirmative action, “it was more of a demand that we got from the school. People wanted to hear about it, and we were really excited to talk about it,” Saltzman explained. “We like debating things that people want to hear us debate,” Elsayed agreed. Although neither team came away with a trophy, the debate served a much greater cause for the Brandeis community and for society at large. Awareness has armed people with the facts of affirmative action. Thanks to BADASS, a conversation has been started.
PHOTO BY ADAM STERN/the Justice
OPPOSING POLICY: Megan Elsayed argued against affirmative action because it makes minorities feel burdened by their success.
PHOTOS BY ADAM STERN AND JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice
ARGUING ACCEPTANCE: Debate members Weisbach, Saltzman and Self (clockwise from top) discussed the merits and disadvantages of a policy in many higher education institutions that favors prosepective minority students.
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Building climate change
PHOTOS BY WIT GAN/the Justice
COLD CAMPAIGN: The frigid weather did not dissuade SEA from organizing outside the tent Wednesday evening for hot chocolate, songs and poetry.
SEA constructs a mock refugee camp to protest fossil fuels By Ilana kruger JUSTICE staff writer
A refugee is someone who has been mistreated in some way, forcing them to move from their home. As part of ’Deis Impact, Students for Environmental Action and Students for a Just and Stable Future, an offshoot of SEA, set up a “refugee camp” behind the Shaprio Campus Center, hoping to convey to students the need to care about climate change and how it affects human beings across the globe, their “home.” The demonstration comes at the same time as the SJSF divestment campaign, which, according to SJSF member Dorian Williams ’13, “has become a national movement of students to get their colleges and universities to pull their endowments and investments out of companies that are holding fossil fuels.” Divestment was especially relevant during ’Deis Impact, as the effects of fossil fuels impact less developed areas. Environmental disasters affect everyone differently, and the poorer populations have a harder time recovering. Not everyone has the resources to start over after such disasters like the one happening in the Maldives today, said SJSF member Jacklyn Gil ’14. “Right now we are seeing massive devas-
tation in countries that are more vulnerable to climate impact and climate crisis,” said Gil. It is estimated that there will be around 50 million climate refugees by 2020, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. The refugee camp was inspired by the shantytowns that college students set up to protest apartheid South Africa in the 1980s. The SEA refugee camp represents the lives of the countless people already displaced by natural disasters, and those who will be in the future. “The modern-day equivalent of a shantytown would be a refugee camp,” said SEA President Lisa Purdy ’14. The camp was built without any funding, making it more authentic. “A shantytown looks the way it does because the people who are constructing it use whatever material they can find,” Purdy said. SJSF members built the camp with items they borrowed or found in the trash and from the free section on Craigslist, creating the feel of a makeshift refugee camp. They used wooden pallets and a tarp to create the main tent structure, with a smaller tent suspended on string and signs sporting messages about divestment and climate change. Students were able to enter the main tent and take educational materials about the campaign.The refugee camp attracted the at-
CLIMATE CAUSE: Felice Oltuski’s ’15 sign speaks for those displaced by Hurricane Sandy in Queens, NY.
tention of students and faculty alike as they walked by. “I was intrigued by the creativity of the display, even though I wasn’t sure what it was about at first,” Naomi DePina ’16 said. Some stopped to take a closer look or snap a picture and learn more about climate change by reading the signs. SJSF members took turns standing in front of the camp with their divestment petition, hoping to get signatures and explain the purpose of the demonstration. On Wednesday, the Brandeis Divestment Campaign hosted a “Hot Planet, Hot Chocolate” event at the campsite. Students, braving the cold, sat in a circle with hot chocolate, in mugs that they brought from their dorms, and talked with members of SEA and SJSF about divestment and climate change. A variety of environment-related songs and poetry were also performed, adding to the camp atmosphere. The camp was set up on Feb. 1 and was scheduled to remain set up through the rest of ’Deis Impact, but was taken down on Friday due to the blizzard. Turns out, even an environmental demonstration can be affected by the weather. SEA wants students to take the messages that the camp represents beyond ’Deis Im-
pact. As Purdy explained, “we need to keep moving forward because we have a lot to do in the next four years.” The club hopes students can take steps in their personal lives to reduce their footprints on the environment. Such activities include recycling, biking or walking instead of using a car, or more inventive ways of that might not immediaditely come to mind, such as not eating soy products or using homemade laundry detergent, according to Purdy. Joining with other students who care about the same issues can help spread the message on campus and beyond. “I hope to continue my work with groups like this,” said Rohan Bhatia ’14, treasurer of SEA. Bhatia is representing Brandeis at Swarthmore College on Feb. 24, to talk to members of different divestment campaigns at other universities. The aim of the camp was to convey the severity of climate change and how it will affect people, and help students realize they can make a difference. “We hope that people begin to appreciate the severity of climate change more, and really hope that it encourages people to push for more change, call for our university to divest, and speak out on this issue,” said Williams.
SUSTAINABLE LIVING: The camp promoted climate-friendly changes anyone can make in their own lives.
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Justice Justice
the the
Established 1949, Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Established 1949
Andrew Wingens, Editor in Chief Marielle Temkin, Managing Editor Jeffrey Boxer, Tate Herbert and Robyn Spector, Deputy Editors Celine Hacobian, Joshua Linton, Nan Pang, Adam Rabinowitz, Yosef Schaffel and Tali Smookler, Associate Editors Sam Mintz, News Editor Jaime Kaiser, Acting Features Editor Glen Chagi Chesir, Forum Editor Henry Loughlin, Sports Editor Jessie Miller, Arts Editor Josh Horowitz and Olivia Pobiel, Acting Photography Editors Rachel Burkhoff, Layout Editor Sara Dejene, Online Editor Maya Riser-Kositsky, Copy Editor
Revamp UDR program Recently, the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences began an online assessment of the undergraduate departmental representative program for this academic year. The evaluation includes a survey that solicits input on how UDRs can be more effective. Currently, a UDR is “a student or students who serve as student representative(s), organize department program events and meetings, provide feedback to the department,” according to the program’s website. This board feels that the UDR program as it currently stands does not live up to its potential. UDRs are best known for hosting one event a semester where students can learn more about the major or minor and meet professors. This alone does not adequately fill the role of a student-department liaison. Hosting a single event does not foster the feedback about the program that the position is supposed to garner. This board would like to see active efforts made to revamp of the current UDR program in order to achieve the position’s true potential. One new initiative should be a survey conducted by the UDRs about each department and program, which, similar to course evaluations, would serve as a valuable asset to the department heads to determine where each major and minor succeeds and fails. Currently there
Create department survey is no proper avenue for students to give such feedback about their program and department. Moreover, the information from the survey could be synthesized and made available to students so that they can have all the necessary information to choose a major or minor. All UDRs should also be required to attend the faculty meetings of their respective department. Currently, the UDRS are only told to “possibly attend a portion of one department or program meeting to discuss undergraduate issues,” according to the program website. How can a UDR be a proper liaison between the students and faculty if they don’t interact with the faculty on a formal level? Department meetings are the premier opportunity to discuss any and all issues students may have with the major or minor and it is imperative for the UDR to be present on a consistent basis. The undergraduate departmental representative is a valuable and necessary position for each department and program. However, in the current state of the program, there is no formal avenue for the UDRs to provide student feedback about the department to their professors. We hope that new measures are implemented so that UDRs can fulfill their role as student-department liaisons.
’Deis Impact impresses Brandeis’ Student Union and the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life collaborated in 2012 to stage the first-ever ’Deis Impact, a five-day festival devoted to promoting social justice. The two groups planned 27 events, coordinated efforts between 28 different academic departments and student clubs and laid the groundwork for a new chapter in the University’s tradition of social justice. One year later, this board is pleased to witness the development and expansion of the second-annual ’Deis Impact festival. The Student Union and International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life re-convened these past 10 days to sponsor over 40 events, all aimed at fostering and sustaining a tradition of social justice integral to Brandeis’ mission statement. The ’Deis Impact Planning Committee featured 44 members from disparate student clubs and administrative organizations, accurately reflecting the interests of the community in this engaged effort for social justice. The 2013 festival, benefiting from this multi-faceted interaction with the Brandeis community, showcased a diverse collection of events including, the “Life after Death Row: Damien Echols” event as well as the keynote address from Eliza and Judy Dushku. Additionally, given that the festival encompassed a diverse set of events, the term “social justice” was not rigidly defined. Numerous clubs and organizations joined to promote their own conceptions of social justice, and in the process, present numerous avenues for advocacy and activism. This open and accessible forum for discussing the idea of social justice should serve as a strong foundation for future discussions and efforts.
Garnered student interest This board also feels that the added foresight and expanded scope of the committee certainly contributed in raising the profile of ’Deis Impact. While last year’s festival partially suffered from a lack of name recognition, the committee spear-headed an aggressive, timely, and ultimately successful awareness campaign this year to off-set this issue. The ’Deis Impact Committee accomplished this goal through engagement with various student organizations, a clear and concise website, as well as a notable presence on social media mediums. The festival fittingly concluded last night with the second annual Brandeis SoJust Leadership forum, featuring a collection of prominent Brandeis alumni who have promoted social justice in a diverse array of professional fields. More importantly, these alumni will display to students the transformative impact of their actions both on-and-off campus, and in turn, present opportunities to pursue this course of activism after graduation. This board advocates for the continued faculty and student input into such a vital collection of causes. It is crucial to promote the importance of student advocacy and activism on a daily basis. The term social justice is often thrown around on campus as a universal cry for activism, and yet, no action follows. We hope that the student body furthers the concrete action that is the ’Deis Impact festival and applies it to their daily lives. We encourage ’Deis Impact to occur on an annual basis. The festival continues to serve as a reminder that social justice is the defining aspect of the Brandeisian way of life.
TZIPORAH THOMPSON/the Justice
Views the News on
In recent years, the United States has waged a quasi-secret campaign of targeted killings against suspected militants abroad. This past Thursday, the public got a rare glimpse inside these clandestine operations as the chief architect of the strikes, John Brennan, a White House counterterrorism advisor, was up for conformation for C.I.A. director. Additionally, a recently made public Justice Department White Paper states that it is lawful to kill a United States citizen if “an informed, high-level” government official decides that the target is a ranking Al Qaeda figure who poses “an imminent threat of violent attack” What do you think about the killing of terrorist targets without trial, citizen or not?
Alia Goldfarb ’13 The U.S. model of democracy has unfortunately allowed for grave human rights abuses to take place within seemingly ever changing ‘legal’ frameworks. For example, the internment camps in World War II authorized by President Roosevelt led to many legal killings of internees. These camps were highly popularized through propaganda comparable to publicity tactics of today—merely the focus has shifted towards Islamophobic and xenophobic prejudices. Thus, I wonder how a ‘democratic’ nation can give a single authority figure the exclusive power to decide over any human being’s life, citizen or not. I further question our government’s ethical code. In my opinion, such legislations only aggravate further violent actions and inhibit the nonviolent attempts to nurture peaceful coexistence. Alia Goldfarb ’13 is the undergraduate departmental representative for Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence studies.
Marielle Temkin ’13 The biggest of many problems with this whole Justice Department memo scandal is that our government can order the killing (aka: murder) of its own citizens without any proof of their involvement in Al Qaeda. What happened to due process? What happened to innocent before proven guilty? I understand that the safety of our country is incredibly important to our leaders—it’s important to citizens too. But my blood boils when I think about the fact that someone sitting in the White House can order the murder of an American for no reason. Sure, they can claim they were acting in self-defense by protecting the country from dangerous individuals, but I am more concerned about the danger these officials are inflicting on our country by acting against the values upon which it was founded. Bring back due process. Marielle Temkin ’13 is the managing editor of the Justice.
Prof. Reuven Kimelman (NEJS) The government position on targeted assassination of would be terrorists has a moral and legal difficulty. Morally, targeted assassination can only be condoned were the target already to have committed a capital crime or were the committing of such crime imminent. Imminence means there is no time for an alternative and that without intervention immediately the target would commit a capital crime. Legally, the problem is who makes the judgment. It cannot be the call of the executive branch. Indeed, it cannot be the call of anybody who has something to gain from the act whether politically or personally. This has to be the call of the judiciary who is to assess the nature of the potential crime and its imminence and only then issue a warrant. If this is proper procedure with regard to police breaking into the house of a suspected criminal then all the more so with regard to killing a suspected criminal. Prof. Reuven Kimelman is a professor in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department with an expertise in ethics.
Sarah Park ’14 The way our high-ranking government officials decide to exact justice based on a suspect’s religion, politics or other affiliations is immoral and unconstitutional for it implicitly condones government-sponsored murder. A “hunch” that someone is a terrorist is insufficient to stand alone as evidence of a crime. Under the Fifth, Sixth and fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution, all American citizens are guaranteed the right to a trial by jury, due process and habeas corpus. These rights must not be ignored under any circumstance for they protect citizens from the tyrannical rule of the masses. We must diverge from the mindset that suspected terrorists are convicted terrorists. All American citizens—whether they are suspected terrorists or confirmed enemy combatants—deserve to be considered innocent until proven guilty. Further, President Obama must mind his duties as the President, which is to serve as the representative of the People, not to serve as the judge, jury and executioner of the People. Sarah Park ’14 is the Vice President of Young Americans for Liberty.
THE JUSTICE
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013
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Republican Party must respect minorities to succeed Avi
SNYDER VOICE OF REASON
These days, it’s conventional wisdom that the Republican Party needs to figure out a way to attract more minority voters if it is going to remain a viable major political party. The numbers speak for themselves. In the 2012 election, President Obama won 93 percent of the African-American vote, 71 percent of the Hispanic vote and a whopping 73 percent of the Asian vote. In the more than three months since the November election, Republican after Republican has put forward ways to solve the GOP’s “minority problem.” Conservative pundits Sean Hannity and Charles Krauthammer proposed embracing immigration reform, where others have spoken of the need for Republicans to sponsor more black and Hispanic candidates. However, while immigration reform may serve as good public policy, I don’t think Hispanic votes can be bought so easily. Likewise, as much as I would like to see a more diverse group of Republican office-seekers, tokenism won’t cut it. Several days ago, Avik Roy, a conservative health- care expert—of Indian descent— published an article on National Review Online, where he argues, I think correctly, that Republicans will win a bigger share of the minority vote when they stop trying to buy minorities off and begin to treat with them with respect as voters. Roy writes, “The more Republicans make a genuine effort to respect minorities’ languages, cultures, faiths, and values, the more likely it is that the GOP can find a broader audience for its core principles, and in turn build a truly durable conservative majority.” Roy’s analysis of the issue is spot-on. If the past is any guide to the present, the serious outreach to those who stand outside “mainstream” American culture may prove particularly difficult for the Grand Old Party. Our Republican and Democratic parties are some of the oldest political parties in the world. Since the Civil War era, they have dominated our political system. Of course, the particular policy positions each party has held has changed a great deal over the years. What has remained remarkably consistent, however, are the overall characters of both
HANNAH KOBER/the Justice
political parties. Since the days of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, the Democratic Party has been the party of the outsiders. As political analyst Michael Barone once put it, “The core constituency of the Democratic Party has been people who are seen by themselves and by others as something other than ordinary Americans or, to put it in less offensive terms, out groups.” From slaveholders to Southern farmers, from Irish Catholics to European Jews, from Hispanic immigrant to the LGBTQ community, Democrats have always represented the “other.” In contrast, the Republican Party has traditionally represented “normal,” “mainstream” Americans. In the 19th century, this group consisted mainly of Northern Protestants. Today, the average GOP voter is a married, middle-class, white, Christian male. The upshot of all this is that Republicans have always had a problem reaching out to minorities. This was true one hundred years ago as much as it is today. The Republicans were able to remain a viable political party, because, eventually immigrants assimilated
and out-groups became in-groups. The rise of the Southern middle class facilitated the South’s movement to the GOP as much as backlash against the Democrats’ embrace of civil rights. The rise in Catholic votes for Republicans is undoubtedly linked to the mainstreaming of Catholics in American life along with the rise of the abortion issue. So why can’t Republicans just wait for that same transition to happen with today’s outgroups and minorities? For example, why can’t Republicans just wait for more Hispanic Americans to enter the middle class and start voting Republican? This is because assimilation isn’t what it used to be. Comparatively, it is much easier these days to become a successful member of mainstream American society while still retaining strong ties to one’s fringe identity. Just look at our country’s Asian population. What other immigrant group has had such great success in obtaining the American dream and becoming part of American society? Yet, many Asian-Americans remain non-Christians, part of a variety of religious minorities. Likewise, most of us know im-
migrant families who, rather than avoiding their mother-tongues as past generations of immigrants did, made an active effort to teach their native languages to their children. Even as America’s out-groups become ingroups, they retain a sort of outsider identity. For the GOP to appeal to these votes, it is going to have to shed its 160 year identity as the party of “normal” Americans. As Roy argues, it is going to have to embrace the “other” in a way it hasn’t in the past. This transition will be a challenge, but not an impossible one. As I mentioned before, our parties have changed over the years. If you had told Abraham Lincoln that in 150 years the South would be voting almost uniformly Republican, the Great Emancipator would have been shocked. That our first black president is a member of the party that once stood for slavery and Jim Crow is an epic historical irony. The world is shrinking quickly, and identities are more fluid and complex than they used to be. If Republicans want to avoid shrinking as a party, they will need to meet the challenge of embracing this reality.
Student Union’s personal opinions should not influence vote By GRADY WARD SPECIAL TO THE JUSTICE
Student Union senate meetings are relatively tame. Debate consists of differing parties sharing a speaker’s list, moving methodically through the motions of democracy with the rarest of hiccups. However, when I heard the Cannabis Culture Club was on the agenda, I cleared my Sunday afternoon. The purpose of the club would be to advocate for the legalization of hemp and marijuana in a drug free environment. The club’s representatives, a group of six diverse and spirited speakers, had quite a bit to say. They discussed the benefits of hemp, the trend toward legalization and the way in which discussion is fundamental to policy change. The Union then asked a few basic questions about the goals of the organization, and proceeded into a discussion where the members of the club had to leave the room, standard procedure for all clubs looking to be recognized by the Union. What ensued could best be described as a dog trying to catch its tail. The debate began calmly, but quickly became contentious, polarized in the extreme and profoundly interesting. Analogies ranged between the Klu Klux Klan and the Queer Policy Alliance. Reasons to charter the club included: “Why not?” “discourse!” and “the administration doesn’t hate it,” while those against the club used arguments ranging from “they should join Stu-
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dents for Environmental Action” to “illegality” to “asthma.” The end verdict 30 minutes later, 5 in favor, 11 against, and 1 abstain, clearly reflected personal opinions, as opposed to any constitutional reason to recognize the club or not. The discussion at its best was muddled, at its worst, crass. Amid all the heated rhetoric and discussion underlies a more sinister and frightening truth: The Union has embraced its rituals, its unanimous votes and formalized rules, to the point that it has forgotten why it votes the way that it does. The Union has become so comfortable with what is easy to extract from its founding documents, that the senators have neglected the larger philosophies of purpose imbued within the Union’s constitution and bylaws. They have so honed in on specific and simple reasons for not recognizing clubs, such as ‘duality of purpose’ and ‘inclusivity,’ that they don’t have any larger principles to fall back upon. Their division on the Cannabis Culture Club reflected the discord surrounding the Union’s purpose, and the role that senators’ votes play in that purpose. Some senators decided to vote based on constitutionality, moral right, constituent base, or personal feeling. It wasn’t clear what they were supposed to vote on, so each senator decided for himself. I am not a proponent of marijuana. I don’t think that people need another high-risk deci-
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The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the last page of the newspaper, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,500 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.
sion to make, I think that it is an abuse of the human body and physically addictive. Be that as it may, I am for freedom of speech. As is the saying so often surrounding the Westboro Baptist Church: “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will always defend your right to say it.” I personally believe that it is wrong for our student-elected officials to reject a club because of personal disagreements with its purpose. I don’t think that the Union should reject a club for Democrats because they are Republicans, or to reject the Queer Policy Alliance because they believe that homosexuality is a choice. Without the Cannabis Culture Club, who will convince me that I am wrong? When it comes down to it, rejecting a club based on any grounds other than constitutional ones is censorship. It is the imposition of the opinions of some to suppress the spread of the opinions of others. Our student government should not allow itself to be a part of this oppression of speech, and adjudication of opinion. Ultimately, I think that the right to freedom of expression is far more fundamental and far more important to Brandeis’ mission of social justice. Good ole’ Louie would never silence the Queer Policy Alliance, the Westboro Baptist Church or the Cannabis Culture Club. The 20 words in the Student Union Bylaws on the recognition of clubs are that 1) The club may not be a fraternity or sorority, and 2) that the club cannot “duplicate the purpose or goals of another currently Recognized or
The Staff
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Chartered Organization.” When approached by a prospective club, the senators should only vote on these stated and explicit rules. The Cannabis Culture Club is unique. It may share some motives of environmental activism with other clubs, but ultimately its overall message and purpose is the legalization of cannabis, a goal no other club on campus even remotely shares. Duality of purpose is the only stipulation in the constitution as to why clubs should not be recognized, and thus it is really the only reason the senate should not recognize. Clubs are the way in which ideas and thought are spread on campus, and ultimately allowing all people to share their ideas best serves Brandeis’ social goals, and students’ best interests. I expect more out of our elected officials. I expect the members of the Union to realize that discourse, in all of its forms is a positive thing. I expect the Union to look beyond its personal aversion to the desires of some members of its student body. I had hoped the Union would hold itslef to a higher standard. Not what they felt but what is right. Not what is easy, but what is just. Luckily the Union understands that it needs to address this issue. This Sunday’s meeting, the Union decided on a date to discuss why they recognize clubs, and what the basis for recognition should be. I for one hope they choose well. Grady Ward is the non-senate committee chair of the Club Support Committee.
Editorial Assistants Arts: Rachel Hughes News: Marissa Ditkowsky Layout: Rebecca Lantner Ads: Schuyler Brass Copy: Brittany Joyce Staff Senior Writers: Josh Asen, Allyson Cartter, Jacob Moskowitz Senior Photographer: Jon Edelstein, Alex Margolis, Jane Zitomer News: Shani Abramowitz, Ariel Glickman, Danielle Gross, Luke Hayslip, Raquel Kallas, Ilana Kruger, Suzanne Schatz Features: Alexa Ball, Selene Campion, Rachel Miller Forum: Michael Abrams, Jennie Bromberg, Aaron Fried, Noah M. Horwitz, Liz Posner, Leah Smith, Avi Snyder, Naomi Volk Sports: Ben Freudman, Avi Gold, Jonah Price
Arts: Aliza Vigderman, Aaron Berke, Erica Cooperberg, Alex DeSilva, Aliza Gans, Eli Kaminsky, Olivia Leiter, Zachary Marlin, Adelina Simpson, Emily Wishingrad Photography: Wendy Choi, Bri Mussman, Josh Spiro, Karina Wagenpfeil, Michelle Wang, Copy: Aliza Braverman, Jennie Bromberg, Hilary Cheney, Patricia Greene, Andrew Hayes, Max Holzman, Brittany Joyce, Eunice Ko, Kinza Kukhari, Megan Paris, Christine Phan, Mailinh Phan-Nguyen, Leah Rogers, Will Schneiderman, Amanda Winn Layout: Elana Horowitz, Jassen Lu, Denny Poliferno Illustrations: Hannah Kober, Mara Sassoon, Arielle Shorr, Tziporah Thompson
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013
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THE JUSTICE
FORUM
Student loan defaults represent need for change Glen
CHESIR CHAGIS CHOP
A 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-class sedan. Season tickets to the New York Knicks. 65 shares of Google stock. 50,000 cans of coke. This random assortment of items has nothing in common except their market price—around $50,000. We Brandeis students however join hundreds of thousands of students nationwide in paying that same $50,000, albeit towards a slightly different investment—our annual college tuition. Every student must find a way to finance the investment that is a college education and hope that the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term costs. Brandeis is proud of its ability to help students finance their education, offering over 50 percent of its student body some form of financial aid, according to the admissions website. Nationwide, according to a Department of Education study, between 2006-7 and 2009-10, the percentage of first-time, full-time undergraduates receiving financial aid increased from 75 percent to 85 percent at all four-year colleges. Additionally, 63 percent of students in private, not-for-profit schools and 50 percent in public institutions took out student loans. These numbers, although staggering, have not stopped a 37 percent increase in college enrollment. The system nevertheless may have recently hit a breaking point. According to a recent Bloomberg report, Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania and George Washington University have taken students who have defaulted on their loans to court in an attempt to force students to pay up. According to a TIME magazine article on the subject, most of these suits have been filed against recipients of Federal Perkins Loans, which are subsidized loans usually awarded to lowerincome students with exceptional financial need. These suits are reflective of yet another growing problem in the endless effort for affordability in higher education, as student defaults grew by 20 percent from 2006 to 2011, totaling up to over $964 million. And so the obvious question arises: How can a college education become more affordable while creating a more secure loan process while still decreasing the amount of defaulted loans? In short, how can the college aid process become more efficient? Fortunately, as with any business firm, there are two ways to make a company, college included, more efficient: raise funds and decrease costs. The TIME magazine article argues for the need to raise funds through potential govern-
NAN PANG/the Justice
ment legislation as a way to curb the rising default rate for students. President Barack Obama recently suggested an increase in the Perkins Loan program from one billion to eight billion dollars by recruiting more schools to be involved and awarding federal money to those schools that are able to curb rising tuition rates. Although this would facilitate more students being able to apply for the loans, the article notes that the increased fund would raise the interest rate on the loans from five percent to roughly 6.8 percent, making it even more difficult for students to come up with their payments. So, as an increase in the overall funding pool is not a viable option, what else can be done to help make college more affordable for students? To answer that, we must look at the other end of our efficiency equation—and cut costs. President Obama has touted the cost cutting model for higher education throughout his recent reelection campaign, including propos-
ing a grant program to reward universities for coming up with new ways to cut costs. One way to decrease costs is to follow the recent “hybrid model” of the University of Central Florida; that is, offer semi-online, semi-in class courses. For example, a calculus class would meet twice a week using some form of online lectures and a third time in person to go over any questions, give quizzes, etc. Brandeis has already taken steps towards online learning, albeit not for a reduced price, with the recent online consortium of schools in a program called Semester Online. However, the online model, and all the reduced financial costs that arises from it, comes with all the drawbacks associated with a loss of classroom time and professor exposure. Another way to cut costs may lie in the rise of excessive college administration. According to a report by the Goldwater Institute, the number of administrators per 100 students rose by 39 percent between 1993 and 2007. To compare, the number of faculty who
either teach and or do research rose by only 18 percent—less than half the rate of administrators. Moreover, spending on salaries of administration increased by 61 percent in that time span, while spending on faculty rose by 39 percent. To be fair, the Goldwater report notes that students pay only a small percentage of the costs associated with running a university. Much college financing comes from private gifts and government funds. However, it is clear that there are ways for colleges to reduce costs, whether by decreasing administrator salaries, offering online courses, or through some other means. In order to be truly invested in educating the minds of the future, colleges must do everything in their power to keep education accessible to as many as possible. After all, with the reported Yale and G.W. lawsuits over a mere $6,500 and $7,000 respectively, a few cuts here and there may save a student from defaulting on his or her loans at all.
Alleged sexual assault represents problem with Greek life Aaron
FRIED FREE THOUGHT
Last week, both The Brandeis Hoot and the Justice ran front-page articles discussing an alleged sexual assault case between two university students. The incident, according to The Hoot is alleged to have occurred at a fraternity’s rush party on Dartmouth Street. Since news of this incident broke on campus, rumors about it have been flying around as quickly as people’s gossip will carry them. According to both articles, the Greek Awareness Council—a recognized campus group dedicated to bringing Greek life to Brandeis—sent out an off-the-record email to the members of Greek life, asking them not to publicly discuss the incident. This email was intended to stifle rumors that could harm the reputations of the fraternities and sororities at Brandeis. This was a responsible move on the GAC’s part. While its motivation seemed primarily political, its action could serve to prevent people from adding to the rumor mill, which would complicate matters for the police and the parties involved in the alleged crime. The GAC has made it eminently clear that its organizations will stand aside and allow the investigation to commence without interference. While both papers published quotes from the email, it baffles me that The Hoot felt the
need to publicize this off-the-record email in the manner that they did. The article seemed to insinuate that the Greek organizations were attempting to cover up the issue, and keep it out of the public eye. Even if this were the case, there is certainly no evidence for it. The Hoot’s quotations from the GAC merely showed their intent to quash rumors, not hide evidence. There was no need to shine any light on this private, off-the-record email. It is a case of dubious journalistic ethics, and the editor of a school newspaper ought to know better than to publicize private information with no good cause. There was nothing wrong or untoward being done in the GAC’s email, and this seems to have only been an immature attempt to paint the Greek organizations in a bad light. Despite their good handling of the situation surrounding the sexual assault allegations, the Greek organizations can do more to prevent future incidents. In the case of any crime, no one ought to be blamed for it but the criminal, but all who partake in creating a scenario conducive to crime must rethink their approach to recruitment. Rush parties, for example, are a veritable powder keg for sexual assault and harassment. These events carry an implicit invitation for first-years to come in and drink underage. Alcohol-fueled, jam-packed parties of any type are hotbeds for unwelcome advances, and new students are particularly vulnerable in unfamiliar situations like rush events. While fraternity members may take some responsible steps to keep their parties safe, they are ultimately treading on thin ice by hosting these sorts of events. They are, as lawyers say, liability nightmares. A desire for your party to look cool in order to entice new recruits should never outweigh
responsibility. While fraternities as a whole should not be held liable for crimes committed by individuals during their house parties, all party hosts should certainly take the initiative to reduce and hopefully remove the possibility of sexual assault at their events. The fraternity involved commendably took immediate steps in the right direction when the sexual assault allegations surfaced by halting rush parties and suspending the accused member. This semester, the fraternity will not host any more rush parties. They ought to consider continuing in this direction in the future, and weigh the merits of different recruitment events for the future. If it is truly brotherhood that they seek, they will find none at these rush parties; these events do not bring out camaraderie, but rather, predation. Much of the campus community understands this trend about rush parties, which made it seem likely to many that sexual assault could occur at a rush event. Greek organizations—for their own sake—should strive to make sexual assault at their events as inconceivable a possibility as it is for events hosted by Waltham Group, or a science club. Just because an event is conceivable, however, does not mean that it should become a topic for the water cooler. Alleged sexual assaults should not encourage Greek-bashing, and more importantly, they should not inspire gossip. Sexual assault cases must be treated with discretion, by everyone who is affected by them. Sexual assault is a very serious accusation, with life-altering consequences for all parties to the alleged crime. Consider the case if the allegation is true: Somewhere on campus, a girl was sexually assaulted. She is likely traumatized and upset—yet compulsive
gossips make her into conversation fodder. The emotional scars would be bad enough; social scarring need not be added. The accused, too, has rights and must be considered innocent until proven guilty. Consider the case if the allegation is false: Surely, if you can conceive of a person malicious enough to commit sexual assault, you can conceive of a person malicious enough to lie about it. This sort of accusation can change people’s perceptions towards a person, and ruin his or her reputation. We’ve all played “telephone,” and it’s quite obvious how easily stories can be distorted through rumors. Could you imagine the pain of an innocent person who would forever wrongly be known as “the rapist?” The Court of Public Opinion is merciless. It is not objective, as every member of the jury is shown different evidence, and its verdicts can never be appealed. It is best to allow such matters to be handled by the police and the real courts, as they are the only ones with the tools necessary to make clear judgments. While it is tempting to want to see justice, it is crucial to remember that when we discuss how justice must be obtained, we do so in the abstract. We need to set the legal guidelines by which the police and courts operate, but allow them to function unimpeded after doing so. If you want justice, let the system do its job. If you don’t like the way the system works, work to change it on a legislative level—but do not stick yourself into the gears of the judicial system. If we turn every crime into an issue of public outrage by treating sensitive crimes as front-page tabloid news, we risk impairing the justice system’s ability to do its job properly. Such an immature approach prevents justice and is almost guaranteed to harm the innocents involved in the crime.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013
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Discovering the lost history of Fenway Park integration Paul Linet ’75 looks to “set the record straight” through film By HENRY LOUGHLIN JUSTICE EDITOR
Like many young boys who were raised in Framingham, Mass., Paul Linet ’75 was instructed to love the Boston Red Sox. However, for all of the treasured aspects of his beloved team, there was something that upset him—the Sox were the last team to include black players on its roster. “It was always the one thing that bothered me,” said Linet, who was six years old when infielder Elijah “Pumpsie” Green became the first black player to join the team in 1959. “I used to eat, sleep and breathe the Red Sox, but it always bothered me that they were the last team to integrate.” After the Sox won the World Series in 2004, Linet, who is manager of customs and trade at L.L. Bean, Inc., traveled from his home in Boxborough, Mass. to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y to learn more about his hometown franchise’s puzzling decision to maintain segregation. The Hall of Fame directed Linet’s attention toward a book titled “Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston” by Howard Bryant. What Linet read surprised him. Since the United States had just fought against barbarism in World War II, Boston City Councilor Isadore Muchnick questioned why the nation’s baseball teams had to be segregated based on race. In fact, Muchnick told the Red Sox that he refused to provide a crucial vote to allow baseball to be played on Sunday unless the team gave a tryout to an African-American man. As a result, in 1945, two years before Jackie Robinson—the first black man to play in Major League Baseball—broke in with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he had a tryout with the Red Sox. Three different Negro League players appeared for their tryout and a chance to make history—Robinson, who, at the time, played for the Kansas City Monarchs, Sam Jethroe of the Cleveland Buckeyes and Marvin Williams of the Philadelphia Stars. The players showed up and performed some drills before being dismissed. While none of those three players were offered a contract, the Red Sox decided to offer a white man named Milward “Mel” Quinn,
who was on furlough from the Army, a contract with the team. Linet was aggrieved that Muchnick never got recognition for advocating in what he believed was just—even before Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey decided to sign Robinson in November of that year. Six years after that fateful visit to Cooperstown, Linet decided to contact Quinn to learn more about the tryout. Linet, whose daughters Ariel Linet ’08 and Sarah Linet ’10 also graduated from Brandeis, reached out to Ellen Friedland ’80, a filmmaker whom he found through the Brandeis alumni network. Together, they entered an agreement to produce a documentary, which he has tentatively titled “Debunking The Curse: Boston, Baseball and the Pursuit of Equality.” “We’ve begun filming,” said Linet in an interview with the Justice in January. “We are still in the process at the moment, but we’re definitely headed in the right direction.” One of the biggest components of the film will be a series of interviews with Quinn, of whom Linet spoke highly. “He’s a really nice guy,” said Linet of Quinn, who lives in Virginia. “We’ve been down a few times to interview him, and so far, it’s gone really well.” Despite investing time and resources into this process, Linet insists that his main purpose in making the documentary is not about personal gain, but rather to focus on a poignant chapter in the rich and illustrious history of integration in American baseball, which he feels has been covered up. “This process is to try to set the record straight and bring light to an episode of American history that has gone relatively unnoticed,” he said. And while the particulars of the littleknown incident are of special interest to this die-hard baseball fan, his main focus is on giving Muchnick his due for going against the grain at a time in which racism was quite prevalent. “This incident has been covered in American sport history,” he said. “This is really about the issue of social justice.” In light of his alma mater’s commitment to the latter, it’s safe to say that Linet has used his Brandeis education to better the world.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BEACON PRESS
AN OBSCURED TALE: The book ‘Shut Out’ focused on the riveting story behind Linet's documentary which he hopes to share. He is in the process of producing a film with Ellen Friedland ’80 and Milward “Mel” Quinn.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL LINET
CONNECTING WITH THE PAST: Ellen Friedland ’80 (left), Milward "Mel" Quinn (center) and Paul Linet ’75 pose for a photo during filming.
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THE JUSTICE
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013
15
ATHLETE PROFILE
jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS Men’s BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS
Points Per Game
Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference Overall W L D W L D Pct. Rochester 9 2 0 20 2 0 .909 WashU 8 3 0 18 4 0 .818 JUDGES 7 4 0 16 6 0 .727 Emory 7 4 0 15 6 0 .714 Case 4 7 0 11 11 0 .500 Chicago 4 7 0 10 12 0 .455 NYU 2 7 0 13 9 0 .591 Carnegie 2 9 0 5 17 0 .227
UPCOMING GAMES Friday vs. UChicago Sunday vs. WashU Saturday, Feb. 23 at NYU
Gabriel Moton ’14 leads the team with 15.0 points per game. Player PPG Gabriel Moton 15.0 Ben Bartoldus 10.1 Derek Retos 9.5 Alex Stoyle 9.0
Rebonds Per Game Gabriel Moton ’14 leads the team with 6.0 per game. Player RPG Gabriel Moton 6.0 Alex Stoyle 5.4 Youri Dascy 4.0 Ben Bartoldus 3.0
WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS
TEAM STATS
Not including Monday’s games
Points Per Game
UAA Conference Overall W L D W L D Pct. Emory 9 2 0 19 3 0 .864 Rochester 9 2 0 17 5 0 .773 WashU 8 3 0 18 4 0 .818 Case 7 4 0 15 7 0 .682 Carnegie 5 6 0 13 9 0 .591 Chicago 3 8 0 7 15 0 .318 JUDGES 2 9 0 8 14 0 .364 NYU 1 10 0 8 14 0 .364
Kasey Dean ’14 leads the team with 8.6 points per game. Player PPG Kasey Dean 8.6 Hannah Cain 8.1 Erika Higginbottom 6.0 Janelle Rodriguez 5.0
UPCOMING GAMES Friday vs. UChicago Sunday vs. WashU Saturday, Feb. 23 at NYU
Rebounds Per Game Hannah Cain ’15 leads with 5.5 rebounds per game. Player RPG Hannah Cain 5.5 Erika Higginbottom 4.5 Samantha Anderson 4.5 Kasey Dean 3.6
SWIMMING AND DIVING Results from the Judges’ home meet against Regis College on Saturday, Feb. 2.
TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)
TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)
200-YARD BACK Padraig Murphy David Lazarovich
TIME 2:09.15 2:11.00
200-YARD BACK Lauren Cruz Gabby Drillich
100-YARD FLY Jared Goldman Manu Wendum
TIME 1:00.84 1:11.96
100-YARD FLY Holly Spicer Theresa Gaffney
TIME 2:21.48 2:25.62 TIME 1:11.21 1:13.09
UPCOMING MEET: The men’s and women’s teams will compete at the University Athletic Association Championships at UChicago tomorrow through Sunday.
TRACK AND FIELD Results from the Tufts Stampede at Tufts University on Saturday, Feb. 2.
NOTABLE FINISHES (Men’s)
NOTABLE FINISHES (Women’s)
1-MILE RUN Ed Colvin Grady Ward
1-MILE RUN Amelia Lundkvist Victoria Sanford
400-METER DASH Josh Hacunda
TIME 4:24.99 4:35.99 TIME 52.96
400-METER DASH Casey McGown
TIME 5:10.05 5:11.15 TIME 1:02.70
UPCOMING MEET: The men’s and women’s track and field teams will next compete at the New England Division III Championships at Bates College on Saturday.
JAN VOLK/Sportspix
LOOKING FORWARD: Saberist Zoe Messinger ’13, seen with coach Bill Shipman, has shone this season for the Judges.
Messinger gives an experienced outlook
■ Zoe Messinger ’13 has been a steady presence in guiding the Judges, who are mostly young fencers. By AVI GOLD JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The women’s fencing squad is going through a transition this year and features only five upperclassmen. In light of the squad’s youth, the team is fortunate to have saberist and captain Zoe Messinger ’13 on board. “We’re definitely going through a big transition period,” said Messinger, who was named University Athletic Association Fencer of the Week for the week of Jan. 27. “My freshman and sophomore year we had a lot of upperclassmen and they graduated and we had a loss of people. This year we have a full team, which is really exciting.” The sport of fencing is broken down into categories of weapon—saber, épée and foil—and each weapon has different techniques for fighting. Despite being a saberist, Messinger
sees herself as a mentor for the team, running practices and doling out key nuggets of wisdom to guide younger fencers to success. “I don’t call time-outs for other weapons, but as a captain it’s my job to keep moral up,” she said. “If you see someone cheering, you can fence 1000 times better.” In addition to leading her team to an impressive 15-9 record this season, Messinger notched a personal best fifth-place finish at The Big One tournament, hosted by Smith College, this past November, earning nine wins to only one loss. In her three previous seasons at the Big One, Messinger had never placed higher than ninth. In Messinger’s eyes, nothing has changed in her game, but rather, she is more focused this year as compared to years past. “I’m really driven because I was really close to making NCAA’s last year and it would be such an honor to compete against the top 25 fencers in the country,” she said. Messinger notes that her teammates possess that same intense motivation for success. “What I really
BOSTON CELTICS RECAP Celtics explode for seven-game winning streak after devastating injury to Rondo If things weren’t bad enough for the stumbling Celtics, another nail in the coffin came in the form of a torn anterior cruciate ligament for star point guard Rajon Rondo in a 123-111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 25. However, the Celtics have been undefeated, going 7-0 since Rondo was injured. The first game Rondo was injured for was a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, a series in which Rondo kept the Celtics in lead, scoring for the team in four out of the seven games, including a 44-point night. Furthermore, shooting guard Ray Allen had left Boston for Miami, making a Celtics win seem even more impossible. However, the Celtics stayed in the game all through the first half, with forward Paul Pierce making a last second rebound to tie the game at the
half. Boston had a three-point lead with 19 seconds left to play, but it was 2012 NBA Most Valuable Player, forward LeBron James, who sank a three with just seconds to go, leading the game to overtime. With time winding down, Kevin Garnett was able to tie the game and force a second overtime. Pierce gave the Celtics a two-point lead after a jumper and a foul, giving the Heat one chance to score. The Heat gave the ball to guard Shane Battier, who couldn’t sink the shot, giving Boston a huge upset win, 100-98. The Celtics were then able to breeze by the stumbling Sacramento Kings (winning 99-81) and Orlando Magic (97-84), making them 3-0 without Rondo and broke even with a record of 23-23. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Celtics took advantage of turn-
overs and took a 19-point at the half, 59-40. However, the Clippers, led by point guard Eric Bledsoe, went on a 13-2 scoring run early in the fourth quarter. A couple of missed shots by the Celtics and fast break points from Griffin and forward Jamal Crawford and the Clippers were only down by three. Bledsoe quickly responded to Boston guard Jason Terry’s jump shot by knocking down a crucial threepointer, making the game a two-point game. Pierce ended the game by making a three-pointer with two-and-ahalf seconds remaining, giving Boston another win without Rondo. Then on Feb. 6, the Celtics came out on top again against their division opponent, the Toronto Raptors, 99-95, who had just gotten back their star player, center Andrea Bargnani. On Thursday night, the Celtics went
up against perhaps their most storied rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, who they decimated 116-95. Pierce had a strong showing, leading the Celtics’ scoring with 24 points, as did Green who was second in scoring with 19 points. Most importantly, forward Kevin Garnett became the 16th player in NBA history to score 2,500 points. The Celtics then beat the Denver Nuggets in triple overtime on Sunday, 118-114, in a game which featured a triple-double from Pierce. While losing a star NBA player for an already struggling team would normally spell certain doom, the Celtics have managed to not only make the most of it, but put themselves back in the playoff race and continue to upset and shock the rest of the NBA. — Jonah Price
see is this drive that I’ve never seen in the four years I’ve been here,” she said. As captain, Messinger hopes to impart lessons of camaraderie and team bonding for the underclassmen, and hopes they learn to “just be there for each other.” She explained that most fencers at Brandeis did not compete on high school teams, and in her eyes, the best part of the team is the bond it creates between fencers. She also hopes that she can foster good technical skills for young fencers to harness throughout their careers. This year, Messinger has continued on the road to success, recording no more than three losses in any match this season, and she hopes to conclude on a high note. After narrowly missing a qualifying berth in the NCAA tournament last season, she hopes to end her collegiate career with what she calls a once in a lifetime opportunity. Regardless of personal successes, Messinger is glad to serve as a mentor for a new crop of fencers and is thankful for the opportunity to teach the next generation of Judges.
The women’s fencing and the men’s and women’s track and field teams had scheduled meets for this past weekend cancelled due to the blizzard.
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MESSINGER LEADS JUDGES Zoe Messinger ’13, named UAA Fencer of the Week for the week of Jan. 27, is working towards another successful postseason, p. 15.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Waltham, Mass.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Judges beat Tartans but fall to Spartans ■ The men’s basketball team
was unable to overcome a slow start against Case after beating Carnegie in a thriller. By JACOB MOSKOWITZ JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER
While the men’s basketball squad escaped Winter Storm Nemo during its University Athletic Association road trip through Pittsburgh and Cleveland, the Judges failed to avoid defeat on the court. They managed a late comeback against the 4-16 Carnegie Mellon University Tartans on Friday night, edging out the hosts by a 73-68 margin. But on Sunday, Brandeis fell behind the 10-11 Case Western Reserve University Spartans by as many as 22 points before making a late surge, eventually losing 56-47. The weekend split gives the Judges a 16-6 (7-4 UAA) record. While the split certainly was a disappointing result, the injuries the team experienced during the trip were certainly worse. Guard Ben Bartoldus ’14 went down in the Friday night game with a fractured big toe. Guard Gabriel Moton ’14 was a late scratch due to plantar fasciitis and forward Alex Stoyle ’14—last week’s UAA player of the week—and forward Anthony Trapasso ’13 did not travel with the team due to illness. Their absences were felt throughout most of the game. Against Case, guard Derek Retos ’14 twisted his ankle in the first half and sat on the sideline, icing his ankle the rest of the game. Moton played in the game, but the team’s lack of offensive firepower was evident. The Judges managed to score just 47 points against Case, their lowest total since the first game of the season, a 4644 loss to Rhode Island College. They shot just 29.5 percent from the field and 60 percent from the foul line. “Whenever we’re playing ball, things happen,” guard Jay Freeman ’13 said, regarding the injuries. “We have to try to overcome it as a team and try to bounce back and win a game. They went down, so you still have to play.” “We missed Derek [Retos] because of his three point shooting, and Ben [Bartoldus] can score, so he would have helped us as well.” The Judges started out with a quick 10-4 run just five minutes into the match against Case, and even with injuries, it looked like they could win the game. However, the Spartans ended the half on a 22-8 run to take a 26-18 halftime lead. Without Retos, Coach Brian Meehan tried a bigger lineup to start the second
JOSHUA LINTON/Justice File Photo
SOARING HIGH: Center Youri Dascy ’14 leaps above an Emory player during the Judges’ 72-67 win over the Eagles on Feb. 1. half, and brought in forward Ishmael Kalilou ’15 to try and find some scoring to fuel a comeback. However, shortly after, Kalilou received an elbow to the head, and was taken out of the game. The teams traded baskets for the first eight minutes of the half. With 12:20 left, the Judges found themselves in a 38-30 deficit.
The turning point in the game, though, followed a three-point attempt from guard Colby Smith ’16. The shot caromed off the back of the rim and Case secured the rebound. The Spartans went down the court and nailed a jumper, swinging the momentum back in their favor. From that point on, the game was out of reach.
Center Youri Dascy ’14 led the Judges with 16 points and 11 rebounds, although he shot just 5-for-16 from the field. Moton added 12 points and six rebounds, while Freeman scored nine off the bench. Meehan reflected on what the injuries from the weekend mean for the team going forward.
“There are a couple of problems,” he said. “Ben [Bartoldus] and Derek [Retos] are two of our most experienced guys. Ben defends our opponents’ best scorer, and Derek has provided us with a lot of offense off the bench. As captains they’re leaders on the floor.” “Right now, I have no idea what we’re going to do as far as changes. We’ll have to change the offense a little, move things around and give different guys more responsibility.” On Friday, the shorthanded Judges opened up the game strongly, establishing a 24-24 tie with seven minutes and 16 seconds to go in the first half. On the next possession, Carnegie Mellon senior guard Andre Moore nailed a three-pointer to give Carnegie a 27-24 lead, and from there, they held the lead for almost the rest of the game. The Tartans entered halftime with a 35-31 lead. With four minutes left in the game, Moore hit a layup to equal the Tartans biggest lead, 61-48. Then, the Judges went on a run. Retos nailed a three-pointer and Meehan called a timeout to set up the press. The defensive pressure led to an 18-6 run that cut the Tartans’ lead to just one with 53 seconds to play. Freeman scored 10 of the Judges 18 points over that stretch. The Judges fouled on the ensuing possession, and Moore missed the front end of the one-and-one. Dascy then made a jump hook, drew a foul and made the free throw with 27 seconds to play, giving the Judges their first lead of the half, 69-67. With 15 seconds left, Moore drove to the basket and Dascy fouled him. He missed the first free throw and made the second, cutting the lead to one. The Tartans had to resort to fouling. Smith and forward Connor Arnold ’14 nailed four big free throws down the stretch and the Judges squeaked out a 73-68 victory. “I think it was because different guys got the opportunity to play,” said Arnold, referencing the comeback. “They’ve been ready all year. A lot of guys, like Freeman, were ready to go, and they gave us an energy we haven’t seen all year.” Retos led all scorers with 19 points, knocking down 5-of-12 three-pointers. Freeman added 18 points and five rebounds off the bench. Dascy had 16 points on six-for-seven shooting, but came off the bench as center Wouter Van der Eng ’13 got the start. The Judges return to the court on Friday night in a home game against the University of Chicago. They play their final home game of the regular season on Sunday against Washington University in St. Louis.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Team drops two on the road to UAA opponents ■ The women’s basketball team was unable to repeat its heroics against Rochester in its latest two conference tilts. By JEFFREY MASER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Judges hit the road this weekend, starting with an away game against the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans at Skibo Gymnasium on Friday followed by a trip to the Case Western Reserve University Spartans at Horsburgh Gymnasium on Sunday. The Judges lost both games, falling to Carnegie Mellon and Case by respective scores of 58-50 and 50-36. With the losses, the Judges fall to 8-14 and 2-9 in the University Athletic Association. “There wasn’t a large difference between the two games,” said forward Erika Higginbottom ’13. “The biggest
difference was at Carnegie, we kept turning the ball over during a stretch of the game, and at Case, we just couldn’t make shots during a certain stretch. In both games, there was just a certain stretch where we just couldn’t pull it all together.” Against Case, the Judges started the game on the right foot, as forward Samantha Anderson ’13 stole the ball from the Spartans on their opening possession. However, the Judges could not turn the turnover into offensive momentum, and the Spartans answered by scoring the game’s first five points. Higginbottom then responded for the Judges by hitting both of her foul shots. Foul shots proved to be a strong area for the Judges in the game, as they went on to go 10-for-14 from the line. However, the Judges struggled while shooting from all other areas of the court throughout the game, shooting 13-for-67 from the field.
At the end of the first half, the Spartans led the Judges 23-15. The second half was much of the same for the Judges, as they continued to struggle from the field. The Judges were unable to hit any of their 3-pointers throughout the game, going zero-for-11 from beyond the arc. Due to the team’s cold shooting from the field, the Judges were only able to score 36 points throughout the game, their fourth lowest scoring output of the season. However, the Judges played well on their own end, limiting the Spartans to only 50 points. That is a positive sign for the Judges, given this this was only the third time in the past 11 games that the Judges were able to hold their opponent to 50 points or fewer. Senior guard Evy Iacono had a strong game for the Spartans, scoring 15 points by hitting four field goals and going seven-for-eight from the free throw line. Senior guard Erica Iafelice also played well for the Spartans,
racking up four assists, four steals and eight rebounds. Center Angela Miller ’13 led the offensive charge for the Judges, scoring ten points in only eight minutes of action. The Judges’ strongest defensive performance of the game came from guard Hannah Cain ’15, who led the team with nine rebounds and four steals. However, like the rest of her teammates, Cain had trouble on the offensive end, going two-for-11 from the field. The Judges found more success offensively against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans on Friday. The Judges started out on a high note, scoring six of the first eight points. However, senior forward Emily Peel and senior forward Liza Otto responded for the Tartans, combining to score the game’s next eight points. Peel and Otto continued to dominate the Judges offensively throughout the rest of the game, scoring 21 and 14
points, respectively. Peel scored her 21 points through nine-for-11 shooting and three-for-four from the free throw line. On the Judges’ side, Higginbottom led the team with 12 points by shooting four-for-six from both the field and the free throw line. Guard Janelle Rodriguez ’14 and Anderson led the team in rebounds with nine, while Cain had a team-leading three steals Although the Judges were able to keep up with the Tartans for most of the game, turnovers would prove to be the Judges’ downfall, as they gave up 23 turnovers. The Judges will welcome the University of Chicago at 6 p.m. on Friday. Following that game, the Judges will play their final home game of the season, when they tip off Washington University in St. Louis at 1 p.m. on Sunday. — Jacob Moskowitz contributed reporting.
JustArts
Volume LXV, Number 19
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Your weekly guide to arts, movies, music and everything cultural at Brandeis and beyond
Waltham, Mass.
Lost and Found Brandeis Theater Company’s production of ‘In the Heart of America’ creates intrigue P. 20
In this issue:
‘When Rebellion Becomes Revolution’
Vagina Monologues Liberating performance strides toward ending sexual violence. P. 21
Folk Opera P. 19
Lena Dunham talk at the MFA P.23 This week’s PHOTO CONTEST:
Grammys Annual award show stuns audiences with wins and losses. P. 23
‘Love in Schlossberg Village’
P. 20
“Vacation”
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TUESDAY, february 12, 2013 | THE JUSTICE
CALENDAR
INTERVIEW
What’s happening in Arts on and off campus this week
ON-CAMPUS EVENTS Gallery Talk: Walead Beshty
Join artist Walead Beshty in the Rose Art Museum for a discussion of his exhibition. Beshty has collaborated with Rose director Christopher Bedford to create two exhibitions of paintings and sculptures drawn predominantly from the Rose collection that will focus on two aesthetically and conceptually distinct accounts of post-war abstraction. Tomorrow at 4 p.m. in the Fineberg Gallery of the Rose Art Museum. Admission is free.
“Close Looking” Series Event: Reading of Marcel Proust Letters
Pamela Dellal Voice instructor directs a dynamic folk opera Photo Courtesy of Pamela Dellal
This week JustArts had a conversation with Pamela Dellal, mezzo-soprano and voice instructor at Brandeis. Dellal conceived and directed the folk opera Love in Schlossberg Village, which made its once-in-a-lifetime debut at Brandeis this weekend. JustArts: Would you please tell us a bit about your start in music? Pamela Dellal: I think, like a lot of the Brandeis students, I was in love with music as a child, and found ways to perform. I was in my high school choir and was a flute player so I had an instrumental background as well as a singing background. It was what I wanted to do, so I made a way to go to college to study music, which I did at Boston Conservatory, and started a career in Boston. JA: What was it that brought you to Brandeis? PD: It was interesting—I was putting together a kind of crazy life where I was doing a bunch of performances but I had some part-time nonmusical work, as many musicians do, and it was around the time when I realized that my professional life was busy enough that I really needed to let go of my office work. And kind of serendipitously, James Olesen, the Director of the Choruses at Brandeis, asked me: would I be interested in teaching voice? It’s amazing how these things happen in your life! JA: On that same note, what is your impression of the vocalists with whom you have worked and whom you have taught here? PD: I have been blessed to have some extraordinarily talented students here at Brandeis. It’s interesting to see the musical students who choose to come to Brandeis. They have things they have to contest with. It’s a small department. I have to say that all of the students that I’ve had at Brandeis have all inspired me and have all been extremely serious about their study. JA: Could you tell us a bit about the creative process behind your conception of Love in Schlossberg Village? PD: For the past three years, the Music department has been trying to put together these opera performances. To put on a production in Slosberg is difficult because we don’t have the resources that the Theater department has. You know, it’s not really built for that. When you do an opera. you have a certain number of really spectacular leading roles. And by doing what I’ve done, [with Love in Schlossberg Village], which is to create a story out of pieces of music by one composer that were never meant to be a story, I was able to create small roles for many, many students. It was kind of a leap of faith. But I really love that I was able to create roles based partly on who turned out to audition. I have to say that really, I haven’t done anything like this before. There is a beautiful simplicity to a lot of the music. It suggests a certain kind of story, which is basically a story about unhappy love, happy love. The story was basically being told by all of the pieces, but they weren’t meant to go together, which I thought was really delightful. JA: This type of performance has not been done at Brandeis before. What do you hope the effects of opening up this genre to our musical students and to our community will be? PD: I definitely want the people who come to see it to realize that seeing a performance of a classical work, and a work in a foreign language, can be immediately as compelling as a work performed in English. I want the audience to see that there’s a lot of talent in the Brandeis Music department. And I want [the performers] to realize how powerful this music can be, and how it really is a different experience singing great art. JA: What advice would you share with aspiring singers? PD: I think aspiring singers need to understand all the elements of their craft, and be very serious about building their talents in all the areas. They need to be very good at interpreting music, they need to very good at reading music, being able to work with the notations and the rhythmic structure, and they need to know how to be good ensemble musicians. A lot of young musicians are so passionate but they neglect some of those tools. That will hurt them, because it’s a tough business. You have to have that ability to say, “I can prepare this piece at 12 hours notice.” — Rachel Hughes
Join Brandeis friends and colleagues for an in-depth discussion of the University’s collection of 23 original handwritten letters by one of France’s most celebrated writers, Marcel Proust, to his editor and publisher, Bernard Grasset. Prof. Hollie Harder (ROM) and Prof. Paul Jankowski (HIST) will lead the historically-rooted discussion. Tomorrow from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall.
Rose Art Museum: Spring Exhibitions Opening Celebration
The Rose Art Museum celebrates its opening for the year 2013 with three new exhibitions. Ed Ruscha’s “Standard” will be shown in the Foster Gallery, Sam Jury’s “Coerced Nature” will be shown in the Lee Gallery and an exhibition by Walead Beshty will be in the Gerald S. and Sandra Fineberg Galleries. Tomorrow from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum. Admission is free to this event.
Gallery Talk: Sam Jury
Join artist Sam Jury in the Rose Art Museum for a discussion of her exhibition. Jury’s tense, painterly videos give visual form to the notion of suspended trauma, in particular the fraught relationship between human
beings and our environment. Jury’s work will be projected onto sculptural forms, walls, and windows, with some work intervening on public spaces. Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Rose Art Museum. Admission is free.
Film Screening: Shorts from “Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia”
Sponsored by the Program in Film, Television and Interactive Media and the Edie and Lew Wasserman Fund. Screening to be followed by a Q&A session with filmmaker Hamilton Morris. This event is free to Brandeis students. Thursday at 7 p.m. in Edie and Lew Wasserman Cinematheque, Sachar International Center. For more information about this event, please contact Dona DeLorenzo via email: delorenz@ brandeis.edu
HEARTBEAT at Brandeis: The Israeli Palestinian Youth Music Movement
Israeli and Palestinian youth musicians of HEARTBEAT embark on a debut U.S. tour to promote cooperation and understanding. The group has performed across Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Germany, and will interweave traditional Eastern and Western music. Tuesday, Feb. 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Levin Ballroom. This event is free and open to all ages.
World Music Concert: New Sounds from the Arab Lands
Experience a sublime mix of spontaneity and control rooted in a thousand-year-old tradition of improvisation. From Syria and Tunisia come five eminent musicians who combine jazz, classical music and the microtonal modes of Arabic music. Supported by the Brandeis Arts Council and produced in partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Thursday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. in Slosberg Recital Hall, talk with ethnomusicologist Theodore Levin at 7 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 for Brandeis Community and seniors; $5 for students, all available through Brandeis Tickets.
Pop Culture I’m not here to preach about good and bad behavior—I just relay the news about it. But this week, in my opinion, was filled with some of the nicest and the meanest behavior in the pop culture universe. Let’s start off with the Biebs. The pop star was in the Big Apple this past weekend to serve as both the host and musical guest for Saturday Night Live. Per usual, there was an obscenely large gaggle of gals waiting outside NBC Studios on Friday hoping to catch even the slightest glimpse of the singer and (hopefully) win some free tickets to watch him in all his Biebertastic glory. But those fans got far more than they were expecting: Nemo. Sure, we got hit here at Brandeis, but New York City got her fair share of snow, too. And, of course, that meant that the Beliebers waiting outside 30 Rockefeller Center had to brave all the blizzard-ly elements. But Justin proved he treats his fans well; the star ordered them piping hot pizza pies! All morning, NBC and Justin’s fans were blowing up Twitter with pictures and tweets of appreciative girls holding up boxes of Famous Original Ray’s Pizzas (mmm). Talk about a nice guy. While Justin was busy feeding his fans on the East Coast, his off-againon-again girlfriend, Selena Gomez, was making some of her fans smile on the West Coast this past Thursday. After landing at LAX, the 20-yearold Disney princess was mobbed by fans screaming for an autograph as she climbed into her royal coach (aka, black SUV). Rather than ignore the mob or crack open the window and give a quick autograph, Selena surprised everyone—including her bodyguard—by inviting three of the girls into her ride! Everything was captured by TMZ—including one of Selena’s bodyguards yelling, “Stop! Stop!” as the trio of girls filed into the car. Some news outlets are calling the decision dangerous, but the three thankful fans feel differently, having
OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS
Broadway in Boston: “Jersey Boys”
The 2006 Tony Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the story of four blue-collar kids becoming one of the pop music’s greatest successes. Showing through Mar. 3 at the Citi Emerson Colonial Theater, Boston. Tickets range from $34 to $104.
Cezanne’s “The Large Bathers”
A remarkable loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art has provided the opportunity to see two of the great masterpieces of French painting hanging together in Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. They are being shown as part of the MFA’s Visiting Masterpieces series, staged in the Sidney and Esther Rabb Gallery. On view until May 12 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Tickets range from free up to $25. Museum admission is free with a student I.D.
Boston Symphony Orchestra: Stravinsky and Haydn
These two very different works for orchestra and voices will be performed together, lead by conductor Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos. Featuring Stravinsky’s 1919 ballet Pulcinella and Haydn’s 1796 composition Mass in Time of War. Performances at the Boston Symphony Hall. Show dates from Feb. 21 to Feb. 26. Tickets range from $30 to $124, and prices vary by show date.
Disney on Ice: Rockin’ Ever After
Come see everyone’s favorite beloved Disney characters, new and old, in this massive celebratory ice show. “Disney on Ice” is some winter fun that the whole family can enjoy. Opens Friday and shows last through May 19. Performances will be at TD Garden (Fleet Center) in Boston. Tickets range from $29 to $140, and prices vary by show date.
By Erica Cooperberg
Los Angeles Times/MCT
GILMORE NO MORE: Actress Melissa McCarthy doesn’t let the critics keep her from success. tweeted and posted pictures singing praises of their idol. With so many random acts of kindness, I guess it’s only to be expected that somewhere, someone in Hollywood would be brewing something bad. And so, I introduce to you Rex Reed, a movie critic for the New York Observer, who seems like more of a bully than a journalist. Last week, Reed wrote a review for Identity Thief, a film that he didn’t quite enjoy. That’s fine—everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But Mr. Reed crossed the line from informative critic to downright nasty. Reed spent
most of his malevolent energy ragging on Melissa McCarthy, whom he described right off the bat as “cacophonous” and “tractor-sized” (it should be noted that he didn’t provide any other actors with any sort of description). In another mature comment, Reed called McCarthy a “female hippo,” while referring to her co-star Jason Bateman as “charming” and “attractive.” The mean-spirited critic even falsely attacked McCarthy’s career, claiming it was “short” and hinges on her being “obese and obnoxious.” Yuck. Someone get this bully a season of Gilmore Girls and a new attitude.
ARTS COVER PHOTO: Josh Horowitz/the Justice, From left: Robyn Spector/the Justice, Los Angeles Times/MCT, Joshua Linton/the Justice DESIGN: Josh Horowitz
ON CAMPUS
THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, february 12, 2013
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concert
Off-the-wall musicians surprise audience By emily wishingrad justice Staff writer
On Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall, I attended by far the strangest concert of my entire life. The Gentlemen’s Very (Very) High Art Society of South Waltham performed six pieces—only three of those pieces I would loosely refer to as music. This statement is not as closed-minded as it seems. These three pieces were for the most part, improvised, not meant to sound perfect but rather transcend sound and evoke emotion. The program listed the titles of the pieces but also provided what looked like poetry underneath three of the titles. For example, under the title of the piece “Treffpunkt” by Karlheinz Stockhausen, a few lines read, “everyone plays the same tone/ lead the tone wherever your thoughts/ lead you/ do not leave it, stay with it/ always return to the same place.” This was perplexing until I realized that the poems were, in fact, the scores. The musicians were not reading musical notes; they were improvising off of the poems, which seemed to dictate the character and movement of the pieces without giving any specific direction as to notes or rhythms. The program was not only unconventional in that it included the scores of the pieces, but it also included the musicians’ nicknames along with their full names and instruments. Some of the most enjoyable ones were “Daddy O,” “Her Pinkness” and “Incredible Fulk.” Featuring their comical and playful nicknames on the program may have aimed to inform the audience of the musicians’ personalities and allowed for the audience to better enjoy the music. The act of not knowing seemed to be the theme of the night. In this concert, it was hard to know anything for sure—especially what we, the audience, were supposed to be thinking and feeling. The improvised pieces were not beautiful in any regard and were certainly not enjoyable to listen to. The first piece, “Abwärts (from Aus den
sieben Tagen),” by Stockhausen began with banging on the piano in the most literal sense of the word, with plenty of squeaks from the instruments. A member of the audience, Rebecca Bleich ’16, commented in response to the general discomfort in listening to the offkey, random string of notes: “Humans like to hear nice things. We’re engineered to like music that sounds good and reject music that sounds bad. Personally, my ears were offended.” She is right. I was cringing in my seat for half of the concert while I tried to reconcile this noise with my notion of music. After some research, I learned that the improvised pieces were part of a musical style known as “Intuitive Music,” a concept first introduced by Stockhausen in 1968. This musical style, as suspected, does not use scores. Rather it uses verbal or graphic instructions in order to instruct the performers of what to play and how to play it. Surprisingly, after reading the “score” however, it was easy to see how the improvisation followed the directions. The musicians did seem to adhere to the music as best they could. However, the pieces were not all of the Intuitive Music style, and the “Trickle-Down Tango” by Travis Alford was actually quite enjoyable. The piece featured a melodica, an instrument that looks like a mini piano and is attached to a white tube, through which the musician, Alford, or “Buzz Face,” blew. The instrument sounded like a wind instrument, possibly like a clarinet. The piece was jazzy and upbeat and best of all, had a set tempo, key signature and a structure. This concert was definitely an earopener. The name of the group suggested a high-class concert featuring Bach or Vivaldi, but after listening to the music, the name seemed ironic. Then again, maybe it is not. Maybe in a few centuries, Intuitive Music will be seen as just another style similar to Romantic or Baroque. Was the concert overall enjoyable to listen to? For the most part, no, it definitely was not. However, it did make me think about music in a whole new light.
JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice
GENTLEMANLY CONDUCT: The band fused Jazz instruments with poetic scores to create a novel aesthetic.
Dellal’s opera creation unhindered by storm
MUSIC
By rachel hughes justice editorial assistant
KARINA WAGENPFEIL/the Justice
STAGED PERFORMANCE: The production gave stage time to almost 60 students in all, whose beautifully performed German arias told the story of a small 19th century countryside village.
Three years ago, Brandeis’ Music Department began planning annual productions aimed at expanding the opportunities for vocal students at the University. These efforts culminated in the premiere of a folk opera this weekend titled Love in Schlossberg Village. Conceived and directed by Pamela Dellal, a mezzosoprano concert vocalist and vocal instructor at Brandeis, the production was performed by the Brandeis University Chorus, the Chamber Choir and voice students of the Music Department, the entire performance conducted by Prof. James Olesen (MUS). Originally scheduled for performance on Saturday evening in Slosberg Recital Hall, the production was hastily cancelled due to Winter Storm Nemo, and as road maintenance was undertaken, it was thankfully rescheduled for the following morning in the same location. The scheduling shuffle did not seem to greatly affect attendance to the production, as the recital hall bustled with students, parents and University affiliates alike. The robust attendance is a fitting testament to the anticipation of a performance of this genre at Brandeis. Love in Schlossberg Village is the first production of its kind to have been performed at Brandeis—it is not based on an existing opera, but was created by Dellal by piecing together several works by German composer Johannes Brahms. The storyline, which follows the romantic woes and wants of townspeople in a small village in Germany in the early 19th century, emerged as Dellal re-created the lyrics of the original Brahms works. One of Dellal’s main concerns in creating the production was to accommodate the need for active parts for a great number of students, which was very successfully tended. The show featured almost 20 leading roles and up to 60 performers took the stage at once during larger chorus pieces. Technically, the production was no small feat for the performers to pull off—the entire one-and-a-half hour performance was sung in meticulously practiced and largely memorized German. Love in Schlossberg Village has no nar-
rator, contrary to the form of many traditional operas. Rather, the production was kept fluid by slick transitions between songs, and the continuous accompaniment of a single piano, seamlessly executed by pianist Mark McNiell. To ensure that the largely English-speaking audience could keep up with the story, Dellal chose to do something novel—project a pithy English translation of the lyrics to each song onto the main stage wall. As the students performed, viewers could simply glance above their heads to read what they were singing to one another, sans the distracting flipping of program pages. The performance itself was very well planned out and prepared for by Brandeis vocal instructor Pamela Wolfe—the stage was set and every performer was in costume. The male students wore white or blue button-down shirts, similar trousers and some even sported lederhosenesque suspenders. The female students pranced around the stage in billowing white cotton skirts and dresses with modest corset-structure bustiers, decorated with delicately embroidered flowers. Their hair was braided and tied with ribbons while flowers and trees on the set gave the stage the charm of a small, rural German village. Love in Schlossberg Village follows the story of two young, star-crossed couples, and the townspeople who surround them during the throes of their romances. The audience is first introduced to the slew of busybody townspeople; then as the songs change, each number lets the audience take a closer look at the dynamic between two or three performers: siblings, friends, lovers, mothers and children. The performance concludes with the resolution of all of the woes between the pairs, ending in the festive occasion of a wedding between two of the town’s blossoming lovers. As the tale of the townspeople wrapped up, the audience doled out a solid wave of applause while the cast basked in the success of their performance. Despite the technical challenges that were presented in the scheduling and showcase of the performance, Dellal and her colleagues managed to pull off quite a feat in Brandeis’ musical history.
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TUESDAY, february 12, 2013 | THE JUSTICE
theater review JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice
Daring play explores provocative themes
CLOSE CONNECTION: Relief sets in after Craver, played by Yoni Bronstein ’13, (right) helped Fairouz (Rebecca Miller ’13) find her brother, Remzi, played by Ahmed Kouddous ’13 (left), who went missing while fighting in Iraq.
By david kratzer special to the justice
JOSH HOROWITZ/the Justice
MYSTERY WOMAN: Lu Ming, played by Viktoria Lange ’13, is a mysterious character who helps bring out other characters.
War, Palestine and the persistence of hate: Naomi Wallace’s non-linear play, In the Heart of America, presents difficult subject matter for any production to portray without devolving into stereotypes and farce. A Palestinian-American woman’s search for her brother, who went to fight during the first Gulf War, aided by a spirited, soulful and scraggly-toothed southerner, is not a typically Brandeisian story. However, the Brandeis Theater Company’s multicultural cast brings a sincerity to the complex themes that leaves the audience disturbed and questioning—in the way that only great theater can. The plot centers on Fairouz, a Palestinian-American woman from Atlanta in her mid-20s, and her search for Remzi, her younger brother, who has gone missing while fighting in Iraq. The show, however, pivots on Craver, Remzi’s friend and fellow soldier, as Craver serves as Fairouz’s only means of determining her brother’s whereabouts. The identities of the characters Lu Ming and Lieutenant Boxler remain a mystery for the first act, though their purpose in the show becomes clear during act two. As director, Prof. Janet Morrison (THA) succeeds in disentangling the playwright’s complex web of recurring phrases, helping the audience to locate themselves within time and draw attention to the play’s themes. From the specificity of each character’s unique walk, including the meticulous depiction of Fairouz’s limp, to the subtle emphasis placed on the repetition of the intermingling of hate, love and death across characters, Morrison brings clarity to a difficult piece of theater. The lack of temporal continuity be-
tween scenes would make the show difficult to engage if not for the intensity with which Rebecca Miller ’13 and Yoni Bronstein ’13 present the first scene as Fairouz and Craver, respectively. Miller’s intensity during her astounding performance carries through Fairouz’s monologue in the second act, pain visibly transitioning to relief, presenting the audience with an emotionally engaging moment of liberation. Bronstein fully disappears into Craver, making it easy to forget that he is not, in fact, from Kentucky. Craver’s remembrances of love were responsible for at least one set of teary eyes during the above-mentioned performance. Ahmed Kouddous ’13 as Remzi is defined by his character’s relationships with the rest of the cast, specifically Fairouz and Craver. Kouddous creates distinct and believable relationships with both, developing a foil on which the other characters are able to evolve. Viktoria Lange ’13 and Brandon Green, a Masters in Fine Arts student, construct the second pairing of the show, Lu Ming and Boxler. Lange rises to the difficulty of depicting a purposefully mysterious character, allowing the relationship between Fairouz and Remzi to be mirrored across circumstances and time. Her demeanor quickly transitions from playful to dominant as the text requires, depicting the simultaneous grace and strength of Lu Ming. Green manages to inspire both disgust and sympathy in the audience while depicting a character that transcends race through sheer racism, an eerie feat which creates palpable tension within the theater. All of the actors were supported through the careful selection of costume, designed by Jessica Rassp ’13, which accurately depicted the military uniforms from appropriate eras and distinguished
characters from their temporally previous selves in different scenes. The handmade dress and makeup worn by Lu Ming particularly aided Lange in bringing definition to her character. The set, designed and lighted by Stephanie Cohen ’13 and Robbie Steinberg ’13, respectively, is stunning in its simple, yet immediately recognizable, representation of ruins in the desert. The subtle addition of an overhead lamp, lowered from the grid, is all that is needed to transition from Iraq to Kentucky. While likely unintentional, the combination of heat and cork has the unfortunate consequence of creating a real-life desert for the audience, helping the MFA actors to sell water during intermission. The sound, designed by Alyssa Bickoff ’15, intertwines authentic Vietnamese music and war-time sound effects. During some scenes, however, the sound proves distracting and draws attention away from otherwise dramatic moments, overlaying important lines with generic music or rolling drums. Disturbing is truly the word to describe this production. The article ‘Let the Right One In’ by Naomi Wallace included in the program, written by Naomi Wallace and selected by Morrison in lieu of a director’s note, alludes to the discomfort that comes with pushing boundaries. In the Heart of America is not the show to see if you are looking for a comfortable night of entertainment, nor is it a family-friendly show due to its strong language. If, however, you are looking for a piece of theatrical production that forces you to view the world from an alternative perspective and will leave you with a lasting emotional impression, this Brandeis Theater Company production rises to Naomi Wallace’s writing and does justice to the difficult subject matter therein.
theater review
Student-created play stuns ’Deis Impact By BRETT GOSSETT justice CONTRIBUTING writer
When Rebellion Becomes Revolution: A Play of Protest, Murder, Denial and Atonement, a play written and directed by Brandeis students in Prof. Joyce Antler’s (AMST) “History as Theater” class last semester, tells the story of Brandeis alumni and their impact on the world through social justice reform. Its directors, Amanda Stern ’15 and Julian Seltzer ’15, did an excellent job at catching the audience’s attention and keeping them on their toes throughout the entire play with a fast-moving plot. The play was put on by the Free Play Theatre Cooperative and the American Studies Program with support from ‘DEIS Impact 2013. The cast also did an outstanding job at displaying emotions through their characters, bringing the script to life by allowing us to see what really happened to Brandeis alumni and the pursuit for social justice. A cast of 14 undergraduates played more than 53 characters throughout the play—an amazing feat. All the actors were able to capture their multiple characters, switching their
roles throughout the play with ease. The audience filled in around the 8x8 stage filled with a ring of chairs as the lights shut off and the cast took their seats. The majority of the play focused on Susan Saxe ’70 and Kathy Power ’71, who were on the FBI’s Most Wanted list due to their anti-Vietnam actions, all in the interest of protesting and standing up for what they thought was just and right. Perhaps the most emotional part of the entire play was Saxe’s letter to her dad in which she uttered the following lines before she went into hiding for being accused of murder: “America, your children hate you,” and “think of me as a soldier,” signed by herself. Saxe’s story was truly revolutionary in that she had a female lawyer, Nancy Gertner, which was rare at the time, at her court case defending her from a murder accusation. As social justice is an extremely important part of the Brandeis community, it also had its due spotlight in this play. In the program for the production, the directors shared how their personal stake in social justice catalyzed their creative pro-
JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice
POINTING FINGERS: Amanda Stern ’15 portrays Susan Saxe’s ’70 battle for justice. cess: “At our first rehearsal, in January, we began by asking, ‘What is social justice?’ and also ‘How does your personal definition of social justice fit or not fit with the events of this play?’ “Throughout the rehearsal process, we have looked for ways to
encourage critical thinking among our cast and crew and now audience regarding these questions.” Of the 15 cast members, the two that stood out the most for their emotional roles were Stern, who played Susan Saxe, and Jen Largaespada ’16, who played Saxe’s lawyer, Nan-
cy Gertner. Seltzer and Largaespada made a lasting impression on the audience during the court case scene. This scene was one that genuinely left the stage and invaded the minds of the audience. Another emotional scene involved the parole hearing with one of the women who were on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, in which Barbara Spidle ’16 and Barbara Rugg ’15 played Clare Schroeder and Kathy Power, respectively. Jake Cohen ‘15, who played Judge McLaughlin during the court case scene, played another outstanding role. By the end of the play, the audience was able to take away a comprehensive understanding of what truly happened to Saxe and Powers and other noble Brandeis alumni. After the play ended, the cast and crew graciously incorporated a talkback in which they all spoke about what social justice meant to them in society and at Brandeis. The directors made the following statement: “We hope this play will find resonance for all our after-show talkbacks. We think this will be a great opportunity for Brandeis students from several generations.”
ON CAMPUS
THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, february 12, 2013
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performance
Artistic expression of feminine struggle
INTERPERATIVE DANCE: Brontë Velez ’16 performed an emotional dance to the previously recorded monologue “My Vagina Was My Village.”
Eve Ensler’s ‘The Vagina Monologues’ is transformed on stage By haemee kang justice Staff writer
Each spring, young Brandeisian women partake in The Vagina Monologues, an Eve Ensler play that sheds light on various female experiences. With a focus on women’s rights issues, the monologues are meant to provoke anger, sadness, laughter and heightened awareness. “Until the violence stops”—the slogan used for V-Day,—is a “global activist movement to end violence against women and girls” founded by Ensler, playwright and activist. Women at college campuses all over the nation have rallied together to promote female empowerment, including here on Brandeis’ campus. This year’s rendition featured a new campaign called One Billion Rising, which cites that one out of three women will experience violence in her lifetime. One Billion Rising encourages women and their supporters to join together to collectively combat violence against women, in solidarity that transcends geographical and cultural borders. Despite recycled scripts, new directors guide their casts to provide a different take on each year’s production, giving veteran members of the audience a fresh experience. This year’s director and threeyear participant, Maya Grant ’13 said during an interview that she brought a refreshingly new vision for this year’s production by focusing on “digging deeper to visually push each piece.”
Working closely with coordinator Laura Ben Marger Moore ’14, Grant and Moore took painstaking care to cast young women who clearly demonstrated both enthusiasm and confidence for their monologues. Contrary to typical casting practice of selecting actors based solely on talent, Grant said during the interview that she and Moore placed a priority on pinpointing women who exhibited passion while performing, gravitating towards those with “willingness to move outside of their comfort zones and embrace what makes us diverse.” This willingness to embrace diversity extended beyond just casting, as the diversity and skills specific to each actress were taken into account, allowing the cast to breathe new life into their monologues. Unique to recent past productions of The Vagina Monologues, Grant incorporated contemporary dance, though admitting during the interview, “I knew going into this show that I wanted to incorporate dance in some way but had no idea for which monologue or how to make it happen.” Describing the auditions of Brontë Velez ’16 and Queen White ’16, two members of the Atlanta Liberal Arts Posse 2, Grant says, “They amazed me during auditions, and I knew that just having them on stage speaking wouldn’t do the piece justice.” Tapping into Velez’s experience performing and choreographing, Grant incorporated dance into the monologue “My Vagina was My Village.” Accompanied by a voiceover
of the script (recorded by Velez and White), the result was a visual masterpiece so riveting that the audience collectively held its breath, with no sound of the typical candy wrappers, coughing or other types of fidgeting to be heard. Other monologues with notably new takes included the famed “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy” (often nicknamed by those involved with the production as “Moan”). It began with the spotlight on Ashley Lynette ’13, but the focus eventually shifted to three silhouettes in the background, silently enacting varied types of moans as Lynette provided the soundtrack. Another, “Reclaiming Cunt” featured Carly Lenhoff ’13 as she dynamically delivered her monologue, contorting and undulating her body to match the monologue’s cacophony and the self-love it encourages. Through observing the skills of her cast and tapping into their varied talents, Grant successfully reinvented The Vagina Monologues experience for this University and her cast, many of whom are repeat attendees and participants. Looking back on the many hours spent bonding and rehearsing together, Grant remarks, “I am so proud of my cast this year, and I credit the success of the show to their talent, drive and commitment to the experience.” A truly collective effort and cohesive execution, this year’s The Vagina Monologues provided a moving call to action to fight injustice against women everywhere.
WORDSMITH: Carly Lenhoff ’13 entertained with her monologue “Reclaiming Cunt.”
PHOTOS BY ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice
SENSUOUS SOUNDS: Ashley Lynette ’13 performed “The Woman Who Liked To Make Vaginas Happy” with prestige.
OFF CAMPUS w
THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, february 12, 2013
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award show
Grammy Awards entertain avid viewers
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT
PAYING HOMAGE: Sting, David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley, Bruno Mars and Rihanna (left to right) honored Bob Marley with a tribute performance of his popular hits.
By marissa ditkowsky justice editorial assistant
FIRST LAST/the Justice
JOINT CUSTODY: Gotye and Kimbra win big for “Somebody That I Used To Know.”
FIRST LAST/the Justice
INTO THE RABBIT HOLE: Taylor Swift’s performance featured a bizarre theme.
An average of 28.12 million viewers tuned into the 2013 Grammy Awards on Sunday to watch both the stellar performances and to see who would win in each of the 11 award categories presented at the show. Taylor Swift kicked off the show with a rather interesting performance of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” a song that was surprisingly nominated for Record of the Year despite its bothersome repetition and whiny 15-year-old sound. She incorporated some sort of carnival posse, and the performers were doing stunts such as playing with fire. Swift sort of resembled the Mad Hatter in white, although it was an obvious attempt at a ring leader costume. Swift added a twist to the song for the performance, changing the lyrics in the song’s simulated phone call to, “He calls me up and he’s like, ‘I still love you.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, I’m busy opening up the Grammys.’” Host LL Cool J proceeded to set the tone for the night with an inspiring speech about how the Grammys, or as LL Cool J called it “music’s biggest night,” brings everyone together. “Wherever you come from, eventually you have that moment where it hits you—the Grammy Award is music’s ultimate honor. For me that moment came when I saw Michael Jackson cradling all those Grammys he won,” he said. “That magical image inspired me to go after my own dream, and the same is true for many of us in this great hall tonight.” The show continued with a moving performance by Ed Sheeran and Elton John performing Sheeran’s hit “The A Team,” which was nomi-
nated for Song of the Year and unfortunately lost to the equally deserving song “We Are Young” by fun. The duo ended the song with a high-five, because, why not? One of the most memorable moments of the night for me was Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull’s presentation for the Best Solo Performance, won by Adele, of course, for “Set Fire to the Rain,” because what is a Grammy awards ceremony without Adele winning? Pitbull, upon introducing the category, injected his characteristic expression, “Dále.” Ellen DeGeneres and Beyoncé teamed up to introduce the legendary Justin Timberlake, who performed his new single “Suit & Tie” featuring Jay-Z. Timberlake was born to perform, with his ability to dance and sing simultaneously. However, his vocal performance in the following song “Little Pusher Love Girl” was far superior to that in “Suit & Tie,” primarily because he did not dance in “Little Pusher Love Girl.” Carrie Underwood’s performance of “Blown Away” and “Two Black Cadillacs” showcased Underwood’s amazing vocal skill, but she barely moved throughout the duration of her performance. Instead, the silver gown she wore was used almost as a projector screen, on which images of varying colors were cast. Several tribute performances were also included in the show. Bruno Mars, Sting, David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley and Rihanna all performed in a tribute to Bob Marley. The set included Mars’ “Locked out of Heaven,” Sting’s “Walking on the Moon” and a hit by Marley himself, “Could you be Loved?” Elton John, Zac Brown, Mavis Staples, Mumford & Sons and Brittany Howard, among others, performed
a final tribute to notable musicians who passed away over the past year. The musicians performed “The Weight” by The Band in honor of Levon Helm, a member of The Band who passed away in April 2012. The song is one of my favorites, so I was excited to hear it performed by an extraordinary group of performers. Prince presented the award for Record of the Year, which was clinched by Gotye and Kimbra for the hit “Somebody that I Used to Know,” a truly worthy candidate for the award. I was rather surprised by Prince’s nonchalant manner, wearing both a black hood and sunglasses without anything else to say other than, “Here are the nominees.” So many of the presenters attempted humor throughout the night, but all of them seemed like fraudulent jokes through which their grudges and jealousy were evident, except for the humor of Adele. Upon presenting Album of the Year to Mumford & Sons for Babel, She joked that, “Most artists who win Album of the Year tend to go on to have even more phenomenal, global success, embark on humongous tours or get knocked up like last year’s winner.” It was the only sincere laugh I got out of the night, other than the consistent close-ups of Swift dancing and singing along throughout the entire night—why there was such a focus on Swift as opposed to other prominent celebrities I am still unsure, but I did not watch the Grammys just to see her face the whole time. The other laugh was from fun.’s acceptance of Best New Artist, for which Ruess found it necessary to share with the entire audience and millions of viewers that he had to “pee so bad, so I’m just going to leave it up to one of these guys.”
ARTIST TALK
Dunham screens her film ‘Tiny Furniture’ at MFA By aliza vigderman justice Staff writer
Lena Dunham has had quite a year. She won two Golden Globes, one for best television series, comedy, and one for best actress for her role as Hannah Horvath in that hit show Girls. This role has transformed her from indie filmmaker into arguably the “voice of [her] generation . . . or maybe a voice, of a generation” (a quote all Girls fans will recognize from the pilot episode). On Feb. 6, Dunham and her mother—visual artist and filmmaker Laurie Simmons—hosted an event called “Mother and Daughter: The Voices of Two Generations” at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, which screens over 300 films every year. The first part of the event was a showing of Dunham’s first feature film Tiny Furniture (2010), followed by a question and answer session, with question topics ranging from self-expression to feminism. Standing in the unbelievably long line at the MFA, I couldn’t have been more excited. Like many oth-
ers, I feel a personal connection to Dunham and her Girls character Hannah. Hannah is hilarious, neurotic and slightly self-centered, making for a character that audiences can’t get enough of. This was evident at the event, filled with excited and fashion-conscious teenage girls, some bearing gifts for their woman of honor. The film Tiny Furniture follows Aura, a recent college graduate played by Dunham, who returns home to her family in New York, played by real life mother Simmons and sister Grace Dunham. More of a slice of life than an established plotline, the film follows Aura as she gets a job as a hostess, does not “date” but casually “hangs out with” two guys and aimlessly wanders around her TriBeCa loft, much to the dismay of her successful mother and sister. I am in agreement with New York Times critic Manohla Dargis when she described the film as, “more pleasurable to think about than it is to watch, more of a conceptual coup than an enjoyable experience.” It is
my opinion that, although it is not necessary for a film to have a strong plotline, it must at least feature some character development for the film to have any direction. Aura, however, remains listless and unmotivated throughout, quitting her job as a “day hostess”, and continuously allowing men to take advantage of her. However, the audience seemed to love it, laughing at the appropriate times at the extremely understated humor. The event peaked in excitement as Dunham and Simmons took the stage. What started as a discussion about her film quickly turned into a free form exchange as the two answered questions eloquently and with humor. Dunham was both articulate and genuine, confirming her status as one of the more relatable and genuine celebrities. Dunham spoke of the creative inspiration she takes from her artist parents, who always encouraged her to find her voice, whatever it may be. Dunham and Simmon’s close relationship was evident on stage. The two joked around with each
other and were comfortable discussing all topics with each other (i.e. Dunham—“You didn’t like it when my sister made a clay penis in ceramics class” Simmons—“No, I didn’t like that”). Simmons refuted the notion that she was similar to Siri, Aura’s somewhat strict, cold mother in Tiny Furniture, claiming that in real life, she is much more sympathetic. Dunham’s work, generally, is heavily influenced by her real life experiences. Anyone who has ever seen any Dunham work will inevitably wonder how closely the characters of Aura and Hannah are based on the author herself. Dunham responded, “Sometimes I feel so close to Hannah because we share so many things . . . It’s nice to have a repository for your experiences in someone else with slightly different hair.” Ultimately, the discussion took a political turn when asked about her stance on feminism and how this contributes to her writing of Girls. Although she considers herself a feminist, she does not “approach the show with any feminist agen-
da.” “I don’t believe in the concept of post-feminism. Because I don’t think that feminism is done. I don’t understand any woman who says they’re not a feminist . . . it feels like disowning yourself,” she explained amid applause and audience cheers. In an emotionally stirring moment, Simmons responded to Dunham’s feminist diatribe, “When I hear you talk like that, I think, that’s my girl!’’ Dunham then proceeded to charm the audience as she mocked female pop stars who clearly misunderstood the definition of feminism. Taylor Swift, for example, when asked if she considers herself to be a feminist, answered, “I don’t really think about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life”. At the end of the discussion, Dunham was swarmed by fans, who clamored to take pictures with her and have her autograph. Dunham confirmed her status as one of the most educated, intelligent, and “real” women on the Hollywood scene today.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 | THE JUSTICE
Brandeis TALKS
TOPof the
ARTS ON VIEW: landscapes
CHARTS
Quote of the week
Top 10s for the week ending February 11
“Whenever they train racecar drivers they tell them don’t look at the wall. Look at your instrument panel, look at the track, look at the other drivers. But don’t look at the wall. Because you’re going to move in the direction that you focus your attention on.”
BOX OFFICE
1. Warm Bodies 2. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters 3. Silver Linings Playbook 4. Mama 5. Zero Dark Thirty 6. Bullet to the Head 7. Parker 8. Django Unchained 9. Les Misérables 10. Lincoln
—Former death row inmate Damien Echols. (News, 3).
What are you doing for Valentine’s Day?
NYT BESTSELLERS
PHOTO COURTESY OF Wesley Taylor
HAY IS FOR HORSES: Wesley Taylor ’15 took this photograph last summer at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Watertown, Massachusetts. It is known for its arboretum and wildlife sanctuary, including rare bird species.
Shuping Zhang ’15 “Exams. I have two midterms, one quiz, one problem set and one role play for Japanese.”
Deirdre Connelly ’13 “I just started seeing a guy and he asked me out to T.T.’s [in Cambridge]. There is a circus coming and they set up in bars for the holidays.”
Aaron Zuckerman ’14
“Dinner in Boston at Deuxave with my girlfriend, then we will watch a movie.”
Shani Aharon ’13 “I will be taking a biochemistry exam. Afterwards I will go into Davis Square to visit friends.”
NEXT Issue’s PHOTO CONTEST THEME: “vacation” Submit your creative photo to photos@thejustice.org to be featured in the Justice!
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Chinese temple instrument 5 Nestling noises 10 Leave at the altar 14 Diva’s showpiece 15 Group of experts 16 Pierre’s possessive 17 Return on one’s investment, in slang 20 Replay technique, briefly 21 Relaxing time in the chalet 22 “There oughta be __” 25 Hi-fi spinners 26 Plain dessert 30 Playing decks 35 Diplomatic bldg. 36 Juanita’s aunt 37 Yukon’s country 38 Prada imitation, perhaps 42 More greasy 43 Extended family 44 “Bon voyage!” 45 Fruity-smelling compound 46 Jay-Z, for one 49 L.A. bus-and-rail org. 51 Speak indistinctly 52 Begin 57 Gate-hanging hardware 61 Announce one’s arrival gently ... as opposed to words that start 17-, 26-, 38- and 46-Across 64 Voting no 65 In an unusual way 66 Student’s stressor 67 Very familiar note recipient? 68 “Fetch my smelling salts!” 69 Avg. levels DOWN 1Goesonandon 2 Unwritten 3 Barcelona boy 4 Joke writer 5 HMO alternative 6 Musical sensitivity 7 One-named Irish folk singer 8 Magazine with a Stylewatch spinoff 9 Eat noisily, as soup 10 Elbows rudely 11 “In the morning” radio host 12 Security device 13 __ torch: patio light 18 Finish the laundry 19 Perform another MRI on 23 Oldman or Newman 24 Ragamuffin 26 Orange __ tea 27 Old Dodge autos 28 Horseshoe- shaped fastener 29 “The Trial” writer Franz 31 Furthermore 32 Synagogue scholar
Fiction 1. Until The End Of Time — Danielle Steele 2. Gone Girl — Gillian Flynn 3. A Memory Of Light — Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson 4. Private Berlin — James Patterson and Mark Sullivan 5. Tenth Of December — George Saunders Nonfiction 1. My Beloved World — Sonia Sotomayor 2. Francona: The Red Sox Years — Terry Francona and Dan Shaughnessy 3. Hitmaker — Tommy Mottola with Cal Fussman 4. Remembering Whitney — Cissy Houston with Lisa Dickey 5. Killing Kennedy — Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
iTUNES
1. The Lumineers — “Ho Hey” 2. Mumford & Sons — “I Will Wait” 3. Justin Timberlake — “Suit & Tie (feat. JAY Z)” 4. Maroon 5 — “Daylight” 5. Bruno Mars — “When I Was Your Man”
BILLBOARD
33 Times to send in the troops 34 “Full House” co- star Bob 37 Panama crosser 39 Co. in Paris 40 “Sesame Street News Flash” reporter 41 Hula swivelers 46 Family-friendly, filmwise 47 German coal valley 48 Native American groups 50 Sierra Nevada resort 52 Tax-sheltered accts. 53 Store opening time 54 The “I” in IHOP: Abbr. 55 End-of-the-week letters 56 Scandinavian literary collection 58 Bakery call 59 Happy 60 Spreading trees 62 Ancient 63 Yiddish cries of dismay
1. Justin Bieber — Believe: Acoustic 2. Andrea Bocelli — Passione 3. Tegan And Sara — Heartthrob 4. Charlie Wilson — Love, Charlie 5. Soundtrack — Pitch Perfect 6. Bruno Mars — Unorthodox Jukebox 7. Mumford & Sons — Babel 8. Gary Allan — Set You Free 9. The Lumineers — The Lumineers 10. Taylor Swift — Red Top of the Charts information provided by Fandango, the New York Times, Billboard.com and Apple.com.
STAFF’S TOP TEN
“Movie Madness” By RACHEL BURKHOFF
Solution to last issue’s crossword Crossword Copyright 2012 MCT Campus, Inc.
SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Justice editor
To be honest, I am not a huge reader, but in my spare time I love watching movies. I will without a doubt drop everything I am doing (except for working on the Justice), if one of these movies is playing on television. THE LIST
Katherine Wong ’13
“I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day because I think it is a commercialized holiday and we can express love anytime.” —Compiled by Olivia Pobiel/the Justice
Solution to last issue’s sudoku
Sudoku Copyright 2012 MCT Campus, Inc.
1. 10 Things I Hate About You 2. Cruel Intentions 3. The Breakfast Club 4. Step Up 5. Coyote Ugly 6. Love Actually 7. She’s The Man 8. Keeping The Faith 9. The Social Network 10. The Princess Bride