The Justice, March 6, 2012 issue by The Justice

ARTS PAGE 20

FORUM Santorum undervalues education 11

TWISTED ‘TITUS’

SPORTS Judges have an action-packed break 16 The Independent Student Newspaper

the

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 LXIV, Number 21

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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

FACULTY

Prof terminated; intoxication on campus alleged ■ The University hired

Pippin Ross without knowledge of her multiple past criminal convictions. By FIONA LOCKYER and EMILY KRAUS JUSTICE EDITORS

Pippin Ross, a broadcast journalist who had been hired as a professor for the Journalism department this semester, was found intoxicated and unresponsive in her vehicle on campus Feb. 27, according to that day’s police log. University Police placed Ross in protective custody and transported Ross to the Waltham Police Department. Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren terminated Ross’ employment at the University the next day. Ross’ criminal background, according to her blog as well as multiple newspapers, includes numerous convictions for operating a vehicle under the influence, conspiracy to aid an escape from jail and conspiracy in attempting an escape from jail. On Feb. 28, the day after she was placed in protective custody in Waltham, she was

arrested for operating under the influence and operating a vehicle after her license was revoked for drunk driving, according to the Barnstable Police Department. The Barnstable Ross Police Department confirmed that Ross has been convicted of OUI more than four times; under Massachusetts law, that many convictions requires a lifetime suspension of the involved individual’s driver’s license. Conflicting accounts In an interview with the Justice, Ross’ husband, Philip Austin, said that he drove Ross to Brandeis on Feb. 27. Austin said that Ross was incorrectly taken into protective custody on Feb. 27 and she should have been offered medical care for a neurological condition instead of taken to the Waltham Police Department.

See ROSS, 6 ☛

INTERCULTURAL CELEBRATION

20 YEARS of the

ICC The Intercultural Center commemorates its 20th anniversary of promoting cultural diversity since its opening in March 1992. FEATURES 8

DESIGN BY NAN PANG/the Justice. BACKGROUND PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES. PHOTO BY JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

STUDENT LIFE

Univ tackles housing concerns ■ Brandeis is considering

ROSE ART MUSEUM

Wachter appointed chair of Rose board ■ Wachter, the executive vice

president at Sotheby’s is also providing funding for the Fine Arts department. By JONATHAN EPSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

University President Frederick Lawrence appointed Executive Vice President at Sotheby’s George Wachter ’73 P’12 as chair of the Board of Overseers for the Rose Art Museum on Feb. 22. Wachter has been at Sotheby’s since he graduated from Brandeis as an Art History major 38 years ago. He is also co-chairman of the Old Master Paintings Worldwide department, a

field devoted to pre-1800 European paintings, a subject on which he also lectures. Wachter is a board member of the Frick Collection in New York, though he said that the proWachter cess of running a board will be new to him. Lawrence portrayed the move as proof of his commitment to the longrun stability of the museum. “This is another important step along the path of revitalizing the Rose,” he said in a BrandeisNOW press release.

See ROSE, 6 ☛

acquiring more off-campus properties to include in the housing system. By TATE HERBERT JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Housing lottery numbers for the 2012-2013 academic year were issued two weeks ago, and the lack of sufficient space has become an immediate concern for many students, especially upperclassmen, who are currently not guaranteed housing. While expansion and renovation have emerged as popular topics in the strategic planning discussion, the University’s plans to address the issue of student housing remains unclear. In recent weeks, Brandeis has been looking at off-campus properties in order to potentially incorporate them into the residential housing system. “It is not inconceivable to think that we may come out of the strategic planning process with a strategic real estate acquisition program,” said Mark Collins, Senior Vice President of Administration, in an interview with the

Justice. Collins emphasized that Brandeis’ administration has no definitive plan to expand off-campus housing, but added that he has been “looking periodically at different real estate off campus, with the possibility of buying them.” Collins confirmed that he has looked at approximately six properties in the past five years. Recently, one landlord contacted him about the possibility of buying houses at 227 and 229 South Street, while another emailed him about a 55,000 square foot commercial property on Charles Street. He said he has been to see the South Street buildings but did not pursue the offer and planned to visit the Charles Street property in the near future. According to Collins, these kind of occurrences are not out of the ordinary. “What happens is people once in a while call,” he said. “As an institution, a lot of people … see us as a place that may need additional housing space.” “From the strategic planning process one could also potentially see the possibility of … more graduate student housing and potentially faculty housing,” Collins suggested. Should Brandeis develop a plan

in the future to expand university housing in Waltham, relations with the neighborhood and the city would be taken into account, said Collins. Important considerations include the effect on local residents and establishments as well as the possibility that the University would be “taking taxable property off the tax rolls” by buying houses or other real estate. “We don’t do that in a vacuum,” Collins said of University planning. Brandeis currently owns off-campus properties such as 567 South Street and the Charles River apartments, which are considered part of the residential housing system, as well as graduate fine art studios on Prospect Street. According to Jeremy Leiferman, senior director of the Department of Community Living, 2,834 students, or about 81 percent of all undergraduates, currently live in oncampus housing. Including graduate students, the total drops to just under 49 percent. This leaves 19 percent of undergraduates living off campus for various reasons. Clair Weatherby ’12 said that she moved into a house

See HOUSING, 6 ☛

Vacation volunteers

Track teams race well

MBTA debate

 The Brandeis chapter of Global Brigades took part in a medical brigade in Honduras duing February break.

Both track squads displayed impressive results at UAA and ECAC championships last month to end the season.

Brandeis students and other residents of Waltham expressed their concerns about proposed MBTA cuts.

FEATURES 7

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Waltham, Mass.

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INDEX

SPORTS 16

ARTS SPORTS

17 13

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 7

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

COMMENTARY

NEWS 5

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Bylaw amendments put to a vote

Medical Emergency

At the Feb. 26 Senate meeting, the 13 senators present passed Senate Money Resolutions for Health Week and the “Take Your Professor to Lunch” program, and voted on five amendments to the Student Union Constitution bylaws. Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 also swore in Midyear Senator Derek Komar ’15. The first SMR, for $471, was unanimously approved for this week’s Health Week activities. The SMR included funding for lifeguards for an open swim at Joseph M. Linsey Pool, personal training sessions and raffle prizes. The second SMR proposed $600 of funding for 120 vouchers for the spring semester’s “Take Your Professor to Lunch” program, and was also unanimously passed. A phone call to Rebecca Bachman ’13, who planned the event last semester, revealed that 142 vouchers were given out in the fall and about 106 were used. The Office of Students and Enrollment funded the fall program. The Union funds will supplement $1800 already pledged by the Executive Board. The Senate then proceeded to discuss the constitutional bylaw amendments that Village Quad Senator Benjamin Beutel ’12 proposed at its last meeting. The proposed changes added stricter language to Article III of the Union Constitution, which addresses club chartering and recognition. Four of the amendments were passed by the required two-thirds vote. The first specifies that clubs must be chartered by a two-thirds vote, while recognition still requires a simple majority. The measure passed by a vote of eight to two with three abstentions. The second adds a requirement for clubs seeking charter to submit a “non-binding” outline of their first two semesters’ activities to the Senate. It passed by a vote of nine to one with three abstentions. The third gives the Senate’s Club Support Committee the task of “contacting and requesting testimony from any and all groups that [a club seeking charter] may have duality of purpose with.” This amendment was passed nearly unanimously, by a vote of 12 to none with one abstention. The fourth details the conditions under which the Senate may de-accredit clubs, including failure to comply with other constitutional requirements, dishonesty during the chartering process and failure by the club to uphold its own constitution. This section of amendments was passed in two parts, by votes of 12 to none with one abstention for the first two conditions (constitutional noncompliance and dishonesty), and eight to none with five abstentions on the third condition. Amendments which dealt with possible conflicts of interest were struck down. A section which called for the club’s sponsoring senator to “not be interested in joining the group and … not have signed either of their initial petitions” was defeated by a vote of four to six with three abstentions. The senate rejected another section of the amendment, which specified that any senator who is a member or prospective member of a club being voted on, or a member of a group “that may have duality of purpose,” may not take part in the vote. The measure was turned down by a vote of four to nine with no abstentions. At the most recent Senate meeting, the nineteen senators present voted on the last proposed amendment, regarding duality of purpose with existing clubs. The amendment expanded on the definition of duality of purpose to say that “If the prospective [club’s] operations, impact and student appeal would substantively be the same as that of an existing [club], then it should not be chartered.” The measure was passed by a vote of 16 to none with three abstentions. “I think this is going to create efficiency for us; I don’t really think that this is going to make us charter less groups,” said Executive Senator Missy Skolnik ’12. At this meeting, an SMR for vacuum cleaners for the Village Quad, sponsored by Komar, was also added to the agenda. The SMR, which proposed allocating $240 to purchase twelve community vacuum cleaners for the Village, was turned down by a vote of 14 to none with five abstentions. Senators cited concerns about the vacuums being stolen, setting a precedent for similar funding in the future, and inequality with other quads. —Tate Herbert

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n A graphic in Forum stated that 72 percent of respondents to a poll answered “no,” while 29 percent answered “yes.” The numbers should have been 72 percent for “no” and 28 percent for “yes.” (Feb. 14, p. 12) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.

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Feb. 28—A party in Ridgewood quad reported that they took too much medicine. BEMCo was dispatched, and the party requested an ambulance to transport to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Feb. 28—A custodian in Usen Residence Hall had a seizure in the third-floor girls’ bathroom. An ambulance was called to the scene. Feb. 28—The Massachusetts State Police dispatch contacted University Police because the state police had a Brandeis student on the phone who said he or she had intentionally overdosed on prescription medication. University Police and BEMCo responded to Ziv 128. An ambulance was dispatched and transported the student to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital emergency room for further treatment. Feb. 29—A staff member from the Department of Community Living requested an ambulance to Village C for transport for a voluntary psychological evaluation. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care without incident. March 4—The Massachusetts State Police dispatch called University Police and stated that an 18-year-old intoxicated male party called 911 and stated that he was at Shapiro near the rock, but he did not state

any further information. University Police units were dispatched to check the areas of Shapiro buildings on campus and tried to call the intoxicated party back at the number provided by the state police, but there was no contact made via cell phone. University Police checked several areas but were unable to locate anyone who appeared intoxicated or in need of assistance.

Miscellaneous

Feb. 26—The Waltham Police Department said that a reporting party stated that his phone was tapped and people had hacked into his email. The WPD directed the student to file a report on campus as well. Feb. 27—University Police discovered a female party parked in a motor vehicle in Tower Lot. She was not responding. BEMCo was dispatched to the scene. The party was intoxicated and placed under protective custody and then transported to the Waltham Police Department by a campus police officer. Feb. 29—A student in Usen Residence Hall reported that members of a Boston University fraternity were roaming the halls of the dorm, knocking on doors and requesting that female residents give them underwear. The reporting party said that

it is part of a fraternity scavenger hunt, according to what members of the fraternity told the residents. University Police checked all dorms in Massell Quad, in addition to the surrounding areas, but did not locate any parties involved. University Police spoke with a number of Brandeis students and requested that they call the police if any further incidents occurred. Feb. 29—Waltham Police dispatch called University Police and reported that there was an attempted breaking and entering at a residence on Hamilton Road in Waltham. The suspect was alleged to have come off Brandeis campus and head toward the Cedarwood area. University Police checked the area but were unable to locate the suspect. University Police reviewed footage of the area but were unable to identify a subject.

Harassment

Feb. 29—The community development coordinator reported that she brought a student to the University Police station to fill out a statement about a past sexual harassment incident. University Police compiled a report, and an investigation will follow. —compiled by Marielle Temkin

BRIEF Planning site launched

JON EDELSTEIN/the Justice

The verdict is in: new Judges mascot

Louie the Judge makes his first outing onto Auerbach Arena as the women’s basketball team takes on Washington University on Feb. 17. The new mascot will take over for Ollie the Owl for the remainder of the spring season as well as the 2012-13 academic year.

The Strategic Planning Committee has made another step forward in the planning process with the February launch of a website designed to share the feedback gathered so far and to garner further input. In an email to the Brandeis community, Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 described the website as a “clearinghouse for information” about the strategic planning process that the University has undertaken. “Through this website you can learn about the strategic planning process, review updates from the steering committee, examine reports and documents from the task forces, and engage in an ongoing discussion through the online forum. The site is a good way to get involved and stay involved,” he wrote. Goldstein also encouraged students to continue contributing to the process and take advantage of the website’s interactive nature. One of the website’s key features is the “Strategic Planning Discussion Forum,” a space for students to share their ideas on topics such as student life and campus facilities. So far, there have only been four posts on the forum. Another section of the website is for “Documents and Reports.” Here the committee has gathered summaries of the feedback they have received from faculty, staff and alumni, though the feedback from students is still being analyzed and summarized, according to Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12. The section also features a document called “Our Time to Dream,” which features a quote from architect Daniel Burnham: “Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir the blood and probably themselves will not be realized.” According to the website, the strategic planning process “is designed to engage a broad spectrum of Brandeis stakeholders and result in a plan that will set the institution’s 10- to 20-year trajectory and lay out a five-year framework for moving forward.” The Strategic Planning Steering Committee plans to produce a draft plan by October 2012 and a finalized plan by December 2012, according to the website. —Sam Mintz

ANNOUNCEMENTS Health Awareness Week

Events include a free Zumba class taught by instructor Sarah Richardson, a stress management workshop, “Post Secret” and an Alcohol Awareness Program. All events are sponsored by Brandeis Health and Fitness Club. Weeklong, various locations in the Shapiro Campus Center.

Russian Social Protests in 2012

Olga Golovanova ’10, Brandeis alumna and political activist, will discuss recent demonstrations in Moscow against the Putin government and unfair elections. Russian refreshments will be served. This event is sponsored by the Russian Club. Today from 7 to 9 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Goldfarb Library.

IRB Application Training Workshop

The Brandeis Institutional Review Board will hold a training session for those planning a research or thesis project involving human subjects. Come learn the

ins and outs of writing a protocol, completing the forms and what human subjects research protection is all about. Tomorrow from 2 to 3:20 p.m., the Gardner Jackson Room, Goldfarb Library.

ISSO Employment Workshop

The International Students and Scholars Office’s spring 2012 employment workshops will cover Curricular Practical Training (for F1 Visa holders) starting at 3 p.m., Optional Practical Training (for F1 Visa holders) from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., and Academic Training (for J1 Visa holders) from 4:30 to 5 p.m. Tomorrow from 3 to 5 p.m. in Kutz 215.

“The Red Market”

Lecture and book signing with Scott Carney, investigative journalist, author and Schuster Institute Senior Fellow. In his book, The Red Market: On the Trail of the World’s Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers, Carney writes about poor villagers

in India who sell their kidneys for cash, grave diggers who steal human bones for the Western market’s demand for anatomical skeletons, and temple owners who sell the hair of their devotees to American wig makers for $6 million dollars a year. Carney’s multimedia presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session, book signing and light refreshments. Tomorrow from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Goldfarb Library.

Anthropology Lecture

Kerry Chance will speak on the political meanings of fire among poor residents of townships and shack settlements in postapartheid South Africa, arguing that fire— inside the home as a hazardous source of light and heat, or on the streets to signal revolt—expresses a grammar of everyday practices and interactions between residents and state officials. Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Levine-Ross Conference Room, Hassenfeld Conference Center.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, march 6, 2012

STUDENTS DISCUSS ISRAEL AT BRANDEIS

BZA sponsors campus events for Peace Week ■ The events of Israel

ANNA YATSKAR/the Justice

One-State Solution: Journalist Ali Abunimah spoke about the conflict in Israel and presented his ideas for a solution.

Abunimah speaks at Israel Apartheid Week ■ The renowned journalist,

author and co-founder of a news website spoke at an event sponsored by the SJP. By FIONA LOCKYER JUSTICE EDITOR

“It’s uncomfortable and ugly,” renowned journalist Ali Abunimah said at the event “Who is Afraid of the One-State Solution?” during Israeli Apartheid Week last Wednesday, “but the good news is that apartheid can end.” Abunimah, co-founder of Electronic Infitada, a Palestinian news website, and author of a book called One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse, presented his views on a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, capping off Brandeis’ first Israeli Apartheid Week, which had previously been called Israeli Occupation Awareness Week. “The two-state solution ignores the physical and political realities on the ground,” Abunimah said. “It is predicated upon the unjust premise that peace can be achieved by granting limited national rights to Palestinians living in the areas occupied in 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip while denying the rights of Palestinians inside the 1948 borders and in the diaspora.” Referring to basic political science principles, he said that “principles that people have died for [in the Unit-

ed States]” are the principles which are being argued for in academic circles embracing a one-state solution, and which are being fought for by Palestinians. He pointed to the separation of church and state enjoyed in the United States, not as an oppression of religion but as a freedom to practice one’s own religion among others. However, “In terms of Palestine,” he said, “these ideas are dangerous.” A large part of his presentation after the theoretical discussion revolved around the idea of “one person, one vote,” stemming from reporting done by Thomas Friedman years ago for the New York Times. Stating that Palestinians made up roughly half of the population of Israel but were not largely allowed to vote—and otherwise voted in a system that was structured to maintain the status quo of having conservative Jewish leadership—he surmised that the Israeli state today is a “government by, for and of half the state,” an “untenable situation” that requires large amounts of violence to maintain itself. The second part of his talk centered around the justification of referring to Israel as an apartheid state, a phrase most notably used to describe the segregation and discrimination imposed on native Africans in South Africa. Whites, he said, who were outnumbered nine to one by native Africans, thought that “majority rule would threaten physical safety.” He drew the comparison to Israel, where the ratio according to Abunimah is

closer to one to one, saying that external pressure from other countries is required to incite change where the ruling party gives “no respect to the opposition.” Two other events preceded the Abuminah event. One focused on the current Bedouin lifestyle in relation to Israel. The other was an activist panel, in which several students shared pictures and videos of what they had seen during their activist work in Palestine and Israel. CoPresident of Students for Justice in Palestine Noam Lekach ’14 said that he was happy with the overall turnout at Israel Apartheid Week events. “We were worried before that people would be too alienated from this and not want to listen … and we would not be able to deliver our message because of the word [apartheid],” Lekach said in an interview with the Justice. Students in support of the term “apartheid,” as well as those opposed, commented on the Facebook pages for the Israeli Peace Week. “Compared to last semester when we did Palestine Awareness Week there was higher attendance and there was more debate. For example, on our Facebook pages, if you look at the events for Palestine Awareness Week and Israeli Apartheid week, for the Israeli Apartheid Week there are hundreds of comments and for the Palestine Awareness Week there were not,” Lekach continued. “So I think the use of this term really provoked important debate and I am happy about that.”

Peace Week included a club night, a film screening and a “Faces of Israel” panel discussion. By RACHEL STARR JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last week the Brandeis Zionist Alliance hosted Israel Peace Week, a national weeklong initiative involving various events to promote Israel as a multicultural nation. Three of those events were Tel Aviv Club Night, an Israel Inside Film Screening and “Faces of Israel,” an event where panelists shared their experiences in the nation. “Faces of Israel” highlighted the country’s diversity. Five people came to Brandeis to share their backgrounds and unique stories. The first person introduced was Havtamo Tadela, a 29-yearold law and business student from Ethiopia. Tadela talked about Israel’s connection to the Ethiopian community and the dangerous journey that over 70,000 Ethiopians have taken to go to Israel. Another panelist, Elisheva Obrasky-Roelin, a student studying Economics, spoke about her experience in Israel after moving there from Switzerland. She emphasized that Israel is not a nation revolving around war, but a prosperous place with scientific advancements, numerous universities and helpful, friendly neighbors. Obrasky-Roelin mentioned having a higher standard of living in Israel compared to Switzerland. She said, “Life in Israel for me, personally is somewhat of a higher quality of life in its very own way. … I’m thankful everyday.” Another speaker, Noam Bedein, was born and raised in Israel and moved to Sderot, an area south of Tel Aviv, to establish a media center. His mission was to educate people about the Middle East conflict occurring there.

The last person to speak was David from Georgia, who spoke of Israel and the Jewish population as a whole. He said, “Yes, we are Jews and it is a good thing; Jews are the diamonds of God. Like diamonds we are brilliant, like diamonds we have to have the press and the heat but finally we [become] the strongest element that nature can give.” Responses from the student population to the Faces of Israel were enthusiastic. Benji Bernstein ’15 said, “I thought [this program] was very inspirational and really liked the message of ‘Don’t be ashamed to stand up for Israel even amongst people who could be intimidating and have messages that are very radical.’”

“

We ... wanted to ... show that there is a side beyond the conflict. PINCHUS POLACK ’14 The BZA’s purpose for these events, according to member Ethan Stein ’15, was to convey the message that despite the political arguments occurring in the nation, Israel is still a place full of cultural diversity and close-knit communities. When the organizer of the event, Pinchus Polack ’14, was asked why he put this together, he responded, “We really wanted to humanize Israelis and really show that there is a side beyond the conflict and that there are actually people who really enjoy Israel, enjoy their lives over there and really just have a great time being who they are.“ The event differs slightly from the 92 other Israel Peace Week events happening at schools across the country. Whereas other schools are focusing more heavily on the political aspect, Brandeis’ BZA chose to focus on cultural aspects of Israel.

public safety

Brandeis reacts to NYPD surveillance of Muslim students ■ Yale officials admonished

NY police for their monitoring of student organizations. By RAQUEL KALLAS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The New York Police Department has monitored Muslim Student Associations at various colleges in the Northeast, but Brandeis officials say the University has not been a target of increased scrutiny. The NYPD surveillance has resulted in an uproar on many campuses. Recently, the president of Yale University, Richard Levin, admonished the New York Police Department for monitoring the online activities of members of the Yale Muslim Student Association. It was also revealed that, in recent years, MSAs at other schools such as Rutgers University, State University of New York at Buffalo and Brooklyn College have also been watched by the NYPD.

In an email to the student body which was posted on the Yale MSA’s website, Levin stated, “Police surveillance based on religion, nationality or peacefully expressed political opinion is antithetical to the values of Yale, the academic community and the United States.” The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has staunchly defended the NYPD’s actions. According to an Associated Press report, he responded to Levin’s remarks: “I don’t know why keeping the country safe is antithetical to the values of Yale.” Bloomberg argued that national security depends on proactive measures to prevent terrorism. An NYPD spokesperson told AP that 12 people who had been arrested or convicted of terrorism had formerly been members of MSAs. Brandeis Director of Public Safety Edward Callahan wrote in an email to the Justice, “The Department of Public Safety does not monitor student groups. Brandeis is a diverse community that welcomes students,

staff and faculty from across the United States and around the world. It’s one of the great strengths of Brandeis. There is always a balance between public safety and the exercise of personal freedom and the university works hard to maintain that balance. We’re very proud of that.” Frishta Abawi ’13 of Brandeis’ Muslim Students Association wrote in an email to the Justice that the NYPD’s surveillance is unfair. “Just because these people [the 12 arrested or convicted terrorists] were part of a MSA, it doesn’t mean that an entire MSA group consists of terrorists or threatening people. A lot of these terrorists think that they are serving Islam by doing the terrible things that they do. These people are portraying Islam in a different light, and making it seem like it’s not the peaceful religion it really is,” wrote Abawi. She added that if the Brandeis MSA was to be monitored by the government, she would be discon-

certed but would not oppose it. This way, “the agency [could] see that we are just young college students who want to serve our campus [in] the best way possible.” In an interview with the Justice, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer objected to what the NYPD was doing on other campuses. He expressed full support of the Brandeis MSA members’ rights to privacy. Sawyer commented, “We would never condone surveillance on this campus.” When asked if he thought that the monitoring of Muslim student groups was an invasion of privacy, he answered in the affirmative: “Absolutely,” he said. “That is trampling on peoples’ rights in pursuit of suspicions.” While Sawyer acknowledged that security would be tightened if the campus were threatened, he denounced the idea of watching any particular group of students based on religion, ethnicity or other such classifications. “Most people trea-

sure the openness of our campus,” he asserted. Brandeis students had varying opinions on the issue. “I think it is okay to monitor these organizations as long as they are also monitoring other common activities that terrorists partake in. This would prove that they are not monitoring the Muslim organizations because they are racial profiling, but because they are following statistical trends,” said Suzanne Schatz ’15. David Scherban ’15 had a similar perspective and commented, “It is simply a matter of taking precautions to save lives.” Emily Duggan ’15 and Karen Lengler ’15 disagreed. “What creates terrorism is tensions between different groups, and isolating these kinds of groups as different just increases tensions,” said Duggan. “It all boils down to the fact that they are Muslims. It is discrimination. Period,” stated Lengler.

We, the Undersigned Student Leaders of Brandeis University, We, the Undersigned Student Leaders of Brandeis University, Endorse and Encourage the U.S.-Israel Relationship Endorse and Encourage the U.S.-‐Israel Relationship

Gloria Park Vice President Student Union

Herbie Rosen President Student Union

Rachel Goutman Off-Campus Senator Student Union

Sneha Walia Class of 2015 Senator Student Union

Daniel Novak Class of 2015 Senator Student Union

Benjamin Beutel Village Quad Senator Student Union

Ricky Rosen Class of 2014 Senator Student Union

Jonathan Beaver Racial Minority Senator Student Union

Dean Kaplan Massell Quad Senator Student Union

Theodore Choi Class of 2013 Senator Student Union

Sarah Kim Class of 2013 Senator Student Union

Charlotte Franco North Quad Senator Student Union Jake Weiner President Brandeis Democrats

Joshua Nass Executive Director Brandeis Libertarian Conservative Union

Mary-Alice Perdichizzi President Brandeis Tea Party

Neelanjana Gupta Co-President South Asian Student Association

Jiaying Zhang Co-President Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection

Lev Gorfinkel President Russian Club

Maura Boughter-Dornfeld President Students for Environmental Action

Sasha Beder Vice President Girl Effect

Avi Cohen Events Coordinator FaceAIDS

Joshua Hoffman-Senn President Economics Society, Business Club

Leah Naghi President Brandeis Sephardic Initiative

Jessica Goldberg President Hillel at Brandeis

Kimmie Kfare President Brandeis Orthodox Organization

Adi Fried President FaceAIDS Rebecca Blady President Chabad at Brandeis Dori Stern President Brandeis Reform Chavurah

Pinchus Polack Co-President Brandeis Zionist Alliance

Aaron Weinberg President J Street U Brandeis

*The signatures above represent the views of the individuals and not that of their clubs and organizations* BIPAC-Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee

*The signatures above represent the views of the individuals and not that of their clubs and organizations*

BIPAC-Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee

THE JUSTICE

STUDENT LIFE

in Waltham discussed the proposed fare increases and service cuts to the T. By TATE HERBERT JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

It was standing room only last Thursday evening as Brandeis students, residents of Waltham, state Senators and representatives of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority addressed the proposed MBTA fare increases and service cuts at a town hall forum in Waltham’s Government Center Auditorium. Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives for the MBTA Charles Planck, outlined prospective changes to service and fares on the T, and then moderated an open mic session with MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis. By the time the meeting started at 6 p.m., over 100 people had signed up to speak. “We know this affects people,” said Davis. “All people of the Commonwealth [of Massachusetts] should be concerned about the proposals we have on the table.” Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 and Student Union Vice President Gloria Park ’13 were among the first 50 people scheduled to speak. Park urged the MBTA representatives, “please don’t forget us, students, as proud members of the Waltham community,” emphasizing that many students do not have access to cars and therefore rely on public transportation to travel to and from internships—that are often unpaid. “Our pockets aren’t as deep as you think,” said Rosen of the potential fare increases. With higher prices and less frequent service, particularly on the commuter rail and the 553 bus, the benefit of Brandeis’ proximity to Boston is severely diminished, said Rosen. “We are feeling that these proposals are … cutting that entire experience,” he argued. Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, the first speaker of the night, also mentioned concern that students at Brandeis and Bentley College would be “severely impacted” by the changes. Residents of Waltham and neighboring cities focused their comments primarily on the issues of pollution, traffic congestion, transportation to jobs and doctors, effects on house values and the debt from Boston’s “Big Dig” project being saddled entirely on the MBTA. “Without this bus route, there is no work,” said one Watertown resident

of the local bus route that she rides to work every day. Members of the Waltham City Council, State Senator Susan Fargo, and 10th Middlesex District State Representative John Lawn all spoke out against the proposals. Fargo said that they were “a source of much conversation at the state house.” According to Davis, over 4,500 people have attended such town hall meetings to date. Waltham’s meeting was the next to last of 24 held by the MBTA. The last town hall forum is scheduled to take place tonight at Massasoit Community College in Brockton. Under the first proposed scenario, the commuter rail fare from the Brandeis-Roberts station to Boston would increase from $4.75 to $7 per trip and service would be eliminated on weekends and after 10 p.m. on weekdays. Bus fare, which now ranges from $1.50 to $5, would grow to $2.25 to $7, while the 553 bus (Downtown Crossing via Newton Corner and Central Square, Waltham) would be eliminated on Saturdays. Under the second proposed scenario, the commuter rail fare would rise to $6.50 and service would be eliminated on weekends and after 10 p.m. on weekdays. It would also mean a fare increase to $2 for local buses and $4.50 for inner express buses, as well as the complete elimination of the 553 bus. Charlie Ticket prices for the subway would rise from $2 to $3 under both proposals. While the MBTA continues to take suggestions, Davis cites statutory requirements and pressure to submit a balanced budget to the state by April 15 as reasons for the proposals that are currently under consideration. Any plan that is adopted—likely a combination of the two, according to Davis—would be implemented by July 1. While Davis reported that ridership was at an all-time high last year, the MBTA still expects to see a $161 million shortfall in Fiscal Year 2013. Rosen and Park plan to circulate a petition on campus protesting the cuts in the coming weeks, and will submit it to Davis and Waltham’s state Representatives by March 12, according to Rosen in an interview with the Justice. The text of the petition will be emailed to the student body, and it will be available to sign outside the Student Union office on the third floor of the Shapiro Campus Center. Rosen said he and some of the senators would also be passing the petition around to students in dining halls.

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

ABROAD IN INDIA

Students voice opinions during MBTA town hall ■ Attendees of the meeting

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MUKUNDA DE

TECH AND DEVELOPMENT: President Lawrence visits Digital Equalization, a program where youth develop software skills.

Lawrence travels to India, builds global connections ■ The trip follows

Lawrence’s visit to Israel as well as former President Reinharz’s trip to India. By DANIELLE GROSS JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Continuing to expand Brandeis’ international connections, University President Frederick Lawrence returned from India on Feb. 15, his second trip abroad since becoming president of the University. Lawrence was accompanied by News Director Charlie Radin and Vice President for Global Affairs and Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life Daniel Terris. This trip logically follows the visit to India less than two years ago by former University President Jehuda Reinharz, according to Radin. In an interview with the Justice, Lawrence outlined the trip’s main purposes: to engage with a number of constituencies in India— prospective students, parents of current and prospective students and alumni—and to explore possible collaborations among students and faculty at different research institutions. Radin and Lawrence likened this trip to India to Lawrence’s first overseas trip of his presidency to Israel. The purpose of both trips was “broadening scientific collaboration, increasing opportunities for our students

to study abroad and for students from abroad to study at Brandeis [and] strengthening our alumni networks,” according to the president’s blog. Lawrence expanded on the similarities between the two trips by mentioning that India was originally thought of as a potential destination because of the efforts Reinharz had already began. “The fact that it fits so well with Israel is not an accident. It really gives us ways to think about not only … building programs and engagements with both Israel and India, but will hopefully give a chance to triangulate all three [Brandeis, Israel, and India],” said Lawrence. Brandeis already has a strong connection to India because a large percentage of Brandeis alumni and students hail from the country. Terris said that the group received warm welcomes in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. He also mentioned that the group exceeded its own goals and expectations for this trip. Besides expanding the Brandeis name, the University is now involved in a collaborative mission to assist in the development of an Israel Studies Center at Jindal Global University. According to BrandeisNOW, Rohee Dasgupta, executive director of Jindal’s Centre for European Studies, expressed interest in creating an Israel Studies center. Das Gupta will be participating in the two week Schusterman Center for Israel Studies’ Summer Institute this summer and then will

travel as part of a study tour to Israel for a week with other members of the Schusterman program. Two Brandeis professors who were involved in this trip were already in India and joined the visiting group. Prof. Bulbul Chakraborty (PHYS) was attending a conference in India. She met up with the group to discuss scientific collaborations and connections within India. Prof. Harleen Singh (SAS) was on leave in India and also joined the group. Radin called Singh “the other star besides Lawrence” of the trip and said that she was “electric.” Singh aided in moderating a forum between Lawrence and former Indian Attorney General Soli Sorabjee. When asked about his next trip abroad, Lawrence said, “How do we choose where to expand to next? We have students from 116 different countries on this campus. We need relations with all of these places, ... but we need to focus specifically on a smaller number of countries. ... I have a received quite a few invitations, but as of now I do not know who we should be keeping up with.” Radin also expressed this idea while discussing Global Brandeis, a plan created by Lawrence and Terris. Instead of putting the Brandeis name everywhere, “[the University] can engage more deeply. Go deep rather than go broad. We are not huge and we do not want to be huge. Being small and focused is what is acceptable for us,” said Radin.

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Gittler prize recipient speaks on MLK Jr’s life and message

■ Clayborne Carson was one

of two recipients of the prize, awarded for racial, ethnic or religious scholarship. By RAQUEL KALLAS JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Clayborne Carson, Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute and professor of history at Stanford University received the second Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize for 2011 and spoke about his understanding of Dr. King as a person and the messages he conveyed on Feb 14. Established by former Brandeis sociology professor Joseph B. Gittler, a $25,000 prize and a medal are annually awarded to recognize two selected persons’ scholarly contri-

butions to racial, ethnic or religious relations. In addition to Prof. Carson, Emory University’s Professor Emerita Frances Smith Foster, a Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Women’s Studies, was presented with the prize during the 2011 fall semester. Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 and Prof. Theodore Johnson (Heller) introduced Carson and presented him with the medal. Johnson proclaimed, “Brandeis is a fitting place to honor an MLK scholar. Brandeis and MLK share a common goal of spreading social justice.” Carson concurred, “I think that there’s a certain feeling of being at home here [at Brandeis].” He announced that the prize money would be going to the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute to continue to keep King’s ideas alive.

Carson has edited and compiled 13 books of Dr. King’s sermons, speeches and writings. He attended the 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech and was personally asked by Coretta Scott King to edit the papers of her deceased husband. “I’m the messenger [for Dr. King],” said Carson. Carson wrote a play about the civil rights movement, which has been performed on stages all over the world. He spoke about the power of watching the Birmingham struggle being performed by Chinese actors on a stage less than two miles away from Tiananmen Square, and by Palestinian actors in the midst of the conflict-ridden Middle East. Carson said, “It’s a privilege to take this connection in so many directions. This has helped me to understand who this person [MLK] was.”

Taking part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, watching the “I Have a Dream” speech and hitchhiking across the country to return home had a profound effect on a 19-year-old Carson. He called it “the beginning of a great adventure” and confessed, “I could not have imagined being asked to edit the papers of that person who I had seen at a distance.” While Carson was obtaining his degree at University of California, Los Angeles, John Hope Franklin introduced him to Coretta Scott King. He then started to edit King’s speeches and writings and gained a much deeper understanding of King after reading his sermons. “That was the heart of who he was,” he said. Carson asserted that he is religious, but skeptical of dogmatic preaching that diverts from what he considers to be true religion. Re-

ligion, he said, “is the search, not the answer. What is our obligation to humanity?” Carson emphasized the importance of King’s image to oppressed peoples all over the world. King brought to them “the vision that they are not alone in their struggles,” said Carson. In the Middle East and other regions of political contention, the civil rights movement resonates with people currently performing his play. Carson quoted King directly: “There is explicit linking of the African-American civil rights struggle to the world struggle.” Talya Kahan ’12 remarked after the lecture, “I think he’s brilliant, I think he is probably the leading scholar of Dr. King, and to have him here is very representative of Brandeis.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

SPRING LECTURE SERIES

ROSS: Prof is undergoing neurological evaluations CONTINUED FROM 1

MICHELLE WANG/the Justice

Latinos, politics and museums Arlene Davila, an anthropologist and Latino Studies scholar at New York University, gave a talk titled “Latin@s and the Politics of Museum Display.”

HOUSING: Large firstyear class adds to strain CONTINUED FROM 1 off campus this past fall as a result of not being able to live on campus with her roommates. “They ran out of housing before our numbers,” said Weatherby, referring to last year’s housing lottery in an email to the Justice. “I was on the wait list, but I didn’t want to live with random people.” While Weatherby said that “overall, living off campus is cheaper, feels more independent and is more comfortable,” she added that “I live very close to campus, so I do not feel the downside of walking long distances to get to campus that other people do.” In an effort to aid students seeking to live off campus, the Department of Community Living has recently partnered with the housing search website JumpOffCampus, Leiferman said in an email to the Justice. JumpOffCampus is described on its website as “an online resource for University students meant to facilitate their search for off-campus housing, but also offer value to Landlords and Universities.” Adding to the strain on the housing system is last year’s enrollment of 972 first-years in Brandeis’ largest class to date, the Class of 2015. This year, 225 first-years live in 75 lofted triples, up from last year’s figures of 90 students in 30 lofted triples, according to a Sept. 13 Justice article. Leiferman noted in the article that “the increased number of sophomores next year will likely result in fewer beds for juniors and seniors.” Members of the Class of 2015, now rising sophomores, are

guaranteed housing for another full academic year. Brian Lee ’15 drew number 904 in the housing lottery this year. “That will give me a single in Einstein [Bros. Bagels],” Lee joked in an interview with the Justice. Lee added that he hopes to live in East Quad if he is pulled in by a friend, or in a single in one of the firstyear quads, Massell or North. Last year, singles in Massell were all selected by number 777, while a few North singles remained at the end of the process, according to the Department of Community Living’s website. Brandeis is targeting a class size of 855 for the incoming Class of 2016, comparable to the Class of 2014’s 869 students, according to the Sept. 13 article. The number at which all housing lottery numbers run out has fluctuated from year to year, with the highest point since 2004 being 2,136 (2009) and the low 1,404 (2005), according to the Department of Community Living’s website. Students who do not receive housing during the lottery can opt to be placed on a wait list, which has been able to fulfill all requests for the past three years, according to the website. On-campus housing can currently accommodate approximately three fourths of juniors and seniors. “There is clearly a focus on our campus housing at this point in time,” said Collins. “We have some identified needs, whether it is to fix old buildings that we have or potentially build new ones to satisfy the housing needs of a whole bunch of populations that we serve.”

According to the police log, BEMCo was dispatched when officers arrived at Tower Lot after receiving a report that Ross was unresponsive in her car; however, there is no note in the police log of Ross receiving or refusing treatment. “She seems to have some sort of neurological problem that they’re trying to diagnose which may have something to do with [why] she was disoriented on Monday,” Austin said of Ross, who he says is currently at a hospital in Nantucket undergoing neurological tests and so was unavailable for comment on this article. “I got a phone call from the police department and went up there and rescued her, but she was there for almost six hours in a cell.” Austin said that Ross was not intoxicated that day and she was given neither a breathalyzer nor a sobriety test before she was taken into protective custody. According to Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, unless it is thought that an individual is about to operate or is in the process of operating a car, a breathalyzer test is not necessary. He added that police officers use their discretion based on experience, education and training to determine if an individual is intoxicated. “The [U]niversity stands by the Public Safety report on this incident,” wrote Senior Vice President of Communications and External Affairs Andrew Gully in a statement to the Justice. The Waltham Police Department confirmed that if an individual is suspected of being intoxicated but is able to walk, the individual can be taken into protective custody and transported to a police department, hospital or home until he or she is picked up by another person or able to transport him or herself safely. Ross’ original account of the afternoon, however, conflicts with both that of the University and her husband. The night the accident took place, Ross sent the students in her course an email that read in part, “At about 11:00 a.m. I had a seemingly benevolent car crash on the Brandeis campus! I wasn’t even driving! I got knocked out. Word is—a concussion. It’s (strangely) a good plot, we’ll talk about it.” When asked about the email, Austin was unclear about its content but said that Ross was in a “neurological hallucinating zone” at the time and that she could have “misspoken.” Austin said that “there will be an investigation and legal inquiries made about ... the University’s handling of

basically a professor who was having a medical issue,” continuing that no lawyers had yet been in touch with the University legal team. Unknown background Despite the fact that information about Ross’ arrests is publicly available through her blog, Google searches and public records, nobody at the University knew about her criminal history before hiring her, according to multiple University officials. Ross, who was hired this semester to take over the Journalism 15A “Writing for Broadcast Media Journalism” course, a requirement for the Journalism minor, was an emergency hire, according to chair of the Journalism program Prof. Maura Jane Farrelly (AMST). Ross filled the position left vacant by Margo Melnicove, who had previously taught the class for 14 years but had to be replaced due to a medical emergency in her family. According to Farrelly, Ross was hired after Farrelly listened to Ross’ work on the National Public Radio website and contacted her for two phone interviews over the winter break. Farrelly learned of Ross from Ross’ former colleague who currently works for New Hampshire Public Radio; that colleague served as Ross’ reference for this position. After the two phone interviews, Farrelly recommended Ross for the job to Birren. Farrelly said that she did not know of Ross’ criminal past before she recommended that the University employ Ross. According to an email to the Justice from Senior Vice President for Communications and External Affairs Andrew Gully, “Farrelly was following a standard process for hiring adjuncts” and “was unaware of Ross’s criminal record when she was hired.” Background checks, formal or informal, are not required for faculty positions at the University, according to an email to the Justice from Birren. The Faculty Handbook states that the requirements for the hiring of a normal faculty members—which include review by a committee of professors—are different for “associate professors of the practice,” the title Ross held. Vice President for Human Resources Scot Bemis wrote in an email to the Justice that Massachusetts law forbids the University from asking job applicants about their criminal backgrounds. However, Bemis added that “if asked, a candidate is required to disclose a criminal conviction. The affect [sic] of a conviction depends on the position being filled and the nature of the conviction.” Ross was not asked

about previous convictions. A Google search for “Pippin Ross” leads to an entry on her blog. The entry explains the content of the manuscript of the book she and her husband are co-writing, Crash Course: A Reporter’s Journey Into Prison, which she describes as a “stark, often funny, hopefully intriguing examination of my lost and found years of rape, alcoholism, and eventually incarceration in our nation’s oldest women’s prison.” The Future of JOUR 15A Farrelly explained that she was informed minutes before Ross’ class on Feb. 27 that Ross would not be coming to class. Farrelly said she then had decided to fill in for Ross, and was relatively certain that she would be teaching the following week. “At this point, it is not completely clear as to what the instructor situation for the class is going to be,” Farrelly said. “My inclination … is that I will take over the class and we will try to bring in a guest lecturer toward the end of the semester.” Ross’ employment at Brandeis was terminated the day after the on-campus incident, according to an email provided to the Justice by Austin. Ross was informed of the termination in a short email from Birren. Birren issued the decision after a conference with the parties involved, according to Farrelly. In the termination email, Birren wrote to Farrelly that “based on [Ross’] conduct on February 27, 2012,” her appointment with the University was terminated effective immediately. Austin said that Ross was not consulted before her termination or contacted beyond Birren’s email. According to the Faculty Handbook, “action to suspend or permanently dismiss a member of the faculty is initiated by the Provost.” Furthermore, “the faculty member involved must be allowed to present his or her case to the Committee [of Faculty Rights and Responsibilities], in writing as well as in person, and to present pertinent individuals who will speak in his or her behalf.” This process, according to the handbook, is followed for all faculty, and adjunct professors are listed in the handbook’s definition of “faculty.” In an email to the Justice, Birren wrote that “much of the Handbook does not apply to adjuncts because they are short-term, temporary faculty.” —Sara Dejene, Rebecca Blady and Andrew Wingens contributed reporting.

ROSE: Wachter to raise publicity CONTINUED FROM 1 In an interview with the Justice, Wachter said that the Rose has two great advantages: its location on the campus of a university where it can be used for teaching, and “if not the best, certainly one of the best collections of contemporary art in New England.” Wachter thinks that better publicity is necessary for the museum. “I want to put the Rose on the map more than it already is,” he said. Additionally, Wachter is providing the funding for the Fine Arts department’s digitization of the George and Fern Wachter Visual Resources Center collection. The funding has allowed art professors to teach classes digitally instead of using antiquated Kodak car-

ousels. Roy Dawes, director of museum operations, praised Wachter’s background. “Mr. Wachter is well known in the art world and is greatly respected,” he said in an interview with the Justice. Commenting on the 2009 controversy over the University’s plan to sell artwork from the museum, Wachter said that he was “extremely disappointed at what happened two years ago and I am so happy that nothing bad happened at the end of the day and all of the art that they had is still in the museum.” He added, “I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t feel there was a commitment to the future of the Rose and to the future of the collection, and there is without any question a real

commitment from Brandeis to that, and that’s why I’m doing it.” Wachter said that his most interesting project at Sotheby’s was the 1995 auction of the New York Historical Society’s Old Masters collection. The collection was donated in 1867 by Thomas Jefferson Bryan, before the Metropolitan Museum existed, and its sale to support the Society’s endowment prompted a public outcry and legal challenge similar to that experienced when the Rose sought to sell its artwork. The Rose has 6,000 works worth an estimated $350 to $400 million, according to a Jan. 28, 2009 New York Times article. The University is currently conducting a search for a new director of the museum.

N K A O ? C U O R YONK YOU IS AD L TTE E I H H B T KE T JOIN LAYOUT A M Contact Nan Pang at layout@thejustice.org

features Medical endeavors THE JUSTICE

just

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TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

VERBATIM | JAMES A. BALDWIN

The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1981, after 19 years of anchoring the CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time.

The earliest recorded female physician was Merit Ptah in Egypt around 2700 B.C.E.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDSEY WEISS

EASY ACCESS: Members of the Global Medical Brigades dug a 108-meter trench to complete a water system for a house in El Canton that did not have running water.

Students travel to Honduras to aid locals over February break By GABRIELLE santoro JUSTICE staff writer

Located in Central America, Honduras is a nation with a rich history of relations between its native and nonnative populations, resulting from its colonization by Spain. Honduras experienced a recent political shift due to presidential failure to address national concerns with its citizens, including health and security. Former President Manuel Zelaya was removed from his position by the military in 2009 under Supreme Court order; Porfirio Lobo now serves as president. Even with this change, many Hondurans are still faced with barriers to their welfare, including a high rate of poverty and lack of health services, especially in rural areas. Global Brigades is a nonprofit umbrella organization that sends student volunteers to provide aid in three countries: Ghana, Panama, and Honduras. The group has nine programs that stem from the overall effort to improve development in these countries. It is the “largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization,” according to its website. This past February break, members of the recently inaugurated Brandeis chapter of Global Brigades participated in a medical brigade in Honduras. They engaged in volunteer services at a clinic, providing medical services and attention to the members of the rural community in El Jute, and constructed a water pipeline to a house to finish off the entire water system in the village of El Canton. Bharvi Patel ’14, the president and co-founder of the Brandeis chapter of Global Brigades, said her interest in the organization began after she spoke with a cousin who participated in a Global Medical Brigades trip to Honduras through Pennsylvania State University. “I saw that the work that Global Brigades was doing was not only making great impacts, but [it] was also very sustainable,” she said in an interview with the Justice. “That was something that I wanted to be a part of.” Danielle Borin ’12, was also intrigued by the mission of the organization and got involved out of a desire “to [see] medicine in a different country,” she said. After establishing a chapter at the University, the chapter leaders orga-

nized 20 students who were committed to preparing for a trip to Honduras. Borin shares that “we had to have at least 4,000 to 5,000 dollars worth of medication.” Members obtained these funds by hosting a fundraiser dinner and two grilled cheese delivery events. After arriving, the group visited with Honduran President Lobo at the presidential house. Lindsey Weiss ’14 noted that they “actually got to go to the presidential house and met him because his daughter goes to the Inter-

ing to seek medical attention,” Weiss said. With five doctors present, including two dentists and a gynecologist, three stations were set up to tend to patients. All of the doctors at the clinic were Honduran and coordinated with Global Brigades to set up clinics like these. Patel shared her positive experience of assisting one of the doctors. “Although he had to see about 150 patients a day, he took the time to talk with each of his patients, and make

“Charla.” Charla is a component of the Global Medical Brigade’s mission to eliminate future illnesses and conditions by teaching practices like brushing teeth and washing hands. Borin said her role was to educate children about proactive ways to keep healthy. “Initially, the kids were nervous—I was nervous. It was difficult with the language barrier, but as I tried being goofy [while] I was teaching, it became fun,” she said. “When they all laughed at a joke, it made me feel really good

PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDSEY WEISS

WORKING AS A TEAM: The students in the Brigade were joined by Honduran doctors, security personnel and other volunteers. national Business School here. … We ended up going to the US ambassador to Honduras’ house [afterwards]. So we had dinner at her house, and then met the director of the Peace Corps,” she said in an interview with the Justice. After packaging the medicine and creating labels and instructions for it, the group drove to the community of El Jute to begin their three-day medical brigade. “On the first day [at the clinic] we had at least 40 people wait-

them feel comfortable, she said. “And every step of the way, [he taught] me why he was doing something, and [took] the moment to explain why this medication worked for this case and not another.” While assisting, Patel gained confidence in providing care to patients and properly diagnosing them. Another one of the Brigade’s effective programs that the group engaged in was a discussion of hygiene and preventative health measures called

to know that they were gaining something from me.” However, these proactive approaches did not end at the clinic. The chapter also went to the town of El Canton to build a water pipeline. Patel noted the significant role that the group was able to play in this community project. “After a year and 29 brigades, [almost] every home had a pipeline connected to it from the main source of water. There was one last home left

to connect in order to finish the whole water system and let it run. We were very fortunate to be that last brigade to build [the last connection to the system],” she said. Borin explained the impact of the water system. “The water system should last 40 years. Results show an 85 percent decrease in parasites seen in previous water systems [built by Global Brigades in Honduras],” she said. The clean water that this pipeline provides will limit the number of patients who would otherwise come to a Global Medical Brigades clinic in need of medication for parasites and other symptoms that come with unfiltered water. Akash Vadalia ’12 described building the last water pipeline to complete the town’s entire system as “an emotional experience.” “We understood the importance of our efforts to finish [the system], and subsequently worked very hard,” he said. Finishing the system was not the group’s only goal or the greater Global Brigades’s only aim. Borin mentioned the importance of the water system as a means to prevent parasite contraction, which was “a common ailment that we saw at the clinic.” “The community was trained to be self-sufficient. They are prepared to maintain the system themselves,” Borin continued. The participants of this brigade covered a lot of ground in their time in Honduras; Vadalia noted that “about 400 patients were served.” Overall, the participants found the week rewarding. “I thought that it would be a great experience for us ... to get out of the Brandeis bubble, and [see] what it’s like for people who don’t have access to resources to medical care that we take for granted,” Vadalia said. “My experience with Global Medical Brigades blew my expectations out of the water.” Looking towards the future, the Brandeis chapter has plans to expand their work with Global Brigades. Patel plans to share her experience with other students and encourage their participation. “Next year, we are planning to expand to two different brigades, a medical and a public health brigade,” she said. “I’m sure that, just as we were inspired, others who get involved ... will [experience] the same reward.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

Establishing diversity on ca

The ICC continues its long tradition of cultural awareness after two By WEI-HUAN CHEN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

“Now is the Time.” Its font was bold, its implications bolder and its call to action immediate. “Now is the Time of an Intercultural Center,” it said. The eight historic words demanded its readers to open their eyes and reconsider the all-inclusive nature of the Brandeis community. It was the title for a proposal written by the Intercultural Center Push Committee, a group of students who saw a problem on campus—the isolation of minority students—and found a solution—creating an Intercultural Center that acted as a haven for African American, Latin American, Asian American and international students. Now, exactly 20 years after the founding of the Intercultural Center, people like Director Monique Gnanaratnam cannot imagine Brandeis without it. “Just turn around and look at the people behind you,” she said, indicating a multinational group of club leaders and members conversing nearby. “This is truly a home for many of us.” Although Brandeis students have always accepted the ICC as a place for leadership development, intercultural learning and, yes, free printing, the years leading to its inception in 1992 were filled with conflict and frustration. The Push Committee proposal, published March 26, 1991 in the Justice, summarized a five-year demand for a facility that would house diversity-related clubs and services. In 1986, a committee formed by then-President Evelyn Handler to address minority concerns recommended the creation of the ICC. But the proposed project encountered numerous obstacles and frequent op-

position by members of the administration and student body. “The diffuse nature of implementation, communication, and support of programs directed toward students of color at Brandeis has rekindled the call for an Intercultural Center/House on our campus,” the Committee on Students of Colors wrote to Handler in a 1988 report. “Without a centralized location for the many programs and services provided, students of color still feel estranged.” The feeling of estrangement mentioned in the committee’s report did not merely characterize the school’s minority population in the late 1980s. It signified a decades-long era of unheard voices at Brandeis. The true roots of the ICC campaign go back to 1969, when black students initiated a sit-in of Ford Hall in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. A History of Racial Conflict The Ford Hall protest served as a turning point for blacks at Brandeis, prompting administrators to create an African and Afro-American Studies Department and to work toward higher black student recruitment and retention. During the 1970s and 1980s, Brandeis took further steps to let minority students’ voices be heard. Clubs like the Brandeis Asian American Students Association and the Brandeis Black Students Organization worked to promote multiculturalism on campus while the Transitional Year Program offered educationally disadvantaged students a chance to integrate into Brandeis. However, this wasn’t enough for many students. One student, Desmond Douglas ’88, said he felt a “sense of isolation” at the University, according to

an Oct. 21, 1986 Justice article titled “Spotlight on Blacks at Brandeis.” “I hate it here,” said Clinton Freeman ’89 in the article. “There are very few minority students to begin with and there are ever fewer whom to agree with.” Freeman did not have much choice. The incoming class of 1990 included only 19 blacks out of nearly 800 students. Most black students who were accepted to Brandeis, the article stated, had not decided to matriculate. Efforts to make Brandeis a culturally and racially accepting community were largely unsuccessful. Douglas helped organize the Black-Jewish Dialogue, a forum intended to make connections and break myths between the black and Jewish community at Brandeis. But only four black students showed up, according to the “Spotlight on Blacks” article. The approximately 25 students who did attend concluded that “Black-Jewish relations are not where they should be,” according to the Justice. The Director of Community Relations, a Student Union position formed in the 1970s to give a minority voice in the Senate, became embroiled in controversy. Justice columnist David Bernstein ’88 called the position an example of unhelpful “favoritism” and the “perfect example of the dehumanizing effect that quotas have on minority group members.” While the Student Senate opposed Bernstein’s views and defended the DCR, students became outraged at the position in 1988 when Marcy Baskin ’90, a white student, was elected to the position due to confusions over the voting system. Minority students impeached Baskin based on the notion that the DCR must be a minority student and can only be elected by minority students, us-

ing a list by the Admissions Office that verified voters’ ethnicity. African Americans, Latin Americans, Asian Americans and international students needed to create a support system on campus–the problem was figuring out how. “We remain in a crisis,” wrote Michele Becker ’89 in a letter to the Justice on Oct. 29, 1986. “Racism exists–yes, even at Brandeis.” Brandeis had become a microcosm of a nationwide problem. Universities around the country were also experiencing racial tension. “Studies confirm the high levels of social estrangement among black students,” a 1988 New York Times article stated. “In his recent study of black undergraduates, Prof. Walter Allen [a sociologist at the University of Michigan] found that only 12 percent of black students, as against a majority of whites, said they felt they were an important part of campus life.” By the next year, minority students at Brandeis helped to demand a large step toward campus diversity–the creation of a committee to study minority concerns, which recommended the creation of the ICC. Finding a Solution Besides encountering a bevy of administrative, logistical and monetary issues, the Push Committee struggled to rally white students to its side. Many thought the proposed ICC would separate minorities from the rest of the campus. “There is a fear that the establishment of the center will lead the community towards a selfimposed segregation,” the Justice wrote in an Oct. 29, 1991 editorial. But the Push Committee remained resolute. “We are coming down to the wire,” it wrote

Twenty years of

culture

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDEIS UN

VOICES HEARD: Students still use the space to express themselves and be surrounded by students with similar interests, as they did in

Student organizatio ■ A weekend full of events

united cultural groups and brought alumni back to campus to join the festivities. By TESS RASER JUSTICE EDITOR

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST: Students reenacted the first meeting held by the ICC on Sunday as part of the anniversary celebration.

Some Brandeisians view the Intercultural Center as a place to briefly stop by between classes to print last minute papers. Those people are missing out. The ICC is the umbrella organization of over 15 cultural clubs, and to members of those clubs, it is a home away from home. The Center celebrated its 20th anniversary this weekend. The celebration began on Saturday with an alumni reception, a celebration in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and a lantern ceremony. Sunday was the main commemoration and began with a reenactment of the first meeting held by the ICC before its inauguration in 1992. In the mock meeting, students expressed feelings of isolation at the University. They saw the ICC as a remedy to their

shared sentiment. Student members of the prog ming board, Simone Wornum ’12 Simon Zahn ’12 welcomed the gu in the Hassenfeld Conference ter and thanked the ICC for allo them to grow in their four years a University. A video montage then reve that Wornum and Zahn were unique in their perspectives—al students in the video expressed feelings about the ICC being a space for personal growth. Monique Gnanaratnam, the d tor of the Center, spoke after the eo about her work at the ICC ove past five and a half years. “It is so nice to see where seat filled in and see what faces are h … All of these faces that I’ve had opportunity to work with, … th so much passion and so much lov much sense of family,” she said. ICC visitors may know Gnan tnam from being involved in clubs, but less frequent ICC gu certainly know Taneeta Bacon department coordinator, as the ing woman at the desk at the

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TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

ampus

o decades to its members. “Finals and final papers are approaching. … we are all a little frazzled and on edge. Don’t think that this is accidental. One tactic itinerant administrators use is to tire out demanding students … we need to be more prepared than ever before.” However, with the help of the new President Samuel Thier and Dean of Student Affairs Rod Crafts, the Push Committee’s plan to turn the Swig Student Center, an office for residential and athletics needs, into the ICC eventually came into fruition. A March 4, 1992 photo in the Brandeis Reporter showed the Swig Lounge packed with students. A black female student stood in front, smiling, preparing to cut a colorful tape to celebrate the ICC’s inauguration. A plethora of cultural clubs had already moved into the new ICC. In the past 20 years, the center has gained a vital campus presence. It now hosts Culture X, one of the school’s largest student-organized events, and has a staff of four full-time coordinators, three programming board co-chairs and over 10 student staff members. “Brandeis is much more welcoming now and I think the ICC helps contribute to it,” said Senior Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong, who saw the growth of the ICC from its beginnings. “They work together in synergy [and] support one another.” “When you graduate, you realize there are things you really miss from Brandeis,” said Kenta Yamamoto ’10, a former president of JSA and programming chair for the ICC who traveled from New York to attend last weekend’s reunion events. “For me, that was the ICC.” —Tess Raser contributed reporting.

“

“That’s what the ICC is about. It’s about our stories, how our stories intersect, it’s about how we can learn from each other, and it’s about why our lives are better off because we knew each other.” JESSIE BEAL M.A. ’13

NIVERSITY ARCHIVES

n 1992.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

NEW BEGINNINGS: Excited faculty members and students alike gathered for the 1963 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Swig Student Center, the building that would become the ICC in 1992.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT: Administrators came together to witness the hard work of staff and students in the opening of the ICC in March 1992.

ons associated with the ICC celebrate 20 years of history

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trance. Gnanaratnam thanked Bacon for her continuing contributions to the ICC. “I always have to drag out Miss Taneeta because she does not like these public displays of affection. We are each others’s left and right hand,” Gnananaratnam said. Gnananaratnam’s greatest work over her five years, along with all the members and contributors of the Center, has been integrating it into the University community. There are now over 600 programs a year that take place in the ICC. “When we first came, it was me, Taneeta and the noise of the fan until the students finished class at three, and it got busy,” Gnanaratnam explained. After this introduction to the celebration, each club’s representatives spoke on behalf of their clubs and the influence the ICC has had on them personally. The Brandeis Asian American Student Association, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, started by thanking the crowd of students, alumni and administrators. All of the clubs that presented,

whether the Brandeis Asian American Student Association or Brandeis Black Student Organization, expressed a common sentiment of familial love and a sense of place they found in the unassuming brick building. The presentations by the clubs were smoothly and effectively interrupted by other events in the program, such as a beautiful saxophone solo by David Wheaton ’15. When the club presentations continued, Kenta Yamamoto ’10 spoke at the last minute on behalf of the Japanese Student Association (JSA), which he had left two years ago when he tossed his tasseled hat in the air. His ability and willingness to fill in demonstrated that the ICC imprints something special on all its participants. The ICC stays with alumni long after their departure from campus. A newcomer to the center this academic year, Jessie Beal M.A. ‘13, program coordinator for sexuality and gender diversity, introduced a series of alumni speakers and discussed Triskellion’s home in the Center.

Cary Weir Lytle ’98, associate director of employer relations at the Hiatt Career Center, gave an emotional account of his experience at the University and his difficulties in coming from an extremely diverse background to a much less multi-cultural environment. Lytle eventually found his place at the ICC. The same was true for Michael Yim ’08 who came from a small Dutch town in Pennsylvania. When he initially came to the University he felt the same as he had in his hometown—as being the most differentlooking. Again, that was until he became involved in the ICC in his second semester. “I realized that’s the difference between my town and the community at Brandeis. Although my town had curiosity of my life, my background, my culture, when I came to Brandeis there was exponentially more curiosity. There is a drive to learn about each other,” Yim explained of his experience. As Yim has moved further in life, his Brandeis friends stand out to him as having qualities and perspectives

unique to the University. “To this day, I do not have a friend from a different campus that talks about their experience from an intercultural setting. … I’m very proud to brag about you guys,” he added. Mingh Hattori ’09 came from a predominantly black and Latino community in the Bronx and experienced culture shock in coming to Brandeis, but because of her support from the ICC, she was able to leave the University with a new lesson. “By the time of graduation, being the only person of color in a situation didn’t bother me anymore,” she said. Hattori then moved to a town in Japan where she was the only foreigner and person of a different race, and she taught English there for two years. As she is now moving back to Boston, she feels at ease knowing that she has a family at the ICC. The event concluded with the first Inspiring and Creating Change award to Senior Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences for Undergraduate Education Elaine Wong, who has been a supporter of the center and its mission since its inception. Current

students and alumnus Peter Wong ’89 helped present the award to Elaine Wong by narrating their experiences of her generosity, personal interest and commitment to their success at the University. The ICC was not in existence yet when Peter Wong was a student and was personally advised by Dean Wong. He noted how small clubs were before the Center opened several years after his graduation. Although the ICC is open to everyone in the University community and should be utilized and enjoyed by students of every color, religion, sexual or gender identity, the event was what Gnanaratnam described as “insular” in that it was like a family reunion. It felt like old friends coming together and exchanging stories of a place that has a deeper meaning than anything learned in the classroom or experienced at weekend parties. “That’s what the ICC is about. It’s about our stories, how our stories intersect, it’s about how we can learn from each other, and it’s about why our lives are better off because we knew each other,” said Beal.

TUESDAY, march 6, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

Justice Justice

the the

Established 1949, Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Emily Kraus, Editor in Chief Nashrah Rahman, Managing Editor Brian N. Blumenthal, Production Editor Andrew Wingens, Deputy Editor Alana Abramson, Rebecca Blady, Eitan Cooper, Bryan Flatt, Rebecca Klein, Asher Krell, Fiona Lockyer, Tess Raser, Robyn Spector and Marielle Temkin, Associate Editors Sara Dejene, News Editor Sam Mintz, Acting News Editor Celine Hacobian, Acting Features Editor Shafaq Hasan, Forum Editor Adam Rabinowitz, Sports Editor Ariel Kay, Arts Editor Emily Salloway, Acting Arts Editor Jenny Cheng and Joshua Linton, Photography Editors Nan Pang, Layout Editor Hillel Buechler, Online Editor Maya Riser-Kositsky, Acting Copy Editor David Wolkoff, Acting Advertising Editor SARA WEININGER/the Justice

Reassess hiring process Last week, Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren terminated the appointment of Pippin Ross as lecturer in journalism at the University. The circumstances surrounding the hiring and subsequent dismissal of Ms. Ross are far from commonplace. However, information that has recently surfaced concerning the decision to initially employ Ms. Ross, whose criminal history was never examined by anyone at the University prior to her hiring, moves us to question the current hiring process for faculty. The University has an obligation to both its students and the academic community to ensure that all faculty members meet the teaching standards of the University. This translates as ensuring that candidates for faculty positions have the pertinent degrees or necessary experience to complete their duties. However, at no point does the University consider the bearing that a candidate’s criminal history may have upon those same duties. Director of the Journalism Program Prof. Maura Farrelly (AMST) recommended Ross to fill a last-minute opening after consulting one reference and speaking with Ross twice. Dr. Birren then formally completed the hire, as mandated by the University hiring process. Currently, the University does not mandate a criminal background check for any potential faculty hires. This should not be the case. We urge the University to begin ordering criminal background checks of future candidates for faculty appointments. We do not wish to speculate on whether knowledge of Ms. Ross’ specific criminal history should have affected her hiring. However, we view the general absence of such information from the process as ir-

Retain department autonomy responsible. Those charged with the hiring process, the department and program heads, as well as the dean of Arts and Sciences, must be made aware of a candidate’s criminal history when considering a candidate. Faculty hired must meet the standards of the University in the expertise of their subject and their character, to the extent that it may affect their abilities as researchers, instructors and mentors. Knowledge of a potential faculty member’s criminal history could also prepare department and program heads in the event that colleagues or students raise issues concerning that faculty member’s actions. The University need not and should not mandate that departments ensure their candidates are free of any criminal history. Departments and programs must retain their autonomy and judgment if we are to foster a truly open and successful academic environment. However, those involved with the hiring process must be aware of candidates’ criminal history in order to decide whether such information potentially affects a person’s ability to function as a faculty member here. The University should seek to fill its faculty with only those candidates that are qualified to assume such posts. That entails a hiring process with an awareness of all information relevant to both a candidate’s character and expertise in the field. The circumstances surrounding Ms. Ross’ dismissal were exceptional. However, the process of her hiring was the norm. It shouldn’t be.

Off-campus challenges As part of the ongoing strategic planning process, the University is considering incorporating off-campus housing into its residential system for undergraduate and possibly graduate or faculty use. While this board appreciates that the University is seeking to address the growing issues with oncampus housing, we also urge the University to show increased concern for students already living off-campus. Without the trouble of signing a lease or paying for utilities, expanding University housing into Waltham could be a more convenient solution for students seeking a more independent living situation. We are concerned, however, about the effect the higher cost of University-owned housing will have on rental rates for the surrounding the area. Before purchasing off-campus housing, the University needs to consider these unknown consequences. We also encourage the University to direct more attention to students currently off campus. Though these students have the assistant director for operations and housing to serve as a liaison between them and the administration and students, the University

Guide students in transition should further involve itself by expanding its resources for off-campus students. Currently, the University has an online guide to off-campus housing and also provides a link for a website where available apartments in are listed. However, we feel these resources are underutilized and have not been well-publicized. In addition to these resources, the University could provide increased, direct rental guidance and help students find available apartments. By expanding these resources, opening up communication and actively guiding students in the transition to off-campus housing, the University will better serve the entirety of its student body. While the University is exploring how to expand the housing options for our growing population, we urge it to better promote and expand the resources it already provides. The University will eventually have to address the housing deficit created by growing student body, but they should carefully consider the possible issues that would arise from purchasing off-campus housing.

Utilize criticism to improve universities Diego

Medrano missing link

We often forget just how young online social networking is. Just because we spend so much time checking our Facebook pages and interacting over the Internet doesn’t mean that we really understand the implications of what we do online. However, while the way in which we interact may change, there are certain constants to remember. For one, censorship is rarely the answer. Recently, Western Kentucky University has been monitoring social media networks and disciplining students for “inappropriate” posts. Apparently Western Kentucky University has been trying to change its image as a mediocre regional school and has been censoring Facebook and Twitter posts that threaten its carefully crafted image. Other schools should learn from the university’s mistakes. First of all, if there are issues of harassment involved, then the school not only has a right to censor, it has an obligation. Still, the censorship would be the tip of the iceberg of what is needed. In cases like WKU’s, where there was no cyber-bullying involved, censorship was unnecessary. Students were making fake social networking accounts pretending to be the president of WKU and administrators from different departments. According to students, the posts were obviously fake and generally were in good taste; they didn’t take personal shots at people or really try to misrepresent them. Students are being taught to reconsider everything and think critically; the first step in applying that knowledge is to contribute to their own environment. If they are being prepared to go out into the world and make an impact, how can they be expected to sit idly by when they disagree with the situation around them? The students might be complaining about issues that the administration may not have the money to fix or may not be able to change right away, but it’s important for them to at least seem like they’re working with the students to help improve their experience. At WKU, students complained about parking issues, poor athletics teams and the quality of assignments. Instead of being met with open ears, they were shut down by their school. Creating fake accounts and postings may not be the most mature thing you can do, but it’s a clever way to bring attention to issues. WKU had a solid opportunity to look like a progressive and caring school. What they could and should have done is embrace new social media and looked like a innovative school ready to prepare students for the future. Instead, they appear scared and paranoid of new media and their students. They could have listened to their students and sent the message that they that care about what the students have to say. The students are the ones paying the tuition, and their suggestions will only increase the likelihood that other students apply. Prospective students want a school that they feel connected to and that values feel their opinion. The students want the school to get better, and it’s obviously in the best interest of the school to improve. They should use the students’ criticisms to see what areas of the school are most in need of change and prioritize those improvements. Whether through paper, radio, television or internet, censorship that is wrong for one medium is wrong for all. Frankly, I don’t understand the benefit of schools censoring their students. Are schools so obliviously blind as to not see that anytime a group of young people is censored they eventually get their word out? A school like WKU that is trying to change its image needs to learn that an image can’t be forced. Schools will have the image that they earn, and no one is more vocal to the outside world than students. They’re the most important form of marketing that a school has at its disposal and all the pamphlets and blocked tweets in the world can’t change outside opinion when students aren’t happy. Censorship may work for a short period of time, but in the long run, the school’s reputation takes a hit. The best course of action for the students, the administration, the college community and anyone else involved is to embrace expression, especially when that expression is dissenting and difficult to accept. If not, there are plenty of other schools that will.

OP-BOX Quote of the Week “[I’m] doing it because he couldn’t do these things. … He’s pushing me, he’s behind me.” —Osaze Akerejah ’14 on

using the tragedy of his brother’s death to keep himself motivated (See Arts, p.19).

Brandeis Talks Back How do you feel about Brandeis’ housing lottery system?

Kimi Van Wickle ’14 “The lottery isn’t bad; it’s the options that are limited.”

Ashlee Hypolite ’13 “I managed to get a good number ... when I wasn’t guaranteed housing.”

Joseph Harari M.S.15 ’11 “I always got a bad number, but it’s the fairest way to get housing.”

Emily Simons ’15 “It’s fair because it’s a lottery. Nobody gets preferential treatment. —Compiled by Shafaq Hasan Photos by Josh Linton/ the Justice

THE JUSTICE

READER COMMENTARY Union chartering would hinder Hillel In response to your article, “Restructure Hillel’s funding for unity’s sake,” (Feb. 14): We appreciate how invested you are in Hillel at Brandeis and the unity of our member groups. We are also really grateful for all of the support Hillel receives from Student Unionboth in funds for our member groups and general support for Hillel’s role on campus. Hillel is always searching for more ways to strengthen our sense of community, and our funding structure certainly has both merits and flaws in that regard. Below, we have tried to shed some light on the reality of the situation and the relationship between Hillel’s funding and Hillel’s unity. First, as important as it is for member groups to receive financial support from Hillel, we believe that that our unity is more complex than that. Attending weekly Shabbat dinners, hanging out in the Hillel Lounge and opportunities for inter-group collaboration (including the sharing of resources, membership, and ideas) are just a few experiences through which we develop cohesion in our community. We hope that these other aspects of unity are visible to the Hillel community and the campus as a whole. Furthermore, Hillel’s current umbrella structure is crucial to our organizational success. Hillel at Brandeis provides invaluable support to our member groups; this includes mentorship, logistical assistance, meeting spaces, staff support, publicity, and other resources. We are able to do all of this while allowing each group to retain a certain degree of autonomy. Hillel allocations are meant to be simply one part of our overall efforts to support student-initiated activity. We also envision a few significant challenges to the Student Union-chartered model. Hillel operates in a very distinct way—almost more like a university department than a student club, involving its own staff, space, and resources. Imposing Student Union restrictions on these and all other facets of Hillel could be a potential hindrance to our overall mission and operations. Additionally, with a collective grant to “Hillel Clubs,” our member groups also lose some of their independence. As a pluralistic organization, we strive to build community while honoring individuality, and we grapple to find ways for each to thrive without detracting from the other. Part of the richness of our community is that we nurture individual members and member groups within a communal framework. Again, we truly appreciate the issues brought to light by this editorial and the good intent with which it was written. We hope that this is the beginning of many important conversations on this topic that will ultimately lead to greater Hillel unity. —Jessica Goldberg ’13, Rachel Mayo ’14 and Ariel Milan-Polisar ’14 Editor’s note: Jessica Goldberg is president of Hillel, Rachel Mayo is Hillel’s finance coordinator and Ariel Milan-Polisar is Hillel’s campus relations coordinator.

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Campuses abroad violate rights Phillip

Gallagher back to basics

It’s apparently the new trend in higher education to build satellite campuses in non-Western countries around the world. New York University is planning a degree-granting campus in Shanghai and already built one in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Yale University is working on a campus in Singapore in partnership with the National University of Singapore (although that campus would grant NUS degrees instead of Yale degrees) and Carnegie Mellon intends to open a graduate school in Rwanda. However, this international development into China, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Rwanda isn’t really as great as it sounds. Universities that are expanding into these countries are enabling their poor human rights records and have their silence bought with the external funding of the new campuses. Administrators have failed to fully consider the implications of working in countries with questionable laws. The UAE does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and will not allow individuals using Israeli passports to enter the country. I imagine that, of the over 7,000 international students and scholars at NYU, some are of Israeli nationality and, because of that, are unable to visit or participate in the activities of this new campus. Yale’s campus in Singapore will have to abide by Singaporean law, which effectively outlaws homosexuality and utilizes capital punishment in cases of drug abuse. One Yale professor, Christopher Miller, pointed out these two laws in an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education in which he describes how he would have trouble visiting the new campus because he is gay. Further, if any Yale student is caught abusing drugs in Singapore, he or she could potentially have to face the death penalty—a harsher punishment than any penalty from Yale’s Executive Committee in New Haven, Conn. Several countries also have histories of censorship, which would limit the academic freedom of students and faculty. China has a record of Internet censorship, especially with Google search results. Rwanda has been recently criticized by Human Rights Watch for jailing opposition members, journalists and other critics for speaking out against the government, even if the critic was solely expressing his opinion without prior intent. In the UAE, an economics professor at the Abu Dhabi campus of the Université ParisSorbonne was arrested after signing an online petition for the government to become more democratic. He was originally given a two-year prison sentence but was then pardoned by UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan.

TZIPORAH THOMPSON /the Justice

According to the article by Miller, the Sorbonne failed to mention the professor’s arrest on their website nor did NYU Abu Dhabi demonstrate any type of protest in response. Miller also describes the censorship present in Singapore, where an author who published a book criticizing the Singaporean government was fined and jailed. The provost of Yale apparently was “not surprised” by the government’s actions, explaining that the author violated Singapore’s law against criticizing public institutions. It is surprising that Yale’s provost is so tolerant of Singapore’s censorship when that same policy goes against the basic mission of a university to critically analyze society, and, to that end, speak out against human rights violations. American universities have clearly viewed this international expansion as financially beneficial because the bill for the construction and maintenance of these new campuses is handed to either the host government or a third party. Carnegie Mellon’s campus in Rwanda is funded by the African Development Bank, NYU Abu Dhabi is paid for by the “government of Abu Dhabi,” as indicated on their website and, according to an article in Bloomberg, Yale-NUS will be paid for by NUS and Singapore’s government. The payment for these new campuses by foreign countries or organizations puts the American universities in

an awkward position, as it isn’t in their best interest to accuse their primary funding sources of compromising freedom of speech. Universities have put themselves at the mercy of foreign governments and organizations as they accept funding for their new campuses and are thus more likely to turn a blind eye to human rights’ abuses. Furthermore, the programs in these countries will compromise academic liberty and limit freedom of expression due to the host country’s laws. Those characteristics are not at all conducive to the operation of a first-class university. Study abroad programs do not face these challenges to the same degree, as the university is not making the same type of investment in the host country. A study abroad program in China is merely encouraging the exchange of students and scholars, whereas the permanent establishment of a degree-granting campus reflects a substantial investment in China and misplaced confidence in China’s attitude toward free speech. It is in the best interest of universities to be cautious of where they establish new international campuses so that the laws of the host country will not interfere with the daily activities of the university. I believe Yale, NYU and Carnegie Mellon are making big mistakes that will threaten their schools’ academic integrity.

Silence on Israel breeds indifference and apathy By ryan yuffe special to the justice

It was at the height of the civil rights movement, in 1963, that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. Within the confines of his prison cell, he wrote of the white moderate—a person who was not racist and who understood the injustice being done, but at the same time failed to speak up to the gross discrimination being perpetrated throughout the United States. What the civil rights movement needed, he said, was support from those white moderates. Today at Brandeis, I see the same fear that captured the minds of the white moderate in 1963, except at Brandeis it has infiltrated all spheres of race, culture and religion. And civil rights is no longer the issue; instead, it has moved to the topic of Israel. Many students simply refuse to engage themselves in any type of dialogue, whether it be political or cultural, because they wish to avoid controversy. They may support Israel, but when it comes to revealing their view to a greater audience, many choose to keep quiet. It is appalling that the mere mention of Israel creates a frozen expression on the faces of

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many individuals, followed with the statement, “I don’t feel educated enough on the issue,” or “I don’t want to get into an argument.” In light of Israel Peace Week, I urge all to drop this sentiment and involve yourselves in open and honest discussion amongst your peers. As a member of two on-campus pro-Israel groups, Brandeis Zionist Alliance and Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee, I have seen with my own eyes the discomfort on the faces of student leaders when they are approached to discuss the Israel issue. They shy away from it without much thought, sometimes even rejecting an invitation to have a simple discussion over coffee. Why has this word, this country, become so conducive to an environment in which we must fear that our words will reverberate across campus with consequences reserved for the bigoted? Most shocking of all is that here at Brandeis, where diversity and freedom of speech are touted, such a response is given credibility and is unabashedly nurtured. Inaction cannot be tolerated, for supporting the status quo of indifference and choosing to refrain from vocalizing one’s support, has plagued and stagnated many other social issues in the past. The day that we choose to be ashamed of sup-

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the opposite page, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,200 undergraduates, 800 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. In addition, the Justice is mailed weekly to paid subscribers and distributed throughout Waltham, Mass. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication. All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors. A publication schedule and rate card is available upon request. Subscription rate: $35 per semester, $55 per year.

porting Israel is the day that her enemies rejoice for they know what silence entails—it is the same thing that prevented the world from acting in time in Darfur, and it is the same perverse inaction that has allowed atrocities to take place most recently in Syria. But the day we begin to shed our fears is the same day that the world will be rid of the shameful demonization undeservedly reserved to one country. Cowardice cannot be and will never be the answer. Do not let arguments deter your decision to express what you believe is just. When these arguments arise, you will not stand alone in telling the Brandeis community, or whoever may be listening, the reasons you are proud to vocally support the Jewish Democracy. Your voice will be echoed in solidarity by thousands of other pro-Israel students from our University, from universities across the country, and from individuals across the globe. It is not only the Jewish students at Brandeis who must rid themselves of the stigma that says they cannot actively engage when Israel is brought up. This responsibility falls just as much onto the non-Jewish community at Brandeis. It is understandable that those who are not Jewish may not be as educated on the subject, but to say that Israel has nothing to do

The Staff

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with them could not be further from the truth. For Martin Luther King, Jr., “injustice anywhere was a threat to justice everywhere,” and here at Brandeis we believe in “truth even unto its innermost parts.” To those of who are not Jewish, I say to you that there is no reason for you to stay silent. You may find that you agree and disagree with issues surrounding Israel, but it is imperative that as citizens of the world that you take first step of attending an Israel-related event, reading an article or speaking with a friend to educate yourself. Let us heed the advice of Martin Luther King and Louis Brandeis because their ideas have been responsible for opening the world to change and progress. It was eventually the support of the white moderate that was critical in helping end discrimination. And it requires action from the entire portion of the student body that supports Israel to end the taboo of discussing these controversial issues. There comes a time when the status quo of silence can no longer be tolerated, and people are no longer willing to hold themselves back. For Israel and for ourselves, that time is now. Editor’s note: Ryan Yuffe ’15 is the campus engagement coordinator for Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Editorial Assistants News: Tate Herbert Staff Senior Writers: Josh Asen, Aaron Berke, Wei HuanChen, Raquel Collins, Amy Melser, Shelly Shore Senior Illustrator: Sara Weininger Senior Photographer: Alex Margolis News: Shani Abramowitz, Tyler Belanga, Jonathan Epstein, Danielle Gross, Luke Hayslip Features: Claire Gohorel, Rachel Miller, Jessie Miller, Gabrielle Santoro Forum: Aaron Fried, Philip Gallagher, Tien Le, Diego Medrano, Joshua Nass, Sara Shahanaghi, Naomi Volk Sports: Julian Cardillo, Jacob Elder, Becca Elwin Henry Loughlin, Jacob Lurie, Jacob Moskowitz,

Madeleine Stix Arts: Alex DeSilva, Olivia Leiter, Amy Melser, Leanne Ortbals, Louis Polisson, Mara Sassoon, Ayan Sanyal, Viet Tran, Dan Willey Photography: Jon Edelstein, Nathaniel Freedman, Josh Horowitz, Josh Spriro, Diana Wang, Michelle Wang, Anna Yatskar Copy: Aliza Braverman, Jennie Bromberg, Kinza Bukhair, Patricia Greene, Andrew Hayes, Max Holzman, Brittany Joyce, Eunice Ko, Megan Paris, Christine Phan, Mailinh Phan-Nguyen, Leah Rogers, Will Schneiderman, Amanda Winn Layout: Rachel Burkhoff, Jassen Lu, Denny Poliferno, Michelle Yi Illustrations: Mara Sassoon, Arielle Shorr, Tziporah Thompson

TUESDAY, march 6, 2012

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Santorum neglects value of education Naomi

Volk Et cetera

Last weekend, Senator Rick Santorum called President Barack Obama a “snob” for wanting all Americans to go to college. Not only is this a gross exaggeration of what Obama said, but diminishing the role of higher education in American life is harmful for the individual as well as for the country as a whole. According to the Huffington Post, Obama says that he wants all Americans to receive some sort of higher education, but acknowledges that this might include vocational or other non-traditional routes, rather than attending a four-year college. Santorum positioned his attack of the President’s the stance as a way to “fight” for those Americans who have not gone to college and, as he says, have not been “indoctrinated” by the liberal elite of college professors. But Santorum doesn’t understand the big picture. Now, considering we’re all attending Brandeis, it’s logical to assume that we see the value of higher education. But even viewed objectively, not only are we creating better futures for ourselves, we’re creating a better future for America. By going to college, we’re creating opportunities for ourselves. Research has shown, after all, that those with a college degree earn more and their employment status is less likely to be affected in an economic downturn. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2009, the average male aged 25 to 34 with a high school degree earned $32,900 a year, compared to the $51,000 earned by males of the same age range with a Bachelor’s degree. From these numbers, it’s evident that the benefits of having a college degree extend beyond getting a job. The type of thinking and writing skills learned in college carry over to the working world. Thinking outside of the box and being able to then communicate this new and innovative thinking helps college graduates successfully navigate the work force. Beyond this, we’re also building towards a better America. Assuming Santorum, in his always pro-America rhetoric, wants to keep the U.S. its position as of a world superpower, does he really believe America can continue to possess its sphere of influence if it is primarily a country made up of those without higher education? But while America actively built its name as a superpower in past decades, it is becoming harder and harder to hold onto this title. With the growth of technology in the modern world, America must compete with other countries that put a higher premium on the thinking necessary for such technological advances. The fact of the matter is that

MARA SASSOON/the Justice

America is losing its position of innovation in the world. The factory system that made the U.S. a superpower in the first place has been shipped overseas. Countries like India and China, which put a lot of emphasis on education, are quickly rising as some of the most influential countries in the world. Where would an under-educated America fit into this? It is completely illogical for Santorum to dismiss Obama’s comments about the value of higher education when he, assumedly, wants to see America continue to fight for its place as a world superpower. We shouldn’t be telling people not to go to college; rather, we should be encouraging them to pursue the highest education possible so that we can continue to compete in the global marketplace. Furthermore, the American democracy needs an educated public in order to function. Thomas Jefferson believed in the power of democracy as resting in the hands of the everyday person who, with education, would be able to make informed decisions about our country.

Not only are Santorum’s comments antithetical to America’s economic goals and interests, they also serve to threaten the basis of our governmental system by encouraging an uneducated public who will blindly follow the ideas of their government. Santorum’s problems with higher education may stem from his assumption that people are “indoctrinated” in college. While campaigning before the Michigan and Arizona primaries, he said, “There are good, decent men and women who go out and work hard every day, and put their skills to test, who aren’t taught by some liberal college professor [who] tries to indoctrinate them. I understand why he wants you to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image.” But this logic does not work. Santorum himself went to Pennsylvania State University. Does the fact that he went to college automatically make him liberal? Unless he’s a fabulous actor, it certainly doesn’t appear so. As Obama clarified, higher education is not just about four-year, liberal arts universities. It can also include vocational schools

that teach job-specific trades such as mechanics and nursing. Instead, the overall purpose of any college is to get you thinking critically and questioning the world around you. That is not a political agenda. Thinking analytically will not only help individuals get jobs and think innovatively about products for the market, but will also encourage citizens to be active participants in the democratic system of government. Higher education isn’t about being “snobbish” or “elitist;” It’s about creating a brighter future for us and for our country. What makes our country special is that “we the people” have the ability to change the way our government functions. We have control over our democracy and we need people who are educated to be in the position to enact change— people with continued, lifelong education that does not solely rest in the hands of the country’s colleges and universities. Whether it is vocational training, community college, or a university, higher education is America’s path for tomorrow. Santorum’s comments to the contrary are sadly shortsighted.

Due process vital for functioning legal system Aaron

Fried free thought

A few weeks ago in Kitchener, Ontario, a 26-year-old father named Jessie Sansone was surprised to find himself being arrested when he went to pick up his three young children from Forest Hill Public School. Sansone, who was thoroughly bewildered and unaware of what crime he could have possibly committed, was handcuffed and hauled to the police station where he was then forced to remove his clothes and submit to a full strip search. After finally being allowed to speak with a lawyer, Jessie Sansone was told that he was being charged with possession of a firearm and was to appear before a judge the next morning (presumably after spending the night in jail). While all of this was occurring, Sansone’s three children were taken, without their parents’ consent, to be interviewed by the local Family and Children’s Services. Police officers also went to Sansone’s home and brought his wife, Stephanie Squires,

along with their 15-month-old child, to the police station as well. “Nobody was given any explanation,” Squires said. “I didn’t know why he was being arrested.” Just a few hours later, a detective came to Sansone to apologize and notify him that he was being released and the charges had been dropped. It was only then that Sansone was informed of the reasons behind the whirlwind of abuse: during class, his four-year-old daughter drew a picture of a man holding a gun. When her teacher asked about the gun, the four-year-old answered, “That’s my daddy’s. He uses it to shoot bad guys and monsters.” So, let’s just take a moment to get this straight. A four-year-old little girl made a drawing at school of her father using a gun to protect her from bad guys and monsters. Her teacher then apparently saw this as something worth reporting to the principal who thought the police should be involved. The police then saw fit to drag an innocent man to jail without any evidence, humiliate him, terrify his wife by bringing her to the station without information and most egregiously, they felt it necessary to kidnap his children to have them interviewed by the bureaucrats at Family and Children’s Services. This is clearly a blaring case of shockingly overzealous idiocy on several fronts. First, we ought to examine the teacher’s behavior.

The idea of a father with a firearm in a region with strict gun laws can be a red flag, but this drawing is not sufficient evidence to prove Sansone’s ownership of a gun, let alone the notion that said gun may be putting his children in danger. Still, I can not fault the teacher for erring on the side of caution and putting the situation in the hands of the principal. The story should have ended in the principal’s office. Sansone and the principal knew one another, as Sansone was offered a job as a student counselor at the school (he is a certified personal support worker and life issues counselor). The principal could have simply called Sansone into his office, as he was at the school anyway, and asked if there was a gun in the household that was not secured away from the children. If this principal trusted Sansone at one point to work with and counsel children at the school, surely he also must trust Sansone to be responsible with his own children. Rather than proceeding with initiative and rational thought, the principal instead chose to shy away from accountability and passed the ball on to the police department. The police, too, could have simply questioned Sansone about the drawing and would have discovered only pure innocence. If they were truly apprehensive, they could have

asked for a warrant to search his home— which Sansone allowed them to do after he was released without a warrant. Instead, they chose to display a vulgar abuse of power and authority. With no evidence, the police department elected to terrorize a family in the name of their own safety. Canadians should be ashamed that their legal system encourages such a heinous disregard for the centuries-old principle of habeas corpus. Unfortunately, such incidents are to be expected from governments and bureaucracies that are given too much power with near-zero accountability. When a teacher, a principal, or a police department is given the authority to bypass the system, this sort of overreaction will become increasingly commonplace. Both in the United States and in Canada, we are fortunate to have legal systems that are designed to protect the rights of the citizens.We are guaranteed due process of law, which prevents such hasty errors as this. Nonetheless, even in such a functional legal system, abuses can occur if we are not vigilant in looking out for them and decisive in ending them. Let what happened to Jessie Sansone serve as an example of why due process is necessary to a free society and as a reason for why we should always fight to protect it.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, March 6, 2012

SPORTS

PRO SPORTS ROUNDUP CELTICS

Future of Big 3 lies in jeopardy ■ With an imposing schedule

and aging core of players, a rebuilding of the Celtics could be in order for Danny Ainge. By LOUIS BERGER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For the first time in five years, the Boston Celtics’ playoff fate is not a certainty. At 18-17, the Celtics are one game ahead of the surging New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings, just three-and-a-half games ahead of the vivacious Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics are one of the oldest teams in the NBA, and it shows on the court. The squad currently ranks last in the NBA in rebounds per game and 26th in points per game. Their age has shown off the court as well with many injuries, most of which are nagging ailments resulting from this condensed, post-lockout season. Boston’s sluggish play and underperformance have led many NBA critics to wonder if team President Danny Ainge will begin to rebuild, primarily by trading the Big 3 — power forward Kevin Garnett, forward Paul Pierce and shooting guard Ray Allen — as well as rising point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo clearly has the most trade value, as he is second in the NBA in assists per game and leads the league with three triple-doubles. Rondo is only 26 years old and has the skills and court vision to be the centerpiece of this organization for years to come.

Allen and Garnett are both in the last year of their contracts—with their hefty salaries off the books, Celtics management could start the rebuilding process as early as this summer. If Boston’s front office does want to rebuild, it would make sense to wait until the offseason to part ways with their veterans, especially with the arrivals of center Dwight Howard and point guard Deron Williams on the free-agent market. While the age of the roster is a chief concern, the squad’s challenging second-half schedule does not look to help things. After a 115-111 overtime win against the “Lin-ergized” Knicks, the Celtics will travel to Los Angeles to begin an eight-game, 12-day road trip. It is the longest road trip of the season for Boston, featuring three pairs of backto-back games. Boston will square off against some of the league’s best teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately, this trip comes at a critical juncture in the Celtics season: with a poor performance, this wornout Boston squad could be sent in the wrong direction: out of the playoff race. Unfortunately for the Celtics, April showers do not bring May flowers. Boston has a date with the Miami Heat three times in April. The Heat will not be the Celtics’ only problem; they also play the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers next month. There is a good chance this stretch of games will finish off the playoff chances of the “Brittle Three.” As of now, the

Heat is the most domineering squad in the game—the vitality of forward LeBron James, guard Dwayne Wade and power-forward Chris Bosh should run circles around the aging Celtics. The Bulls and Spurs are also two squads not to be underestimated. Point guard Derrick Rose can play with the best of them, while guard Tony Parker and power-forward Tim Duncan are a formidable duo in San Antonio. The Celtics do still have hope. The squad still features a host of AllStars—if Boston is healthy and firing on all cylinders, the team could still squeak into the playoffs. After that, who knows? If the Celtics are in a tight race by the end of the season, they could be at a disadvantage as they end the season with a string of tough games against the Knicks, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Heat and Bucks: all aspiring playoff teams. Even with the Celtics’ many concerns including age, lack of depth and roster uncertainty, their only potential threats in the playoff race are the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. These two teams have young talent and easier schedules than Boston— two factors not to be discounted. Nonetheless, the Celtics are still too talented; they should make the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed, slated to face off against Eastern Conference powerhouses such as Miami or Chicago. Whether Rondo or Allen are in Celtics green or not, Boston has quite the second half in front of them. They just have to hope the clock has not struck midnight just yet. ERIC KILBY/ Flickr Creative Commons

LIVERPOOL SOCCER

Reds hoist their first Carling Cup in years ■ The Liverpool soccer

club earned its first major championship in six years against Cardiff City F.C. By HENRY LOUGHLIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

It took six years, but Liverpool Football Club finally ended its drought. Having last won a trophy in the Football Association Cup in May 2006, the Reds knew what the stakes were. Traveling to London to face Cardiff City F.C. in the final of the Carling Cup at Wembley Stadium, Liverpool was determined to end a six-year struggle that pained both fans and players alike. The Reds got the memo, winning in a penalty shoot-out after the sides played to a 2-2 draw in regulation on Feb. 26 “Although we have won something today, that is not us finished,” manager Kenny Dalglish said. “We've won it, and we are going to really enjoy it. I know how much the players have enjoyed it, and it gives you a wee flavor to come back and do it again." Though only 92 teams take part in the Carling Cup, as compared to the 700-plus squads that vie for the F.A. Cup, the professional European soccer season’s first DANNY MOL/ Flickr Creative Commons

trophy is no small accomplishment. Goalkeeper Pepe Reina and skipper Steven Gerrard were the two players from the squad that hoisted the hardware in the team’s 2006 win against Cardiff. With nine new starters, this is just a small indication of the massive changes that have been made since the Reds last collected a championship. While Liverpool was the early favorite as a Premier League powerhouse, playing against a squad that was a full league below them, the Welsh side took a shocking lead at 19 minutes. Striker Joe Mason beat Jose Manuel Reina with a low roller from close range to put Cardiff on top. Liverpool pelted shot after shot against the Cardiff goalie but simply failed to find an opening. Yet, when Liverpool seemed ready to concede the match, an unlikely hero saved the day. Center back Martin Skrtel nailed a goal, following a corner kick. Cardiff then had a golden chance to win it with less than three minutes to go. Striker Kenny Miller took advantage of relaxed Liverpool defense. Even with just Reina to beat, though, Miller cleared the ball over the bar. With the prospects of extra time looming, that miss would prove to be costly, as defender Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool the 2-1 advantage in the 108th minute. The Netherlands striker followed up a

rebound of his initial shot with a strike into the bottom corner that beat Cardiff goalie Tom Heaton at his near post. However, the story was not over just yet—there proved to be one final twist in the plot. After Kuyt had to clear off the line following a Cardiff corner kick, the Bluebirds tied the game in the 118th minute with a goal from center back Ben Turner. Not exactly in line with the typical story for a Cup final, two defenders had scored the equalizers for both sides. Following the end of extra time, a bestof-five penalty shoot-out was needed to decide the fate of the Cup. Things did not start well for the Liverpool squad, as Gerrard and Charlie Adam missed their first two penalties from 12 yards. However, Kuyt made his kick in the third round, Stewart Downing buried his effort in the fourth and Glen Johnson notched a penalty kick in the fifth. Coupled with three Cardiff misses, Liverpool had just done enough to win the Cup. It is not the first piece of silverware that the club has won and it certainly will not be the last. However, after six years without a championship, the 2012 Carling Cup could prove to be the catalyst that can spur Liverpool on to better days in the English professional league.

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THE JUSTICE

jUDGES BY THE NUMBERS TEAM STATS

Points Per Game

Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference W L WashU 11 3 NYU 9 5 Emory 8 6 Rochester 8 6 Chicago 7 7 JUDGES 7 7 Carnegie 4 10 Case 2 12

Overall W L Pct. 20 7 .741 21 6 .778 19 6 .760 17 8 .680 14 11 .560 13 12 .520 9 16 .360 10 15 .400

EDITOR’S NOTE: The men’s basketball team ended regular season action with a Feb. 25 loss to NYU.

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Men’s BASKETBALL UAA STANDINGS

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Vytas Kriskus ’12 leads scorers with 13.0 points per game. Player PPG Vytas Kriskus 13.0 Youri Dascy 10.7 Ben Bartoldus 10.7 Derek Retos 10.2

Powell seeks to leave a mark in his final year

Rebounds Per Game Youri Dascy ’14 leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game. Player RPG Youri Dascy 6.8 Vytas Kriskus 6.0 Alex Schmidt 3.0 Ben Bartoldus 3.0

WOMen’s basketball UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

Not including Monday’s games UAA Conference W L W Chicago 14 0 27 WashU 10 4 21 Emory 9 5 18 Rochester 8 6 19 Case 8 6 15 Carnegie 3 11 9 NYU 2 12 8 JUDGES 2 12 9

Points Per Game

Overall L Pct. 0 .1000 6 .778 7 .720 6 .760 10 .600 16 .360 12 .400 16 .360

EDITOR’S NOTE: The women’s basketball team concluded the regular season with a win over NYU on Feb. 25.

Morgan Kendrew ’12 leads the team with 12.0 points per game. Player PPG Morgan Kendrew 12.0 Dianna Cincotta 8.2 Hannah Cain 6.4 Shannon Hassan 5.0

Rebounds Per Game Samantha Anderson ’13 leads with 5.8 rebounds per game. Player RPG Samantha Anderson 5.8 Hannah Cain 5.4 Erika Higginbottom 4.0 Kelly Ethier 3.6

FENCING Overall Results from the fencing squads this season.

TOP PERFORMERS (Men’s)

TOP PERFORMERS (Women’s)

SABER Adam Mandel

RECORD 52-14

SABER Zoe Messinger

RECORD 52-36

ÉPÉE Alex Powell

RECORD 46-29

ÉPÉE Leah Mack

RECORD 52-39

RECORD 52-20

FOIL Vikki Nunley

RECORD 43-16

FOIL Julian Cardillo

NATHANIEL FREEDMAN/Justice File Photo

UPCOMING MEET: The men’s and women’s teams will next travel to the NCAA Regional Championships at Boston College this Sunday.

READY, SET, GO: Épéeist Alex Powell ’12 (right) duels against NYU épéeist Enrique Cavazos at the Eric Sollee Invitational.

■ Alex Powell ’12, senior

captain of the fencing squad, looksw to notch his second NCAA Championship berth. By MADELEINE STIX

TRACK AND FIELD

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Results from the ECAC Championships at NYU last Saturday.

NOTABLE FINISHES (Men’s)

NOTABLE FINISHES (Women’s)

60-METER DASH TIME Vincent Asante 7.01 3000-METER RUN TIME Edward Colvin 8:36.39 HIGH JUMP DISTANCE Jeffrey Maser 1.87 meters

1000-METER DASH TIME Victoria Sanford 3:4.53 3000-METER RUN TIME Kate Warwick 9:57.86 HIGH JUMP DISTANCE Lily Parenteau 1.54 meters

UPCOMING MEET: Chris Brown ’12 and Kate Warwick ’12 will compete at the NCAA Division III Championships at Grinnell College in Iowa this Saturday.

Épéeist Alex Powell ’12 is about to see his illustrious collegiate fencing career come to a close. He can hardly believe it, but even so, he said that he will treasure his experience. “I value the team memories more than the individual accomplishments,” said Powell. Powell, a Biology major and captain of the team, began fencing in his hometown of Montclair, N.J. during his freshman year of high school. Although he showed a aptitude for the sport, it was not until his first year of college that he understood the importance of team dynamics in fencing. “The high school experience is

more individual,” he said. “It was not until coming to Brandeis that I understood that fencing needs a team-first mentality.” As captain, Powell understands the importance of instilling this mentality in the newcomers on the team. “It takes some people, more than others, a little longer to get used to this idea, but truthfully, the more the team succeeds, the better you will succeed individually,” he said. Powell strives to lead by example. One such instance was in his junior year, in a match where the team was trailing 13-12 against Boston College. Powell and Julian Cardillo ’14 had the opportunity to notch the victory for the Judges, fencing on two different strips. In just a few seconds, the two players built on each other’s momentum to their bouts and carry the Brandeis squad to victory. Powell’s experience at Brandeis, however, has not only revolved

around fencing. As a three-time all-academic honoree, he has balanced a demanding schedule with his sport. “The heavy work-load I have had at Brandeis, combined with my fencing involvement, forced me to learn how to work and have fun,” he said. “I am confident that after learning in such a [academically] rigorous environment, I’ll have a leg up in whatever I decide to do after Brandeis.” The effort certainly paid off. Powell was recently selected for a fellowship to conduct research on breast and colon cancer at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. after graduation. Until then, Powell is focusing on the NCAA Tournament later this month. He qualified for the first time last year and is looking to round off his fencing career on a high note by qualifying again. — Editor’s Note: Julian Cardillo ’14 is a Justice Sports staff writer.

boston bruins beat Bruins continue spring struggles after a taxing road trip, dropping two out of three matches at home Prior to last Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders, Bruins head coach Claude Julien suggested that the Islanders would be a tough challenge despite their 1-4-1 mark in the past six games. “Our guys are aware that they are a pretty good team and they are young,” he said. “When you give [the Islanders] some opportunities to showcase their skills, they will.” Boston’s players apparently did not get the memo, falling in a 3-2 defeat to the Isles. On their second power play of the day, the Bruins jumped out to a 1-0 lead. Left wing Milan Lucic flipped the puck into the back of the net at the 15:10 mark for his 22nd goal of the season. Midway through the second period, disaster struck for Bruins fans. After a shot was fired at Bruins goalie Tuukka

Rask, the goalie fell over and winced in pain. After leaving the game, Boston fans can only hope for a speedy recovery for the young netminder. With the game tied at one, Islanders left wing Matt Moulson scored on the squad’s third power play to increase its lead to 2-1. With eight minutes, 29 seconds played in the third period, center Tyler Seguin burst past the Islanders’ defense, scoring on a back-hander as he slid past the net to tie the game. However, New York would deal the Bruins its second loss in three games, on a slap-shot goal by Islanders star center John Tavares with 7:39 remaining in the game to seal the victory. It took all of 73 seconds for the Bruins to open the scoring against the New Jersey Devils last Thursday night. Seguin carried the puck down the right,

feeding center David Kreçí, who made no mistake in slotting past Devils goalie Martin Brodeur to send the Garden into raptures. Despite a Devils goal, the home crowd had no reason to worry, as Boston soon doubled its advantage. The 20-year-old Seguin made no mistake, slotting home from five feet for the second of the night. As Bruins goalie Tim Thomas laid sprawled on the ice from making an earlier save, Devils left wing Patrik Elias slotted home to even things up with 5:57 left in the period. New Jersey center David Clarkson then pulled a wraparound move, beating Thomas before the Boston custodian even knew it. The Bruins had suddenly lost their two-goal lead. It was not looking good for Boston, at least until Krejçí managed to bury

a puck in front of the net to send the game into overtime. Thankfully, the deciding goal came from someone dressed in black and yellow, as Krejçí completed his hat trick. “He is one of our top players and when he’s producing the way he did tonight, there’s no doubt our team is much better,” said Julien. Last Tuesday, Thomas experienced similar problems, having little time to get settled in the net at TD Garden. From the outset of the game, the Senators offense exploited a vulnerable Bruins defense and pelted Thomas with shot after shot. With 5:19 remaining, however, Senators defender Erik Karlsson found a hole in Thomas’ armor, firing a laser over the outstretched glove of Thomas to hand the Senators a 1-0 lead on its second power play. The lone goal

would prove to be enough in the Bruins’ 1-0 defeat. The second period proved to be much of the same story. The Senators fired 31 shots at the resilient Thomas by the end of the second period, but he still did not relent. The score was still 1-0. In the third period, the Bruins attack found life. Finally able to penetrate Ottawa’s defense, Boston reeled off 17 shots on Senators goalie Robin Lehner. Lehner never revealed an opening in the net, leading to the Bruins’ 1-0 defeat. After a 4-3 defeat to the New York Rangers last Sunday, Boston will try to snap its losing streak tonight at 7 p.m. against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

— Jacob Lurie, Henry Loughlin and Adam Rabinowitz

just

Sports

Page 16

GROWING PAINS With age and roster depth as pressing concerns for the Celtics, Boston's playoff hopes are suddenly in question, p. 13.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

WHILE YOU WERE GONE

PHOTO FINISH

Brandeis teams end an eventful series of games ■ The Judges kept busy

during winter vacation, competing in key events across the United States. By JACOB MOSKOWITZ JUSTICE Staff WRITER

Although Brandeis students may have been on break from Feb. 21 to Feb. 25, Brandeis athletics was in full swing, competing throughout the country. The baseball team participated in its first of two tournaments in Florida, both basketball teams concluded their regular seasons at home and the nationally-ranked tennis teams competed in California. Baseball While the baseball team may not have been competing against major-league squads, the team was in Florida for its own spring training session. Competing in seven games at the Central Florida Invitational, the squad compiled a 4-3 record. The Judges scored seven runs in the first two innings, en route to winning the first game of the season against Warner College 7-3. However, Brandeis got a rude wakeup call in the second game, getting shutout 12-0 by Augustana College. From there, the baseball team would win three out of the next five games, notching victories over Farmingdale State College and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Starting pitcher and first baseman Kyle Brenner ’15 tossed two complete games, allowing just three runs in 16 innings to finish the trip at 2-0. Leadoff second baseman Sean O’Hare ’12 has started off the season on a tear, hitting .440 (8-25) with one home run, five RBIs and eight runs. The team will travel to its annual University Athletic Association tournament in Florida this Sunday, beginning with a game against Emory Universiy Men's Basketball With 19 points Feb. 19, men’s basketball forward Vytas Kriskus ’12 became just the 30th men’s basketball player in Brandeis history to reach 1,000 career points. After averaging 15.8 points on 46.7 percent from the field and 6.6 rebounds in league play, Kriskus was named to the first-team All-UAA. Center Youri Dascy ’14 and point guard Tyrone Hughes ’12 were named honorable mentions. After an impressive victory over No. 24 Washington University in St. Louis, the eventual UAA champions, the Judges only stood two games behind first place at a respectable 7-5 mark. However, consecutive home losses against the University of Chicago and New York University halted Brandeis' chances of making the NCAA Tournament this year. The Judges finished the regular season at 13-12 and 7-7 in the UAA, losing four out of their last five games. to conclude the 2011-2012 season.

Waltham, Mass.

Women's Basketball The women’s basketball team, which has struggled all year against conference opponents, finally found its rhythm on Senior Day. On Feb. 25, the Judges halted their six-game losing streak to defeat NYU 62-55 and pick up their second conference victory of the season. Guard Morgan Kendrew ’12 scored 21 points in her final game at Brandeis and finished the season with an average of 13.4 points per game, the highest on the team. She also averaged three rebounds this season and shot 38.1 percent, receiving a spot on the Second AllUAA team. Guard Diana Cincotta ’11, MA’12, who averaged 6.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in conference play, was named as an All-UAA honorable mention. Before the loss to NYU, the team had suffered blowout losses to WashU and U Chicago to end their season with a 2-12 mark in the conference. The Judges finished 9-16 overall for the season. Men's Tennis The tennis teams earned a reprieve from the New England winter when they traveled to California for their first competitive action of the season. Beginning the season as the 24th ranked Division III team in the nation, the men’s squad got off to a rough start in California, losing both of their first two matches by a score of 7-2. After a 6-3 victory over Chapman University, the Judges fell to No. 15 University of Redlands 8-1. Steven Milo ’13 notably won his first match of the season easily, 6-1, 6-4. His second match, however, was a much closer affair, facing off against Cal Lutheran sophomore Nicholas Ballou. After losing the first set, Milo took the second set and the tiebreaker, winning 5-7, 7-6 (6-0), 1-0 (10-6). The team hopes to offset its slow start to the season when they travel to the Middlebury Invitation in Vermont this Friday to compete against NYU. Women's Tennis Ranked 30th in Division III, the women’s tennis team had a much more positive outcome in its California road trip, emerging undefeated in five matches. The team beat California Lutheran University 6-3 and Occidental College 9-0. After a close 5-4 victory over Chapman University, the Judges soundly defeated Whittier College 7-2. The fifth matchup of the trip, against the No. 28 University of Redlands squad, lived up to the hype. The victor was not determined until the final match, as No. 2 Faith Broderick ’13 pulled off a 7-5 victory in the tiebreaker set to give the Judges a 5-4 victory. Broderick also won four out of her five matches during the week. No. 1 Carley Cooke ’15 won all five of matches in impressive fashion, dropping just one set. The Cooke and Broderick doubles team earned victories in all five matches. The team will next compete against NYU at the Middlebury Invitational.

NATHANIEL FREEDMAN/Justice File Photo

CLOSE CALL: Vincent Asante '14 looks to bolt past a UMass Lowell sprinter in last year's Reggie Poyau Memorial Invitational.

Teams bolt to victory in regional championships ■ The men's and women's

track teams displayed notable results in the ECAC and UAA Championships. By jacob ELDER JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships presented a chance for the Brandeis Indoor Track and Field team to prove its worth against top-tier college opponents from all over the Northeast. Although it may not have shown in the final team rankings, as the men finished 62nd and the women finished 47th out of a field of 100 teams, both teams failed to disappoint. Several runners on the men’s squad had strong performances, including Edward Colvin ’14, who finished eighth in the 3000-meter run with a time of eight minutes, 36.39 seconds. In the 60-meter dash, Vincent Asante ’14 finished 10th in a time of 7.01 seconds. Displaying his versatility on the raceway, Asante also finished 16th in the 200-meter run with a time of 22.88 seconds. In the high-jump, Jeffrey Maser ’15 finished 13th with a height of 1.87 meters. On the women’s side, Victoria Sanford ’14 ran a strong race in the 1000-meter run, placing in seventh with a time of 3:00.43. In the women’s high jump, Lily Parenteau '12 also impressed the crowd, finishing in 17th

place with a height of 1.54 meters. The track squads also kept busy during the winter vacation, traveling to New York University for the University Athletic Association Championships on Feb. 26. Chris Brown ’12 and Kate Warwick ’12 stole the show, winning each of their individual races. These two finishes allowed the senior runners to compete at next week’s National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Championships at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. Both track squads placed seventh out of eight teams in the conference meet. Brown came into the meet with high expectations, ranked top in the UAA and among the top five in Division III in the one-mile run. He did not disappoint, winning the race in 4:00.38, almost three seconds faster than the next challenger. Brown stated he was very strategic in his approach to the race. “It was a really tactical race,” said Brown. “I waited until the last 100 meters and then burst ahead to take the lead.” Warwick competed in the 3000-meter run, and while winning her race, it proved to be a much closer affair than Brown’s race. She edged her nearest rival by only three tenths of a second with a finishing time of 9:57.86. Both runners earned their first AllUAA honor in indoor track and field. However, Brown and Warwick had competition from two other runners, who also notched All-UAA perfor-

mances. Asante was seconds short of winning his third career UAA sprint title. He finished second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.09 seconds, miliseconds behind his challenger. With a finishing time of 8:32.56, Alex Kramer ’13 just nearly missed winning his 3000-meter race. However, he still received his second AllUAA honor with his performance in the event. Maser and Parenteau also came close to notching All-UAA honors in the high jump. Maser tied for fourth in the men’s division with a height of 1.9 meters, while Parenteau also placed fourth in the women’s competition with a height of 1.6 meters. While most of the athletes on the indoor track team have concluded their seasons, Warwick and Brown still have one more chapter to write in their illustrious careers. They will get another shot at the NCAA Division III championships next weekend. Warwick is extremely excited for another opportunity to compete in the upcoming event. “I want to race the best I can,” she said. “I am extremely excited that I will be going.” Brown also was very enthusiastic about his chances to win in Iowa this weekend. “I think I am going in there with a chance to win,” he said. The indoor track and field season will end after this week’s NCAA Championships.

TUESDAY, march 6, 2012 ● THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

19-20

■ APAHM opening performance

■ Saz.É profile

The Asian Pacific American Heritage Month started Saturday with an opening ceremony that spanned many Asian cultural traditions.

Sophomore rapper Osaze “Saz.É” Akerejah has been gaining prominence since he first came to Brandeis. Akerejah just released his second mixtape, ‘Invincible Tomorrow.’

■ ‘Titus Andronicus’

Hold Thy Peace took on Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy and made it into a comedy this weekend. The play involves murder, body mutilation and cannibalism.

OFF CAMPUS

21-24

■ Steve Aoki profile

■ Off-campus attractions

■ ‘Star Wars: Episode I 3D’

■ Veggie Galaxy review

Steve Aoki is one of this year’s hottest new producers and disc jockeys. JustArts spoke with Aoki and saw him perform live.

Tired of having little to do on the weekends or looking to broaden your cultural horizons? We highlight five cheap ways to have fun. Experience the first film in the epic series all over again, now in three dimensions. Veggie Planet opened a new diner last semester, Veggie Galaxy, in Boston.

CALENDAR

Interview

by Shelly Shore

It’s been a while since we checked in on my girl Lindsay Lohan. The last time she graced this column with her presence was back in November 2011, when she was heading to court to deal with theft charges and parole violations. But it seems like Lohan may have genuinely gotten herself back on the straight and narrow in the past few weeks, beginning with her grabbing the role of Elizabeth Taylor in Lifetime’s upcoming production (it probably won’t win her any Oscars, but it’s a start!) and culminating with her hosting Saturday Night Live last weekend. This was Lohan’s fourth time hosting the show. Her last appearance as host was in 2006, when she was on the verge of her spiral into drug addiction. Since then, she has been in and out of jail and rehab multiple times, and the show has had no trouble making fun of her for it. But Lohan didn’t seem to have any hard feelings and began the show with an opening monologue during which other cast members approached her to tell her how pleased they were that she was hosting—while humorously checking to see if Lohan would really make it through the whole gig. Kristen Wiig gave Lohan a long hug that soon turned into a frisking, Kenan Thompson checked to see if she was high by shining a flashlight in her eyes and SNL alum Jimmy Fallon popped in to tell Lohan that Mad Men’s Jon Hamm was on call if she flaked out during the show. Lohan took it all in stride and with good humor. Later in the show, Lohan popped into the recurring “Scared Straight” sketch, playing herself as she and Thompson attempted to scare a few young men caught stealing a bicycle with ominous tales about the con-

A comedy about memory to open later this month

 ‘Fuddy Meers’ tells the story of Claire, a kidnapped amnesiac. JustArts spoke with director Michelle Kuchinsky ’12 about the production.

THEFIXER/Flickr Creative Commons

LOHAN GOES LIVE: Lindsay Lohan tried to update her image this week by hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ and making fun of her past legal troubles. sequences of theft, a path that Lindsay said ends “in Malibu in rehab.” Lohan also appeared in a sketch mocking the Real Housewives series, in which she played Rapunzel in Real Housewives of Disney. Sadly, there were no musical numbers. While Lohan is still a far cry from where she was at the height of her career, her hosting gig marked the beginning of what I hope is an upward swing for her. As much as I love to make fun of her, she got a second chance (well, really a fifth or sixth), and I hope this time she uses it well.

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

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

Brandeis Jazz Ensemble performance

Prof. Robert Nieske (MUS) directs the Brandeis Jazz Ensemble in their latest performance of original pieces. Tomorrow from noon to 2 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Atrium.

‘Undoing FGM’ reading and discussion

Undoing FGM by Hubert Prolongeau tells the story of French doctor Pierre Foldes, who attempts to reverse a female to male sexchange operation. The discussion will be led by Resident Scholar Mei-Mei Ellerman of the Brandeis Gender and International Development Initiatives. Tomorrow from noon to 2 p.m. in the Lieberman-Miller Hall of the Women’s Studies Research Center.

Hillel’s Purim party

Come celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim with Hillel. On Purim, which is often referred to as the “Jewish Halloween,” revelers dress in costumes and eat tri-cornered cookies called hamantacshen. Tomorrow from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the Levin Ballroom.

‘Ivan’s Childhood’ screening

A classic Russian film, Ivan’s Childhood explores the impact of World War II on one small Russian boy. The film was directed by Andrey Tarkovsky and is being shown in Russian with English subtitles. Tomorrow from 7 to 10 p.m. in Mandel Center for the Humanities G03.

Kimiko Hahn reading

Poet Kimiko Hahn is best known for incorporating the Japanese “zuihitsu” writing style into her work. Zuihitsu poems are formed by connecting unrelated thought fragments together into a piece. Hahn has received many awards for her work, including two American Book Awards and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She will be reading from her latest collection, Toxic Flora: Poems which was inspired by the New York Times’ science columns. Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Pearlman Lounge.

International Women’s Day: Student Talent Show

The Brandeis Russian Club brings a Russian celebration to campus. International Women’s Day, an annual national holiday in Russia, honors women who have bettered the economic, political and social lives of their peers. The talent show will feature many students, both those well known for performing as well as some new faces. Thursday from 7 to 8:15 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.

‘Bash: Latter Day Plays’

The Free Play Theater Cooperative presents Bash: Latter-Day Plays by playwright Neil LaBute. The play, which earned LaBute an expulsion from the Mormon Church, is

ROZARII LYNCH/Boston Lyric Opera

‘SEVILLE’ SOPRANO: Soprano Sarah Coburn plays Rosina, a beautiful woman being wooed by Count Almaviva in Rossini’s ‘The Barber of Seville,’ currently being performed by the Boston Lyric Opera. based on Greek tragedy and includes dark themes of violence, love and murder. Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities’Reading Room.

Firelech Jewish Musical Theater

Firelech, or “spark” in Yiddish, is a group of entertainers working to keep Yiddish, Russian and Hebrew folk music alive. Firelech members sing, dance and act out their songs’ themes in traditional Eastern European costumes hearkening back to the times when the songs were popular. Friday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater.

Improvisations: Raga in Afghanistan and North India

Three musicians from three different continents will come together for this concert. Afghani Homayun Sakhi, American Ken Zuckerman and German Salar Nader are all experts in the field of Indian and Middle Eastern music. The concert, which is presented by the MusicUnitesUs program, features tunes played on the rubab and the sarod, Indian string instruments. A pre-concert talk will take place an hour before the event begins. Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

Johann Strauss’ II ‘Die Fledermaus’

Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, or The Bat is an 1874 farcical operetta centering around the love lives of several Vienna nobles and their servants. The University Chorus, including several students, will present songs from the work. Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall.

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS Chieftains concert

Lead singer Paddy Moloney and his band, the Chieftains, are credited with popularizing traditional Irish music. March 14 at 8 p.m. at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. Ticket prices vary.

‘Bakersfield Mist’

This new play premiering in Watertown follows the tale of Maude Gutman, a trailer park resident who buys an ugly thrift store painting as a gag gift, only to discover it may be a long-lost work by Jackson Pollock. Based on a true story, the play centers around the conflict between Maude and a shifty art dealer, Lionel Percy. Running through March 18 at the New Repertory Theatre, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown. Tickets start at $35.

‘The Barber of Seville’

This comedic opera by Gioachino Rossini is most famous for the lyrics “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro,” referring to the barber himself. It was one of the first operas to be performed in America, and first premiered in New York City in 1825. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English translations. Running through March 18 at the Boston Lyric Opera, 265 Tremont St., Boston.

WGBH studio tours

WGBH, one of Boston’s premier radio stations, is giving free tours of its facilities. Learn about digital broadcasting and see where some of your favorite disc jockeys spend their time. Every Wednesday and first and third Saturday at 2 p.m. at WGBH Studios, 1 Guest St., Boston.

Michelle Kuchinsky ’12 is the director of Brandeis Ensemble Theater’s latest production, Fuddy Meers. The play, which debuted at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1999, follows protagonist Claire, a woman with amnesia who wakes up each day as a blank slate, à la 50 First Dates. Unlike the Adam Sandler comedy, however, Claire’s condition makes her an easy target. The play will be staged Thursday, March 15 through Sunday, March 18 in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. JustArts: How did you hear about this play, and why did you decide to propose it to Brandeis Ensemble Theater? Michelle Kuchinsky: I was looking for a show that had a little bit more intrigue than just your straightforward linear plot. I was in “Suzuki” last semester, and I asked one of the TAs for the class (he used to be an MFA grad student, but I think now he’s assistant teaching for theater in the area) and he recommended the author [David Lindsay-Abaire], and I don’t know, the play just really called out to me. Obviously it’s not the most well-known play, and the title is kind of obscure, so I think it’s hard for people to conceptualize what they’re about to watch or what they might spend $3 to go see, but I think that the play has a lot of intrigue and mystery [and] in the end has a lot of depth and moving moments to it. JA: Have you ever seen Fuddy Meers performed before? MK: Nope, never. This is my first time. JA: So where are you right now in the rehearsal process? MK: This is basically our last week of rehearsing. This week the actors cannot commit to any other clubs aside from us. Next week we start building the set, and that’s pretty much what we do all week except for maybe one of two dress rehearsals, if we’re lucky. JA: What are, in your opinion, the main themes of this play? MK: On the surface it’s about a woman who’s trying to uncover the truth of her past, but a lot of the characters are looking for ways to change and to search for forgiveness. It sort of blurs the lines between what it means for someone else to forgive you and for you to forgive yourself. [It’s about] just trying to uncover what those differences are and what really is the essence of forgiving yourself and moving on. JA: There’s a lot of physical action in the play, as well as several twists and unforeseen revelations about who the characters really are. What was that like to direct and choreograph? MK: There are various moments when you find out something totally new. It was definitely cool for me, at the first read-through when all the actors thought that everything was one way at the beginning, and they themselves [were uncovering] each piece of the puzzle as they were reading. That was really cool to see them all gasp and [say], “Oh my God, I can’t believe that.” But we always have to remind ourselves at every stage, what does the audience know now versus what they knew before. And it also follows the main character, so the audience knows exactly as much as the lead character knows. It’s a very clear reminder of where the audience is in understanding the piece and the greater mystery. JA: Have you directed previously at Brandeis? MK: Yeah. Last fall I directed White Liars/ Black Comedy, and then I also did Quickies once. JA: What other theater experience do you have? Have you acted before? MK: My freshman year I was in The House of Blue Leaves, and I’ve acted in Quickies a couple of times after that. I did a couple of 24-Hour Musicals, and I also teched a couple of shows. I did the board operating, the light and sound [operation] and run crew and behind the scenes things. JA: This cast only has seven characters. What was that like working with such a small group of people? MK: Well, I guess it was the same for White Liars/Black Comedy. That was the same, one half of the performance also had seven characters [White Liars/Black Comedy is two plays combined into one performance]. So for me it was pretty much the same. Ironically enough, I could never get them all in the same room, because we just happened to pick very overcommitted people—well, I think everyone at Brandeis is over-committed. Yesterday was probably the first rehearsal that the whole cast was at for more than five minutes, and this is our last week of rehearsal. So it would be nice to say, “Oh, a small cast, they were all there and got to know each other really well,” but unfortunately they always kept missing each other.

—Ariel Kay

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

ON CAMPUS PERFORMANCE

BAASA celebrates APAHM’s 40th year ■ The Brandeis Asian

American Student Association begins its month-long celebration of Asian heritage. By ARIEL KAY JUSTICE EDITOR

A young woman stands perfectly still, arms tilted inwards, the pink fan clutched in her hand fluttering faintly. Suddenly she jumps forward on beat with the traditional guitar plucking in the background. The fan flies open, revealing a long, rose-colored trail of fabric flowing from its curved folds. As the woman dances about the stage, striking traditional Chinese poses, the crowd responds with cheers, calling her name. This is Asian Pacific Asian Heritage Month at Brandeis. APAHM is always a fun time on campus, full of colorful cultural events and engaging speakers. This year’s APAHM is particularly significant, as it marks the 40th anniversary of the Brandeis Asian American Student Association, which puts on APAHM, as well as the 20th anniversary of the Intercultural Center (see Features, p. 8). BAASA co-presidents Stephanie Lee ’13 and Vicky Lee ’13, event coordinator Karen Hu ’12 and treasurer Adam Chow ’12 began the opening performance by praising all 23 members of the executive board for their hard work in creating this year’s events. The ceremony took place on Saturday night in Levin Ballroom. The theme, “Making Our Mark,” underscores BAASA’s emphasis this year on modern Asian accomplishments. Two musical groups that have gained popularity on YouTube, Ben Clement and Rooftop Pursuit, performed. Clement, who opened the show, is currently studying music at Biola University in California. He created a calm peaceful atmosphere with his romantic songs and acoustic guitar, accompanied by a band member playing rhythms on a wooden box. Clement, who considers himself a “hopeless romantic” told the crowd that many of his songs were written about previous relationships, eliciting awws from the audience. Though many of his original songs had a singer-songwriter, John Mayer-type sound, it was his last number, Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” that was most popular with the audience. Though Clement didn’t quite have the vocal ability to make the song as strong as it could have been, the song’s message of social change was clearly appreciated. After Clement’s performance, Ayan Sanyal ’14 came on stage to sing Deep Blue Something’s “Break-

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY: Newly BAASA-recognized group Taiwanese Student Association performed a traditional dance routine for which they used many colorful props. fast at Tiffany’s,” a nod to “kids who grew up in the ’90s.” Then the newest student group under the BAASA umbrella, the Taiwanese Student Association, begins its performance with a loud, striking drum solo by Aaron Yang ’14. As the drum was rolled off stage eight female dancers took their places, standing like posed statues in traditional Taiwanese dress. One by one they moved to the front of the stage, demonstrating cultural fan, ribbon, handkerchief, sword, martial arts, umbrella and peacock dances. While each performer moved with clarity and purpose, it would have been more entertaining to see the dancers interact with one another. Instead, each demonstration ended before the next began, leaving seven dancers still as one moved. After the formal grace of TSA’s performance, the ceremony’s mood changed abruptly as the Southeast Asian Club began their skit, “The Crystal Heart,” based on a traditional Vietnamese story. The skit, which imparts the story of a fisherman’s unrequited love for a snooty princess, was intentionally silly, and put the audience in a celebratory mood leading into a song by the Korean Student Association’s band. Seven KSA members took the stage to play a Korean pop song complete with impressive trumpet solos and heartfelt singing. Rooftop Pursuit, the other profes-

sional group to perform, opened the ceremony’s second act with several original songs and covers, including Christina Perri’s “1000 Years.” Lead singer and keyboardist Phil Lee made a few humorous remarks about the three-man outfit of Korean-Americans, saying, “Our last names are all ‘Lee.’ … We didn’t do it on purpose.” Like Clement, many of Rooftop Pursuit’s songs were about romantic love, though guitarist Paul Lee’s wailing guitar riffs added some heat to the ballads. Dan Ding ’12, the ceremony’s deep-voiced announcer took a moment away from the mic to perform an original classical song called “Piano Impromptu,” inspired by a swift change in weather Ding experienced while practicing with his high school sailing team. The audience was riveted by Ding’s obvious skill, and the reverent silence was broken only by applause as he concluded his piece. The Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection was next to perform, as seven members showed off their dance skills, combining hip-hop moves with traditional Chinese dances as they swayed, kicked and spun to Chinese artist Show Lo’s “Show of Love.” The dancers, outfitted in red and black and decked out in sunglasses, certainly looked the part of a professional hip hop group. Siddhi Krishna ’12, representing the South Asian Student Associa-

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

PIANO MAN: The performance’s emcee, Dan Ding ’12, played a song he wrote. tion brought another serious moment to the ceremony as she played a piece of Carnatic music, the classical music of South India. Krishna plucked notes and melodies on her violin, playing an ode to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles in Hinduism. Krishna struck an interesting silhouette, kneeling on the stage rather than standing of sitting in a chair, as most Western musicians do. The APAHM opening ceremony concluded with a group number combining several popular Asian

songs into one high-energy dance number called Project BAASA: PANDAmonium. The entire BAASA e-board plus other dancers were clearly having fun with the performance, which, according to the program, “shows how Asians got more than smarts. They also got SWAG.” After watching this year’s opening performance, I’d have to say I agree. APAHM continues throughout March, including the SKINS Fashion Show on March 16 and the Temptasian 40th Anniversary Party on March 23.

MUSIC

Student musician Saz.É speaks on the poetry of rapping ■ JustArts caught up with

sophomore Osaze Akerejah about his long-awaited second mix tape, ‘Invincible Tomorrow’ for which he used his own life as inspiration. By Rachel gordon JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Osaze “Saz.É” Akerejah ’14 is not homeless. He does, however, have a cardboard sign in his room that reads “Will Rap for Food.” Sitting at his desk with large speakers and rows of sneakers beneath his bed, Akerejah is not your stereotypical Brandeis student. The 20-year-old New Jersey native, a Philosophy major, has known since he was just six years old that he wanted to be a rapper. Being at Brandeis doesn’t interfere with Akerejah’s music career: He seamlessly balances school, work and his mixtapes. His greatest chal-

lenge, however, is akin to what all musicians struggle with when first beginning their careers: inserting his work into the public’s consciousness. In his pre-Brandeis days, when Akerejah first wanted to be a rapper, he gave himself the stage name, “O’Man,” before putting his music dream aside to be a zoologist. Lucky for his audience, that idea fizzled almost as quickly as it came, and Akerejah returned to the rap game after reeling from his parent’s divorce in the seventh grade. A critical time that “bled him of his compassion and emotion,” Akerejah used rap as a creative outlet, stuffing his lyrics with vehement passion and poetry. With his first recording completed before his freshman year of high school, Akerejah and his boys thought they would get signed, but their aspirations never materialized. Akerejah did not let this discourage him and, in his junior year of high school, took the time to focus on himself as an artist.

While currently immersed in an era of rap music in which every other lyric is either about popping bottles or shooting someone, Akerejah initially wanted to follow the trends, rapping about guns and drugs. Shortly thereafter, Akerejah realized that the Jersey boy rapping about shootouts wasn’t his deal, and his lyrics became more emotionally driven, Lupe Fiasco-style. Fusing heartbreak, past relationships and some “real people S—,” Akerejah synthesized his new beats into his first mixtape released in June 2011, The Little Black Box. His second mixtape, Invincible Tomorrow, has been in production since summer 2010 and was finally released Feb. 21. The delay in its release allowed for more content to come into play, bolstering the tracks through a transformative, experimental process, in which Akerejah reaches his lyrical best, dropping stream-of-consciousness style gems. “I write a rap and go through [it] line by line, question the themes and use my experiences to further push

that emotive element,” said Akerejah in an interview with justArts. Combined with a greater attention to technical details and an everevolving ear for melodies and hooks, Akerejah is using this evolution to his advantage, making sure his lines are supercharged and creating more compelling tracks. The first lyric of the track “Letter to the Queen,” a single off of Tomorrow, shows that Akerejah has no reservations when pulling themes from his past relationships: “You’re a bitch/And you know this s—.” Akerejah also cites his brother’s death in February 2011 as a driving force behind his music: “[I’m] doing it because he couldn’t do these things. … He’s pushing me, he’s behind me.” The tone of Invincible Tomorrow is one of hope: “Opportunities are important, hope’s important and people are losing faith in succeeding,” the rapper said. One of the singles, “Marylyn Monroe,” features Akerejah’s high school friend Tayler Green singing the hook, while

Akerejah spits about a woman who wants to be a star, becomes romantically involved with her manager and crumbles as the press rips her to her downfall. Citing Jay-Z, Kanye West and Nas as his main influences, Akerejah is not just a rapper but also an entertainer. Having performed countless times at Brandeis, he has reached a wide variety of people through the diverse qualities of his songs and different venues on campus. For example, Akerejah appeared at the Turkish Coffee House, hosted by the Brandeis Sephardic Initiative; Culture X, a variety show hosted by the Intercultural Center; as well as Snow White, a DJ/dubstep concert and dance held last winter. Ten years from now Akerejah hopes to be working on a second album, having received critical acclaim for his first one. “Music touches a wide array of people. As a rapper, people question your artistic ability. [We rappers] gotta show them, it’s poetry, it’s music.”

TUESDAY, march 6, 2012

●

THE JUSTICE

Hold Thy Peace shakes up

Shakespeare

PHOTOS BY NATHANIEL FREEDMAN/the Justice

THE LAST SUPPER: Tamora (Stephanie Karol ’12) is disgusted when she discovers she has been tricked by Titus Andronicus, while the revelation causes different reactions in (left) Lucius (Alex Davis ’15) and Marcus (Aaron Fischer ’15).

HTP reinterprets tragedy as comedy By emily salloway JUSTICE editor

We have all studied or seen Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth, but who among us can claim to be an expert on Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy, Titus Andronicus? Luckily, we have our own Shakespearean troupe, Hold Thy Peace, to educate us. Set in ancient Rome, Titus Andronicus offers a fictionalized look at the notoriously gruesome realm of imperial politics. The play opens with the dramatic dilemma of finding a successor to the newly dead emperor. Saturnina (Gabrielle Geller ’12) and Bassianus (Clifton Masdea ’15), the late ruler’s children, both wish to fill their father’s shoes, but Marcus Andronicus (Aaron Fischer ’15) insists that his brother, Titus (Andrew Prentice ’13), is the people’s choice for emperor. Meanwhile, Titus returns from war abroad, with Tamora (Stephanie Karol ’12) and her sons Demetrius (Ryan Kacani ’15) and Chiron (Sari Holt ’15) as prisoners. After refusing the throne, Titus gives his support to Saturnina, who, in a fit of happiness, demands the hand of his daughter Lavinia (Samantha LeVangie ’15) in matrimony. When Titus declines, Saturnina takes Tamora to be her queen instead. In her new position of power, Tamora plans revenge against her former captor and his family. With the help of her lover Aaron (Jonathan Plesser ’12), Tamora causes great pain for the Andronici, spurring an all-out family feud that ends, like all of Shakespeare’s

tragedies, in multiple deaths. It is not surprising that this tale, filled with mutilation and bloody murder, has fallen over the years into near obscurity. Who wants to sit through two or three hours of on-stage amputation, rape and plots of slaughter? HTP’s production aims for a farcical reinterpretation, but it is obvious they struggled to find balance. The elegant simplicity of the set and lighting, designed and implemented by Plesser, Carolyn Daitch ’14, Tziporah Thompson ’15 and Maya Himelfarb ’15, allowed the actors to dominate the stage and, in most cases, dominate they did. Fischer’s boisterous and over-thetop portrayal of Marcus perfectly complemented the understated and sarcastic mannerisms of Titus’ eldest son, Lucius (Alex Davis ’15). The duo’s chemistry was evident in their mastery of Shakespearean dialogue, and their use of vocal inflection made up for Prentice’s somewhat forgettable Titus. Karol as Tamora brought the play’s villain to life: her fearlessness and physical commitment to the role made her another source of humor in this dark story. It is a challenge to make Titus Andronicus digestible, and while directors Daitch and Ben Federlin ’14 succeeded on many counts, their vision seemed to confuse several actors. Geller’s interpretation of Saturnina, though it demonstrated her range as a performer, came across as a bit scattered. Although she shone as the well-spoken candidate for empress at the play’s open, her later scenes as a temperamental and baby-voiced ruler

were disorienting. LeVangie, who was great as the beautiful and vain daughter of Titus, also appeared to lose her sense of the character when Lavinia lost her hands and tongue to the angry sons of Tamora. The use of wooden scimitars, retractable daggers, a link of plastic sausages and a foam axe as weapons was a commendable way to lessen the severity of the murders and prevent the audience from being blinded by the silvery swinging of swords, but the groan-eliciting prop blood gushing from throats and mouths instantly negated the effect. Additionally, Daitch and Federlin were a bit heavy-handed in their efforts to insert moments of physical comedy. Especially in the cases of Titus’ lesser sons Martius (Simon Cramer ’13) and Quintus (Jessica Pizzuti ’15) and his grandson Young Lucius (Jackie Longacre ’15), the movements of the actors in the background distracted too much from what was being said, inadvertently eclipsing parts of the plot. Despite impressive acting and moments of ingenuity from the Titus Andronicus cast and crew, Prentice himself summed up the experience of the show in his notes in the playbill: “The moral of this show is to never trust a skinny chef … or perhaps … not to go hunting with the enemies of your people … or how common sense should prevail over a sense of honor.” If Titus himself isn’t sure what the play is trying to say, how can the audience be expected to understand?

WHAT A GIRL WANTS: Saturnina (Geller) seizes Titus’ daughter Lavinia (LeVangie).

Editor’s Note: Tziporah Thompson ’15 is a cartoonist for the Justice.

SWORDPLAY: Demetrius (Kacani) and Chiron (Holt) fight with harmless wood weapons as Aaron (Plesser) watches them, annoyed.

PICK-POCKET: Young Lucius (Longacre) steals jewelry off of the murdered characters.

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

OFF CAMPUS ENTERTAINMENT

DIALOGUE WITH A DJ

Explore Boston’s weekend offerings ■ JustArts suggests a few

lesser-known places you might want to visit this semester for fun with friends. By WEI-HUAN CHEN JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

Midterms got you down? Heading off-campus to escape the stress-filled air is always a good idea, but eating at the same restaurant in Harvard Square over and over again gets tedious. (There are many better restaurants than Bartley’s Burgers or Le’s, but that’s a different article.) I’m surprised how many fun and cheap things there are to do in Boston and how few Brandeisians know about them. Here are my top five arts-related, college-oriented activities to do next Friday or Saturday night. As an added bonus, they all cost less than $12. 1. Go to a midnight movie screening “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” Ring any bells? How about the infamous Rocky Horror Picture Show? If you’ve never enjoyed this long-standing tradition, check out the weekly midnight offerings at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, accessible by the Green Line. I remember nodding off at my first midnight showing, but a baby-faced Michael J. Fox fighting school gangs in Class of 1984 soon turned my uninitiated malaise into bona fide late-movie party-rocking. The Theatre’s website describes the insanely awesome tradition better than I could: “Latenight, weekend programming for the cool insomniac crowd, including horrifying, weird, camp, avant-garde, tripped-out movies, interactive and cult niche live performances.” (Didn’t catch the quoted reference? It comes from The Room, the best worst movie of all time, which shows at the Theatre at the end of March.) 2. Drinks, Shakespeare and 1970s disco Yes, all at once. It’s called the Donkey Show, an ongoing vaudevilleparty-theater event produced by the American Repertory Theatre. The show combines retro-showbiz erotica in the form of nude dancers, psychedelic lights, a live bar and yes, a show involving a donkey to create a fantastical version of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It may not be for everyone, but it’s an unforgettably intoxicating and groovy combination. You can stay for drinks after the muscular Puck and nearly topless Titania have had their fun. This 18-plus party opens every Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. at OBERON in Harvard Square. 3. Oscar-winning films and modern art at the ICA Everyone and their lab partner knows about the Rose Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, both of which house excellent contemporary art collections and are free for Brandeis students. So I

wonder why more people don’t know about the Institute of Contemporary Art, nestled in the south Boston waterfront. For a $10 admission ticket, the ICA offers a fascinating rotation of modern sculpture, photography and painting exhibits and a plethora of events and film screenings. Catch the “2012 Academy Award-Nominated Short Films” before its last showing on March 11. 4. See Bill Murray for free Who can pass up a chance to hear Bill Murray speak about his one-of-akind career? Murray defined classic American comedy as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and in films like Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. He’s also on his way to a possible Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the upcoming Hyde Park on Hudson. He’ll be discussing the role of political satire in American culture with SNL veteran writer James Downey at Suffolk University on March 27. The talk is a couple of weeks away, but you should start brushing up on your ’80s comedies now. 5. The obvious choices: Museum of Fine Arts and Boston Symphony Being a college student has its perks. Since we tend to spend a lot of time in libraries, bars and coffee shops and little time in museums, live theaters and concert halls, various institutions like to offer us discounts. Bring your Brandeis ID to the MFA and see its dazzling contemporary art wing for free. The museum’s newest exhibition, “Paper Zoo,” featuring the animal prints and drawings by artists such as Rembrandt and Picasso, is also worth the trip. And of course, don’t forget the amazing deal the Boston Symphony Orchestra College Card offers. Pay a $25 one-time fee and your college ID gets you into an unlimited amount of BSO concerts every weekend until you graduate. Considering that a single admission for professional classical music usually costs more than $40, I don’t see who could pass up this opportunity. As a first-year at Brandeis, I thought that Boston had a small arts scene compared to cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. I couldn’t be more wrong. Just check out websites like artsboston.org. Artsy folks should never feel bored or underwhelmed in such a vibrant and endlessly surprising arts town. Start going out more and you’ll eventually realize that there are so many venues to love and to keep going back. Besides the events I’ve listed here, my top venues for the arts include the Regattabar (jazz), the House of Blues (electronic and pop music), Company One (experimental theater), World Music/CRASHarts (world music) and the Brookline Booksmith (live author readings). My favorite events include the Boston Book Festival, PAX East (video game convention) and the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival. I hope some of my suggestions help you make it through the tough academic week.

MARCUS STERN/American Repertory Theater

STAYIN’ ALIVE: ‘The Donkey Show’ cast shows viewers a good time at the A.R.T.

AMY MELSER/The Justice

RAISE THE ROOF: Steve Aoki presents songs from his latest studio album ‘Wonderland’ while at the House of Blues in Boston.

DJ Steve Aoki takes Boston stage by storm ■ JustArts chatted with

producer-musician Steve Aoki about what inspired his new studio album, ‘Wonderland.’ By AMY MELSER JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

I caught world-famous musician, producer, DJ, and creator of Dim Mak Records, Steve Aoki, on the phone while he was in North Carolina for his 2012 North American Dead Meat tour (which hit Boston on Feb. 16). Due to the fact that North Carolina has a strong country music presence, I asked Aoki if he ever thought about collaborating with a musician from that genre. Initially, he seemed somewhat stumped, but he quickly decided that country and rap could mix well and offered the idea of “Ice Cube and Garth Brooks.” He pondered my question further and said that if he could, he would work with Johnny Cash. Aoki was specifically thinking about the cover Cash did of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” He said the collaboration would have an “incredible, country and industrial” vibe. Aoki also notes that “Hurt” is such a powerful song that it almost makes him want to cry. When asked if there are any other musicians he wished he could work with, he responds with Beethoven because of his “genius, uncanny ability to write music.” He even goes on to say there is “something extraterrestrial” about his musical ability. However, the living artist Aoki most wants to collaborate with is Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine. While Aoki speaks passionately about other artists, whether or not he has collaborated with them, he certainly has a huge accomplish-

ment under his belt upon releasing his Wonderland album, which took “three, even four years” to produce. He mixes artists such as LMFAO, Wynter Gordon, Lil John and Chiddy Bang. He describes this album as a “monumental moment” in his life and compares it to an artist not being able to show any of his paintings or artwork for three years. He was aching to get his music out but had to hold the songs “in a vault” in order to “release it all in one collection.” Aoki admits that his “heart rate jumps” every time he hears the word “Boston” because “the crowd and people are so amazing, vibrant, and bring positive energy.” He actually wished the venue was bigger (he performed with dubstep producer Datsik at The House of Blues) because the tour is completely unique and wants as many people as possible to experience the new visuals, songs and selected tracks. Aoki explains that his tour is a live production where he controls all the lights and visuals, not simply a DJ set. I jokingly ask him if he has a signature dance move for this tour and, while we laugh for a bit, he says I’m just going to have to check it at the show because those types of moves are “hard to describe.” Observing Aoki, he possesses this sort of outer-worldly quality as he allows the music to take over his being. Everything about his movements demonstrate his true connection and feeling of the music as opposed to having a replicable “dance move.” Aoki’s interaction with the crowd is what sets him apart from other performers. From crowd surfing on a blow-up pool toy with fans, to spritzing the audience with various beverages, to throwing cakes,

he certainly knows how to show his fans a memorable (albeit messy) good time. Datsik, who performed before Aoki, also demonstrated a true and tangible passion for his music and a connection to the audience. As he vigorously jumped to the deep bass beats, he spoke out to the audience to ensure they were enjoying the songs (and received none other than an overwhelmingly positive response). Aoki knows the crowds are never disappointed by his “crazy bass set.” Furthermore, Aoki describes Datsik as a great friend and “amazing dubstep producer.” Aoki signed him as the first dubstep artist to his label, Dim Mak. Aoki notes that he “loves him to death.” Datsik is not much older than seniors here at Brandeis and I asked Aoki for any advice for DJs looking to turn their college extracurricular activity into something more. Most importantly, Aoki advises DJs to “have fun and enjoy yourself in a positive environment.” He says, “You don’t have to be the star, it’s about everyone else.” He advises producers to “believe in your art,” and that “your heart has to be in it.” Aoki is known for his social media outreach, especially when it comes to his “Tag Yo Self” Facebook page, where he is known for taking photographs with the audience at each show, in addition to creating albums for each event. He is especially passionate about interacting with the fans and the crowds at his shows because he quite humbly puts it, “It’s not my show, it’s their show; actually, it’s our show.” His recognition of the symbiotic relationship between his crowd and himself is undeniably refreshing for a celebrity of his status. He notes that at a show it is a “call and response” and “without the crowd’s energy, there is no show.”

Study in the most exciting, vibrant city on Earth. Tel Aviv University Study Abroad Program Undergraduate Courses: wMiddle East Studies wFine Arts Studies wManagement & Economics wLife Sciences

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THE JUSTICE

FILM

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TUESDAY, march 6, 2012

Modern technology takes on the ‘Menace’ ■ Lucas’ decision to re-release

Star Wars films in 3D is controversial, and ‘Episode I’ proves why detractors are right. By AARON BERKE JUSTICE senior writer

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 3D strikes a few different chords with its viewers. For the stalwart fan base, it represents a glorious return to theaters for the chronological first chapter in the saga that helped define their childhood. For angry “original trilogy” loyalists, it signifies the beginning of Star Wars’ decline from the celebrated vision of an independent filmmaker to an inauthentic cash cow designed to milk its audience for every last penny. But whatever the intentions of George Lucas—independent visionary or greedy businessman—it is undeniable that Star Wars: Episode I indelibly left a mark on its viewers. The question now remains: How has Episode I withstood the test of time? Is it as good as the enthusiasts want it to be? As bad as the naysayers stubbornly try to convince us? I find myself somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. In 1999, I was in love with the film. The lightsaber battles were dazzling, Darth Maul was the coolest villain since Darth Vader, and not even Jar Jar Binks bothered me. In 2012, the lightsaber battles are still dazzling, Darth Maul is cool but underdeveloped, and Jar Jar Binks reminds me of a terrifying crossbreed between a wide-mouthed tree frog and a malnourished horse. But my affection for the entire Star Wars series, and even this film, remains. Still, Episode I is undoubtedly a mixed bag. The story often plods along at an often unbearably sluggish pace, the dialogue is wooden and uninspired, and the characters consistently do things that make little sense. Yet there is a certain charm to Episode I, helped along by the innocence of Anakin Skywalker’s beginning and Liam Neeson’s compelling performance as Qui-Gon Jinn that defies the limited script. There are so many aspects of the film I could discuss, for all their negative and positive qualities, and it’s difficult to come to a consensus. To help break it down, let’s take a look at the best and worst Episode I has to offer. The Good: Anakin Skywalker’s introduction: I may be in the minority here, but I actually admire Lucas for starting Anakin off as just an innocent kid with big dreams. Not only does it make the character’s progression more believable, but it mirrors Luke Skywalker’s hopeful naïveté in the original Star Wars. I do think showing a bit of darkness here and there would have been a nice touch, but, as it stands, Anakin’s character arc makes perfect sense to me (this unfortunately isn’t the case in the next two films). Again I’m in the minority, but I also have no problem with Jake

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCASFILM

THE AMAZING RACE: ‘Episode I’s’ pod-racing scene was expected to be one of the most exciting scenes to get the 3D treatment in the new release. Lloyd’s acting—the kid was 10 years old and he did a perfectly fine job with the material given to him. Qui-Gon Jinn: No doubt the best new character to emerge out of the Star Wars prequels, the maverick Jedi master is interesting because he constantly defies the code that indoctrinates the rest of the Jedi, becoming the catalyst that ensures Anakin’s training. Neeson grants an air of venerability to the character but balances it with a stubbornness and tenacity that gives Qui-Gon some weight. Lightsabers: There’s something about the lightsaber that’s always been intoxicatingly attractive—the sounds, the colors, the elegance. And in Episode I these elements are perfected. From the opening sequence when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan cut their way out of the Trade Federation Battleship, to the film’s epic climactic duel between the two Jedi and Darth Maul, the lightsaber action and choreography is absolutely flawless. Music : John Williams’ music can save even the worst film, and it uplifts and accentuates every beat of Episode I. From the thrilling, gothic sounds of “Duel of the Fates” to the innocent ballad of “Anakin’s Theme”—cleverly interweaving brooding segments of “Darth Vader’s Theme”—the combination of new and old motifs takes us on a captivating musical journey. The Bad: The dialogue: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the dialogue in these prequels is absolutely awful. Every once in a while, you get a really great actor like Neeson or Ian McDiarmid (who plays Palpatine) who can work past the horrid lines, but most of them speak in ways that human beings never speak. George Lucas should just give up trying to write dialogue and let other people do it for

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCASFILM

DARK SIDE: Antagonist Darth Maul (Ray Park) strives to eliminate Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). him—or else write silent films. Most of the characters: Not only does Lucas not know how to write dialogue, he doesn’t know how to write characters with actual personalities. The only decently written characters are the ones left over from the original trilogy. The new ones, with the exception of Qui-Gon, are like cardboard cutouts. Padme Amidala is flat and uninteresting and makes Natalie Portman look like a hack. Mace Windu does nothing but sit and preach and stare intensely. Darth Maul is mysteriously fascinating and looks awesome but suffers from zero character development. Jar Jar Binks is painfully unfunny and was shoehorned into the film to appeal to toddlers. I don’t know what happened in the 20 years between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace, but Lucas’ capacity to write interesting characters seems to have blown up along with the Death Star. Politics: Many of the complaints about Episode I focused on how the

story was so bogged down in political schlock. Fans felt that the story put too much emphasis on long expository dialogue and not enough on compelling visual storytelling. I do, however, understand Lucas’ vision. If you watch interviews with him dating back to the early ’90s, he always intended for the prequels to be stories of political scandal, illuminating the intricacies of Palpatine’s rise to power. But as interesting as that sounds on paper, it makes for a bore on film if it’s not matched with visual intrigue—watching hundreds of identically dressed senators standing on floating pods and preaching across a massive chamber is not particularly stimulating. 3D: The sole reason for this rerelease is its most disappointing aspect. Despite Lucas’ promise that this would be a state-of-the-art conversion, the visuals look completely flat. The only sequence that actually looks three-dimensional is the opening title

scrawl; the next two hours showcase virtually no difference between 3D and the 2D I saw in theaters 13 years ago. I felt a bit like a conned idiot, sitting in a dark room with a pair of useless, overlarge glasses on my face. So what’s the verdict? It’s difficult to judge Episode I, because there is rarely an aspect of the film that is solitarily good or bad (except Jar Jar). I can’t think of a film more deserving of a rating of 5/10. Is it worth seeing the film again in 3D? If you’re a hopeless Star Wars fanatic like myself, then yes. If not, chances are you’re not going to be reading this anyway. But say what you will about George Lucas—he’s created an unending saga that has forever sank its teeth into popular culture. Whether it’s really the personal vision he’s always wanted, or just an excuse to make a billion dollars, it’s a permanent fixture, one that fans will always keep close to their hearts, in their very own galaxy far, far away.

FOOD

Veggie Galaxy restaurant is not a shining star ■ The Central Square

restaurant tries hard and has excellent service, but it doesn’t quite measure up. By emily salloway JUSTICE editor

I am not a vegetarian. Although I don’t cook or buy beef, chicken or seafood during the week, my reasoning is more out of a personal aversion to handling raw meat. This does not prevent me from ordering chicken parmesan or shrimp stir-fry at a restaurant; as long as I don’t have to see or touch the food in its pre-cooked state, I think it’s delicious. Every weekend, I look forward to my one meal out during which I can dine upon whatever I

want. So, as you can imagine, it’s not just any vegetarian restaurant that can pull me in while I am enjoying my night on the town. Right off the bat, Veggie Galaxy had allure. Its sister restaurant, Veggie Planet, nestled beneath the street level of Harvard Square, had previously impressed me with its array of pizza toppings and casual, soup-kitchen feel. When I found out that a new diner-style venue had opened while I had been abroad last semester, I was eager to check it out. Situated across the street from the Central Square MBTA stop, Veggie Galaxy has the look of a favorite corner eatery down pat. With big booths, a comfortable countertop and shiny revolving pie shelves, Veggie Galaxy appears to be the typical greasy spoon—minus most of the grease.

Breakfast is served all day, and from the aroma of plump pancakes and the sight of stuffed French toast, it seems like it’s their most popular meal. Arriving at prime dinnertime, I opted to try a new-to-me chickpea mushroom veggie burger. The menu offered a number of designer burger toppings including sweet potato mash, roasted eggplant and a makeyour-own option. I decided to try the apple corn salsa, sun-dried tomato pesto and caramelized onions, wanting to really get a taste for what the kitchen could produce. While I was hugely impressed by the texture and hummus-y taste of my patty, the add-ons were less impressive, to be polite. The apple corn salsa consisted of fingernail-sized bits of Granny Smith and three or four corn kernels, the caramelized onions were so small that I almost

thought the waiter had messed up my order, and the sun-dried tomato pesto was a thin layer of red smeared on the top and bottom buns. Each entrée comes with a choice of vegan potato salad, made with suspicious-sounding yet surprisingly good faux mayo or red cabbage slaw and a bed of arugula, which presented itself as a tasteless pile of leaves that even I, a salad addict, could not eat. My dining companion ordered a spin on a classic diner dish: a vegan club sandwich with tempeh bacon, smoked tofu, balsamic roasted tomato, romaine, pickled red onion, tarragon basil pesto and roasted garlic mayo. While she enjoyed her food, she admitted it wasn’t the best and decided to take half of it home. The biggest draw for us was the restaurant’s small bakery and large

display of all-vegan goods. For dessert, I ordered two scoops of coconut milk ice cream: one vanilla and one chocolate. The chocolate ice cream was great—creamy, chocolaty and generously sized. The vanilla, however, was a bit bland. My friend ordered a piece of vegan peanut butter-frosted chocolate layer cake. I tasted it and thought it was, although flavorful, very dry, probably from having sat on a shelf for several hours. I do commend our waiter, who was very attentive and accommodating of our food preferences and dietary restrictions. However, although it was clean and comfortable, quick and individualized, I think in the future I’ll stick to somewhere that takes the quality of its food as seriously as it does its stance against animal products.

TUESday, March 6, 2012 ● THE JUSTICE

TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME

CHARTS

1. What term refers to a type of patterned sock or sweater and a region within a country? 2. What is the official logo of the Atlanta Braves baseball team? 3. When was Father’s Day first officially celebrated? 4. What is the color of sulfur at room temperature? 5. What human organs are responsible for cleaning waste from blood? 6. In what year did U.S. law first require cars to include turn signals? 7. Which vegetables are primarily used in succotash? 8. What is the longest book in the Old Testament? 9. Which Constitutional Amendment deals with self-incrimination? 10. What new category was added to the Academy Awards in 2001?

ANSWERS 1. Argyle (sock and sweater) and the Argyll region in western Scotland 2. A tomahawk 3. 1910 4. Yellow 5. Kidneys 6. 1954 7. Corn and lima beans 8. Psalms, with 150 chapters 9. The Fifth 10. Best Animated Feature

STRANGE BUT TRUE  It’s still not known who made this sage observation: “Wisdom is divided into two parts: a) having a great deal to say, and b) not saying it.”  In 1931, the Newspaper Enterprise Association predicted that crime would be nearly gone in 20 years.  Do you subscribe to the adage “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”? Consider this: Would that teen heartthrob of an earlier day, Bobby Darin, have become so popular if he had been known by his given name, Walden Cassotto?  At one time, Canada’s CBC network banned the children’s cartoon Rocky and Bullwinkle because of its sometimes unflattering portrayal of the Mounties.  The Goodrich company, known mainly for its tires, also invented the first modern golf ball.  Sometimes scientists get to express their creativity when they have the opportunity to name things. Take deep-sea sites, for example: in the North Atlantic is the Porcupine Abyssal Plain, Clam Acres is off the west coast of Mexico, and there’s a site near the Galapagos Islands called Hole-to-Hell.  Those who study such things have found that a sneeze leaves your mouth at more than 100 mph.  Donald Duck’s middle name is “Fauntleroy.”  The game of chess originated in India in about 2,000 B.C.—it was called “chaturanga.” And it didn’t look quite like the modern version that is played all over the world today. Chaturanga had only four kinds of pieces: elephants, chariots, horses and foot soldiers.

Top 10s for the week ending March 4 BOX OFFICE

1. Act of Valor 2. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds 3. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 4. Safe House 5. The Vow 6. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence 7. This Means War 8. Wanderlust 9. Gone 10. The Secret World of Arrietty

NYT BESTSELLERS

Fiction 1. Celebrity in Death — J.D. Robb 2. A Perfect Blood — Kim Harrion 3. Kill Shot — Vince Flynn 4. Private Games — James Patterson and Mark Sullivan 5. The Wolf Gift — Anne Rice PHOTO COURTESY OF TALI SMOOKLER

THE LAKE HOUSE: Former Justice Photography Editor Tali Smookler ’13 took this photo of Nzulezo, a village built on stilts in the Western Region of Ghana, where she is studying abroad this semester.

ACROSS 1. Moist 5. Lingerie item 8. “The __ Piper of Hamelin” 12. Outside 14. Went on horseback 15. 1972 Bill Withers hit 16. And others (Lat.) 17. Two-timer 18. Blazing 20. Garden insect 23. Roman 202 24. Newman or Lynde 25. One with an entry-level job? 28. Up to, briefly 29. Dorian Gray’s creator 30. Baby’s mealtime garb 32. “Greetings,” in India 34. Options list 35. “Woe is me!” 36. Psycho surname 37. Lunar surface feature 40. Inmate 41. Raise 42. Pop song of 1929 47. Land measure 48. Store 49. Needy 50. Soon to arrive 51. Charitable donations DOWN 1. Atl. state 2. Chopper 3. 1959 Kingston Trio hit 4. Writing tool 5. Tie 6. Bulg. neighbor 7. Three digits after 1 8. Early game in a tourney 9. Greek vowel 10. Dutch cheese 11. Drop a letter? 13. Street 19. Shoot a gun 20. Suitable 21. Aspirin target 22. Hawaiian dance 23. Indianapolis team 25. Took weapons from 26. Help in a crime

CROSSWORD

iTUNES

1. fun. feat. Janelle Monáe — “We are Young” 2. Far East Movement feat. Justin Bieber — “Live My Life” 3. The Wanted — “Glad You Came” 4. Kelly Clarkson — “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” 5. Gotye feat. Kimbra — “Somebody That I Used to Know” 6. Adele — “Set Fire to the Rain” 7. Carrie Underwood — “Good Girl” 8. Katy Perry — “Part of Me” 9. B.o.B — “So Good” 10. Carly Rae Jepsen — “Call Me Maybe”

BILLBOARD

27. Near-perfect score, maybe 29. Corduroy ridge 31. Greyhound carrier 33. Be important 34. Oft-repeated chant 36. U2 lead 37. Applaud 38. Puerto __ 39. Roundish hairstyle 40. Superhero costume feature 43. Ostrich’s cousin 44. Lubricate 45. Closemouthed 46. Type squares

1. Adele — 21 2. Whitney Houston — Whitney: the Greatest Hits 3. fun. — Some Nights 4. Tyga — Careless World: Rise of the Last King 5. Various Artists — Now 41

Top of the Charts information provided by Fandango, the New York Times, Billboard. com and Apple.com.

Solution to last week’s crossword

—Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette

STAFF PLAYLIST

“Schadenfreude” By SHAFAQ HASSAN Justice FORUM EDITOR

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.

 A Rochester, Mich., law states that anyone who is bathing in public must be wearing a bathing suit that has been inspected by a police officer. Thought for the Day: “You may do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”

Nonfiction 1. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History — Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice 2. Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think — Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler 3. Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever — Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard 4. Steve Jobs — Walter Isaacson 5. Indivisible: Restoring Faith, Family and Freedom Before It’s Too Late — James Robinson and Jay W. Richards

Solution to last week’s sudoku

This collection of songs is the perfect mix of melancholically dynamic music to listen to on any slow news day. THE LIST 1. “Little Motel” — Modest Mouse 2. “Welcome Home” — Radical Face 3. “Nightcall” — Kavinsky 4. “Battleships” — I’m from Barcelona 5. “Stars in Their Eyes” — Just Jack 6. “Running Up the Hill” — The Chromatics 7. “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” — Stars 8. “Swallowed by the Sea” — Cold Play 9. “Valium in the Sunshine” — Maps 10. “Swoon” — The Chemical Brothers