The Justice, October 5, 2010 issue

ARTS PAGE 21

SPORTS Tennis team wins at home 16

OK GO IN CONCERT

FORUM Embrace our Jewish character 10 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY SINCE 1949

Justice www.theJusticeOnline.com

Volume LXIII, Number 7

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

POLITICAL FORUM

CRIME

Castle students report thefts ■ Four students reported

that their possessions were stolen from their rooms early Sunday morning. By FIONA LOCKYER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

According to an interview with Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, five students filed reports of theft in Usen Castle towers B and C early Sunday morning, and a possible suspect has been described as a male, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds who was wearing a dark knit cap and a grey hooded sweatshirt. In a phone interview with the Justice, Callahan explained that the thefts took place between 3 and 8 a.m. Four students had items taken from their rooms while a fifth student, who was awake studying for an exam, only witnessed the suspect attempt to enter her room but leave instead.

In an interview with the Justice, Harrison Goldspiel ’13 and Ben Crown ’13, who are roommates in the Castle, said they both had items stolen. “I woke up at 10 and realized my alarm and my phone didn’t go off, and I realized something was wrong,” explained Goldspiel in an interview with the Justice. He said that his phone, PlayStation Portable, phone, backpack and iPod were all stolen Sunday morning and that his laptop, which was locked to the desk, had been unplugged and moved around the desk. Crown stated that he had $1,000 worth of electronics stolen from his room, including his laptop, PlayStation 3 and assorted video games, as well as his wallet. Jacob Moore ’13 wrote in an email to the Justice that his wallet was stolen. “I keep my laptop and ipod [sic] and phone close to me when I sleep, but my wallet stays on my desk on the other side of the room,

See CASTLE, 5 ☛

Livni speaks with community

STUDENT UNION

Skolnik will serve as the Village senator ■ The Student Union ruled

that Missy Skolnik ’12 could assume this role even if she cannot serve for the entire academic year. By JILLIAN WAGNER JUSTICE EDITOR

After reviewing the Student Union Constitution’s election policies, Student Union Secretary Herbie Rosen ’12 decided last Tuesday to allow Missy Skolnik ’12 to take the position of Village Senator even though she may not be able to serve for the entirety of her term. According to Article IX, section 1 of the Student Union Constitution, a student must be a registered Brandeis student for “the entire period in which s/he will hold office” in order to run for election. Skolnik was ineligible to run as

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

FOSTERING DISCUSSION: Community members participated in an open dialogue with the Israeli political leader Tzipi Livni.

■ The Knesset opposition

leader spoke about current events and the relationship between the U.S. and Israel.

an official candidate because she may study abroad next semester. Instead, she ran a write-in campaign and defeated Jake Weiner ’13, who officially ran unopposed, by five votes, 23-18. Rosen explained that he wanted to make absolutely sure that Skolnik could officially hold the position since, based on the constitution, she could not officially run for the position. He said that he decided to ask the Student Judiciary for an unofficial recommendation. Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary Matt Kriegsman ’11 explained in an interview with the Justice that Rosen asked the SJ to see if there was a clear-cut answer as to whether Skolnik could take the position but that it would be Rosen’s final decision either way. The SJ was unable to find a clearcut answer to the situation based on the information it was given and

See UNION, 5 ☛

By ANDREW WINGENS JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tzipi Livni, the current opposition leader of the Israeli Knesset and head of the Kadima party, addressed questions posed by students, faculty and other members of the Brandeis community yesterday in a town hall-style meeting. While the event, which was sponsored by the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, was designed to discuss Israel-Diaspora relations, or relations between Israeli citizens and Jews who do not live in Israel, a wide range of issues pertinent to Israel were discussed, such as the role of American Jews in Israeli politics, the possibility of a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians and the appropriate way to criticize Israel. According to Prof. Ilan Troen (NEJS), director of the Schusterman Center, about 450 members of the University community attended the event.

With regard to Diaspora relations, Livni emphasized the need for an open dialogue among world Jewry and said that Israel should make a more concerted effort to consider the opinions of Jews who live in the Diaspora. Livni said that an open dialogue among world Jewry is necessary and that all Jews must work together to define Israel as a Jewish state and work toward a common vision. On the issue of criticizing the state of Israel, Livni asserted that it is possible to advocate in favor of Israel even if one doesn’t agree with the policies of the Israeli government, emphasizing that criticism is not automatically delegitimization or denying Israel’s right to exist. She pointed out that she is one of the most vocal critics of the Israeli government, yet she is not considered an enemy of Israel, and she said that American Jews can criticize Israel because “this is your government as well.” However, Livni limited this statement, saying one must be careful when criticizing Israel. She said, “We need to take—all of us—into consideration that sometimes criticism is used by those who lead this process of delegitimization of the state of Israel.” Heddy Ben-Atar ’11, the senior rep-

See DIALOGUE, 5 ☛

A day with Reinharz

Recording a hat trick

National study visits

■ The Justice spent the day shadowing University President Jehuda Reinharz.

■ Forward Sofia Vallone ’11 scored three goals in the women’s soccer win over Case Western Reserve University.

■ Representatives from the Wabash survey will visit campus this week to meet with students.

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

resentative to the Board of Trustees and the former president of Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee, an American pro-Israel lobby, said in an interview with the Justice after the event, “I think that she really addressed one of the problems that we face on campus, which is that a lot of people misuse any kind of criticism of Israel and twist it to delegitimize the right of the state of Israel to exist as a sovereign state.” When asked about opponents of Israel such as the vocally anti-Israel president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Livni responded, “This ideology is not connected to the Israeli government policy, is not connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is extreme religious ideology.” She continued to comment about those who do not believe the Jewish people should have a state of their own that “this is not criticism.” She attributed this to anti-Semitism and extreme religious ideology. Livni also discussed her vision of a two-state solution, which she said she believes is essential to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Livni emphasized that a deal with the Palestinians must be implemented and that “time is of the essence.”

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INDEX

NEWS 3

SPORTS 16 ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 7

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

COMMENTARY

11

COPYRIGHT 2010 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Call for home delivery.

2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS POLICE LOG

AP BRIEF Unions raise money fight to a ballot to lower sales tax to 3 percent BOSTON—Unions have pumped more than $1.3 million into the fight against a statewide ballot question designed to lower Massachusetts sales tax rate from 6.25 percent to 3 percent. The bulk of the money has come from teachers unions, including more than $560,000 from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union and another one-half million dollars from the National Education Association. The American Federation of Teachers, a smaller union, has chipped in more than $50,000. A non-teachers union, the Service Employees International Union, contributed $150,000 to the campaign. A spokesman for the group, the Massachusetts Coalition for Our Communities, said the coalition hopes to raise even more in order to launch television ads before Election Day. So far, the group has spent about $400,000 of the $1.3 million on consulting fees. Backers of the question have raised far less, much of it from individual donors. They collected nearly $160,000 last year, the bulk of it going to pay for professional signature gatherers to guarantee the question qualified for the ballot. They raised another $76,000 this year and had less than $18,000 in their account as of mid-September. Carla Howell, whose Alliance to Roll Back Taxes is pushing the question, said she anticipated the fundraising gap. “We shouldn’t be surprised that the groups that profiteer from high taxes and high government spending are at it again,” she said. “They want to keep taxes high and feed their special interests on the backs of taxpayers.” The initiative would reduce the sales tax rate from 6.25 to 3 percent, a move that would cost the state up to $2.5 billion in annual revenue beginning Jan. 1. Critics say there’s no way the state could absorb the loss in revenue without deep cuts, including reducing local aid to cities and towns. McGrath said the group is made up of more that just unions. He said business groups and nonprofit organizations also oppose the question. All four candidates for governor have said they plan to vote against the question. McGrath said the coalition is planning to hit the airwaves soon. The battle is a replay of Howell’s attempt 2 years ago to eliminate the state income tax with a ballot initiative. Many of the same groups, including the teachers unions, were part of a coalition that dumped nearly $7 million into a campaign to convince voters to reject the cut. McGrath said he doesn’t expect the coalition to raise as much money this time around. Howell, who frames the contest in “David versus Goliath” terms, said this year is different, in part because of the toll the recession has taken on voters’ pocketbooks and scandals on Beacon Hill. “Clearly we are in a different climate now,” she said.

Medical Emergency

Larceny

Sept. 30—A party informed reported that a female in Gordon Residence Hall was not feeling well. BEMCo treated the party onscene with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 30—A student sustained a knee injury on the athletic fields outside of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care. Sept. 30—University Police were notified of a female in Hassenfeld Residence Hall who was intoxicated and unresponsive. BEMCo treated the party on-scene with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 2—University Police were notified of an intoxicated 20-yearold male in Rosenthal South Residence Hall. The Waltham Fire Department and an ambulance reported to the scene, and the ambulance staff received a refusal from the patient for further care.

Sept. 29—A student reported the theft of her student ID and room key from the Village fitness center. University Police compiled a report on the theft. Oct. 1—A student reported that his unattended backpack was stolen from the Goldfarb Library. University Police compiled a report on the theft. Oct. 3—University Police received five reports of separate thefts from student residences.

Noise Disturbance Oct. 1—A reporting party in Usen Residence Hall notified University Police that a group of people outside her window were making noise. The University Police checked the area, and the people were gone upon arrival. Oct. 1—A party in the Charles River Apartments notified University Police of an ongoing dispute with another resident about loud music. The area was checked

but the report was unfounded. The community development coordinator was advised about the ongoing incident. Oct. 3—University Police received numerous calls about a loud party in the Foster Mods. The party in was dispersed by University Police without incident. Oct. 3—University Police CCTV recorded a large group of students getting into a verbal argument by the dock entrance to Sherman Dining Hall. Some individuals had gotten out of their cars and left them in the middle of the road. University Police officers reported to the scene and dispersed the groups from the area and Hassenfeld Lot, following the vehicles off of university property. No further action was taken.

Miscellaneous Oct. 2—A reporting party in Scheffres Residence Hall notified University Police that she could

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail justeditor@brandeis.edu.

Senate swears in new senators, charters club

MORGAN FINE/the Justice

Altruistic aspirations At the Community Service Fair last Wednesday, students gathered to learn information about how they can be of service to the greater Waltham and Boston communities through different service groups.

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Editor in chief office hours are held every Monday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Justice office. Main Line News Forum Features Sports Arts Ads Photos Managing

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The Student Union Senate swore in the winners of the recent Student Union elections. The newly sworn-in senators are Mitchell Schwartz ’14, Miriam Halimi ’13, Shekeyla Nicole Caldwell ’14, Alyssa Green (TYP), Tae Wan Kim ’12, Mark Levi ’12, Missy Skolnik ’12, Dillon Harvey ’14, Evyn Rabinowitz ’12, Elizabeth Fields ’13 and Albert Feldman ’13. The Senate unanimously voted to charter Colleges Against Cancer. The club, which was recognized three years ago, is part of the American Cancer Society and seeks to provoke awareness of cancer and healthy lifestyles. It would use funding for events that have costs that cannot be covered by fundraising alone. Seth Grande ’12 came to the meeting to explain the goal of cage-free eggs coalition to the new senators. At the last Senate meeting, Grande passed out a letter he drafted to send to Dining Services. The Senate agreed that if it were to send a letter, it would be the Senate’s own version of the letter. The senators discussed the benefits and consequences of implementing a cage-free egg policy. The Student Union Senate has agreed to pay $192.49 for signs for the BranVans. Senator for the Class of 2011 and Head Coordinator of the Brandeis Escort Service Abraham Berin presented a Senate Money Resolution that described the structure of the payment. The signs would aid students in distinguishing the campus shuttle vans from the Waltham vans. There would be two to three signs on a van, one on each side and possibly one on the back. The signs would be 8 by 12 inches say either “CAMPUS” or “WALTHAM” and would be different colors to prevent confusion among students. The senators discussed their projects and ideas. Senator-at-Large Aziz Sohail ’13 said that the Pakistani relief fund dinner raised around $1,700. In addition, Vice President Shirel Guez ’12 said that the Zeta Beta Tau party raised over $2,300 for Pakistan relief. The new senators signed up for committees and are working with Executive Senator and Senator for the Class of 2012 Abby Kulawitz on setting up office hours for their constituents.

—Sara Ahmed

ANNOUNCEMENTS Eva Peron: history and myths

theJustice

—compiled by Fiona Lockyer

SENATE LOG

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS An article in Features originally misspelled the surnames of two doctors. They are Lisa Fishman and Steven Freilich, not Lisa Fishaman Steven Fralik. (Sept. 21, p. 9) An article in News misstated an event at the Student Union Senate meeting. Senator for the Class of 2011 Michael Newborn, not Associate Justice of the Student Judiciary Judah Marans ’11, addressed the Senate to inform it that he had spoken with Aramark about making bags of ice available for student purchase, not about fixing broken ice machines. (Sept. 28, pg. 2) An article in Arts misrepresented the nature of a video game. Halo Wars is a real-time strategy game, not a first-person shooter. (Sept. 28, p. 21) An photo caption in Sports wrongly listed the graduating year of an athlete. Women’s soccer forward Tiffany Pacheco is a member of the class of 2011, not 2010. (Sept. 28, p. 16) An article in Forum did not end in last week’s print edition. The last sentence should read: “The Union and the student body at large should address these issues to ensure smoother allocation in future semesters.” (Sept. 28, p.10)

smell marijuana. University Police investigated and confiscated the contraband. University Judicial charges and a report will be filed. Oct. 2—A party in Massell Quad notified University Police of three students smoking marijuana outside. University Police identified the suspects, but no marijuana was found. Oct. 3—University Police placed a male student under arrest for disorderly conduct. The party was transported by University Police to the Waltham Police station for processing without incident. Oct. 3—The on-duty community advisor notified University Police that a number of students were smoking marijuana. The University Police did not confiscate any contraband, and the CA will handle the charges.

Come listen to a presentation by 2010 Madeleine Haas Russell Visiting Professor Marysa Navarro. The event, sponsored by the Latin American and Latino Studies program, the History department, the Romance Studies department and the Women and Gender Studies program, is free and open to all students. Today from 3:10 to 5 p.m. in Shiffman 122.

“From Grand Tour to Tourism? Neo-classicism, Modern Sentiment, and the Business of Travel in the 18th and Early 19th Centuries” This lecture will be given by John Brewer, the Eli and Edye Broad Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of History and Literature at the California Institute of Technology. The event is co-sponsored by the English and History departments, the Mandel Center for the Humanities and the History of Ideas program. Today from 4:30 to

6:30 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall.

The U.S. Department of State presentation The U.S. Department of State will be holding a brown-bag information session lead by Mary Thompson-Jones, diplomat in residence based out of Tufts University. An RSVP is required to attend the event; contact hiattcenter@brandeis.edu with any questions. Meetings with faculty and staff begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, and the brown-bag information session is from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, both in the Hassenfeld Conference Center.

Boxing club fitness class Join the Boxing club in a $10 fitness class at the Nonantum Boxing Gym in Newton! To increase the visibility of the Boxing club on campus, the club will meet near the main gate of the school with two cars waiting to take interested students to the class at a 50-

percent discount of the regular price. Please RSVP to boxing@brandeis.edu to save your spot! Thursday from 8 to 9 p.m.

LGBTQ ally community lunch Part of a monthly brown-bag lunch series, this week’s talk is titled “Out of the Closets, Into the Streets.” Undergraduate students, graduate students, staff and faculty from all areas of campus are welcome to participate at these monthly events. Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Intercultural Center Lounge.

Cake decorating competition Sign up now with the Department of Student Activities to participate in the second annual Cake Decorating Competition! Each team will be provided with a two-tiered cake, decorations and one hour on site to create a masterpiece. Judges from across campus will determine the winner. Friday from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

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THE JUSTICE

Wabash study reps to meet with students seeking qualitative data from Brandeis students about their educations. By HARRY SHIPPS JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

Representatives from the Wabash National Study, which focuses on factors affecting the outcome of a liberal arts education, will be visiting Brandeis tomorrow through Friday in an effort to compile qualitative data to supplement the quantitative data collected by the study thus far, according to Provost Marty Krauss. The Wabash National Study is, according to the Brandeis website, “a large-scale, longitudinal study to investigate critical factors that affect the outcomes of liberal arts education.” The study currently includes 49 institutions of higher learning. According to the Brandeis website, the study focused on seven areas: critical thinking, need for cognition, interest in and attitudes about diversity, leadership, moral reasoning, well-being and integration of learning. In an e-mail to the Justice, Krauss wrote that Brandeis’ involvement with the study began in fall 2008, when first-years, along with the 2009 midyears, participated in the study. The Wabash study is longitudinal, meaning that it aims to study the same people at different times throughout their college experience. At the beginning of the 2008 to 2009 academic year, 62 percent of the incoming class completed the study, according to the Brandeis website. When the second part of the study was conducted in the spring of 2009, 29 percent of those who participated in the first part of the study were present. Among 2009 midyear students, 85 percent completed the first part of the study, while 25 percent of that group was present for the second part. Students who have completed both parts will be asked to participate in the study again at the end of their senior years in the final installment of the study. Findings from the quantitative data claim that 40 percent of Bran-

deis students spend between 21 and 30 hours a week preparing for class. The data also show that 68 percent agree that courses at Brandeis have “helped them understand the historical, political and social connections of past events.” Additionally, while 17 percent often attend class without completing assignments, the data reveal that, in comparison with other students participating in the Wabash survey, Brandeis students are “more interested in collaboration, citizenship, political and social involvement, and diversity issues.” Krauss wrote that the representatives are now seeking qualitative data to supplement these findings because “qualitative data obtained through focus groups is often very helpful in putting ‘meat’ on the statistical data.” She wrote that qualitative data often provide more insight and depth into the meaning of the statistical data. “The results of the focus groups would not change the statistical results—they are what they are—but could be very helpful in understanding them better,” Krauss wrote. Krauss explained in her e-mail that in an effort to obtain this qualitative data, representatives from the Wabash study will hold three sessions for focus groups on Wednesday. She wrote that the focus groups will start at 5 p.m. and will take place in Room 317 of the Shapiro Campus Center. According to Krauss, the purpose of the focus groups is to discuss with students the results of the study and find out how they interpret the findings represented by the data. Krauss also wrote that the representatives are having dinner in Sherman Hall at 6 p.m. that same day in hopes that they will interact with students during dinner. Krauss explained that she hoped 15 to 20 students would participate in each of the focus groups. She wrote that the representatives from the Wabash study would like to talk with students from all years, regardless of whether they have been involved in the study previously or not, in order to get a complete picture of the study’s findings.

—Alana Abramson contributed reporting.

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PAKISTANI DELICACIES

ACADEMICS

■ The Wabash survey is

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

PAUL SUKIJTHAMAPAN/the Justice

DINING FOR RELIEF: Students had a taste of Pakistani food and culture at the fundraising dinner that took place Sept. 28.

Students raise over $1,000 at Pakistan relief dinner ■ The money that was

raised from the dinner will be given to three different charities to help Pakistan. By MARIELLE TEMKIN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Pakistani Relief Group hosted a dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 28 that kicked off its fundraising events for the semester. According to Anushka Aqil ’12, a coordinator of the event, approximately 100 people attended the dinner, which raised over $1,000, all of which will go toward aiding Pakistanis affected by flooding. Floods have devastated the Pakistan since July 26, leaving 21 million citizens displaced and killing over 2,000. The money will be given to three charities that are helping to provide the victims of the flood with clean water, bread and medicine, and will also help to give shelter to those whose houses were destroyed, according to Aqil. The idea for an on-campus Pakistan Relief Group originally came from Aqil. In a Sept. 16 interview with the Justice, she said that she started inviting other students online to see who would be interested in forming a fundraising force. Many clubs have since gotten involved and are planning to have

events all throughout the semester. They are looking to raise between $25,000 and $30,000; this dinner was their first attempt at putting a dent into that ambitious goal. On Friday, Oct. 1, Zeta Beta Tau hosted a party that charged $5 at the door for admission and raised approximately $2,100, all of which they will donate to the Pakistan Relief Group. Aziz Sohail ’13, who helped coordinate the event, said in a Sept. 16 interview with the Justice that there will be posters up around campus with the dates of all future fundraising events to keep students informed of them. Multiple clubs, such as the South Asian Students Association, the Muslim Students Association and the Interfaith Chaplaincy, helped sponsor the event and also aided with the decorations that adorned Sherman Function Hall. The dinner consisted of traditional Pakistani foods such as jasmine rice; vegetables cooked in curry; and daal a vegetarian Pakistani dish. The Pakistani theme was further illustrated by the decor of Sherman Function Hall. A large Pakistani flag adorned one wall, and white Christmas lights bordered all four walls. Aqil said that Seema Anand, professional caterer and mother of Nitika Anand ’12, was in charge of cooking all of the food, and Mary Brustal, mother of Alex Brustal ’10,

baked the cakes that were served for dessert. During the dinner, attendees could watch a slideshow with facts and pictures from Pakistan Flood Disaster Relief, which is the group aiding Pakistan through the U.S. Department of State. Sohail said in a Sept. 28 interview with the Justice that the students who attended the event he really enjoyed the food, and that Seena Anand and Mary Brustal “really stepped up and took charge of cooking the food, which they did all for free.” He also said that he was very pleased that all of the effort put forth by the organizers paid off. Aqil said in an interview with the Justice, “[The dinner] turned out amazing.” She said that she was very pleased that people came out to support, and she was also extremely happy that “everyone [seemed] very satisfied with the food.” Ryan Fanning ’11, who emceed the event, said in an interview with the Justice that it was great that “they were able to put on such a wonderful event so quickly.” Fanning spoke at the beginning of the dinner about the cause and the desperate need for help. Gabi Sanchez-Stern ’12, who attended the dinner, said in an interview with the Justice that she was glad so many people were there to support the cause. “[The dinner] is great. … I’m glad the people in charge put such a lovely event on.”

AWARDS

Univ included as a recipient of fashion scholarship fund ■ Students can apply for a

scholarship that will provide them with opportunities in the fashion industry. By TYLER BELANGA JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Young Menswear Association Fashion Scholarship Fund, which according to its website is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to “recruiting and cultivating the next generation of leaders in the fashion industry,” officially added Brandeis University to its group of scholarship recipients, according to a press release from Dean of Career Services Joseph Du Pont. According to its website, the Fashion Scholarship Fund is a “national non-profit association consisting of influential members of the fashion community, dedicated to promoting

education of the fashion arts and business by granting scholarships to talented students and facilitating internships, mentorships, and career programs.” It is composed of many of the top names in the fashion industry including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, Avery Dennison and Geoffrey Beene. The website explains that the FSF awards a total of 80 $5,000 scholarships annually, plus four outstanding Geoffrey Beene Scholarship awards of $25,000, which students may use to pursue their education and career goals. Only sophomores, juniors and first-semester seniors with a least a 3.0 grade point average may apply. In an e-mail interview with the Justice, Du Pont wrote, “It is an honor to be chosen by the YMA to be one of schools they have invited to participate in this program.” Du Pont credited Alan Bertman from

the Office of Alumni and University Relations as the primary person who forged the relationship between Brandeis University and the YMA. “We encourage all interested Brandeis students to apply for this prestigious scholarship, which can open the door to a career in business or fashion,” said Du Pont in a Brandeis press release on Sept. 14. The press release further states that “there are many successful Brandeis alumni in these fields, and a program like this can inspire even more students to consider careers in fashion or business.” Du Pont also noted the “stellar” internships students can receive with top-notch design companies as an “exciting” aspect of the affiliation. “It gives us at Hiatt an opportunity to highlight many of our alumni who already hold high profile positions within these and other prominent fashion companies,” he wrote, adding that “students get a stronger

sense of possibility that they, too, can break into these professions when we can connect them with other Brandeis alumni who are already working in the field.” Nicole Dettling ’12 and Emily Lapworth ’12, co-presidents of the Fashion Design Club, wrote in a joint e-mail to the Justice that they were not involved in Brandeis’ selection to the scholarship fund and admitted to being caught off-guard after hearing that Brandeis had been selected. “Both of us were a little surprised when we heard of the affiliation,” wrote Dettling, “but after thinking about it, it makes sense. There is much more to fashion than designers. It is a highly economic industry that is based much in mass appeal and advertising. There needs to be a brain behind the flash. Brandeis has one of the best business programs on the east coast, so why not give them this grant?” Although Brandeis does not have

an academic fashion-related program, there are outlets around campus for students to employ their passion for fashion design. Aside from clubs like the Fashion Design Club, there are opportunities in places such as the Theater department, where Lapworth worked as a seamstress last year. Dettling wrote that she believes that the University’s inclusion in the Fashion Scholarship Fund could very well draw attention to the industry. “While I have only met a handful of Brandeis students who have a serious interest in pursuing a fashion career, I think that this affiliation might inspire more students to take an interest,” she wrote. According to Du Pont, “We already have had many students express interest in this and are working actively with several to prepare their applications for the YMA scholarship opportunity.”

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THE JUSTICE

CAMPUS SPEAKER

Sinai discusses economic future ■ Allen Sinai said that the

U.S. is in an economic recovery despite the high unemployment rate. By SARAH AHMED JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Allen Sinai, the chief economist and co-founder of the economic advisory firm Decision Economics, spoke last Tuesday at the International Business School, during which he offered his perspective about the future of the global economy. According to Sinai, the U.S. is technically in recovery. He said that the word “recovery” is a technical term, explaining that when the the gross domestic product grows by 2 percent, the government declares a recovery, even if business owners and consumers may not feel the effects of it. The National Bureau of Economic Research declared that the U.S. had entered the recovery in June of 2009. After the government asserts that the economy is in recovery, Sinai said the economy then evolves into expansion, which is when the GDP indicates that the U.S. is producing more goods and services. Sinai said the U.S. will not reach expansion until the first business quarter of next year and predicted that this upturn will only last 3 to 5 years, which he said is not long by “historic standards.” Sinai contrasted this recovery and the recovery and expansion of the 1990s, which lasted about 10 years. When talking about the structure of the post-recession economy, Sinai said that the economy will not grow unless consumers spend. However, he said that as a result of the high unemployment rate, con-

so I’m guessing that’s all they took cause [sic] they didn’t want to wake me up,” he wrote. Alyssa Moore ’13, another resident of the castle, said that her cell phone was stolen and that she had witnessed the suspect in her room in the middle of the night. “At 3:15 a.m., I woke up and saw a tall, skinny guy wearing a zip-up sweatshirt with his hood on standing in my doorway, with the door wide opened, shining a flashlight into my room,” she wrote. She further explained that although her drawers had been opened and her backpack had been searched, her phone was the only item missing from her room. The fifth student to file a report, who wishes to remain anonymous out of concern for her safety, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that she was studying for a midterm at 5:30 a.m. when a “tall, skinny, creepy

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

5

DIALOGUE: Livni holds forum on campus CONTINUED FROM 1

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

ECONOMIC PROSPECTS: Sinai discussed the trajectory of the United States’ economy at the International Business School. sumer spending has been lowered because many without a job are unable to spend. He explained that since people are saving money rather then spending, the U.S. could be at risk for a “double-dip recession,” meaning that the U.S. could fall into another recession following the previous one. The 3-5 five year mark that Sinai assigned to the recovery and expansion period is “subject to change on evidence,” meaning that the upturn in the economy could be longer or shorter depending on factors such as spending, unemployment rates and overall GDP. Sinai explained however, that

while the recovery marks the beginning of an upturn for the U.S. economy, the recovery will continue to be a “jobless one,” meaning that the unemployment rate will stay high. According to Sinai, the high unemployment rate stems from the fact that businesses are finding ways to replace workers with technology, which is cheaper than hiring a workforce because it allows businesses to avoid the supplementary costs of health insurance, retirement pensions, bonuses and social security. The solution to the instability of the U.S. economy, said Sinai, is to simultaneously improve the economy while cutting the budget deficit.

Sinai explained that in the past, the government was able to solve at least one of these issues but never both at the same time. As grim as that outlook appears, commented Sinai, “We’ve always figured our way out of this,” referring to a recession or depressions. Tyler Smith, a graduate student at IBS, said that while the lecture was somewhat pessimistic, it also provided him with necessary information for entry into the job market. “It was good to have a real guy who has so much experience tell it exactly how it is. ... [Hearing Allen Sinai speak] helps me re-evaluate my current goals,” said Smith.

CASTLE: Students face thefts in rooms CONTINUED FROM 1

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young man” walked into her room. When she asked who he was, he said that he was just curious who lived in the room and then left. “It just seemed that he made a mistake and thought we were people he knew,” she wrote. Callahan explained that University Police found a proppedopen fire escape door, which may have been the mode of entry for the culprit. Callahan said that as a result of this incident, the Department of Public Safety is emphasizing that students take extra precautionary measures and is encouraging them to lock their doors. “Every single room had a common denominator, and that was students leaving their doors unlocked,” Callahan said. Callahan explained that the crimes that occured in the castle were “crimes of opportunity.” “Don’t compromise doors, don’t let anybody else into residence

halls, let yourself in and let anyone else use their own key if you don’t know them,” he advised. He explained that if a suspect is named, the Department of Public Safety will be in touch with community advisors and community development coordinators. According to the University Police Log, two other thefts also occurred in the past week. The Police Log stated that a student’s identification card and room key were stolen from the Village fitness center, and a student’s unattended backpack was stolen from Goldfarb Library. Callahan said that it is unlikely that those thefts were related to the larceny in the Castle, but Public Safety is investigating them. “We’re looking at some videotape on those locations to see if we can come up with a suspect for those locations,” said Callahan. Senior Director of Community Living Jeremy Leiferman also sent

out an e-mail to community development coordinators to be distributed to all resident students, reminding them to be aware of their surroundings at all times, lock residence doors when away or sleeping, not let strangers into residence halls and not leave valuables out in the open, but at press time not all students had received this e-mail. Goldspiel said he would consequently take more precaution with his belongings on campus. “I never lock my door while I'm sleeping or in the bathroom because I just never think of it. I’ve always thought of Brandeis as a safe, friendly campus. Though I still think of it as a safe place, I’ll definitely be more cautious in the future and lock my door when I’m asleep,” he wrote.

—Alana Abramson contributed reporting.

Livni said that in an effort to achieve peace, she would give up territory that she believes is historically Jewish because it would be in the best interest of the Jewish people. In a meeting with student leaders prior to the event, Livni said of the peace process, “The price is very difficult for any Jew, and especially for an Israeli, but I believe that the price of not having an agreement is higher than the price of having an agreement.” Livni acknowledged that a peace agreement would not include Hamas, the party that rules Gaza and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, but said that a deal with Fatah will change the position of Hamas because it will portray the group as an explicit obstacle to the peace process and garner international support for Israel. Livni was asked if Kadima, the party she leads, will join Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s current government and form a new coalition. She said Netanyahu needs to make the decisions that are necessary in order to make peace, but he first must ask Kadima to join the coalition. She noted that after the Gaza flotilla incident last May, she told Netanyahu that he must change the current coalition completely and form a more centrist government if he is serious about peace. She also said that she will not be part of a government that is not willing to make peace because it would ruin both her national and international credibility. Additionally, Livni said that she supports any decision Netanyahu takes to relaunch negotiations. When asked by a student why there is a need for a Jewish state, Livni responded that Israel does not only provide a safe shelter for the Jewish people but also serves as a place for fostering a strong Jewish identity. Community members expressed excitement about Livni’s event. Judah Marans ’11 praised Livni and said, “Ms. Livni was able and willing to give thoughtful, honest answers,”and that is something that one does not often see in politicians.” President-elect Frederick Lawrence noted, “Ultimately I found her presentation to be very optimistic and uplifting and it is inspiring to hear somebody who is optimistic and well-informed and a pragmatist all in one.”

—Jillian Wagner contributed reporting.

UNION: Rosen decides the status of the Village Senate position CONTINUED FROM 1 therefore left it up to Rosen’s discretion, according to Kriegsman. However, had an official case been filed, Kriegsman said, the SJ would have been able to reach an official decision. Rosen explained that since the constitution did not provide a clear answer and because Skolnik’s constituents voted for her even though there was a possibility she might not serve her full term, he decided that she could take the position of Senator for the Village. “The important thing to know is there wasn’t a problem, there wasn’t an argument, nobody did anything wrong,” Rosen said. “I just wanted to make sure I was doing my job right, because I’m supposed to follow the constitution. Rosen also said that elections to fill the senatorial positions for Ridgewood Quad and the

Mods, which were left vacant after the elections, as well as junior represenative to the Board of Trustees, Oct. 12. A Student Union press release stated that the Student Union Director of CommunityAdvocacy J.V. Souffrant ’13, Director of Special Events Linda Li ’13, and Junior Representative to the Board of Trustees Supreetha Gubbala ’12 are resigning. In an interview with the Justice, Skolnik said, “I wouldn’t have asked people to write me in or wouldn’t have even told people it was an option if I thought it was unconstitutional in the first place.” “I understood it was in [Rosen’s] best interests to look at the exact language of the constitution. … I think that [Rosen’s] decision was completely on par with the constitution and the desire of the student body,” Skolnik said. Though Kriegsman explained that

Weiner has the right to file a case with the SJ about this decision, Weiner said he does not plan to do so. “[Skolnik] did beat me by five votes, which isn’t a ton, but the constitution is a little vague. I don’t want to have to drag anyone through the mud [by filing a case],” Weiner explained. Several Union officials are now interested in examining whether the constitution needs to be amended in order to avoid similar confusion in the future. Rosen, who is interested in exploring whether the constitution needs an amendment, said that the Student Union can make amendments to the constitution at any time as long as it follows the proper procedure for doing so as outlined in article XII of the constitution. If there are aspects of the constitution that the student body as a whole believes should be addressed, “of course we have to take a look at it,”

Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 said. “The most important thing is to make sure that students are involved in the process. This constitution reflects the ideas of students and what students want. The constitution is what we function under. We have to respect it,” Acheampong explained. Skolnik agrees that a change may be necessary. “If we are going to allow write-in candidates to be an exception, then that should be specified in the constitution. … But as the constitution stands right now, there’s nothing saying that a write-in campaign isn’t legitimate and isn’t a legitimate way to take the seat no matter how long you’ll be on campus,” she said. Skolnik also mentioned that because of the way the constitution is currently written, the Student Union might be excluding some students inadvertently. Rosen explained that it’s possible

that the constitution no longer adequately reflects the recent University housing policy changes, especially with regard to the Senator for the Village position, because the policy changes have affected who lives in the Village. Now, sophomores live in Village A for the full academic year, and students planning to study abroad in the spring live in Village B and C, with midyears replacing the study abroad students in the spring semester, according to the Department of Community Living’s website. Rosen said that he hopes to consider these changes when addressing potential amendments to the constitution. “If students are not being represented because of their academic planning, traveling abroad and such, or midyear students, we have to find a way to immediately address it,” Acheampong said.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

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VERBATIM | Aldous Huxley Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.

ON THIS DAY...

FUN FACT

In 1947, The first televised White House address was given by U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.

ROBYN SPECTOR/the Justice

WORKING HARD: The president works hard on his computer throughout the day in between meetings.

A day with President

Reinharz

MAX BREITSTEIN MATZA/Justice File Photo

NEED FOR SPEED: Some days, President Reinharz decides to ride his orange Vespa around campus.

By REBECCA KLEIN AND TESS RASER JUSTICE EDITORS

Tess 9 a.m.: When I arrive at University President Jehuda Reinharz’s office, his assistant, Joanna Gould, has just brought him coffee. He tells me I can call him by his first name. “I’m not very formal,” Reinharz says. He says that this is because he finds that meeting in a less-formal setting is better for work and helps him form closer bonds with students, administration and faculty. During his early-morning office hours, the day feels as if it will be sleepy. The president’s desk is covered with large neon-colored notecards, each a note of one of his many daily tasks. “It’s a very effective system for me,” he says. However, the president’s day started long before my arrival. “My day starts every day at 5, meaning everyday that I’m in town. From 5 to 7 [a.m.] I write,” Reinharz says, as he points at his numerous published books on the shelf behind his desk. “See all these books? All these books are my books.” Before heading to campus, in addition to writing, he also exercises and reads The New York Times daily. Even though he has a desktop’s worth of colored task reminder notes and has already accomplished more in his day at this point than most students here, he is interested in my life; He asks what my major is, what my family’s background is and what languages I speak. He informs me that he speaks French, German, Hebrew, Yiddish and English. Our conversations are broken up by Gould coming in and out of the office exchanging file folders with the president, phone calls from members of the Board of Trustees and the president’s requests for various lists and itineraries. One of his requests is for a list of names of alumni who are going with him to Vietnam on a trip for the next 2 weeks. He takes a group of alumni and donors once a year on trips outside the country. “The purpose of the trip is to really cement relations with them and the University. It’s an opportunity for me to get to know them,” Reinharz says. 9:30 a.m.: John Hose, executive assistant to the president and assistant secretary of the corporation, comes in briefly to discuss a letter Hose is writing. Reinharz’s meetings are casual and brief to make tasks run smoothly. On this dreary Monday, no students have

come to office hours, but the president says that this is common in the midst of midterms. 10 a.m.: Reinharz answers phones about every 10 to 15 minutes while simultaneously signing documents and working at his computer. “Most of what I do here in the office is [make] phone calls. People call, I call to get things done, and I make some calls to donors,” he explains. At one point in a break from phone calls, he asks if I need a nap. Apparently, one year, a student won the chance to spend the day with the president. Around 2 p.m., the student asked if he could take a nap. Because of this, the president believed all students needed midday naps. He, on the contrary, never naps on a workday. 10:30 a.m.: After having been sitting for a while, Reinharz gets up for a break and invites me to do the same. The art on his walls is very diverse. To the left of his door, he has an enormous sketch of a landscape overlooking apartment buildings and clotheslines. A former Brandeis student whom the president mentored drew the work overlooking his neighborhood where he grew up in Israel. After explaining this, Reinharz directs me to another work in the room: a photograph of a sunset over an iceberg. Another student had taken the photo and given it to him. Among all his art displayed in the spacious office, the president values these works the most. “These are the more meaningful things for me. … Part of it is gratitude, and part of it is relationships with students,” he says. 11 a.m.: Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe comes in to discuss administrative problems and graduate program rankings. As Jaffe explains his research, Reinharz asks about the significance of figures and discusses how the University can improve the weaker programs. Jaffe leaves almost as abruptly as he arrives. On his way out, he tells me what he thinks of administrative jobs. “It’s a lot of meetings.” 12 p.m.: The humorous Mark Collins, senior vice president for administration, is the last person the president meets with during my morning and says he is there to discuss all the things students complain about. After joking around for a bit, the two discuss problems in public safety and seem to always bring up what would be best for the students first. Collins explains that he always had known that Reinharz was the one for the job of university president because of Reinharz’s guiding principle that students come first. “It’s a very simple philosophy. We wouldn’t

JustFeatures spent the day observing Reinharz’s tasks be here if it weren’t for [the students],” Reinharz says. Rebecca 3:00 p.m.: When I walk into the president’s office, he is in the middle of a meeting with Provost Marty Krauss. Krauss explains to me that the two of them often meet to discuss various things and says jokingly that their meetings are Reinharz’s favorite part of his day. Over the course of their meeting, they discuss finding more office space for faculty and the upcoming faculty meeting. Krauss and Reinharz’s meeting is cordial, although it retains a strong focus and Krauss takes notes throughout. It is clear that Krauss and Reinharz have been working closely together for years. They appear to have a strong understanding of each other in every matter they discuss—the type of mutual understanding that is only possible with time. Krauss and Reinharz ask me several questions when I arrive. They are interested in my academic experience, and my involvement with the Justice. Their friendly demeanors relax me into what I expected to be a particularly intimidating afternoon. 3:40 p.m.: When Krauss leaves, Reinharz has a break until 4:15, when he has a meeting with Tzipi Livni, leader of the opposition in the Israeli Knesset. He takes this time to check his email, eat a snack and speak to Gould, as well as several other members of his staff who shuffle in and out of his office. This break gives me and Reinharz and I some time to speak. I ask him about his work with donors and what it was like becoming so involved with development after a lifetime in academia. On this subject, Reinharz is beaming with pride. During his 16 years as president, he has expanded the University’s donor base tremendously and successfully raised billions of dollars. He says he enjoys fundraising because of its challenging and goal-oriented nature. I also ask Reinharz about what he sees as his greatest accomplishment as president. He says the only way to explain what he has accomplished is to see how different the University was when he became president in 1994. Since that time, he says, there has been a raise in the University’s “stature and in morale.” 4:15 p.m.: Livni arrives in President Reinharz’s office with Prof. Ilan Troen (NEJS), the Stoll family chair in Israel Studies and director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, followed by a slew of security. While initially Reinharz and Livni speak to each other in Hebrew, they switch to English once they realize

that I cannot understand what they’re saying. Livni is tall and blonde, and because of her direct way of speaking, she appears instinctively confident. During all of Reinharz’s interactions, his demeanor does not shift, whether he is communicating with his staff or, in this case, Livni. I find it interesting to see when his constant demeanor does not shift when meeting with another important public figure such as her. He responds to Livni's lack of guile with comparable frankness. Reinharz and Livni talk about her goal to create a more open dialogue on the subject of Israel, her hopes for a successful peace process and her concerns about the “delegitimization” of Israel among the international community and especially among America’s Jewish youth. The two Israelis voice their concerns about their homeland’s future, and at one point, Reinharz points with delight to a map of Haifa—the city in Israel where he was born—that is hanging on his wall. The pair speak until 5 p.m., when they shuffle up to Hassenfeld Conference Center, where Livni is speaking in front of a crowd of hundreds. Tess and Rebecca 7 p.m.: We arrive at Reinharz’s house in Newton to have dinner with Livni; Reinharz’s wife, Prof. Shulamit Reinharz (SOC); President-elect Frederick Lawrence, Editor in Chief of the New Republic Marty Peretz ’59; several faculty members, including Shai Feldman (POL); members of the administration including senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement Nancy Winship; and various prominent Jewish leaders of the community. We are the first to arrive and are immediately greeted by Shula Reinharz, who shuffles us into the living room to munch on appetizers while we wait for the others to arrive. As the guests come and congregate in the living room, a discussion on the ways in which Jewish youth are connecting themselves to Israel immediately ensues. We laugh to ourselves, realizing that instead of asking us about young peoples connection to Israel, the other guest's instead discuss abstract empirical studies. We feel overlooked as a pair of students among a crowd of academics. Over dinner, which is catered and feeds approximately 20 people, Reinharz mediates a discussion among the guests and Livni. After several courses, and heated—but thought-provoking—discourse, Reinharz calls an end to dinner and his long day. Tonight he is sleeping in Boston, but tomorrow night he will be sleeping in Los Angeles before starting off on his 2week trip to Vietnam.

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THE JUSTICE

Chatting with the

“singing mailman” ASHER KRELL/Justice File Photo

SINGING SENSATION: Bill Bowen, senior postal clerk and former Waltham radio show host, performed Oct. 6, 2009 at the dedication of the Louis Brandeis memorial stamp and has also performed at past Fall Fests.

The senior postal clerk discusses his past musical career Bill Bowen, the senior postal clerk at Brandeis who is better known as “the singing mailman,” sat down with the justFeatures to discuss Brandeis, his experience with hosting a radio show in Waltham, his encounter with George Clooney’s “no-nonsense aunt” in the entertainment business and his popularity at Brandeis. JustFeatures: So let’s start from the beginning: Where were you born? Bill Bowen: I am the second of five children, born and raised in Waltham. I started appearing up on campus right around the time that [the building Usdan Student Center] was put up. I was a student in high school, and I got to work at WBRS, with a student that graduated in ’71, and [we] did a radio show together from here. JF: You went to Waltham High School? BB: Went to Waltham High School, Class of ’72. ... One Sunday night, flipping the FM dial, I happened to hear old music from the 20s coming from the radio—which you didn’t hear back then—and found out it was coming from WBRS. I was invited to come up to the station, and for the next, almost 10 years to the month, started doing a radio show from Brandeis. It went into Boston radio, and we were at several Boston stations before breaking up the program.

JF: Wow, did you have any musical interest in high school? BB: Yes, actually back in my playground days up in the project in Prospect Hill, we used to have little entertainments, and I would perform in those. And officially in 1962 was the day I started performing on stage. So it’s 48 years since I’ve been doing plays; [on] the radio, I did commercials for Boston radio in the 1970s. JF: Have you always been singing? BB: Oh, always been singing. My mother was the singer and the actress in the family; after she had her first child, I guess she pledged herself to not performing anymore. But she did local theater back in the ’40s, in the late ’40s, and went out and sang in different places. Actually, I’m the one who went a step further and started singing in clubs and established places in the Boston area. Most of them are gone now. JF: With the radio, what was the name of the show that you had? BB: The name of the show was called “Your Mother Should Know”—that’s a Beatles song, and it was music from the World War I era up to rock and roll but did not include the British invasion because it was too modern. JF: Would you play music and then do

interviews at plays and theater venues, and with people who were still keeping that music alive? BB: Yes, also [with] comedians, [and] people in television. Even comedian Bob Hope came through Boston, and we did an interview with Mr. Hope.

BB: Oh, I love Brandeis. Actually, my mother was working on campus, and her boss was the boss over at the post office at the time. There was a job opening for delivery, and I came in and took the job, and the rest is history. But I’ve been here ever since.

JF: How come you stopped the show? BB: I think tastes were changing. The station that we were at was about to be sold, and they wanted us to start getting our own time sold—not already have a sponsor built in, but they wanted us to walk the street and go, you know, “Will you buy time at our station?” I’m like, “I’m not a salesman,” [laughs] so that ended. ... I loved the interviews though, [I] loved meeting new people: Harry James, Rosemary Clooney—you know her with her nephew George—[who] was a lovely, lovely woman.

JF: So do you pursue musical interests outside the show that you had? BB: Actually, I collect and repair antique phonographs and tube radios from the 1930s. I also have a very good collection of Edison cylinders—those are the pre-records from 1900 and before.

JF: And what part did she play in that? Bill: She was actually touring the country in a show called Four Girls Four. She and three other comedians and singers were doing a show around the country. That’s how I got introduced to her in person, and she was a no nonsense, salt-to-the-earth kind of person, you know? She wasn’t one to put on airs. JF: How do you like being at Brandeis, being in the Brandeis environment?

JF: Are you currently involved in theater? BB: Yes, in the Footlight Club in Bosto; that’s America’s Oldest Community Theater, Walpole Footlighters, Arlington Friends of the Drama—and that’s just three of many I’ve been in over the years. JF: Do you ever see the productions at Brandeis? BB: Oh, yes. Actually Brandeis nailed me for a part; it was a nonspeaking part in Gypsy. I was Mr. Goldstone—2 years ago. For an afternoon performance, I walked out onstage, and it was quite an uproar. JF: It’s pretty clear that everyone on

Write for the Arts section of

the

campus knows and is very fond of you. BB: How can they love me? I’m just a mailman! [Laughs] No, but a lot of people do know me, and now their kids are going here. I do have a story—We redid the walls out here [in the mailroom]. When they opened up the walls, one area used to be for intercampus mail and stamp mail. I think what happened in this case I’m about to tell you is that somebody got a piece of mail; I don’t think it belonged to them. They threw it back into intercampus mail, but it didn’t reach the bucket. They threw it in at an angle, I think, and it ended up going into the corner of that wall, where it was sealed off so you couldn’t get to it. So when we took the wall out, there was this package for a student that I knew back in 1979 when I first started working here. I called [Development Alumni Relations] to find out where he lives now and contacted him to send him his package after 31 years. He was thrilled! He had a stamp business; he sold international stamps through the mail. I don’t know how old these ones were, but he got them back, and I know he’s been out of that business for all these years. Now, he’s an entertainment lawyer in New York. He said that Brandeis seems another lifetime ago. But he was so surprised to hear from me. 31 years, can you imagine? —Gabi Santoro

Justice!

For more information, contact Bryan Flatt at artseditors@yahoo.com.

THE JUSTICE ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

BEMCo Beginnings BEMCo was founded 27 years ago and has had 680 members since that time By SARAH GILSON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

BEMCo is an acronym as synonymous with the Brandeis campus as LOL is with the current generation’s hypertechnological, exceedingly succinct and trendy lingo. The bulky orange bags that many Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps members slug around with them while they are on-duty have practically become a fashion statement on campus. But the true testament to the pervasiveness of the organization is that it has transitioned from lowly noun to exciting verb: “BEMCo him immediately!” can often be heard at the sidelines of frat parties and whispered at Pachanga. BEMCo is so essential to the Brandeis campus that it’s hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t available to students with the simple pressing of a few numbers (that would be (781) 736-3333— program it into your phone). Yet, just 27—soon to be 28—years ago, BEMCo was founded on the Brandeis campus by James Meisel ’85. Since its creation, it has acquired 680 members in total and answered over 6,800 calls. Meisel came up with the idea for an emergency medical service in spring of 1982. Meisel got the inspiration for BEMCo when he saw a student run through a glass window in the Hassenfeld Conference Center. The student, who suffered from glass-inflicted scratches and trauma, was quickly aided by campus police as Meisel witnessed the situation. At that moment, it occurred to Meisel that the student could benefit from emergency medical services right away. This was the inception of BEMCo. The Department of Public Safety and the Brandeis administration were resistant at first to the idea of students taking on medical responsibility. The summer before his sophomore year, Meisel wrote a letter to Dr. Harris Faigel, former head of the University Health Center at Brandeis. The letter proposed a series of “What if … ?” scenarios in which Brandeis students would benefit from an on-campus emergency medical technician service. Meisel worked to put together a constitution for BEMCo. Of the initial 18 students who comprised BEMCo, only eight had some form of EMS experience. The remaining 10 dealt with the administrative aspects. Just 3 years later in 1985, BEMCo had attracted 20 to 30 members. “I’m so proud of the organization. It’s gone so far beyond what I could have imagined in terms of its importance to the Brandeis community. The depth, quality and collegiality of its members will always make me proud,” said Meisel in a phone interview with the Justice. BEMCo’s first call occurred after its first few days as an official organization, which were rather quiet. Meisel remembers being in chemistry lab on a Wednesday afternoon when BEMCo was notified about a woman in labor at Lemberg. Meisel “bolted over, chest heaving” to the scene just as the patient was pulling away in an ambulance. BEMCo’s first true test happened about a year into the program’s creation at ’80s rock band Adam Ant’s on-campus concert. Meisel remembers two EMTs standing near the concert. The show, which was general admission, quickly got out of hand due to overcrowding and substance abuse. When Meisel, who showed up late to the show because of a meeting, entered the site, he recalls seeing the entire BEMCo membership on the scene. That night, BEMCo treated 50 people who suffered from everything from hyperventila-

tion to drug and alcohol overdoses. “Dr. Meisel started an incredible organization, and we are tremendously grateful. As a result of Meisel’s work, BEMCo is an extraordinary resource to the Brandeis and Waltham community,” Dan Saxe ’12, one of two clinical supervisors and the director of operations, said in a phone interview with the Justice. As a student at Brandeis, Meisel was an Economics major and premed. He graduated in 1985 and went on to medical school at SUNY Buffalo. After his residency and time trekking across Spain, Italy and Israel for 3 months, he worked for a year as an emergency physician at Cambridge Hospital. Following his work in the emergency unit, Meisel was a primary care doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital for 9 years. In 2002, he began two new career paths. He created a doctor/patient software communication program called Medvance Solutions, a computer program that eases the difficulty often associated with communicating complex test results between doctors and patients by generating patient-friendly, individualized letters to the patient. In pursuit of his passion, Meisel delved in to medical education as an inpatient clinician educator at Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2008, Boston University asked him to join them as a clerkship director. Meisel’s current position is to help direct third-year medical students in their internal medicine experience. Also, he is a teaching hospitalist at Mass General. “Meisel was responsible for spearheading the foundation of BEMCo, and without that impetus, we wouldn’t be the organization we are today. He is a constant support for us,” Seth Merker ’11, director of BEMCo and the other clinical supervisor, said in a phone interview with the Justice. Currently, BEMCo has 65 active EMTs who rotate on 24-hour long shifts. It has two clinical supervisors: Saxe and Merker. As clinical supervisors, they each do three to four 24-hour shifts a week—so one of them is always available. During each 24-hour shift, BEMCo receives on average two calls, or roughly 14 to 15 calls a week. The National Collegiate EMS Foundation is a nonprofit organization comprised of about 225 college EMS groups, one of which is BEMCo. Every spring, BEMCo offers an EMT training course on the Brandeis campus that trains about 30 new EMTs every year. In a phone interview with the Justice Kassie Gibbs ’12, an administrative BEMCo officer said, “BEMCo is a resource for students that provides them with quick access to medical care without having to worry about ... bills from ambulances. ... Basically, we’re there for the students to make them feel safer.” In 2003, Meisel was “incredibly honored” when he was asked to give the keynote speech at BEMCo’s 20th anniversary gala. He began his speech with a short anecdote about his three children. One night several years ago, while he was putting his kids to sleep, he was wearing a BEMCo undershirt. As he said goodnight to each of his children, it occurred to him that they were each wearing BEMCo undershirts as well. Even 20 years after its creation, BEMCo is still an active presence in his household. “It was clearly one of my most influential experiences of my college career, and it has continued to be one of the highlights of my life … [I would love] to be able to give some of that back to BEMCo and the Brandeis community.” —Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.

DEDICATED MEMBER: BEMCo went to Washington for the national collegiate EMS foundation.

OUT WITH THE OLD: Former members poses with an old BEMCo car and a new vehicle in 2002.

ORIGINALS: Founder James Meisel ’85 poses with the group of 18 original members in 1983.

READY DRIVER: BEMCo primaries are always ready for emergency situations when they are on call.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRANDEIS EMERGENCY MEDICAL CORPS

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THE JUSTICE

the Justice Established 1949

Brandeis University

B RIAN FROMM, Editor in Chief REBECCA B LADY, Managing Editor B RIAN N. B LUMENTHAL, Production Editor IAN CUTLER, REBECCA KLEIN, NASHRAH RAHMAN and JILLIAN WAGNER, Associate Editors ALANA ABRAMSON, News Editor TESS RASER, Features Editor HILLEL B UECHLER, Forum Editor J OSH ASEN, Sports Editor B RYAN FLATT, Arts Editor ASHER KRELL and ROBYN SPECTOR, Photography Editors DEBRA FRIEDMANN, Layout Editor EMILY KRAUS, Copy Editor C ODY YUDKOFF, Advertising Editor

Thefts merited community alert According to Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, five students living in Usen Castle reported thefts of laptops, electronic equipment and other valuables from their residences this weekend. This board finds it extremely disconcerting that the Department of Public Safety has not notified the University community of this issue as of press time, an oversight that could potentially endanger students and their belongings and detract from efforts to apprehend the person in question. On Aug. 26 and Sept. 21, the Department of Public Safety sent campuswide e-mails alerting the Brandeis community about a man exposing himself in Harlan Chapel. Both e-mails requested members of our community to “be aware of their surroundings at all times, and report suspicious occurrences to the university police.” This board questions why the Department of Public Safety did not undertake a similar initiative and send a campuswide e-mail informing members of the community about an arguably greater safety threat. According to Mr. Callahan, students reported the theft of electronic equipments. One student reported that an unknown person entered her room early in the morning, unaware that she was awake and reading. While some students were informed of the incidents by their community advisors via e-mail and posters, the entire student body should have been informed that this has been occurring so that they could have taken appropriate measures to protect themselves and their belongings. It is important to note, however, that these “crimes of opportunity,” as Mr. Callahan categorized them in an interview with the Justice, are able to occur due to the fact that students fail to lock their doors and otherwise secure their

Lack of e-mail was unsafe valuables. Members of the Brandeis community should be vigilant in ensuring their own safety. While it is unfortunate that students’ sense of security on campus has been violated, these thefts demonstrate a need to be more aware of those around us. In addition to considering security inside the residence halls, students should be mindful when entering and exiting buildings to not let in unknown or suspicious individuals. The Department of Public Safety is right to remind students that our community is not immune to danger and intrusions of privacy. It may be uncomfortable to face the possibility that someone in our community could be perpetrating crimes here, but we must nevertheless be realistic about the situation as it currently stands. It is troubling that the Department of Public Safety has seemingly prioritized an incident that posed no immediate threat to students’ physical wellbeing over a string of thefts that have led to direct confrontations between students and a criminal. According to Senior Director of Community Living Jeremy Leiferman, an e-mail was composed regarding the incident that was intended to be sent out to students through their community development coordinators. Only some students have received this e-mail as of press time. Additionally, the e-mail should have included a description of the perpetrator of the thefts. There is no reason that the student body should not have been notified by Public Safety about these disturbing events. Despite our image of Brandeis as a safe haven, we must be mindful that incidents of theft can occur on campus, and we must be more cautious as a result.

Union handled election properly Last week, a question of constitutionality arose during the Student Union elections when a write-in candidate won the election for senator of the Village. This board commends the Union, particularly Union Secretary Herbie Rosen ’12, for being mindful of transparency while resolving the situation in a timely fashion. Missy Skolnik ’12 was not permitted to run as a regular candidate for the position of senator for the Village because she may be going abroad in the spring 2011 semester. The Union constitution requires that all candidates be planning to live on-campus for the duration of their terms, which would be a year. Ms. Skolnik ran a write-in campaign, though, and won the election by five votes. After the election, Mr. Rosen consulted with the Student Judiciary before reaching the conclusion that Ms. Skolnik would be allowed to serve in the role despite the fact that she may be abroad next semester and therefore unable to complete her term. We also applaud Mr. Rosen’s choice to discuss the matter with the Student Judiciary in order to make the most informed decision possible as well as his efforts to keep the student body apprised of the situation. The Student Judiciary fulfilled its

SJ consultation was wise purpose in examining the situation in an advisory role to ensure that Mr. Rosen was not violating the constitution. Pre-emptively addressing an issue instead of allowing it to escalate is exactly the intent of the amendment passed last year that reshaped the body’s responsibilities, and we are glad that it is doing so effectively. Furthermore, this board feels that Mr. Rosen made the correct decision in allowing Ms. Skolnik to serve as the senator for the Village. The constituency made its wishes known by writing her in, and in the absence of any rules demanding the contrary, the vote should be considered valid. Those voting ostensibly knew that Ms. Skolnik may not be at the University in the spring and elected her nevertheless, and so Mr. Rosen’s choice to uphold their decision is commendable. Overall, the attempts to increase transparency while adhering to the rules of the constitution demonstrate that the Student Union is making a concerted effort to make its inner workings visible to the student body and increase confidence in our elected representatives, and this page appreciates their mindfulness in what could have been a difficult situation.

A. ELI TUKACHINSKY/the Justice

Union survey is flawed Eitan

COOPER DOWN TO BUSINESS

Student Union President Daniel Acheampong ’11 recently sent out a survey to the entire student body via e-mail. In the message, he asks each of us to take 2 minutes to answer a series of questions in order to assist the “Student Advisory Committee to the ad-hoc Administrative Structure Advisory Committee.” The student committee, despite having a name far too long to place on a letterhead, is currently collecting student opinions about the administrative structure. After clicking on the link, my initial thought was that the survey is a useful tool. It is always good to get students involved in the general workings of the University. Sure, after judging by the number of questions and their open-ended nature, it is clear that the survey takes more than 2 minutes. And yes, it may be cumbersome to fill out, but why not? Then I read the content of the survey, and I thought about what my responses to the various queries may be. It soon occurred to me that, well, I did not have any idea how to answer any of the questions. The survey first informs us of what former Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy and former Provost Marty Krauss did here. This was certainly helpful considering that most students at Brandeis would probably be unable to identify their titles, let alone how they occupy their time at work. The survey later asks us to evaluate the extent to which the current dean and provost “value student opinion.” These questions demand an opinion from students on issues for which they certainly cannot offer one. I can guarantee you that most students have never related their opinions to the dean or the provost. This is not a problem with the University but rather a necessary reality. While their positions in the administration are vital for student life, the two people have little interaction with students on a day-to-day basis. So while I originally thought that the survey was useful and worthy of my precious time, I soon decided that it was very much the opposite. But there is a broader point to be made here about student involvement, something more than just my petty complaint about a poorly constructed survey and a ridiculously named committee. And it starts with a psychological concept called the “Dunning-Kruger Effect.” According to a 1999 article published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the effect happens when “people who are unskilled … reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it.” Simply put, this means that when people wrongly think that they know what they are talking about, they are unable to correct their incorrect opinions because they cannot figure out themselves that they were mistaken. What does this have to do with anything? While I very much respect the intellectual capabilities of the students here, and I am continually impressed by the extremely bright individuals I encounter at this university, it seems to me that most of us, when it comes to identifying a new provost and dean, are “unskilled.” Most of us, when given the chance to answer this survey, will not offer opinions of any real value because we simply do not know what we are talking about. And according to Dunning and Kruger, even though we don’t have any idea what we are talking about when it comes to this issue, we may be blind to our own ignorance. I am not against student involvement in University affairs. What I am against is people who pretend to have a knowledge about an issue when they have nothing intelligent to say. What if your local congressman (who, for all intents and purposes, serves a similar role in the real world as Acheampong does for you here at Brandeis) sent you a survey every time he went to meet with his congressional agricultural committee? Assuming that many of us do not know much about agriculture, what purpose would the survey really fulfill? Sometimes, it is better for elected officials to handle a situation without an appeal to the constituency. Not everything has to involve a democratic poll; our university functions with a representational democracy and not a true one. This is why we elected people like Acheampong and other Union representatives in the first place and is why we (or the majority of us) trust them to advise the University (along with the assistance, of course, of his brilliantly named committee). Sending out questionnaires to a student body can often be useful—if we know what we are talking about. But when it comes to issues like this, I am dubious that anyone can competently fill out the survey. Eliciting student involvement in matters that are over our head is both unwise and irresponsible.

OP-BOX Quote of the Week “I’m not very formal.” —University President Jehuda Reinharz, concerning his style for running meetings (See Features, page 7).

Brandeis Talks Back How do you feel about campus safety?

MARINA GOREAU ’12 “For dangerous things, campus safety is reasonably safe. For mundane things like people entering buildings without IDs, it’s a bit alarming.”

ASYA BASHINA ’12 “The doors to the buildings are unlocked. Anyone can get in; anyone can piggyback in.”

AMY SPIWAK ’12 “I feel extremely safe. I often leave my computer for hours on end in the library—unattended.”

GIDEON KLIONSKY ’11 “Confident. Secure. I feel like the police are there to keep shit in order.” —Compiled by Hillel Buechler Photos by Robyn Spector/the Justice

THE JUSTICE

READER COMMENTARY Article mischaracterized the military In response to your article “Current ban, though flawed, ought to remain” (Forum, Sept. 28): Ms. Stoker’s column is so full of unsupported conclusions and stereotypes, I wonder if she has ever even spoken with a service member or a veteran. It’s quite apparent that she has no idea what life is like during military service. As a Brandeis alum and a retired naval officer (5 years on active duty, more than 15 years of active participation in the reserves), I can assure her that there is no stage in the military induction process where the enlistee or officer candidate is asked if he or she hates gays. It is astounding that Ms. Stoker could conclude that there is anti-gay violence in the military based upon a 10-year-old study indicating that service members witnessed an incident. Would she conclude the same thing about our public schools based upon a like number of fights among classmates where anti-gay epithets were exchanged? She has offered nothing demonstrating that there is a greater incidence of anti-gay violence among service members than among their civilian peers. I can only suggest that she have a dialogue with a soldier, sailor, airman or marine and learn something about their lives. She might learn that, while the existence of open heterosexual or homosexual activity between coworkers in her workplace might be a momentary surprise or embarrassment, such activities and relationships among members of military units can destroy trust, degrade unit cohesion and, ultimately, put lives in more serious danger than the unit’s mission. While I can respect her desire that all members of our society enjoy the same rights regardless of sexual orientation, it is very sad that she holds such distasteful prejudices against the people who have volunteered to protect her. —Barry Bloch ’82

Anti-gay attitudes are no excuse In response to your article “Current ban, though flawed, ought to remain” (Forum, Sept. 28): I hardly think that the “bad things might happen” argument is very relevant here. I am no supporter of the military; however, the people who choose to serve do so for their own reasons, not yours or mine. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not a deterrent to keep gays out of the military; it’s a discriminatory policy that forces gays joining and already in the military to keep their lives quiet. The argument for repealing DADT isn’t so everyone can start wearing pink uniforms to suddenly declare that they are gay. Currently, if someone in the military finds out that you are a homosexual, you lose everything and gain a dishonorable discharge. This excludes you from the health benefits, college scholarship monies, etc. The denial of rights and privileges is the argument for repealing the ban. Stoker’s argument is flat and fails to look at the larger picture. It’s not about your personal views that nobody should be joining the military in the first place or that it would be dangerous for us. Bad stuff happens all the time to all kinds of people. Everyone is so quick to point to this statistic and that. But again, you’re only looking at one number that represents one group, not the big picture. I’m flattered that you want to keep us gays from getting hurt by those evil straights in the military, but we’re big boys and girls and don’t need you to mascarade a discriminatory law designed to keep gays from serving and then reaping the benefits of that service as something to keep us safe. If you have a problem with the way the student protests are going, that’s a different argument. However, there are a lot of people that this law very personally touches and I hardly think that because you watched a few protests and didn’t feel inspired to join is a good enough reason to draw the conclusions that you did. I was called a “faggot” and threatened just the other night here in Boston. The police didn’t come, and I had to deal with the situation. Could it have ended badly? Of course it could have. However, according to your arguments, there should have been a “Don’t park here if you’re gay” sign. Then I could have just avoided the issue all together, which is what your op-ed does. —Benjamin Williams (GRAD)

Write to us

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

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

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Treasure Jewish character of Univ Elizabeth

STOKER BREVITY

I grew up in north Texas, between Dallas of Dallas fame and Fort Worth, whose claim to import is that it forms the demarcation between the South and the West, as in the antebellum and wild West, respectively. My contact with Judaism was limited to mentions of the Old Testament, Rugrats Chanukah specials and the little blue menorah of lights that would appear in the window of the last house on my block. I knew two Jews, though I wasn’t aware of that until they casually mentioned having gone to “camp” together, and then indulged my questions—a summer camp? Like hiking and swimming? Like Girl Scouts? Therefore, the Jewish character of this university wasn’t on my list of interests when I looked into the school. In fact, I came upon Brandeis through a series of coincidences—a scene in Annie Hall, a conversation with my father’s coworker, a list of cool dorms in my high school counseling office. When I realized that I had to come here—that there really wasn’t another school for me—the fact that it had a Jewish leaning didn’t occur to me. I assumed that it would likely be Jewish in the way that Texas Christian University is Christian, or in the way that Southern Methodist University is Methodist—vaguely and occasionally and, in any case, unnoticeably. It was only upon arrival that I realized this university isn’t anything like that. The Jewish presence was something I found active and unique, more than a vestigial title from a distant founding, though still at times shy and elusive, which prevents one from calling the school “Jewish,” per se. I mispronounced all of the names at least once (Lown as “loan,” for example, and I still only mumble “Usdan”), both of places and people, and I found their sounds at once heavy and also lyrical, mournful and lilting. Fridays seemed, at first, strange to me; I curiously accepted a couple of tea light candles in front of the Usdan Student Center once and made the mistake of asking the guy distributing them, “What’s this?” The list of culture shocks goes on. And yet I hardly realized how much I had grown to love it—this slight spin on an otherwise familiar world—until a friend from home asked me: Don’t you feel isolated?

ARI TRETIN/the Justice

And the answer is not at all. The atmosphere of education is inviting, especially so for those who went through high school notorious for bookwormishness. Through people I have known and classes I have taken, I have learned that a major theme of the Jewish religious experience is education— studying and learning as opposed to running through the text like a software agreement and mentally checking “I agree.” There are running dialectics within the religion itself, a tradition of learning through argument and an interest in consideration and contemplation that lends itself greatly to a well-rounded and involved education. Nothing here is treated above criticism, and criticism is rarely dealt with as an attack, yet often as legitimization. Also notable is the department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies for its strength and consistency. Other schools seem to lack the rigor, thoroughness and intensity of this program, which has classes and professors I have always found to be fascinating and perhaps informed by more than simple scholarship. And beyond the academic education is a training for how one might proceed in life as a

decent person. Dietary rules and restrictions, codes of contact and etiquette regarding the method in which one writes certain words (like “God”) seem at first, to the uninitiated, strange and possibly off-putting. But in an ever-smaller world, one comes to find that all cultures and religions have their bylaws, things which must or mustn’t be done at certain times or in certain places, things which should or shouldn’t be eaten, things that have to be or can’t be said. Through interacting daily with a set of cultural traditions one may find himself far more sensitive to the global myriad of varieties; many of one’s personal rules that often go unnoticed may also come to light upon considerations of someone else’s. Know thyself, as they say. The spirit here, the Jewish character of the places and buildings and often the people, has been for me a most enjoyable learning experience. Going home is actually a little strange now, flat somehow, lacking a little something that is uniquely Brandeis. Though many changes in administration have taken place on campus recently, I should hope that no matter what happens, the Jewish presence here should never deteriorate.

School should rethink its career services Ethan

MERMELSTEIN MIND OVER MADNESS

It’s difficult to read recent headlines like “Recession May Be Over, but Joblessness Remains,” (New York Times, Sept. 20) or “Recession Raises Poverty Rate to a 15-Year High,” (New York Times, Sept. 16) and feel confident in post-graduation opportunities. Unless there’s a spot reserved for you in your family’s foreclosure business, prospects are extremely daunting for anyone planning on finding work soon after finishing up in Waltham. A question too seldom asked, especially considering current harsh economic and employment realities is, “What is our education here worth?” Most of us will leave the University without technical skills that we haven’t acquired outside of academia. We will join the 30.5 percent of Americans with “some college or associate degree,” according to 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics data. What does a bachelor’s degree do for us? Does its substance only become apparent when complimented by a graduate degree? It is unfairly reductive to look at our undergraduate experience strictly in those terms. The truth is that we’re not boiled down to such figures. Time here does, as advisers and professors often emphasize when I go to them with career concerns, teach us how to think critically. That’s one of the major arguments in favor of the liberal arts experiment, and on a global scale, it is one of the stronger points of a prod-

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

Fine Print

uct of the American education system. But in the face of so much domestic uncertainty, it is fair to expect some guaranteed returns on our substantial investment of time and capital. Hoping to hear an encouraging story, I asked a friend and recent graduate, Arun Narayanan ’10, how his job search was going. Narayanan was on the executive board of BTV when I first joined the organization, and I always admired his work ethic. It was typical to find thorough e-mails from him with production schedules far ahead of shooting dates, often time-stamped from around 4 a.m. I also knew that he stood out at his internship at the leading public relations and advertising firm, Ogilvy. I expected to hear about prospective employers fawning over him. This was not the case. In an e-mail to the Justice, he writes, “Nobody was ‘hooking me up’ with work. I didn’t expect them to. But I did expect there to be some kind of job placement process.” To be fair, the Hiatt Career Center provides fantastic support from capable counselors. The trouble many seniors and recent graduates encounter is the dearth of exciting employers with appealing job offers. Narayanan did use Hiatt extensively, but the center’s resources fell short. He writes, “In ideal world, I would have signed up at Hiatt on a list for people interested in full-time advertising/marketing jobs, and then I would be automatically entered into interviews with companies looking for recent graduates if my résumé qualified. And I assure you, if there had been such a thing, my résumé would have qualified, because it’s pretty golden.” Brandeis was founded in 1948, and that youth compared with other similarly ranked universities means our alumni career connection

The Staff For information on joining the Justice, write to justeditor@ brandeis.edu.

pool isn’t as extensive as many of us would like. Because of this, administrators must take a proactive approach in attracting worthy employers to our campus. What use is a résumé, brilliantly edited by Hiatt, without an appropriate destination? That was the sense of many disappointed attendees of last week’s career fair, who found it to be dominated by nonprofit organizations and biomedical companies. A brief glance at the organizations recruiting at the fair will find recognizable names of medical companies like Pfizer and Novartis next to organizations like Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts and BBYO, Inc. If this university is to fulfill its responsibility in the face of post-recession challenges, it must make career services a priority. Hiatt provides fantastic services for students who seek them out, but the vast majority of appealing job opportunities they offer are unpaid internships. World of Work scholarships are a fantastic incentive to work without compensation in order to gain real world experience. With fewer available paid positions for inexperienced graduates, perhaps Hiatt should extend some sort of fellowship or grant-writing assistance for students who have already said goodbye to campus. As students here, we are in the midst of something that won’t translate to a bottom line. Most of the undergraduate experience can’t be relayed over the course of an interview. The school needs to market the often-unquantifiable merits of the “What we are doing here?”— not through tacky and nonsensical posters like the one hanging off the Shapiro Campus Center, but by showcasing and publicizing student achievements loudly and clearly so that employers can’t help but notice.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS NEWS: Fiona Lockyer FORUM: Eitan Cooper SPORTS: Jeffrey Boxer ARTS: Wei-Huan Chen STAFF Senior Writers: Harry Shipps, Melissa Siegel Senior Illustrators: Rishika Assomull, A. Eli Tukachinsky Features: Sarah Gilson, Deborah Salmon Forum: Hannah Goldberg, Rebecca Kellogg, Ethan Mermelstein, Liz Posner, Leah Smith, Avi Snyder, Elizabeth Stoker Sports: Jacob Lurie, Max Goldstein, Adam Rabinowitz, Jonathan Steinberg

Arts: Eric Chow, Alex DeSilva, Julia Jerusalmi, Elly Kalfus, Morgan Manley, Amy Melser, Douglas Moore, Alex Pagan, Gloria Park, Bryan Prywes, Sujin Shin, Shelly Shore Photography: Genevieve Armstrong, Amy Bissaillon, Morgan Fine, Nathaniel Freedman, Davida Judelson, Joshua Linton, Mansi Luo, Yosef Schaffel, Tali Smookler Copy: Taylor Baker, Rebecca Brooks, Jacob Chatinover, Hilary Cheney, Kim Dela Cruz, Camille Dolfen, Philip Gallagher, Ariel Glickman, Patricia Greene, Jeff Herman, Rachel Herman, Liana Johnson, Daniella Kohlhagen, Rachel Mayo, Mailinh Phan-Nguyen, Zane Relethford, Mara Sassoon, Marielle Temkin, Amanda Winn, Liat Zabludovsky Layout: Nadav Havivi, Nan Pang Illustrations: Ari Tretin

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Professors: Be cautious with PowerPoint Hannah

GOLDBERG EVERYTHING ILLUMINATED

Of all my 16 years of schooling, few memories stand out in my mind as definitively as a particular moment from my third-grade gifted science class titled “Tech World.” Dr. Knight, my favorite teacher (and gradeschool role model) was teaching our small class of nine students about ESP by conducting an “ESP test” in which we needed to repeatedly guess three numbers previously written by the student sitting behind us (an activity in which by mere chance—or perhaps “special ability”—I performed quite well). It spoke volumes about Dr. Knight’s passion for his students’ enthusiasm and interest in science that, upon my arrival back home, I found my mom sitting on the porch speaking to Dr. Knight on the phone. He had called to inform her that I “had ESP.” I esteem Brandeis as much as I esteemed Dr. Knight’s science class in elementary school; however, in college, I have found myself far less enchanted by my professors’ lectures. Since my interest in the courses I am taking has not lessened, I attribute this fact to the overuse and misuse of PowerPoint as a tool for teaching. PowerPoint presentations are essentially the antithesis of experiential learning. Though the presentations can certainly serve as very thorough study guides come exams, they cannot capture a professor’s enthusiasm for his or her area of interest as fully as an off-the-cuff lecture. As a result, PowerPoint sucks the life out of a lecture and course. The magic disappears when a course is taught by PowerPoint instead of by experience. At a school filled with extremely accomplished, experienced and brilliant professors, the value of their lectures (and the value of attending a school such as Brandeis) comes from the anecdotes elaborating upon their many experiences. As a matter of fact, I would rather a professor simply tell me stories about what he has seen, where he has been and what he has done for 90 percent of every lecture, rarely mention the textbook information and give me an outline of terms to guide my studying for the exam. This format is the true (and apparently secret) recipe for inspiration. If PowerPoint presentations have such negative impacts on my appreciation of a subject, why do all of my professors insist on investing time into making them for each lecture? Perhaps they believe that our generation expects technology to be utilized in every aspect of our lives—though it’d be quite sad if professors really do believe that our affinity for technology is stronger than our affinity for conversation. I understand that PowerPoint is an incredibly useful tool for professors who present their research to colleagues, but their colleagues already have a vested interest in the presentation and will likely find the presen-

GLORIA PARK/the Justice

tation exciting. Presenting the same PowerPoint presentation to a class of college biology students at 10 a.m. will have a very different effect, likely lulling the students back to sleep. Meanwhile, these slumbering students will fail to be exposed to the lush parts of what is literally the “science of life.” Further, there is a phenomenon that takes place about a month after the start of classes: Students frustrated by routinely lackluster PowerPoint presentations realize that their attendance at lectures will probably benefit them less than hitting the snooze buttons on their alarms to sneak in an extra hour of sleep. Upon this realization, students stop

going to class altogether—definitely not the professor’s intention. If students are capable of getting an A in a course simply by reading their textbooks, it must follow that a large part of the professor’s job is to engage and entertain their students. A month into my third college semester, I have only had one professor conduct engaging lectures by PowerPoint. Prof. Robert Sekuler (PSYC) placed the final touches on each presentation 5 minutes before class, adding relevant newspaper articles published earlier that morning. He paced back and forth while making eye contact with his students. Further, he divulged stories from his own wealth of experience in neuro-

science in a nearly haphazard style, which sparked students’ fascination with the material. If all professors put such effort into their lectures, there would be no detrimental effects of using PowerPoint. Nonetheless, it is in the direct nature of technology to dilute the human aspect of processes. However, let me give professors this small insight into the life of a college student: Contrary to popular belief, none of my friends, nor myself, have ever had a fascinating, exciting or motivational conversation with our computers. We still believe in and crave human dialogue, perhaps even more than we do technology. Please teach us and tell us your stories.

It’s worthwhile overall to have some large classes By SARAH SHAHANAGHI JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Large lecture classes are a part of almost every college student’s schedule at one point or another. Though many students resent them, they are inevitable: Colleges and universities cannot possibly staff enough professors to split up introductory classes that hold nearly 150 students into several smaller sections. And when staffing is reduced, the only solution is to convert smaller sections into lecture-hall classes, as has been done with classes offered by the University’s Economics department, among others. For years, there has been a stigma associated with large class sizes. In public elementary schools, parents and teachers alike push for smaller class sizes, claiming that large class size has a direct negative influence on students’ performance. For the most part, their assertions are correct. Project Student Teacher Achievement Ratio Study, a largescale experiment conducted in Tennessee public schools from 1985 to 1989, showed that students in smaller elementary school classes scored better on tests, had improved attendance and had significantly lower drop-out rates many years later. For this reason, many use class size as an indicator of a school’s quality, both at the ele-

mentary school level and beyond. The student-faculty ratio is a common criterion used by prospective college students in deciding to which schools they should apply, and schools with smaller ratios proudly advertise their number as a medal of academic superiority. It must be realized, however, that education means something very different at the elementary school and university levels. In elementary school classes, students are learning basic skills where practice is of the essence. The more times each student gets to make a contribution to the class and benefit from the teacher’s personal instruction, the better he or she will learn. Instruction plays a very different role in college. Students are expected to enter their classes having mastered the basic skills necessary for them to learn. Regardless of class size, most professors’ classes are lecturebased. Lectures allow students to benefit the most from their professor’s instruction in a limited period of time. Theoretically, class size should not influence the quality of a lecture, but it certainly influences student participation. Students are often less inclined to ask clarifying questions and make contributions to the lecture, as there isn’t time to address each person individually. While this may seem to

be a loss, depending on the nature of the course, it can be beneficial. For courses that are based on objective material, such as the sciences, questions from other students rarely contribute more information to the professor’s lecture. Furthermore, if students ask questions periodically throughout the class, that can take away precious lecture time. Also, lingering questions and curiosities can encourage students to give their questions thought before they find the answer. If students still require the help of the professor or teaching assistant in finding an answer to a question, they can go to office hours and problem sessions with a much better idea of what confuses them. There can be a downside to the lecture-hall setting, which is that students feel less involved in the material. Class can easily become a spectator sport if professors don’t take necessary precautions. Professors should try to prevent students from taking notes without learning the material by expressing their information verbally, thus requiring students to better process the information they’re being given before writing it down. Also, posing general questions and pausing briefly to let students think them over before the professor discusses them can help stu-

dents correlate their own thoughts with the lesson being taught. For classes that are more subjective in content, such as the humanities, student contribution can be more beneficial to the class as a whole. Questions and comments can spur thought and discussion that can help students gain a better grasp of the material, even if they aren’t the ones contributing. If “Introduction to Literary Studies,” for example, were split into smaller sections, more students would feel comfortable participating, thus resulting in richer discussions. Smaller sections of “Organic Chemistry” would not have the same effect, because the material is not up to nearly as much interpretation. Although class size is still important in a university education, it cannot be based purely on the findings of elementary school class sizes. Administrators shouldn’t direct their efforts toward reducing class sizes per se, but instead they should work on realizing which classes ought to stay small and which ones can afford to be converted to lecture classes. Increasing the size of certain classes can make room for others to be smaller, so if a lecture class is handled properly, then cutting sections is a sacrifice worth making. So while Brandeis can continue to advertise its 9-to-1 ratio, it is by no means a revealing statistic.

THE JUSTICE

●

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

13

WSOCCER: Vallone records Judges lose her first collegiate hat trick VOLLEYBALL

CONTINUED FROM 16 because we have the power to do it,” Vallone said. “We have enough people that can shoot and score from outside the box, and if we can do it, then we want to just keep scoring, no matter how.” This game marks the third time in five game that the Judges have scored five goals or more. The team is now on a seven-game winning streak and a nine-game unbeaten streak. Besides the strong offensive showing, the Judges have also gotten solid play from their defense during this unbeaten streak. The Judges have only allowed six goals in 10 games so far this season. The defense was already playing

without defender Jessica Schulman ’12, who tore her ACL in the spring. Now the defense might have to survive a few games without defender Allison Maresca ’12. Maresca rolled her ankle in practice on Thursday, though coach Denise Dallamora is hopeful that it is just a bad sprain. Defender Kelly Peterson ’14 started in Maresca’s place against the Spartans. Vallone said that the team’s defense has been solid over the course of the season. “The defense has been doing a phenomenal job,” Vallone said. “Kelly Peterson did a great job. She stepped right in. We’re going to work more with her, and I think that we’ve had nothing but awesome plays and awesome hard work

from the defense.” On Wednesday, the Judges defeated Wellesley 1-0. Rookie forward Hilary Andrews ’14 scored her first collegiate game-winner in the 37th minute after midfielder Ellie Einhorn’s ’11 initial shot was stopped by Wellesley junior goalkeeper Sarah Grat. Andrews scored on the rebound for her second collegiate goal. Goalkeeper Francine Kofinas ’13 has also played all of the last two games between the pipes after splitting time with fellow goalkeeper Leah Sax ’14 for much of the season. The Judges will look to continue their win streak tomorrow at home against Tufts University at 7 p.m. before traveling to play University of Rochester Saturday at 5 p.m.

RETURNING THE SHOT

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

READY TO HIT: Nina Levine ’12 plays in the women’s tennis team’s 6-3 win home victory over Simmons College last Sunday.

TENNIS: Squads win at home CONTINUED FROM 16 according to Lamanna. Lamanna and Fred Rozenshteyn ’13 noted that playing on the indoor courts changes the way the team plays its game. “The biggest difference was the amount of time between point[s],” Lamanna said. “There are more errors because the court is faster, so it becomes more of a mental battle than a physical battle.” “The points are much faster, so you have to take your time or the match can quickly change,” Rozenshteyn added. The men were able to take an early 2-1 lead during doubles play.

Simon Miller ’11 and Nick White ’11 teamed up at first doubles to defeat Coast Guard juniors Nick Martin and Greg Mitchell 8-5. Rozenshteyn and Ezra Bernstein ’13 secured the Judges other doubles win in the third slot, defeating junior Matt Faha and freshmen Josh Fischer 81. Steven Milo ’13 and Dave Yovanoff ’13 fell 8-6 at second doubles. The Judges earned 2 more quick points in singles action, with Bernstein, at sixth singles, dominating Coast Guard senior Anthony Foss 6-1, 6-1. At second singles, Miller defeated Martin 6-4, 6-2. White then took on

Mitchell once again at first singles, and after a hard-fought match, Mitchell was able to split his day against White, earning a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory. Milo clinched the win for the team with a 6-3, 6-2 win over rookie Austin Dean 6-3 at third singles. Rozensteyn won 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth slot, while Yovanoff won 6-2, 3-6, 10-7 at fifth singles. The men will travel to Lewiston, Maine Friday for the James Wallach Invitational at Bates College, Lamanna’s alma mater. The women next play Oct. 15 in the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament Championship at Amherst College.

two of three UAA matches ■ The volleyball squad

went 1-2 in the University Athletic Association Round Robin Tournament. By ADAM RABINOWITZ JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

This past weekend, the volleyball team traveled to Emory University in Atlanta to kick off its first set of conference matches. The team followed a 3-0 defeat against NCAA No. 1 Washington University in St. Louis with a solid 3-1 victory over University of Rochester. However, the Judges ended the tournament with a 3-1 loss to No. 19 University of Chicago. “Our conference is one of the strongest conferences in the country, if not the strongest,” coach Michelle Kim wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. “It’s a great opportunity to play against some of the best teams in the country and there [is no] such thing as easy wins in our conference.” Now 10-7 on the season and 1-2 in conference play, Brandeis ended the weekend with a loss Sunday to Chicago by scores of 21-25, 25-21, 2516 and 25-19. The Judges started off strong, rallying from 10-4 and 16-10 deficits to seize the first set. After that, their play collapsed as they suffered close losses in the next three sets, sealing their fate in the final match of the UAA Round Robin Tournament. Outside hitter Paige Blasco ’11 notched another double-double in the loss as she led all players with 14 kills. Her 50 attempts were the most of any player in the match. Blasco also led all Judges with 11 digs. Setter Abby Blasco ’11 also made a contribution to the Judges’ efforts by recording nine kills and 26 assists. Middle blocker Nicole Smith ’11 had nine kills in the match, while outside hitter/libero Si-Si Hensley had two kills and 12 digs. To start Sunday, the Judges rebounded from the loss to WashU with a victory over Rochester by margins of 25-15, 19-25, 25-20 and 2521. After splitting the first two sets, Brandeis carried strong momentum throughout the rest of the

match and prevailed over the Yellow Jackets in both sets. Paige Blasco once again led the Judges with 20 kills and 25 digs. Out of 58 attempts, Blasco made only eight errors. While Blasco’s 20 kills were a team best, Rochester sophomore outside hitter Kelly Murely led all players in the match with 21 kills. Abby Blasco had 39 of the team’s 48 assists and led all players with nine block assists. Smtih was second on the team with 14 kills, but she was a presence on the defensive side of the ball. Smith had eight block assists in the win. On Friday, the first day of the tournament, Brandeis had difficulty handling its first conference opponent of the season; the reigning national champion WashU Bears. The Judges lost 25-23, 25-14 and 25-16 despite coming out strong initially in the first set, holding a late 19-14 lead. Eventually, they could not contain the Bears, succumbing to the home squad 25-23. Entering the next set, the Judges lost the rhythm they had in the first set and succumbed to the Bears in the second and third sets. In the loss to the Bears, Paige Blasco set the pace for the Judges with 11 kills. Abby Blasco aided the Judges by recording 23 assists and a team-leading eight digs. Defensive specialist Susan Sun ’13 tied Abby Blasco’s mark with eight digs as well. Paige Blasco said she felt the team’s biggest difficulty this weekend against stemmed from its finish in conference play last year. “Coming in as an underdog, and due to our poor finish in conference play last year, our team was psyched out by that,” Blasco said. However, she believes there are some positive lessons to draw from their first conference matches of the 2010 season. “It seems that our team chemistry is finally coming together, and we know we have the individual skills,” she said. The Judges get a brief respite from conference opponents as they take on local rival Emerson College tonight at 7 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the team will venture to Keene State College to face both Colby Sawyer College and host Keene State.

MSOCCER: Team drops third straight match with 3-2 loss to Case CONTINUED FROM 16 ner of the Case net for his teamleading sixth goal of the season. The Judges had three shots and four corner kicks in the final 25 minutes of action but were unable to tie the game. In total, Brandeis outshot Case Western 18-14, including a 10-4 margin in the second half. However, the team was unable to come away with the victory. Despite the loss to Case, Farr noted his team’s solid effort in the second half of the game. “We started off a little low-energy,” Farr said. “They put a couple easy goals in there. In the end, we tried to rally back. The last 20 minutes, we were getting them on their heels and we just weren’t able to tie them up.” Both Farr and Coven noted that

the team’s communication on defense needed to improve for future games. “We’ve got to work on our communication and defending,” Farr said. “All 11 players just have to mark their man and stay with their man. If we can do that, we can do a better job.” “We didn’t challenge the 50-50 balls and were very unaggressive in the middle third of the field,” Coven said. “[We need to improve our] team defense, individual defense, playing with a little bit more passion and in the middle third of the field.” The men’s soccer team will look to snap its three-game losingstreak tomorrow at Wheaton College at 4 p.m. The men will then play at University of Rochester Saturday at 7 p.m.

Marjory Collins/Library of Congress

THE JUSTICE ● TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

BOSTON BRUINS BEAT

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Bruins fall in final preseason home game before European trip

Simon Miller ’11 ■ The men’s tennis player won his matches at second singles and first doubles against the United States Coast Guard Academy last Friday. In the men’s tennis team’s opening dual match of the season, the team achieved a 7-2 victory against the United States Coast Guard Academy last Friday. In the win against Coast Guard, Simon Miller ’11 won in both singles and doubles play. After winning 8-5 alongside partner Nick White ’11 at first doubles, Miller won 6-4, 6-2 at the second singles position. Miller was excited about being choosen as the athlete of the week but said that everyone on the team has been playing well. “It’s an honor to receive this award for the second time in my collegiate career, but I would say that the guys on the tennis team all deserve recognition,” Miller said In Miller’s three years at Brandeis, he has gone 41-35 in singles play and 3239 in doubles. He won 12 singles matches in his first two seasons on the team, but last year, Miller posted his best record in singles, going 17-10. Miller has had success in the team’s play this season, especially in doubles. In the 2010 Intercollegiate Tennis Association New England Regional Championships at Williams College Sept. 24 and 25, Miller and White reached the quarterfinals in doubles. However, they lost their quarterfinal match to the Amherst College doubles team of junior Wes Waterman and senior Moritz Koenig 8-5. Miller and the rest of the men’s ten-

Judging numbers

3 7 18 20 8

goals scored by forward Sofia Vallone ’11 in the women’s soccer team’s 51 win over Case Western Reserve University last Saturday. It was her first collegiate hat trick.

matches won by the men’s tennis team in its victory over the United States Coast Guard Academy last Friday. The team lost only two matches in the win.

shots for the men’s soccer team in its 3-2 loss to Case Western Reserve University last Saturday. The team has lost its last three games.

kills for outside hitter Paige Blasco ’11 in the volleyball team’s 3-1 win against the University of Rochester last Saturday at the University Athletic Association Round Robin Tournament.

saves made by women’s soccer goalie Francine Kofinas ’13 in the team’s 5-1 win against Case last Saturday.

JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice

nis team will look to lead Brandeis in the James Wallach Invitational at Bates College, coach Ben Lamanna’s alma mater, in Lewiston, Maine this upcoming weekend. “We’ve all been working extremely

hard on and off the court to become the nationally ranked team we are today,” Miller said. “I know that our stock is only rising.” —Jonathan Epstein

UAA STANDINGS Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

Not including Monday’s games

Not including Monday’s games

UAA Conference WL T Chicago 1 0 0 Case 1 0 0 Emory 0 0 1 Washington 0 0 1 Rochester 0 0 1 New York 0 0 1 Carnegie 0 1 0 JUDGES 0 1 0

UAA Conference W LT JUDGES 1 00 Chicago 1 00 New York 1 00 Emory 0 01 Washington 0 0 1 Case 0 10 Rochester 0 10 Carnegie 0 10

W 7 5 9 7 6 5 8 6

L 3 2 0 0 0 2 1 3

Overall T Pct. 0 .700 3 .650 1 .950 3 .850 4 .800 2 .667 0 .889 0 .667

W 8 6 5 8 4 6 6 6

L 1 3 5 0 5 3 3 4

Overall T Pct. 1 .850 1 .650 1 .500 2 .900 1 .450 1 .650 1 .650 0 .600

TEAM LEADERS MSoccer (points)

WSoccer (points)

Midfielder Luke Teece ’12 leads the team with 14 points this season.

Forward Sofia Vallone ’11 leads the team with 24 points this year.

Player Luke Teece Alexander Farr Joe Eisenbies Lee Russo Nick George

Player Sofia Vallone Tiffany Pacheco Mimi Theodore Alanna Torre Hillary Andrews

Points 14 11 10 9 9

Points 24 16 13 6 5

Volleyball (kills)

Volleyball (digs)

Outside hitter Paige Blasco ’11 leads the team with 212 kills.

Outside hitter Paige Blasco ’11 leads the team with 202 digs.

Player Paige Blasco Nicole Smith Si-Si Hensley Lauren Berens Abby Blasco

Player Paige Blasco Abby Blasco Susan Sun Si-Si Hensley Yael Einhorn

Kills 212 167 119 68 63

Digs 202 194 193 154 140

UPCOMING GAME OF THE WEEK Women’s soccer vs. Tufts tomorrow night The women’s soccer team will play Tufts University tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

18

block assists, 17 of which came from setter Abby Blasco ’11 and middle blocker Nicole Smith ’11, in the volleyball team’s 3-1 win over Rochester.

15

After a hat trick from forward Sofia Vallone ’11 in the women’s soccer team’s 5-1 win over University Athletic Association opponent Case Western Reserve University, the team will look to continue its ninegame unbeaten streak when it faces Tufts University tomorrow at 7 p.m. In the matchup between the Judges

and the Jumbos last season, Brandeis won 2-0. Midfielder Mimi Theodore ’12 scored the first goal of the game in the 26th minute, while Vallone scored the other goal in the 85th minute. This year, Tufts has a record of 3-22. They have won their last two games against Bates College and Babson College by a score of 1-0.

For the 2010 to 2011 season, justSports has been given a press pass to attend Boston Bruins home games. We will cover these games periodically throughout the year complete with behind-the-scenes access. Last Wednesday was a hectic day for the Boston Bruins. In a span of just 12 hours, the team wrapped up its annual Media Day, played its final preseason home game and immediately flew to Belfast, Northern Ireland to begin a week-and-a-half-long European trip in which the squad will play two more preseason games before opening the regular season with back-to-back games against the Phoenix Coyotes in Prague the weekend of Oct. 9. While Media Day was a success and the team landed safely in Belfast early Thursday morning, the game in between did not go well as the Bruins lost to the Washington Capitals 4-1. It was the Bruins’ second loss in two nights to the Capitals, who also defeated the Bruins in Washington the night before by a score of 3-2. Forward Blake Wheeler did not deny that the team was preoccupied with how busy the day was but said that such distractions should not impact the team’s performance. “There’s no doubt there was a pretty big distraction looming,” Wheeler told reporters after the game. “There are no excuses though. Everyone in this room wanted to put on a nice show for our crowd before we went overseas, and it was disappointing from that stance. Certainly traveling last night, getting back here and having to pack for 12 days didn’t help, but it’s no excuse. We’re all professionals here, and we have to come out and perform, and we didn’t.” Late in the third period of the first game last Tuesday, the Bruins showed their frustration when center Gregory Campbell rammed Capitals all-star forward Alex Ovechkin headfirst into the boards, enticing Ovechkin to retaliate by slashing Campbell with his stick, resulting both players receiving minor penalties. On Wednesday, it took the teams only 2 seconds, officially, to pick up where they left off. While Ovechkin sat out Wednesday’s game, Campbell and Caps center Matt Henkricks dropped their gloves and fought immediately after the opening face-off to set an early physical tone. However, the game settled down after the fight as both squads resumed focus. Washington got on the board first when starting center Nicklas Backstrom scored his first of two goals in the game at 10 minutes, 28 seconds into the first period on a one-time shot from point-blank range in front of the net. Backstrom received a pass from forward Jason Chimera, who swung behind Bruins goalie Tim Thomas in the trapezoid behind the net with the puck and fed Backstrom on the move to earn the assist. The score would remain 1-0 going into the second period, where things only got worse for Boston. The Bruins had multiple scoring chances in the second period, outshooting the Caps 10-4, but were unable to get on the board and in fact allowed another goal to increase their deficit. Just 2 minutes in, Bruins center David Krejci received a cross-ice pass within the Caps zone and had Washington goalie Dany Sabourin off-balance, leaving an open net. However, Krejci could not get off a quick shot as he fumbled the puck on his stick, giving Sabourin time to recover and defend against a weak shot attempt. Minutes later at 3:15, Capitals forward Steve Pinzzotto took a 4-minute double minor high-sticking penalty, giving the Bruins an extended power play. But the Bruins failed to capitalize on the scoring chance and were held without a goal despite controlling the puck in the Capitals’ zone for the majority of the power play. The Capitals again took back-to-back penalties called on on Backstrom and forward Marcus Johansson at 7:32 and 9:52, respectively, but again the Bruins failed to score. Bruins’ forward Mark Recchi fanned on a loose rebound in front of the net at the end of Backstrom’s penalty, and forward Nathan Horton ripped a shot off the left post during Johansson’s. The Bruins were 0-4 on the power play in the second period. “Tonight we had some pretty good scoring chances, but we didn’t seem to connect,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. “We were missing opportunities, and we had a couple of breakdowns that ended up in our net, and the energy level wasn’t where it should have been tonight.” After all of Boston’s missed opportunities, it was Washington who would score at 17:08 into the second period to take a 2-0 lead. Backstrom scored his second goal of the game off a slap shot from the right point off passes from defensemen Jeff Schultz and John Carlson. The Bruins opened the third period hot, getting off four shots in the first 2 minutes of the period, but Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, who split time with Sabourin after replacing him midway through the second period, held strong and prevented the Bruins from scoring off shots taken just feet in front of the crease. The Capitals would quickly quiet the Bruins’ offensive push by scoring the third goal of the game to take a 3-0 lead 2:30 into the period. Forward Andrew Gordon scored his first goal of the preseason by putting home a long rebound off a hard shot from forward Tyler Sloan that Thomas saved but could not control. Minutes later at 6:03, the Capitals went ahead 4-0 on a goal from forward Matt Bradley, his first of the preseason. However, the Bruins finally took advantage of a Washington penalty as Rechhi netted home a loose rebound in the midst of a scramble in front of the net at 8:45. For the Bruins, goaltender Tim Thomas made his first appearance of the preseason in what was the team’s fifth preseason game. Thomas has been recovering from off-season hip surgery and had been held out of some team practices and all preseason games leading up to Wednesday’s start. Thomas played through all three periods and told reporters after the game that his hips and legs felt “really good.” Last Saturday, the Bruins played their first exhibition game against the European squad Giants Select, a United Kingdom all-star team in Belfast. The Bruins won 5-1 after scoring thee goals in the second period. The Bruins will conclude the preseason this afternoon in Liberec, Czech Republic against the local squad at 1 p.m. before beginning the regular season in Prague against Phoenix on Oct. 9. —Ian Cutler

just

Sports

Page 16

BRUINS FALL TO CAPS JustSports covered the Boston Bruins’ 4-1 preseason loss to the Washington Capitals last Wednesday, p. 15.

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

WOMEN’S SOCCER

MEN’S SOCCER

Vallone scores three in victory Judges

lose at home to Case

■ Forward Sofia Vallone ’11

recorded a hat trick in the women’s soccer team’s 5-1 win last Saturday. By MELISSA SIEGEL JUSTICE SENIOR WRITER

Going into the women’s soccer team’s game last Saturday against University Athletic Association foe Case Western Reserve University, forward Sofia Vallone ’11 already had three two-goal games this season. But against the Spartans, she finally got a hat trick. “I was jumping up and down; I was so happy,” Vallone said of her reaction when she scored her third goal of the game. “I’ve been waiting for it all season. There have been lots of two-goal games, and I’ve just been waiting for that third goal to happen.” Vallone’s three goals helped lead the Judges to a 5-1 win in the UAA opening game for both teams. The Judges, who are currently ranked No. 18 in the National College Soccer Coaches Association of America/HendrickCars.com Division III poll, are now 8-1-1 on the season after defeating Wellesley College 1-0 last Wednesday. It is the first time the Judges have been ranked in the poll since the 2004 season. Brandeis once again got off to a hot start against Case, scoring two goals in the first 21 minutes of action. The first goal came in the 10th minute off the foot of forward Tiffany Pacheco ’11, who hit a shot from 18 yards out into the upper left corner of the net. Vallone then scored her first goal of the day in the 21st minute on a shot from 25 yards out into the lower corner of net. “I think we’re just coming out a lot harder,” Vallone said about her team’s early goals in games. “We’ve never been nationally ranked [since our seniors have been here], and that’s given us a lot of ammunition and motivation to just keep going. So every single game we play, we come out strong. We want to keep staying in the top 25, and we just want to keep winning games.” The Spartans, however, took back the momentum less than 2 minutes later. Case sophomore midfielder Kendra Simmons hit a blast of her own from 20 yards out just inside the right post. The game remained 2-1 at the half, but Vallone got the Judges back up by two goals early in the second half. This time, she scored

■ The men’s soccer team

lost 3-2 to Case Western Reserve Universty last Saturday. By JACOB LURIE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

NATHAN FELDMAN/the Justice

STEALING THE BALL: Forward Tiffany Pacheco ’11 looks to gain possesion in the women’s soccer team’s 5-1 win last Saturday. in the 59th minute off a give-and-go play after receiving a pass from midfielder Mimi Theodore ’12. Midfielder/defender Alanna Torre ’12 then got in on the scoring in the 67th minute with a shot from

25 yards out that went just under the crossbar. And then with just under 15 minutes left in the game, Vallone completed her first hat trick at Brandeis with yet another long

goal, this one from just outside the goalie box. “We have definitely been working on shooting everywhere,

See WSOCCER, 13 ☛

TENNIS

Both teams win their dual matches at home ■ The men’s and women’s

tennis teams won matches against different opponents last week. By JONATHAN STEINBERG JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The men and women’s tennis teams did not disappoint on their home courts last week. The women defeated Simmons College 6-3 last Sunday, while the men claimed a 72 victory over the United States Coast Guard Academy last Friday. After a week off, the women returned to action against Simmons for their second and final match of the fall season. On their home courts, the Judges were able

to defeat the Sharks 6-3 and improve to 2-0 on the year. In doubles action, the women took two out of three matches to take the early lead on the day. The first doubles duo of co-captain Rachel Rosman ’11 and Faith Broderick ’13 easily handled the Simmons team of senior Mallie Macleod and freshman Allison Bodek 8-1. Co-captain Mackenzie Gallegos ’11 and rookie Allyson Bernstein ’14 also took the third doubles match 8-1. Nina Levine ’12 and Alexa Katz ’14 played to a tiebreaker, which they lost 7-2 Rosman, Broderick and Gallegos all won their matches at first, second and fourth singles, respectively. The three of them gave up only 10 games among their three opponents, with Broderick’s opponent,

Macleod, earning just one game win in the loss. The match-clinching victory came for the team at the sixth singles spot, where Katz outplayed junior Maggie Taylor and won the match 6-1, 6-2. Bernstein and Roberta Bergstein ’14 lost their singles matches at third and fifth singles, respectively. Bernstein lost her match 6-1, 6-3. while Bergstein took a one-set lead in her match but was shut out in the second set and fell by 2 points in a 10-8 tiebreaker. Coach Ben Lamanna said that Bernstein has a lot of potential despite her loss in singles. “[Bernstein] is one of the best rookies we have,” Lamanna said.” “She was having some trouble adding offense but is a great defen-

sive player. She will keep getting better as long as she continues to practice hard.” Lamanna also noted that was satisfied with how the women played. “They played well,” he said. “Not the best they have played, but they got the job done. ... We have beaten Simmons by more before, so there are always things to work on.” In its first and only dual match of the fall season, the men’s squad faced the Coast Guard indoors last Friday due to rain. Lamanna said the team practiced indoors during the week before the match because they expected rain on Friday. After a 9-0 win last season, the Judges continued their dominance of Coast Guard, winning the match 7-2 against “a really good squad,”

See TENNIS, 13 ☛

Missed opportunities were the prevalent theme in the men’s soccer University Athletic Association opener last Saturday as the Judges lost a tight match to Case Western Reserve University by a score of 3-2. Coach Michael Coven felt that the team was outplayed for much of the match against Case. “We played very, very poorly today,” he said. “We didn’t defend well. We didn’t win balls in the middle third of the field, and we deserved to lose this game. We’re lucky we didn’t lose this game by more than one goal.” After losing three straight games, Brandeis is now 6-3 on the season and 0-1 in UAA play. The Judges had several early scoring chances but were unable to find the back of the net. In the 3rd minute, midfield/forward Lee Russo ’13 booted a kick that sailed over the top post of the goal; midfielder Joe Eisenbies ’13 launched a shot that cut just left of the crossbar in the 10th minute. Case Western drew first blood in the 18th minute as senior midfielder Jordan Fox placed a header into the corner of the net off of an assist by sophomore forward/midfielder Eric Erb. Brandeis tied the game in the 37th minute as forward Alexander Farr ’12 redirected the ball into the back of the net. Russo crossed the ball into the middle, and midfielder Theo Terris ’12 touched the ball past the Spartan goalkeeper before Farr put it home. The goal was Farr’s fifth of the season, good for second on the team. However, the Spartans quickly regained the lead just 4 minutes later as sophomore midfielder Kostis Theoharides’ throw-in found Erb, who was able to head the ball in. The Judges squandered several opportunities at the start of the second half as well. In the 45th minute after a corner kick from midfielder Ben Applefield ’14, Terris headed the ball toward the Case goal but had his shot blocked by a defender. Terris regrouped and fired another shot, but Case junior goalie Ben Yabrow made the save. The Spartans extended their lead to two goals in the 53rd minute when sophomore defender Sam Kuehnle drove a free kick downfield to Fox, who maneuvered the ball past the Brandeis defense and scored. Brandeis cut the deficit back down to one goal in the 62nd minute. Farr cut toward the net, freeing defenders away from midfielder Luke Teece ’12. Farr then dropped the ball back to Teece, who powered the ball into the cor-

See MSOCCER, 13 ☛

just

ARTS

October 5, 2010

PLAYS WITH

COLOR p. 21

Photos: Asher Krell and Tali Smookler/the Justice. Design: Robyn Spector/the Justice.

18

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

●

THE JUSTICE

POP CULTURE

INSIDE ON CAMPUS

18-21

■ ‘Conviction’ screening 19 Director Tony Goldwyn ’82, actor Sam Rockwell and Betty Anne Waters came to Brandeis for a question-and-answer session after an advance screening of the film ‘Conviction.’

19 ■ ‘Three Sisters’ The play written by Anton Chekhov, currently onstage in the Spingold Theater Center, is Brandeis Theater Company’s inaugural play of the semester. 20 ■ Rose Art Museum preview Opening this Thursday, “WaterWays” and “Regarding Painting” will inhabit the walls of the Rose Art Museum. 21 ■ OK Go review Rock band OK Go came to campus on Saturday with the Postelles for the fall concert put on by Student Events.

OFF CAMPUS

22-24

22 ■ Tree Top Thai The local restaurant—within walking distance from campus—serves up authentic Thai food at prices that college students can afford without breaking the bank. 23 ■ ‘The Social Network’ The film that has been called “generationdefining,” directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, hit theaters last Friday to all-around rave reviews.

CALENDAR

INTERVIEW by Shelly Shore

Recently, people have become more aware of the fact that gay teenagers are almost four times more likely to commit suicide than their straight peers. In the last 3 weeks, five suicides of gays have made major headlines, culminating in the vastly publicized death of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers student who jumped from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate posted a streaming video of Clementi in bed with another boy. The Hollywood reaction to these tragic deaths and the homosexual suicide rate in general has been overwhelming. Celebrities have rallied around gay and lesbian teens. Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction wrote an open letter to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer teens, and Perez Hilton (despite normally being one of the biggest bullies in Hollywood) publicized the letter as “wise words” and circulated it on his high-traffic blog. Several celebs, including Ugly Betty’s Michael Urie, have joined the “It Gets Better” YouTube campaign, created by activist/columnist Dan Savage in late September after hearing the story of Billy Lucas, a gay Indiana teenager who committed suicide after years of taunting from schoolmates. In his Sept. 22 column, Savage wrote, “I wish I could have told Billy that it gets better. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things are, however isolated and alone he was, it gets better.” He went on to say, “Why are we waiting for permission to talk to these kids? We have the ability to talk to them right now.” Thus, the “It Gets Better” campaign was born, a clearly visible way for anyone with a YouTube account—famous or not, gay or not—to share his or her experiences and offer support. In support, the No H8 campaign’s Twitter (“GayIsGr8”) posted, “Being gay is like a fine wine…#ItGetsBetter with age!”

Helping out our student bands

■ Sungtae Park ’12, president of

B-DEIS Records, e-mailed with justArts about the club’s goings-on.

MATT SAYLES/The Associated Press

TRAGEDY OUTREACH: Ellen Degeneres and others are raising awareness for LGBTQ suicides. For Ellen Degeneres, however, the time for talking is over. “Something must be done,” she said on Thursday. “This needs to be a wake-up call to everyone that teenage bullying and teasing is an epidemic in this country. … we have an obligation to change this.” In a video released Oct. 1, Ellen addressed the gay teen suicide tragedy, linking it to bullying and homophobia. “We can’t let intolerance and ignorance take another kid’s life,” she told viewers. To any struggling teens that may have been watching, she said, “People’s minds will change, and you should be alive to see it.”

What’s happening in Arts on and off campus

ON CAMPUS EVENTS ‘The Wild Party’ coffeehouse Tympanium Euphorium will be hosting a coffeehouse to promote its first fall musical, The Wild Party, which premieres Oct. 28. Select members from the cast will offer sneak previews of the play, singing musical numbers that will give students an idea of what to expect in a few weeks. Proscenium, Brandeis’ a cappella group dedicated to singing showtunes and Broadway classics, will perform, followed by a classic-hits showcase by Company B, the oldest a cappella group on campus. Co-ed a cappella group Starving Artists will celebrate its 15th year with a performance featuring new member Jason Dick ’14 and a new song sung by Neal Rabinowitz ’13. Tomorrow from 9 p.m. to midnight at Cholmondeley’s.

Triskelion coffeehouse It’s a good week for Cholmondeley’s aficionados. Triskelion will have its Coming Out Quilt, a project where students are free to decorate individual squares, available at its first coffeehouse of the year. This event follows yesterday’s LGBTQ Suicide Candlelight Vigil, hosted by Triskelion to commemorate National LGBT Suicide Prevention Day and the five LGBTQ-related suicides that occured in the month of September alone. The first hour of the coffeehouse will have assorted students reading original poetry; the next, Scott Oglesby ’12 and the MT’s will perform; and from 11 p.m. to midnight a cappella group Too Cheap for Instruments and comedy group Bad Grammer will perform. Thursday from 9 p.m. to midnight at Cholmondeley’s.

Boris’ Kitchen presents Old Sh*t Show: 2010! Comedy can act as the perfect medicine to stress as the midterm season sets in. Sketch comedy group Boris’ Kitchen will host its annual fall show, the Old Sh*t Show, a performance known to sell out every year. This year, the funnies will be free, but students are advised to beat the crowd and get a good seat in the relatively small Alumni Lounge. The comedy showcase will feature sketches “from the deepest bowels of [Boris’ Kitchen’s] 24-year-old archives ... and also some from less-deep bowels!” The group welcomes new members Rachel Benjamin ’14, Pete Charland ’14, Christopher Knight ’14, Erin Roper ’14 and Ben Setel ’13. The event will be directed by Lydia Flier ’11 and assistant directed by Charles Kivolowitz ’11. Friday at 8 p.m. at the Alumni Lounge in the Usdan Student Center. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the Brandeis community.

Opening reception at the Rose Art Museum There will be wine, cheese and new exhibitions on display to celebrate the new semester at the Rose Art museum. “WaterWays,” an exhibit exploring art that utilizes water as subject, metaphor and muse, will be mounted in the Rose, Fineberg and Lee Galleries, with William Kentridge’s video Tide Table acting

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

A THOUSAND WORDS: “WaterWays,” one of the Rose Art Museum’s new exhibitions, will explore water as a metaphor and subject of art. The museum will host an opening reception this Thursday. as a centerpiece. “Regarding Painting,” a series of paintings from the permanent collection that emphasizes paint “as an act and an object,” will be shown in the Foster Wing. Last year, the Rose Art Museum’s reception proved to be a hit, with throngs of students and off-campus visitors coming to browse the best of Brandeis’ art collections. Semicasual attire is recommended. Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Rose Art Museum. Free and open to the public.

Brandeis Theater Company’s ‘Three Sisters’ The Brandeis Theater Company presents Anton Chekov’s enduring classic about a family’s dreams and the fragile ties that hold it together. Tracy Letts, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning author of August: Osage County, has created a compelling new adaptation of Chekhov’s 1900 drama. Irina, Masha and Olga long to find grace in the modern world and return to the happiness they knew as children in their native Moscow. Directed by Prof. Adrianne Krstansky (THA) with guest artists Janet Morrison and Craig Mathers. Thursday at 8 p.m., and Friday to Sunday at 2 and 8 p.m. in the Spingold Theater Center. Tickets are $20 general admission, $10 for Brandeis students and $15 for the members of the Brandeis community and alumni.

MusicUnitesUS fall 2010 residency: Lamine Touré and Group Saloum Next week, Boston-based Afro-pop band Group Saloum will take residence at Brandeis for a series of class lectures, workshops and performances. Presented by the MusicUnitesUS Intercultural Residency Series, the 4-day event will end with a concert on Saturday, Oct. 16 titled “Bàkk to the Future.” Founded by Senegalese percussionist Lamine Touré, Group Saloum fuses the infectious rhythms of Touré’s sabar drums with elements of jazz, funk, reggae and

Afrobeat. Lamine Touré is widely recognized as one of Senegal’s leading percussionists, using the Senegalese mbalax style and touring Africa, Europe and North America. Touré’s global experience inspired him to create a new style of Afro-mbalax music, incorporating the diverse musical influences he encountered during his travels. Upon settling in Boston in 2001, Touré began to search for musicians who would help realize his inspiration and eventually formed Group Saloum. The residency will take place from Oct. 13 to 16. Information and the full schedule can be found at musicunitesus.info/ schedule-fall2010.html.

OFF CAMPUS EVENTS Broadway Across America, Boston presents ‘Rock of Ages’ Rock of Ages, the five-time Tony Awardnominated musical, will be coming to Boston in a limited 2-week engagement. The classic rock-inspired show will star Tony Award nominee, American Idol finalist and Boston Conservatory graduate Constantine Maroulis as Drew, a role that has received critical success in Broadway. In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small-town girl met a big-city dreamer and fell in love to the greatest songs of the ’80s. Big hair meets big dreams in this love story told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, Boston favorite Extreme and many more. Premieres tomorrow at 8 p.m. in Boston’s Colonial Theatre at 106 Boylston St., running until Sunday, Oct. 17. Tickets can be found online at ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 982-2787. For ticket prices, schedules and information, visit BAA’s website at www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/boston.

JustArts: How did B-DEIS Records form? Sungtae Park: In the beginning, B-DEIS Records began as the Jam Society. In 2005, a group of people came together to form a club that could serve as resources for independent student musicians, especially bands, at Brandeis because Slosberg Music Building is hardly sound-proof and its resources are mainly reserved for official school music ensembles. Despite a very large number of aspiring independent musicians on campus, Brandeis University was not and is still not able to provide a decent rehearsal space and equipments for them. Therefore, the founders of B-DEIS Records, formerly the Jam Society, who believed that the interests and the rights of those musicians were not being properly considered by the university, formed the club in 2005 to provide temporary solutions for them. The current club name B-DEIS Records came into being during the fall of 2009. The main differences are that the current B-DEIS Records, in addition to providing equipments and holding concerts, provides a variety of free music lessons, including guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, vocal, and songwriting. Also, all BDEIS Records concerts are now co-hosted with activist organizations for charity purposes. Last but not the least, the eboard or the board of management of B-DEIS Records is much larger and is re-organized into a very efficient, structured body with specialized tasks to deal with all the different functions and policies that the club serves as and also to deal with an ever-increasing amount of members (between the fall of 2009 and fall of 2010, the membership increased from approximately 50 to 370). JA: What have been some redeeming aspects of starting such a new club? Any difficulties? SP: I did not start B-DEIS Records, formerly the Jam Society. I do not know how difficult it was for the founding members of the Jam Society, but some of the immediate difficulties I faced in 2009 as the new President were making amendments to the club constitution to create a more efficient eboard, the negotiation of a better rehearsal space with the administration which took months, creating a set of regulations for the club members, and dealing with a quadrupled amount of members, which would have been impossible without assistance from individuals such as Justin WoolfSullivan ’10, Douglas Moore ’11, Charley Wolinsky ’12, and Shannon Ingram ’13. The greatest redeeming aspect of being the head of any organization, especially one as multi-functional and complex as B-DEIS Records, is, of course, experience. JA: As a club with “records” in its name, do you plan on going to a recording studio with some bands to make an inaugural album this year? SP: This all depends on how the performers and bands fare from here on. During 2008, the independent music scene at Brandeis almost disappeared because the former Jam Society came into conflict with the administration over certain issues. This semester, we are actually seeing a significant come back in terms of the number of bands and solo artists. If we come to believe that any band or artist at Brandeis has any potential for creating albums, we will gladly throw down our support. JA: How did you decide to pair up with the Pakistan relief group for your concert? Was this your first benefit concert? SP: B-DEIS Records concerts are always cohosted with charity funds, and we are always looking for different groups to co-host with. But our choice for co-hosting the October concert had to be the Pakistan Relief Group because of the sheer magnitude of the disaster. The night was a success. The concert featured an unprecedented number of nine acts, and the turn-out was as large, if not larger, as other concerts hosted by B-DEIS Records. JA: Whats up next for B-Deis records? SP: B-DEIS Records is still in its growing stage both for its general membership and the eboard. The club is expected to become far larger within the next two years, and its functions may diversify even more to serve the interests of the independent musicians at Brandeis. I do not plan to run for re-election at the end of the Spring 2011 semester. Therefore, a board of management of very talented individuals with leadership skills will be required to deal with the future of this very complex club that holds the life of the independent music scene at Brandeis. One very important issue that Brandeis, as a community, needs to tackle is the fact that the university has still yet to provide a “permanent,” decent rehearsal space for the whole community. A permanent rehearsal space that could be used freely by any student, not just musicians with official school support, would not only satisfy the needs of a very large portion of the student body but open up a whole new set of possibilities and opportunities for the arts scene at Brandeis in general. —Bryan Flatt

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

19

ON CAMPUS FILM

Alum and Rockwell screen ‘Conviction’ ■ Alumnus Tony Goldwyn ’82

screened his newest film, ‘Conviction,’ last Monday. By AARON BERKE JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“I was really fascinated with the brother/sister relationship,” says Tony Goldwyn ’82 about the central characters in his new film Conviction. “This woman spent 18 1/2 years on an act of faith. I thought, what if she was wrong, what if he was guilty?” Goldwyn’s fascination with the dynamics of Betty Anne Waters and her brother Kenny’s struggle became the film Conviction. The film, starring Sam Rockwell and Hilary Swank as the aforementioned brother and sister, is Goldwyn’s tale of Betty Anne Waters’ quest to acquit her brother Kenny of murder charges that came with a life sentence in prison. The film immediately sets up the two as a loving pair of siblings, with flashbacks to their days as children interspersed with present-day scenes of the two with their respective families. Kenny is the more brash and rebellious of the two of them, getting into fights at bars, being disrespectful to police and basically doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants. It is exactly this quality that brings the wrath of policewoman Nancy Taylor upon him, who stops at nothing to charge Kenny with the murder in question. Betty Anne, meanwhile, is much more compassionate and down-to-earth, and her personal belief in her brother’s innocence drives her in the long process of becoming an attorney to hopefully free her brother of the murder charges when no else would. I had the chance to see Conviction Sept. 27 in the Wasserman Cinematheque, where a special screening arranged by Prof. Alice Kelikian (HIST) was followed by a questionand-answer session with Tony Goldwyn, Sam Rockwell and the real-life Betty Anne Waters. Goldwyn, meanwhile, agreed to do a phone interview with justArts, in which he revealed a number of interesting facts about the film and his process as a director overall. Kenny’s rather unlikable nature in the film is quite striking, with Rockwell managing to portray his emotive responses in such a way that the character’s own true motivation is never quite clear. Though Kenny can be seen as dangerous, he still manages to be conveyed, at times, in a positive light, though the idea of his possible guilt is never far from the audience’s mind. “It was very important to me that the audience think he

JONATHAN WEXLER/the Justice

SWIFT JUSTICE: Brandeis alumnus and director Tony Goldwyn ’82 talks with actor Sam Rockwell during the question-and-answer session following the screening of ‘Conviction.’ might be guilty of the crime,” acknowledges Goldwyn on the matter. “I had no interest in making him likable per se. There’s a real duality to Kenny. He’s a pretty self-destructive guy, and yet he’s absolutely devoted to his sister. It was about showing the contrasts in the character. That’s why casting Sam was so important to me. I needed an actor who could bring those contrasts and be, if not likable, lovable.” Swank, on the other hand, has the complicated task of portraying a woman desperate with the dual endeavor of attempting to free her brother while struggling to keep her own family intact. She had the added necessity of needing to depict a personal struggle that was mirrored in the actual life of Betty Anne Waters, who was on set throughout the film’s shoot. “Oftentimes, you don’t want the real people on set,” remarks Goldwyn on this topic. “They can make people self-conscious or obsess on details. But Betty Anne really got what we were doing, and the actors

fell in love with her. She was a great presence and a tremendous resource because she really understood what I was trying to accomplish. ... I think she felt very happy, as painful an experience as it was, that she felt we were telling the truth.” The film’s emphasis, outside of its central brother/sister story, is on the corruption within the social justice system. Nancy Taylor’s aggressive bid to put Kenny Waters behind bars is marked with interrogations and forced admissions of Kenny’s guilt. Even when confronted with DNA evidence proclaiming Kenny’s innocence, she still refuses to admit errors, citing the possibility that Kenny still could have been an accomplice. This, Goldwyn believes, is evidence of the court system’s desire to put away people quickly and without remorse. “It troubles me greatly in our culture the way we like things to be black and white,” he reflects. “We crave simple answers to complex questions, and this extends profoundly into our justice system. …

People need to start thinking that when you put an innocent person behind bars, there is a guilty person who is free. The murderer in this case has never been found, and I feel lucky to have been have been able to dramatize a story like this, to show that there are a lot of people like Kenny Waters. Just because someone is in jail does not necessarily mean that they belong there.” Conviction is Goldwyn’s fourth directorial film to date. As many know, he started his Hollywood career as an actor, appearing in such notable films as Ghost and The Last Samurai and voicing the title character in Disney’s Tarzan. Making the transition from actor to director is an interesting challenge, and there are many unique insights that can lend themselves to directing. “You have a natural common language with actors,” he notes. “The way I approached directing on my first film, I really had no technical knowledge of directing, but I had been an actor for 10 years, so I thought, ‘What’s my dream di-

rector if I’m an actor?’ It has to do with creating an environment on set where you feel very free and relaxed and also being extremely collaborative.” As Brandeis alumnus Goldwyn’s successful career represents a cornerstone of what any aspiring actor/director at Brandeis can hope to strive for. Conviction represents the culmination of a unique vision that set out to faithfully represent the tragic yet inspirational tale of a brother and sister and their battle against a corrupt justice system. The result is an eye-opener of a film that truly captures the broad ineffectiveness of our system and illustrates the steps we need to take to fix it. If a small-town girl with nothing to help her but the passion in her heart can rise up against all odds and bring freedom to an innocent man, then perhaps there is still hope for social justice. —Bryan Flatt contributed reporting.

THEATER

Graduate students shine in BTC’s ‘Three Sisters’ ■ Anton Chekov’s play ‘Three

Sisters’ explores familial structures onstage. By SUJIN SHIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov is a stirring play about endless grief, the hazy terrors of an unknown future, the solidarity among sisters and the pitfalls of love. Partially inspired by the story of the three Brontë sisters, the play is a work of both subtleties of language and of emotion. The adaptation of Chekhov’s play by modern playwright Tracy Letts is currently playing at the Laurie Theater in the Spingold Theater Center and is being put on by the Brandeis Theater Company. The show starts off with a set filled with the trappings of a wealthy family. A small piano stands in a corner, and glass stemware adorns the long dinner table set for a large party. We learn the names of the three Prozorov sisters. From oldest to youngest, they are Olga, Masha and Irina. Olga, played by Renana Gal ’12, is motherly and quite obviously the matriarch of the family.

Though she is only 28 years old, she is a spinster and would take any man who would have her. Masha, played by Tanya Dougherty (GRAD), is only 25 at the beginning of the play but is already married. She is the quickest to anger of the three sisters and the most caustic. Finally, in a complete contrast to Masha, there is the young Irina, played by Samantha Richert (GRAD). She is the most idealistic and constantly croons over the idea of returning to Moscow. She waits for the time when she can return to the place of her fantasies and find the man of her dreams there as well. The three sisters are supported by their also-intelligent brother, Andrey, played by Ben Rosenblatt (GRAD). Despite being called the “genius” of the family who is well on his way to becoming a professor in Moscow, Andrey is plagued by relationship issues with his soon-to-be wife Natasha, played by Japonica Brown (GRAD). Things quickly start to deteriorate in the second act. Natasha starts to take over the home, soldiers begin to cause turbulence in the sisters’ love lives and the dream of returning to Moscow for all three sisters starts to fade away. Only heartache and suffering seem to

reveal themselves from the fog of their futures. The gaiety and happiness of the first act are completely erased in the last act as preceding events lead to the sisters’ separation of ways. The play ends on a melancholic note as echoes of the words, “What difference does it make? If only we knew,” fade into the blackout. The actors were all robust and energetic in their attitudes and performance. Three Sisters is a play that is fueled by theatrical energy, but balances on a tightrope of emotional subtlety that is all too important but very easy to lose. One actor that successfully tiptoed this line was Richert. She performs the fall from happiness well, as Irina begins to feel her dreams slip away from her. Throughout, she related well with other actors and reacted with grace. Her monologue in the latter half of the play, in which she grieves about her immaterialized hopes to return to Moscow, was angry and touching. However, it felt insistent and slightly adamant about its message. In the beginning of the play, Irina was the youngest and most idealistic. She was still enchanted with spinning playthings and dreamt things only a young girl would dream. Richert played her

with a maturity that seemed unbefitting for her years, and when the time came for the crushing disillusionment, she needed to deliver more in order to make the anger feel real. The constant deluge of arcane Soviet ideas stuffed into the symbolism and text of the play was jarring with the very American accents and demeanor that most of the actors sported. The strange mix of modern language along with more highbrow diction took away from the show to the point where one almost wonders what Tracy Letts even did with the original Chekhov book beside throw in a few lines with current lingo. It felt abridged rather than adapted. Also, there were two types of humor that fought for the audience’s attention in the show. First was the witty and clever—rather than laugh-out-loud funny—banter between the characters that one can only attribute to Chekhov’s artfulness. Then there were jokes that were crude and only there for surprise laughs. Who knows whom to blame for that? Again, the strange hodgepodge conglomeration of modern and older language reared its head. This adaptation is less itself than its original predecessor, and yet the origi-

nal bogs it down. If the new elements of the adaption were obvious and wholly embraced, that might have helped to lift the arcane fog that weighs over the show; it is the careless throwing in of current language and flimsy humor that ultimately makes the show less enjoyable. However, this show is by and large about grief and suffering rather than humor. In this aspect, the play excels. The actors all perform the passions of sadness, love, anger, disappointment, bitterness and healing with grace and empathy. Some monologues are touching to the point of tear-jerking, and some are beautiful to the point of awe. And though Three Sisters is very heavy in its ideas, the melancholy that follows after watching the play is pleasing and enlightening. There really is nothing but suffering in this world, and it’s difficult to escape, but when one sees it performed on the stage, it provides a sense of closure. The solidarity between family members can overcome any hazy and terrifying future, no matter what suffering one is going through right now. Three Sisters is playing in the Laurie Theater until Oct. 10. See the calender on page 18 for more information.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

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THE JUSTICE

ART

Rose looks forward with new exhibits ■ The Rose Art Museum will

showcase two new exhibits at its opening reception on Thursday. By BRYAN FLATT JUSTICE EDITOR

----As one approaches the Rose Art Museum, it is clear why it made the “Massachusetts’ 1,000 Great Places” this past summer. A building that, though built in the ’60s, still has a modern-art feel and a beautifully designed, temporary “Source/ReSource” fountain created by artist Michael Dowling for the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts last year, the Rose is an attractive building; and that doesn’t even touch upon what is on the inside. Boasting one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in New England and holding more than 7,500 pieces—most of which are kept in vaults for preservation—the Rose certainly offers quite an array of artwork. Home to works by renowned pop artists Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist and Andy Warhol, among others, the museum’s exhibitions provide a venue for art enthusiasts and casual art appreciators to be introduced to the great spectrum of works that the Rose has to offer. The two big exhibitions this academic year, “Regarding Painting” and “WaterWays,” both open Thursday. The exhibitions look to the core of painting and not just the end result, exploring ways to use paint as a medium both in the creative process and as a representation of one of the essential elements of life—water. “WaterWays,” which will fill the Fineberg, Rose and Lee Galleries, looks to its muse, water, as an explorative means of life. Just as the “Source/ReSource” fountain closes in the following weeks, the exhibition will allow

visitors of the museum a chance to continue exploring the topic of water—literally “ReSource”-ing one project to the next. Since this spring’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, water has been on everyone’s minds, making the exhibit all the more pertinent. And considering water makes up about 60 percent of the human body, it is literally fueling our survival. The painters included in the exhibit “WaterWays” have all drawn upon this idea of water as an essential lifesource of the human body. Accompanying the paintings, William Kentridge’s video “Tide Table” will be shown. The “Regarding Painting” exhibition is one of the most interesting uses of Rose artwork in recent memory. It will allow viewers the opportunity to not only see the huge collection of paintings, but also to have a better grasp of the creative processes that go into making a finished project. At the core of the “Regarding Painting” exhibition is the idea that although paint is typically seen as just a material medium and tool to put together a complete painting, it can act as an impactful object that can shape perspectives just as much as it can form paintings. “It’s amazing to see what people are doing with paint,” remarked Office of the Arts Program Administrator Ingrid Schorr. “Seeing paint as a material allows you to rethink the collection.” Artist Roxy Paine created one of these paintings by the name of “PMU No. 10.” If the name sounds robotic, just wait until you hear how it was created. Using a computer-controlled typing machine, Paine was able to apply multiple layers of paint to his canvas, one keystroke at a time. And though, according to Schorr, she is not sure if the keystrokes have deeper meaning, she said, “This is just one of the examples of ways the exhibition is allowing people to look at the art in a new light.” Looking at paintings in a new light is one of the goals of the exhibition.

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

PAINT AND WATER: Multiple paintings are on display in the Rose Art Museum as a part of the two exhibits opening on Thursday. While some of the paintings have been seen on display in previous years, the restructuring of their locations creates an entirely new context in which to understand them. Taking into account that many of the paintings haven’t been seen by the public eye for years, the exhibition becomes all the more enticing. “There are some paintings on the walls that people who have been [at Brandeis] for multiple years have never had a chance to see,” Schorr said. “It is truly an impressive collection. I don’t know how they were able to make their final decisions.” “Regarding Painting” doesn’t only use physical art as an explorative means, but it has also adapted a 21stcentury technological aspect. Multiple

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paintings in the exhibition will have accompanying bar codes that smartphone and iPod Touch users will be able to scan to better explore the collection. Schorr explained, “You just point and click and you have bios, videos and more right at your fingertips.” Those who neither own nor have access to these devices shouldn’t fret, since the Rose recently purchased some iPod Touches for attendees to rent out. Designed by Brandon White (GRAD) and Rose employees Emily Leifer, Brian Friedberg and Maarit Ostrow, the almost-complete Mobile Apps application will provide users with a mobile experience that is both Rose created and curated. This is truly an

impressive innovation; the Rose Art Museum is one of the first to use smartphone technology in an exhibit. “Regarding Painting” will be exhibited in the Foster Wing. Art curation is like creating a finely crafted essay—each painting is like a book, and each location tells a story. If graded as such, the curator and new Director of Academic Programming Dabney Hailey certainly deserves an A. It seems fitting that the new exhibits inhabit the Rose as the museum reaches its 50th year. Not only do they showcase the grand collection of the museum, but “Regarding Painting” and “WaterWays” also serve as metaphors for the flowing and innovative future of the museum.

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Sovereign Sover eign n Bank is a Member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary su ubsidiary of Banco Santander, Santanderr, S.A. © 2010 Sovereign Sovereign e Bank | Sovereign Sovereign and Santander and its logo are are registered registered trademarks of Sovereign Sovereign Bank and Santander, Santanderr, respectively, respectivelyy, or their affiliates affiliates or subsidiaries in the United States and other otther countries. Student Banking package is available available for full-time and part-time students between betweeen the ages of 17 and 25 attending a college, university u or other undergraduate-level school. *In order order to qualify for a cash bonus, you need to: (1) open a new Sovereign Sovereign Free Free Student Stu udent Checking account and a Sovereign Sovereign Free Free Student Sttudent Savings account, or have a pre-existing pre-existing savings savings account, by 11/12/10, each with a minimum minim mum opening deposit of $10; (2) enroll enroll (3 3) request request a Sovereign Sovereign Debit Card Card (“Debit Card”) Card” ”) and make 5 Debit Card Card purchases purchases within 60 days d qu ualifyy, you will receive receive a credit credit of $50 to your new new checking account within 75 days of in Online Banking at account opening; and (3) after you open your account. When you qualify, and receive receive a direct direct deposit within 60 days of account accou unt opening and fulfill the above requirements, requirements, you y will receive receive an additional bonus of $25, which whicch will be credited credited to your new checking accountt within 75 days after account opening. account opening. In addition, if you set up and customer. Checking g account must be open to receive receive bonus. Annual Annuaal percentage percentage yield (APY) for Free Free Student Savings Saving gs is 0.05% as of 9/1/10 and is subject to change change at any time and after account opening. Fees may m reduce reduce earnings. earnings. The total amount Maximum $75 bonus per customer. credited to your account will be reported reported to the IRS as interest interest on your Form 1099-INT 109 99-INT for the year in which the bonus is paid. Current C ent personal checking customers or anyone who Curr w has had a personal checking account with Sovereign S Sover eign Bank or any of its divisions in of the bonus credited are not eligible for this offer. offfe fer. Cannot be combined with other personal checking checking offers. offers. Offer Offer available only to residents residents in the following states: ME, VT, VTT, NH, CT, CT T, RI, MA, NY, NY Y, NJ, PA, PA, A WV, WV V, MD, DE, District of Columbia. Sovereign Sovvereign Team Team e are not eligible the last 6 months are Members are offer. †According †According to The Banker, Bankerr, December December 2009. for this offer.

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ASHER KRELL/the Justice

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

BELLS AND WHISTLES: Members of OK Go (left and above) and the Postelles (right and below) played to hundreds of students at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

Fall concert lights up

with OK Go ASHER KRELL/the Justice

OK Go headlined the Student Events fall concert last Saturday By LOUIS POLISSON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

TALI SMOOKLER/the Justice

OK Go, everyone’s favorite Grammy and Webby award winning band, put on what can only be described as a spectacle unlike anything seen before at Brandeis in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center last Saturday night. Complete with confetti, lasers, lights, handbells and more, the band from Chicago by way of Los Angeles performed a 19-song set to an energetic crowd of dancing and singing students. OK Go was founded in 1998 when singer Damian Kulash and bassist Tim Nordwind, who were old friends from camp, met drummer Dan Konopka at college in Chicago. The band’s former guitarist, Andy Duncan, had been friends with Kulash and Nordwind in high school, though he left the band and was replaced by current guitarist Andy Ross in 2005. OK Go’s self-titled debut album was released in 2002, with the hit “Get Over It.” The video for “Get Over It,” which featured the band performing the song in a recreation room with shots of spilled milk, a Cadillac and other lyric-related images spliced in, received some airplay on MTV. The band has since become famous for its creatively zany, viral music videos that have taken YouTube and the Internet by storm. While the band gained a great deal of fame for its performance of “Here It Goes Again” on treadmills, OK Go’s first live dancing video was performed for the song “A Million Ways,” which featured the band performing a dance choreographed by Kulash’s sister in Kulash’s backyard. Since their self-titled debut in 2002, the band released Oh No in 2005 and its most recent album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, this year. The musicians have filmed videos with a massive Rube Goldberg machine and have been shot with paint for “This Too Shall Pass” and have most recently performed with trained dogs in their video for “White Knuckles.” Kulash said in an interview with the Justice that the band thinks of these videos as short films, while many other bands, directors and producers treat music videos like commercials for songs. They proved on Saturday night that their live performances are just as enjoyable and entertaining as their distinctively creative videos.

The Postelles opened the night with a unique-yet-familiar brand of pop rock. Hailing from New York City, the band has been aptly described by BlackBook Magazine as having a “Monkees-meetsStrokes sound.” And in fact, as BlackBook goes on to say, guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. of the Strokes produced “roughly half the tracks on [The Postelles] self-titled debut album, out this October.” The band melded influences ranging from punk rock to Buddy Holly and even Woody Allen into an accessible, danceable sound. The Postelles paid homage to punk rock influences with a cover of “Beat on the Brat” by the Ramones. Other highlights from their set included the catchy, guitar-riff-driven “Sleep on the Dancefloor,” the especially danceable “Can’t Stand Still” and the band’s bestknown song, “White Night.” One cannot ignore the fact that the Postelles’ stage presence left a little bit to be desired, as the singer seemed to be the only one moving. While the band’s music stuck to somewhat predictable chord progressions and major keys common in pop rock, the crowd enjoyed the set, and the Postelles proved to be an effective opener. Audience members waited eagerly for OK Go to take the stage after the Postelles’ set, cheering, clapping and attempting to perform the “wave” with mild success, as cued by Student Events members. As giant images of paisley patterns were projected onto the wall behind them, the band walked onstage to goofy music made just an hour before by Kulash on his new iPad and were met with roaring applause and cheering, with each band member wearing a one-colored suit and dress shirt. OK Go opened its set with the high-energy, guitar-driven “Invincible,” off of its 2005 release Oh No. Multicolored confetti rained down on the stage and on the audience, fired from two large cannons at the rear of the stage. The first part of the band’s set included such highlights as the funky “A Million Ways.” Kulash invited any audience members who knew the dance to “A Million Ways” to perform it onstage, and though no one was up to the task, the audience participated in the performance in other ways throughout the set. During the popular rock song “Here It Goes Again,” the band brought

up one lucky audience member, who was introduced by Kulash as Alex, to play guitar with them. The band brought out a table of handbells for a quieter, beautiful performance of “What To Do.” This song showcased the talent, musicianship and versatility of the band, as it sang in harmony while playing handbells. Next, Kulash came out into the middle of the crowd to perform a solo acoustic rendition of “Last Leaf,” standing on a box and turning around in the middle of the song to face the other side of the audience. After taking the stage again, Kulash and the rest of the band performed the older but still-strong hit “Don’t Ask Me,” followed by another old favorite of many OK Go fans, “Get Over It.” After a few new songs from their most recent album, the band closed with “This Too Shall Pass,” which proved to be an excellent live song with its audience-friendly singalong lyrics and melody. Brandeis students quickly learned the words from Kulash and sang along joyously into the microphone as Kulash held it over the barricade at the front of the stage. After leaving the stage at the conclusion of “This Too Shall Pass,” the members of OK Go returned in new suit jackets with lights on their backs to spell out “OK GO.” Turning around to reveal light-up guitars adorned with fur, the band went into a rendition of “WTF?”—a bold move for an encore, as the song is in the irregular meter of 5/4. After the ethereal “Skyscrapers,” the band ended the night with the crowdpleasing rock song “Do What You Want.” Kulash has cited influences as diverse as Prince, Fugazi and more, which was evident throughout the night in the wide range of genres and performance techniques used by the band. Some students may find OK Go’s music too simple or perhaps too complicated, too mainstream or even too alternative. But whether you are a hardcore metal enthusiast, a classical music aficionado, a Soulja Boy fanatic or something in between, OK Go has something for you in its live shows. The concert on Saturday night was an undeniably enjoyable display of creativity in music performance. Editor’s note: Justice Arts Editor Bryan Flatt is a Student Events concerts coordinator.

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

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THE JUSTICE

FOOD

Tree Top prepares affordable Thai food ■ Located within walking

distance of campus, Tree Top Thai offers Thai food with a comfortable atmosphere. By ERIC CHOW JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Tree Top Thai can count itself among one of the very few restaurants within walking distance of campus, not counting the row of places on Moody Street a little farther away. When I heard that this place was supposed to be one of the best for Thai in the area, it seemed too good to be true. Tree Top Thai shares a building on Prospect Street with Carl’s Steak Subs (a review to which I am very much looking forward) and presents itself as a small, cozy, family-owned place; friends or family of the hostess will often stop in to chat during the slow hours between lunch and dinner. The restaurant’s decor is also graced by a very personal (and slightly strange) touch of the manager’s—the wall is lined with black, white and color portraits he has drawn of various people, the most recognizable being a young Michael Jackson (caption: “All children, except one, grow up”). I started my first visit with a fine Thai iced tea, which was boldly flavored, satisfyingly sweet and, of course, a nice, vibrant, neon orange after being mixed with the sweetened condensed milk at the bottom of the glass. The shrimp-in-a-blanket appetizer was less appealing. I had craved shrimp and had hoped for some plump, fresh shrimp lightly fried, but I was instead presented with five mediocre shrimp very tightly wrapped in their wonton skins and heavily soaked with oil. The plum sauce that came with them, a light, clear syrup, made them better but did little to cover the strong oil. The yellow curry proved to be more than redeeming for the shrimp: It was smooth, creamy, sweet and slightly spicy. This came as the curry for the Mango Curry Special (the dish the chef suggested), which consisted of chicken and shrimp with a nice variety of vegetables—onions, tomatoes, baby corn, yellow squash, mushrooms, red peppers and several large hunks of fresh mango. The main disappointment was that the pile of jasmine rice was just barely large enough to go with the meat and vegetables and was not nearly enough to sop up the large pool of wonderful curry. The Laksa-Lemak noodles (a dish from northern Thailand/Malaysia) were also mostly fine. They came with the same yellow curry, this time over delicate egg noodles, chicken, red onions and broccoli and were topped with chopped cilantro leaves and stems. However, the chicken was dull and dry, and the broccoli was very hot, though still very crunchy and undercooked. The pad thai—a stir-fry of noodles, egg, bean sprouts and ground peanuts garnished with fresh lime— was a much more successful dish, as it usually is in most Thai places. Tree

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

WALKING DISTANCE: When looking for a quick Thai fix, Tree Top Thai is close enough to campus to serve up lunch or dinner for eats that students can fit into their budgets. Top’s was particularly flavorful, maybe just slightly too much so, but the dish still went down well. The shortcomings of the restauraunt’s dishes may be easily overlooked by the reasonable prices: At lunch, most entrées are $7 (marked up by $5 or $6 for dinner). But I think the place could be made much better by making a few minor improvements. First of all, it needs to fine-tune the execution of its food and then make dishes more exciting and boldly flavored. Please—more basil! More cilantro, and don’t be stingy with it. The meat needs to be cooked more effectively, perhaps roasted and not sautéed to death, and more interesting meat should be offered as well, like lamb and actual boar (their “boar” is actually just pork, by admission of my server). Vegetables beyond carrots, green and yellow squash and peppers would be nice to have, too, like a nice pumpkin curry or something, a favorite of mine at other Thai places. If Tree Top begins to serve interesting, exciting food, I think it could very easily become a destination restaurant for the area and really deserve the dazzling reviews it has earned in the past.

ASHER KRELL/the Justice

SKILLED COOK: One cook at Tree Top Thai prepares a dish for patrons in the kitchen of the well-known local eatery.

FOOD

Marzen brews are an authentic taste of Germany ■ To commemorate the end

of Oktoberfest, justBeer looks at two Marzen beers made in Deutschland— Weinhenstephaner Festbier and Hoffbrau Marzen. By DOUGLAS MOORE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

This weekend marked the final weekend of Oktoberfest in Munich. Oktoberfest is a 2-week-long fall celebration held every year in Bavaria that commemorates the marriage of two Bavarian nobles in 1810. The festivities involve a carnival, the traditional German food and beer. Oktoberfest is known for its liter steins of beer, double the size of the traditional pint. Six million liters are consumed over the fortnight in

tents that can hold thousands of people. The tents become very social as people drink and enjoy traditional Bavarian music. The beer of choice at the festival is the Marzen, a strong, dark lager made in the spring. The beer is allowed to sit over the summer months to ferment and strengthen. It is tapped in the fall to provide a stronger and heavier beer to combat the cool weather. This extra strength coupled with the liter size also results in another phenomenon: People, specifically those not used to the large amount of alcohol, leave the festival tents and pass out on the fair lawns. These people are called Bierleichen (German for beer corpses). Many of these Marzens are now available in the United States, mostly imported from abroad. Along with these, many American breweries make their own form of Marzen, most notably Sam Adams

right here in New England. These lagers are malty, strong and heavy in mouthfeel. For this article I tried two Marzens: Weihenstephaner Festbier and Hoffbrau Marzen. Weihenstephaner Festbier Weihenstephaner is the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world. Founded in 1040 by Benedictine monks, the brewery is now owned by the government of the German province of Bavaria. Their festbier was a pale, strawcolored yellow. The pour left a medium-sized perfect white head with adequate carbonation flowing from top to bottom. Upon smelling the beer, its sweet maltiness was hindered by a medicinal hop flavor. Slight skunking (hop spoilage) may have occurred due to the long journey from Germany to America. Upon tasting the beer, a slight, sweet maltiness can be tasted,

backed up by more of the same slightly spoiled hops. Unfortunately, the flavors did not sing out like a beer that follows the reinheitsgebot (beer purity laws) should have. The flavors are weakened by the beer’s watery quality. This is interesting because the mouthfeel is quite thick, and therefore one would think the beer would have a lot of flavor. The carbonation makes this beer very refreshing. Unfortunately, the lack of flavor does this beer in. While it is a very refreshing beer, it doesn’t make the mark. The hops are slightly off, and the overall flavor is just weak. I give this beer a five out of 10. Hoffbrau Marzen Hoffbrau is another Bavarian government-owned brewery. I had this beer on tap at a Massachusetts state fair in a German restaurant beer garden. It poured a slightly darker color than the Weihenstephaner

with slight carbonation. The beer smelled of sweet, caramel maltiness mixed with herbal hoppiness. Unlike the Weilhenstephaner, the hops seemed much fresher. Tasting this beer, I got more of the same. A very nice rich maltiness took over most of the beer, backed up by a hoppy bitterness. A crispness cut in and gave the beer a very refreshing finish. This beer was quite thick and had a lot of body to it. The carbonation was frothy and light on the tongue. Overall, this beer was much better than the Weihenstephaner; it had much more flavor and tasted fresher. It was nice and relaxing as I took a lunch break at the fairgrounds. I give this beer an eight out of 10. That’s it for this week. I hope you find time for some beer as the school work gets more and more intense. As they would say in Germany, “Prost!” (Cheers!).

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FILM

Facebook story jumps to the big screen ■ From the skillfully worded

script to fast-paced visuals, ‘The Social Network’ gets a definite “like” from justArts. By SHEA RIESTER JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ten minutes into The Social Network, I realized I hadn’t had this much fun at the movies in months. True, I missed Piranha 3D, but I still think it’s saying something. The Facebook movie is good. No, the Facebook movie is awesome. Rewind 3 months. When I first heard that David Fincher was making a “Facebook origins movie,” I felt a sharp sting of disappointment. Then I heard that Justin Timberlake was co-starring, and I nearly had a panic attack. My thoughts at that moment: “How can a movie about Facebook possibly be any good? Are the scripts in Hollywood really that bad? Justin Timberlake, why must you add insult to injury?” I made a huge mistake: I assumed the film would be as emotionally vacuous as Facebook itself because, after all, that’s what it’s about, right? Wrong. The film isn’t really about Facebook at all; it’s about people. Specifically, The Social Network is about a Harvard computer nerd named Mark Zuckerberg (played with nasty, quick-witted egotism by Jesse Eisenberg) who is unashamedly obsessed with increasing his social status. As Zuckerberg’s girlfriend points out to us in the first scene right after she breaks up with him, the reason he won’t be accepted by girls or exclusive Harvard clubs isn’t because he’s a nerd; it’s because he’s an asshole. The film opens with Zuckerberg’s breakup because it’s the primary, though likely not first or last, rejection that fuels Zuckerberg’s online creation. Like Sean Parker, the creator of Napster, Zuckerberg doesn’t care about money, fame or girls in their own right: He cares about them as status symbols, as F-you’s to a world he views as hostile and exclusive. Facebook is born out of Zuckerberg’s vindictive desire to prove something to those who he felt wronged him. At its core, The Social Network is Revenge of the Nerds 2.0, and it’s extremely entertaining. From the first scene, The Social Network, like the website it derives its name from, is absolutely addictive. The film gets your pulse running without guns or an ounce of violence—it does it with people talking, thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s (The West Wing, A Few Good Men) light-

PHOTO COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES

YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE: Jesse Eisenberg stars as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the new film ‘The Social Network,’ which was released last Friday to critical praise. ning-fast script. The dialogue flies 100 words a minute, and if you blink, you might miss it. Sorkin loads scenes with tension and then explodes them with one character verbally bashing another into a psychological pulp. Everyone, including Justin Timberlake, shines in The Social Network. With Sorkin’s razor-sharp dialogue flying out of their mouths, the actors don’t really have any other choice. The real trick, however, is believability, and they all pull it off. Andrew Garfield, recently cast as the new Spiderman, is particularly great as Zuckerberg’s cooler and calmer right-hand man, Eduardo. One of the film’s best moments occurs as verbal blows begin

to fly between a very pissed-off Eduardo and the über-cocky Parker (Timberlake); we realize that Eduardo can fight back, and we almost want to cheer in the aisles. Again, the battles in this movie are verbal— whoever can adequately humiliate or belittle his opponent wins. David Fincher captures the pentup, frenetic energy of each scene with his characteristically smooth, unwavering camera. Fincher is infamous for his fastidious directing style, and I assume he saw a thing or two of himself in Zuckerberg’s do-itperfectly-or-go-home mentality. People’s feelings, for both Fincher and Zuckerberg, seem subordinate to the project at hand. Perhaps this is the shared trait that makes them each

masters of their respective fields. My only problem with The Social Network lies with a 2-minute rowing montage that appears around the center of the film. Surely, the montage serves as a break from the nonstop dialogue, yet I found it wildly out of place. The photography here, as in the rest of the film, is gorgeous, and Fincher demonstrates his proven flair for stunning imagery, but the scene is unnecessary. It’s as if he placed a bizarre television advertisement smack in the middle of the film. I would willingly watch this pretty little music video on YouTube, but in the context of the film it feels uncomfortably placed. The score, (recorded by Trent Reznor of the Nine Inch Nails) much

like the Dust Brothers’ Fight Club score, is dark, electronic and perfectly fitting. It gives a sinister tone to what could otherwise be fairly pedestrian scenes and, as I imagine it, sounds exactly like the music that would play in Mark Zuckerberg’s head as he plans his online retribution. I must add that the The Social Network is surprisingly funny, and many scenes play out beautifully as dark comedy. The film is at its best when the characters spit facetious insults at each other as if this was modernized Shakespeare. Is the story totally true? Does it really matter? It’s like Glengarry Glen Ross with college students. What more could you ask for?

GAMES

Fall and winter games preview: zombie edition ■ What’s the best game to

get for those itching to fight the living dead? The upcoming months will give gamers many options. By WEI-HUAN CHEN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Zombies, zombies, zombies. Why do gamers love them so much? From the Nintendo Entertainment System’s Zombie Nation to the classic Resident Evil series and modern innovations like Plants vs. Zombies, zombie video games have a wideranging and rich history. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. in Psychology to figure out why it’s so fun to mow down wave after wave of walking corpses—I mean, what better way to spend your day than plopping down on the couch and defending against terrors of the zombie apocalypse? They’ve been around forever, but the recent, ahem, infection of zombiethemed action, strategy and first-person shooter games is surprising—just look at the surge in numbers for the past two years on Wikipedia’s “List of zombie video

games” page. The last time justArts had a video game preview, we looked at the best the industry had to offer to gamers for the fall. Now, for a decidedly different approach for the fall games preview, we’re asking the question that should be on any responsible citizen’s mind: If the world were to be suddenly overrun by the undead, what games should I be playing to make sure I’m prepared? 1. Dead Rising 2 (Xbox 360, PS3)— Sept. 28. If killing zombies is a hobby of yours, Dead Rising was probably the mother of all zombie games. There were, quite literally, hundreds of ways to fight the hordes of lumbering brain-eaters that infested the shopping mall in Willamette, Colorado. Ways to kill a zombie included using a katana, shopping cart, wrestling move, golf club, television set and, my personal favorite, lawnmower. The sequel, which came out last week, features more, better and funnier ways to make sure you’re not ghoul meat. Taking place in a Las Vegas-style venue, players can pick up a variety of items and throw, bash or even combine them for gory goodness. The latter method is an ingenious addition to the “anything-goes” formula; for example,

take a pair of boxing gloves and duct tape them to a few box knives and go “Wolverine” on some zombie butt with the custom-made “knife gloves.” 2. Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare pack (Xbox 360, PS3 downloadable content)—Oct. 26 Red Dead Redemption will have zombies in it, and everyone needs to know this. Rockstar Games, developer and publisher of the Grand Theft Auto series, released this freeroaming Western game this spring and it became one of the highestrated games of all time, with The New York Times calling it “the leading edge of interactive media.” Now, the Red Dead frontier has suffered a horrible and infectious plague, affecting citizens and animals alike. For $9.99, players will have access to four unique zombie classes, additional quests in ghost towns and cemeteries, new weapons and a secret location in the game. 3. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii)—Nov. 9 The best part of Call of Duty: World at War was the addicting Nazi Zombies feature, and to fans’ delight, zombie survival will make a return in Treyarch’s next iteration of the popular first-person shooter series.

Not much is known regarding the mode’s details aside from the fact that its gameplay will probably be very similar to that of Nazi Zombies, which is a good thing. In Nazi Zombies, four players cooperate to fend off undead soldiers, upgrading weapons and setting up traps while surviving wave after endless wave. Every few months, Treyarch would release a new downloadable map that featured new weapons and abilities, giving players a reason to go back to World at War even after Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had been released. In a recent press release, Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia said, “We’ve taken extra special care to retain the essential ingredients of our Zombie game and have also crafted a nice surprise for the fans.” 4. Dead Space 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)—Jan. 25, 2011 Unlike the games listed above, not that many people have heard of Dead Space. During my first year at Brandeis, I saw my roommate play through the whole game, and it was like watching Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, the first Alien movie and the scariest parts of the Resident Evil series all at once—with a pinch of Bioshock’s bleak yet believable at-

mosphere. The zombies in Dead Space were so monstrous they were called necromorphs instead for their bloody alien shapes, and those were just the normal enemies you encountered while traversing through the game’s abandoned mining ship. The teaser trailers that have been released so far don’t reveal much about how its plot will relate to the first game, but it seems like protagonist Isaac Clarke will battle a mysterious mental illness along with a new horde of monsters. 5. Rock of the Dead (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)—Oct. 19 House of the Dead meets Guitar Hero is one of those things that make you—or at least IGN.com—say “Why didn’t anyone think of this before?” Granted, something similar was done before with 1999’s The Typing of the Dead, the comedic and pseudoeducational game in which players killed zombies by typing words that appear on the screen, but we all know that shredding to Rob Zombie (ha, ha) is a lot more fun than Mavis Beacon. Judging by the declining popularity of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, Rock of the Dead will likely be a flop, but it’ll still star Neil Patrick Harris. Neil Patrick Harris!

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TOP of the

ARTS ON VIEW

TRIVIA TIME 1. Where is the hyoid bone located in the human body? 2. When would an antepenultimate event be held? 3. What is another name for a virgule, a type of punctuation? 4. Who once said, “An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh”? 5. When was Astroturf patented? 6. What is a group of unicorns called? 7. What is iatrophobia? 8. What is the term for the ridges that are on the sides of some coins? 9. What is a division sign also known as? 10. Which is the only inanimate symbol in the zodiac signs?

CHARTS Top 10s for the week ending Oct. 3 BOX OFFICE 1. The Social Network 2. Legend of the Guardians 3. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps 4. The Town 5. Easy A 6. You Again 7. Case 39 8. Let Me In 9. Devil 10. Alpha and Omega

WBRS

ARI TRETIN/the Justice

FANCY FOOTWEAR: Artist and designer Ari Tretin ’12 shows the design of his newest shoe. Inspired by Brandeis hip-hop crew Kaos Kidz, it boasts the purple and gold representing the group’s fresh and luxurious styles. Also included is Tretin’s new logo for his new line, Treatz Designs.

1. The throat 2. Third from the last event 3. Slash mark 4. Will Rogers 5. 1967 6. A blessing 7. A fear of doctors 8. Reeding 9. An obelus 10. Libra, the Scales ANSWERS

CROSSWORD

SHOWTIMES 10/5 - 10/14

The Town Tues-Thurs: 2:10, 5:00, 7:50 Fri-Mon:1:00, 3:50, 6:50, 9:40 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Tues-Thurs: 2:00, 4:50, 7:40 Fri-Mon:1:50, 5:00, 8:00 Easy A Tues-Thurs: 2:40, 5:10, 8:20 Fri-Mon:4:20, 6:40 Inception Tues-Thurs: 2:50, 7:30 Fri-Mon:1:10, 9:25 The Social Network Tues-Thurs: 2:20, 5:00, 8:00 Fri-Mon:1:20, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Tues-Thurs: 2:30, 4:50, 8:10 Fri-Mon:1:40, 4:30, 7:20, 9:35 The Embassy is located at 18 Pine Street in Waltham

ACROSS 1. Picks out of a lineup 4. Ship’s front 8. Wild party 12. Plaything 13. Green land 14. Curved molding 15. “Wow!” 17. Traditional tales 18. Versifier 19. Constitutional 20. Orated 22. Overcast 24. Ponder 25. “Wow!” 29. Swiss canton 30. Huffs and puffs 31. Born 32. “Wow!” 34. Unescorted 35. Unpaid bill 36. Illinois city 37. Bake eggs 40. Perry Mason portrayer 41. Mexican entree 42. “Wow!” 46. Detail 47. Squirrels’ hangouts 48. “That’s funny!” to a texter 49. Cincinnati team 50. Genealogy chart 51. Sweet potato

1. Sufjan Stevens – “Too Much” 2. Tame Impala – “Solitude is Bliss” 3. Telegraph Canyon – “Shake Your Fist” 4. Tokyo Police Club – “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)“ 5. Wolf Parade – “Ghost Pressure” 6. Janelle Monae – “Cold War” 7. Born Ruffians – “Sole Brother” 8. Sleigh Bells – “Treats” 9. Chromeo – “Night by Night” 10. Deerhunter - “Revival”

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

BILLBOARD

DOWN 1. Judge Lance 2. Homer’s interjection 3. Formal discussions 4. Small flycatcher 5. Laugh-a-minute 6. Bobby of hockey 7. Become one 8. Anne who married Henry VIII 9. More than enthusiastic 10. Antitoxins 11. Command to Fido 16. Oxen’s binder 19. Young blokes 20. Too confident 21. Engine noise

22. Leave 23. Tiers 25. Amorphous mass 26. In toto 27. Burn somewhat 28. Lily variety 30. Coffin support 33. File holders 34. Ganges wrap 36. Talk a blue streak? 37. Use a teaspoon 38. Loathe 39. On the rocks 40. Prepare a casserole 42. Braille component 43. Anvil’s site 44. Extinct New Zealander 45. Shade provider

1. Zac Brown Band – You Get What You Give 2. Maroon 5 – Hands All Over 3. Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns 4. Selena Gomez & The Scene – A Year Without Rain 5. Santana – Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time 6. Eminem – Recovery 7. Trey Songz – Passion, Pain & Pleasure 8. John Legend & The Roots – WAKE UP! 9. Billy Currington – Enjoy Yourself 10. Justin Bieber – My World 2.0 Album information provided by Billboard Magazine. Box office information provided by Yahoo! Movies. Radio charts provided by CMJ.

STAFF PLAYLIST

“Pre-Shabbat” By EITAN COOPER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Solution to last issue’s crossword.

King Crossword Copyright 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.

STRANGE BUT TRUE ■ It was Polish-born British novelist Joseph Conrad who made the following sage observation: “Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.”

one of the world’s most expensive hotel rooms.

■ Contrary to popular belief, seagulls don't really explode if they eat Alka-Seltzer.

■ An electronics shop in Seattle once advertised that it was selling stereos for “299 bananas.” As it turns out, 30-some-odd customers showed up to take advantage of the special—in a literal fashion. They each brought—you guessed it—299 actual bananas. The local zoo ended up being the beneficiary of all the extra produce.

■ Pizza is one of the most popular foods around the world, but in other countries it doesn’t always look the way it does when you order out here in the United States. For instance, in India, you’re likely to find toppings like pickled ginger, minced mutton and a kind of cottage cheese. Brazilians like green peas on their pizzas, Costa Ricans like coconut and Pakistanis favor curry. A popular pizza in Japan has potato, bacon and mayonnaise, while eel and squid also are common toppings. ■ If you’re in the mood to indulge yourself—and have the means to do it—you can vacation in the penthouse suite at Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France. At a rate of more than $35,000 per night, it’s

■ In Canada, 35 percent of a radio station’s content must be “Canadian Content”.

■ The first state in the Union to declare Christmas an official legal holiday was Alabama, and it happened in 1836. Thought For the Day: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” —Mark Twain

Now that the Jewish holidays are over, it may be easy for many students to feel a lull in their spiritual lives. This playlist is designed as a pre-Shabbat medley in order to reinvigorate and uplift us every Friday afternoon. Hopefully, those who listen to it will be able to go into Shabbat on a spiritual high. The songs come from many classic yeshiva bands, but also from one of my favorite composers—Yonatan Razel, who spent part of his life as a shepherd in Israel. THE LIST 1. Lev Tahor – “Yedid Nefesh” 2. Ari Goldwag – “Kah Ribon” 3. Eli and Ravital Kranzler – “Gam Ki Elech” 4. Aharon Razel, Shlomo Katz and Chaim Dovid – “Shuvi Nafshi” 5. Yakov Shwekey and Yonatan Razel – “Vehi Sheamda” 6. Yonatan Razel – “Dror Yikra” 7. Shlomo Carlebach – “Mimkomcha” 8. Lev Tahor – “Im Eshkachech” 9. Yeshiva Boys Choir – “Veohavta” 10. Yitzchak Meir and Aharon Razel – “Kah Echsof”