University holds second faculty meeting of the academic year
■ The meeting shared an update on the University’s marketing plans and proposed a new handbook amendment.
Brandeis faculty gathered in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Oct. 10 for the second faculty meeting of the 2025-26 academic year. The meeting consisted of a presentation on the new Moodle Learning Management System policy, an update on the University’s marketing plans, an introduction to the new Center for Careers in Applied Liberal Arts and a discussion on a proposed handbook amendment to change the language describing the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice committee.
Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL) called the meeting to order and provided several brief updates, including a reminder that faculty have all received an invitation to volunteer for the Student Support Team. The group was created last year and is meant to assist at student protests as a separate entity from campus security, and potentially limit how often campus security is called. Training is provided to volunteers who will then be part of the roster of team members that may choose to help out at any event.
University Librarian Matthew Sheehy presented on the new LMS policy, which enforces Moodle as the official university LMS. Sheehy serves as chair of the Academic Technology Advisory Committee, whose subcommittee oversees Moodle and has decided to outline a policy to help govern the LMS. The policy aims to make students familiar with the online environment they are working in and ensure that faculty have the technical support needed to teach.
Sheehy explained that while faculty are not required to use Moodle for teaching, they are required to upload their syllabi to the site. Uploading their courses’ syllabi allows students to more easily navigate class materials, and adds the syllabi to the University’s archive, which helps maintain a record of past curricula. Sheehy also announced that third party software applications may be used but only with approval from the ATAC. The committee’s ultimate goal in reviewing alternative applications is to maintain accessibility, privacy, security and sustainable systems.
Lenowitz added that the syllabus requirement will also be valuable in the reimagination of the Brandeis core. He noted, “the more information we have about the content and learning goals in every course that's being taught here, the more effective we can be in aligning our course offerings with the core competencies that we're working on.”
The Vice President of Marketing Communications, Sheila Georger, then took the stand to share current efforts, priorities and plans for the University. Georger explained that the division consists of six integrated teams dedicated to increasing recruitment at Brandeis.
The division has begun working with SimpsonScarborough, a marketing agency for higher education. According to the agency’s research and surveys with prospective students and donors, Brandeis’ value proposition appears to be between “elite” and “value.” While this is not necessarily “a bad place to be,” said Georger, it indicates that Brandeis lacks a distinctive position. A rebrand of the University would push it to a place of “niche prestige,” characterizing it as “prestigious but in a category of its own,” given that the University is smaller, mission-driven and purpose-oriented. The division is currently working through creative concepts that will then transition into testing among prospective students and donors.
SOPHIA DE LISI
This will be followed by opportunities for input from the community later this year.
Georger provided an overview of the media campaign focused on engaging and enrolling prospective students. She discussed the Brandeis Plan’s launch at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 10, noting its significance as a major milestone: “It positioned Brandeis as a thought leader in the future of liberal arts education and enabled us to be on a national stage.”
Other initiatives in the works concern lead generation — or the process of generating consumer interest. This has been implemented by putting promotional videos on sites where prospective students and their families are doing their college research, and by placing video advertisements on Connected Television platforms. Georger also discussed the effort that has been poured into increasing social media presence, especially on TikTok. These platforms are being used to spotlight academic majors and student internships in order to engage different audiences, especially high school students doing college research.
Georger discussed the initiative to support philanthropy through a fundraising campaign. Currently in the “quiet phase,” the campaign will create an integrated strategy that promotes engagement across donor audiences and platforms to facilitate giving.
Lastly, Georger elaborated on the redesign of Brandeis’ websites. “This is the front door to our university,” she said, emphasizing that it is a top priority in the effort to build a brand, drive recruitment and facilitate donations.
Former trustee and alum Lewis Brooks ’80 introduced himself as the director of the new Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts. Brooks firstly emphasized that the mission of the center is “to ensure that Brandeis students, upon graduation, are careerready and have a direction.” Some of the offerings of the center include designating a career counselor to every student, a one-credit career class offered each year and opportunities for experiential learning such as internships, research or study abroad programs.
Brooks defined elements of the Brandeis Plan such as second transcripts and micro credentials. The micro credential is the certificate of the mastery of a competency among eight “durable” or soft skills. He explained that the second transcript will be a document that will accompany the academic transcript and will summarize experiential learning, extracurricular activities and micro credentials. He announced that the center will be piloting four micro credentials and a one-credit career course in the spring of 2026.
The final item on the agenda was a discussion on the motion to amend the description of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice committee in the faculty handbook (VI. D. 2f). The amendment would serve “to align with recent changes made to the Office of Access and Excellence, remove unnecessary functions and better reflect existing federal and state law,” as read by Lenowitz. Lenowitz called on the chair of DEIS-J, Prof. Aida Wong (FA), to speak in favor of the motion.
Wong contextualized the motion, explaining that due to fear of personal and professional safety, many members of the committee do not wish to be publicly associated with the name “DEI.” As this grew apparent, the names of committee members were removed from the website. She elaborated that there is a need for other changes, and the proposed amendment will address some of the more immediate concerns. Some of these involve legal matters and changing the language of the handbook to reflect the name change in the DEI office. “Our committee will discuss and determine further changes to its name, charge, and mission with the goal of advancing additional handbook changes later in the academic year,” said Wong.
With no votes to oppose the motion, and two votes to call to question, faculty decided to put the amendment to an official vote the following week and subsequently adjourned the meeting.
BOSTON COMMONS PROTEST
DEMONSTRATION : Protestors hold signs and flags as they listen to a speech.
Kings Day” protest
■ Protestors across the globe displayed their disappointment with President Donald Trump’s overzealous executive power.
By SKYE ENTWOOD JUSTICE PHOTOS EDITOR
On Saturday, Oct. 18, protestors gathered globally by the millions to speak against the so-called authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. They united under one simple message, “America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.” According to the No Kings’ website, more than seven million demonstrators marched, chanted and exercised their First Amendment rights across more than 2,700 locations in the United States.
On the ground in the Boston Commons, where over 100,000 people gathered, the atmosphere was lively, peaceful and energetic. Between speeches from local activists and political figures, including Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, bands played music while people danced dressed in colorful costumes and inflatable animal suits. The overall rhetoric was pro-American democracy, antifascism and anti-Trump and his supporters. While some chose to fly the American flag upside down, the majority asserted that this act of protest was an act of patriotism. One protestor held a sign that read “Patriotic Americans Resist Facism,” and another sign proclaimed “We Have A Constitution Not A King.” Many in the crowd chose to proudly wave the American flag as they advocated for the American values of constitutional rights, democracy, liberty and justice for all. Other common messages were anti-Immigration and Customs
Hillel hosts two year anniversary vigil
those who died in the October 7 attacks
■ An intimate service was held in Berlin Chapel where community members shared stories of the deceased.
By ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR
On Oct. 9, Brandeis Hillel held a vigil for the victims of the attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The vigil, formatted as a service, was held in Berlin chapel. Between the accounts of community members who spoke about the lives of the deceased, a number of prayers were offered to honor the deceased. A screen at the front of the chapel displayed photos of victims of October 7.
The event, moderated by a student, opened on a note of hope: A ceasefire agreement had been reached, the release of the remaining hostages
An interview with Los Angeles-
could be set into motion as soon as the next Shabbat.
Attendees then prayed in honor of the hostages, led by one of Hillel’s resident rabbis. A student then elucidated the impact of October 7, she emphasized how the war had changed what it was like to be Jewish on campus and the importance of creating spaces where Judaism feels alive. She also spoke on the significance of educating others and correcting misinformation.
Attendees were then led in Acheinu, a prayer for the safety and release of the hostages. Shortly after, University President Arthur Levine ’70 offered a prayer for peace, which emphasized the cession of war and bloodshed.
The next speaker spoke on behalf of Inbar Sherm Tov, whom they referred to as a loving and free-spirited young woman they had met on a trip to Israel. The two had hit it off, and continued a long-distance friendship up until Inbar’s death. The speaker described Inbar’s boundless love for the world around her, mentioning that she rescued dogs and had wanted to become a veterinarian in the future. According to him, the words “here is
See VIGIL, 5 ☛
Photo courtesy of HANNAH BOOKBINDER.
By GRACE DOH JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR
SKYE ENTWOOD/The Justice.
POLICE LOG
Sept. 26 — There was a medical emergency for a party with a dislocated knee. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
Sept. 26 — There was a medical emergency for a party with lower back pain. The patient refused medical treatment. Sept. 27 — There was a medical emergency for a party throwing up. The patient refused medical treatment. Sept. 28 — There was a medical emergency for a party with an injured finger. The patient refused medical treatment. Sept. 28 — There was a medical emergency for a party with a head injury. The patient refused medical treatment. Sept. 28 — There was a medical emergency for a party with a knee injury. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 28 — There was a medical emergency for a party with an injured ankle. The patient was transported to a local hospital. Sept. 29 — There was a medical emergency for a party with an injured finger. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 30 — There was a medical emergency for a party who fainted. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 30 — There was a medical emergency for a party who fainted. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
Sept. 30 — There was a medical emergency for a party with a high heart rate and trouble breathing. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
Oct. 1 — There was a medical emergency for an intoxicated party. The patient refused medical treatment.
Oct. 1 — There was a medical emergency for a party having a possible allergic reaction. The patient refused medical treatment.
Oct. 2 — There was a medical emergency for a party who ingested too many edibles. The patient refused medical treatment.
Oct. 3 — There was a medical emergency for a party complaining of cramping and throwing up. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
Oct. 3 — There was a medical emergency for a party having an allergic reaction. The patient was transported to a local
hospital.
Oct. 5 — There was a medical emergency for an intoxicated party. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
Oct. 6 — There was a medical emergency for a party who fainted. The patient refused medical treatment.
Oct. 10 — There was a medical emergency for a party with a possible broken leg. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
Oct. 11 — There was a medical emergency for a party feeling weak and having fainted many times. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
Oct. 12 — There was a medical emergency for an intoxicated party who hit their head. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
Oct. 12 — There was a medical emergency for an intoxicated party. The patient refused medical treatment.
Oct. 12 — There was a medical emergency for a party with a broken finger. The patient refused medical treatment.
Oct. 12 — There was a medical emergency for a party who passed out multiple times. The patient was transported to a local hospital.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Oct. 1 — There was an investigation into a fraudulent vehicle registration scam. The investigation will continue.
Oct. 4 — There was a suspicious motor vehicle with its door left open. There will be an investigation to follow.
Oct. 4 — There was a report of a hit and run incident. There will be an investigation to follow.
Oct. 9 — There was a minor motor vehicle accident. The situation was cleared.
MISCELLANEOUS
Sept. 26 — There was a reported concern about access to a rooftop. The situation was cleared.
Sept. 26 — A party wished to file a police report. The report was found to be fraudulent. The situation was cleared.
Sept. 28 — There was a complaint of loud noise. The Depart-
ment of Community Living was notified to respond.
Sept. 28 — A taxi driver reported a client did not pay their fare. The client was located at their residence and the service was rendered.
Sept. 30 — The University Police were notified of a party wishing to file a report about harassing text messages. There will be an investigation to follow.
Oct. 1 — There was a report of vandalism to a white board. There will be an investigation to follow.
Oct. 3 — There was a report of theft from a purse. There will be an investigation to follow.
Oct. 6 — There was a report of a suspiciously unattended backpack. The situation was cleared.
Oct. 6 — There was a complaint of loud noise. The Department of Community Living was notified to respond.
Oct. 7 — There was a report of two suspiciously unattended backpacks. The property was returned to the owner.
Oct. 7 — There was a walk-in report. There will be an investigation to follow.
Oct. 9 — Grounds workers were notified to render a service.
Oct. 9 — A party reported being scammed. There will be an investigation to follow.
Oct. 9 — There was a report of a party setting up a tent. The party was gone upon arrival.
Oct. 9 — There was a complaint of loud noise. The Department of Community Living was notified to respond.
Oct. 10 — There was a complaint of loud noise. The Department of Community Living was notified to respond.
Oct. 10 — There was a report of a suspiciously unattended backpack. The situation was cleared.
Oct. 14 — Officers checked the construction site for trespassers. All appeared in order.
Oct. 14 — A motion alarm was triggered at the construction site. All appeared in order.
Oct. 15 — Two suspicious individuals were reported. All appeared in order.
Brandeis announces a Communication and Media major coming Fall 2026
■ After years of discussion between faculty members, the University has created a Communication and Media major that will be housed in the Sociology department.
By LUCIA THOMAS JUSTICE NEWS EDITOR
The new Communication and Media major seeks to study the “multitudes of communication more generally,” said program Undergraduate Advising Head, Prof. Laura Miller (SOC) in an Oct. 16 interview with The Justice. The Brandeis website states that students enrolled in this major will engage with “the theory and practice of communication: message creation, form and content; technologies and channels of delivery; reception and interpretation; and the larger impact on our society and culture.” Miller explained that the choice to name the program as “Communication” rather than “Communications” was very intentional. Brandeis’ new program seeks to incorporate and study communication and media beyond public relations, marketing and other popular uses for the program. The major will take both a theoretical and hands-on approach to course material. Miller’s hope is that as the program progresses, internships and in-field experience will be integrated into students’ learning experiences, similar to other programs such as the Journalism minor, which provides access to local newsrooms in the classroom.
Miller explained that this major is not so much bringing something new to Brandeis, but rather culminating facets of the University that have existed for a long time. She views this
AND CLARIFICATIONS
■ The police log did not list the credit. It should have read “— Compiled by Iyla Lichtenfeld.” (Sept. 30, Page 2).
■ A News photo credit incorrectly read “Photo courtesy of Harrison Gordan/The Justice.” It should read, “Photo courtesy of Harrison Gordan.” (Sept. 30, Page 3).
The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org
program as an excellent example of interdisciplinary education. While the major will live in the Sociology department and is being led by Miller and Prof. Janet McIntosh (ANTH), professors across many departments are on the Steering Committee. The core courses for the major are “Communication and Media” and “Mass Communication Theory,” which Miller has taught for many years. Although these courses sprouted from the Anthropology and Sociology departments, Miller assured that a vast number of disciplines will provide courses that will count toward the major. Miller explained that this major will produce “ways for what seems to be dissimilar fields, such as sociology and theater, to speak to one another.” The course list for Communication and Media has not been finalized.
This interdisciplinary approach relates to the diverse job market that a Communication and Media major provides for students. Miller emphasized that this major “prepares [students] for an endless number of careers.” For instance, Miller mentioned advertising, publishing, music and journalism. The job market is looking for candidates who know how to communicate, said Miller.
This major is not a surprising advancement given the circumstances that led to its creation. Miller has always had an innate interest for the subject and explained that she and other faculty began speaking about creating a Communication and Media major in 2008. The last decade and a half has been filled with setbacks and postponements but Miller explained that its emergence now is a combination of multiple factors. One factor is the great number of students creating Independent Interdisciplinary Majors that were essentially the study of Communication and Media. The process of creating an IIM is quite extensive. It involves creating a cohort of three professors from different departments. The student must propose their major to the professors by the fall of their junior year and work closely with them to create a course plan and finally
Brandeis launches Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics
Starting fall 2026, Brandeis will offer a Quantitative Economics major. The major will aptly be housed in the Economics department. The Brandeis website states that the new major “provides quantitatively-oriented students an opportunity to incorporate more advanced mathematics into their Economics degree.” The requirements for the major will emphasize the relationship between in-depth mathematical and statistical study and economic analysis. While this degree requires the same amount of economics credits as a Bachelors of Arts in Economics, an additional three mathematics courses will be required to achieve the major. All four economics electives will need to be upper level. Two of these electives will need to be quantitative-focused. Students working toward this degree will
have the opportunity, given professor permission, to enroll in quantitative masters and Ph.D. level courses.
This major is catered toward students who wish to pursue more “technical professional roles or advanced graduate study.” The course load was designed with hopes that students will gain a greater grasp on quantitative techniques which will prepare them for real-world economic challenges.
This major, along with many at Brandeis, is designed with flexibility in mind for the student to explore other academic interests and study abroad. The major will be possible to complete in three years.
embark on a capstone project that will finish in their senior year. Miller explained that the influx of majors such as these was “simply unmanageable.”
In conversation with this great amount of student interest is the current climate of media within society. Miller explained that the world is in a “time in history where we see the power of media and communication.” She referenced Artificial Intelligence and its contribution to a rise of ”disinformation and misinformation.” Along with AI, Miller discussed the power of media on the current generation and how there is a direct link between social media and social change. Miller expects this major will give students the skills to navigate and excel in the changing world.
Miller hopes the major ”satisfies students’ intellectual interests” and that it fosters “faculty collaborating with one another.” She explained that the novelty of the program “has not yet bound them to tradition” and that she and the steering committee wish to incorporate student suggestions as much as possible. They are “not working off a formula and the newness and openness is exciting,” said Miller.
While hopes are high for the major, as is the workload for Miller and the Steering Committee, Miller emphasized the “time and effort it takes to organize and oversee the arrangements” for a program such as this, especially with the hopes for internship and hands-on experience in the future. She says students can’t just “go find something and have a great time.” It is work and time that produces a functional and exceptional program.
With further planning on the horizon, Miller is not disheartened. Students have already begun reaching out to Miller about starting the major and producing the best course load to prepare for declaration next year. She encourages students interested in pursuing the program to reach out to her.
Compiled by Iyla Lichtenfeld
— Lucia Thomas BRIEF
LITTLE “KING” : A protestor wears a Donald Trump mask and Burger King crown. Additional scenes from “No Kings” protest on page 3.
Brandeis’ Annual Security Report shows prominence of residence hall offenses
■ The Department of Public Safety is required by law to release data from the previous three years about campus crime, security policies and fire safety.
By IYLA LICHTENFELD JUSTICE NEWS EDITOR
CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of sexual assault, rape and fondling
In a Sept. 29 email sent by the Interim Associate Vice President of Public Safety an Campus Operations, Matthew Rushton, released the Annual Security Report documenting “three years of campus crime statistics,” which includes crime rates of sexual violence, hate crimes and many other reported incidences. Additionally, the document outlines “certain security policy statements including sexual assault policies which assure basic victims’ rights, the law enforcement authority of campus police and where students should go to report crimes.” The document is required to be made publicly available through the “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act” on or before Oct. 1 each year. The act ensures there is complete and substantiated “transparency around campus crime policy and statistics.”
The findings and policy statements are compiled by the Department of Public Safety and its divisions, including the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps, Shuttle Services, Parking and Traffic University Police and Emergency Management. A foremost informer of the report are the Brandeis Police Department who are “responsible for the protection of life and property on and within the confines of the 325 acres and over 100 buildings that make up Brandeis University.” Their data, collected from voluntary
confidential reports, are counted and disclosed with reporters, victims and offenders remaining anonymous.
Disclosures within the report make certain the exact tactics and resources used by the Brandeis Police. For instance, the department employs “a chief, two lieutenants, five sergeants, 15 police officers, reserve police officers, and parking enforcement officers” with the occasional addition of “contract security officers with no arrest authority.”
Importantly, “supplemental police officers from local law enforcement agencies who have full arrest authority” can also be summoned by the department for support.
Beyond usual forms of police involvement, the Department of Public Safety offers access to pastoral and professional counselors. A pastoral counselor is “an employee of the university … recognized by [a] religious order or denomination as someone who provides confidential counseling.” Meanwhile, professional counselors are much the same but function in a capacity to “provid[e] psychological counseling to members of the institution’s community … within the scope of his or her license or certification.” Both forms of counselors “are not considered to be campus security authorities for the purposes of the Clery Act and are not required to report crimes for inclusion in the annual disclosure of crime statistics.” Nonetheless, they are encouraged to report to the University when appropriate, with information that is “personally non-identifiable” documented in the annual report.
The Brandeis Police Department places great emphasis in the report on their “response to sexual and gender violence.” According to them, “When you report a rape or sexual assault to the University police, you are assured of immediate physical protection and transportation to a medical facility.” However, in order to pursue legal or criminal proceedings against a party, the alleged victim of the misconduct must file a “Formal Complaint with the Office of Equal Opportunity.” Currently, these complaints require an accompanying statement describing the incident, witness information, documentation of
FROM THE NO KINGS DAY PROTEST
harassment — through emails, text messages and other forms of communication.— and a review of the non-retaliation policy by the complainant and witnesses. Only after doing so may a person gain access to investigative procedure. Notably, the University itself also has the right to initiate a formal complaint against a student, staff or faculty member. Cases of this status go directly to the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity Jacob Tabor.
Alongside the Brandeis Police Department’s data, Environmental Health & Safety, the Department of Community Living, Facilities and Waltham Fire collaborate to release an Annual Fire Safety Report. In their findings, every residential facility had a full sprinkler system, Class A fire extinguisher devices and fire alarm monitoring done onsite by the Brandeis Police Department. All residence halls except for Massell Quad, Rosenthal Quad and Hassenfeld-Krivoff in East Quad had carbon monoxide detectors. Additionally, each hall participated in one fire drill per academic year. In 2022, there were fires in Village A and Ridgewood C. The fire in Ridgewood C was caused by a candle and created an estimated $100-999 worth of damage. Also in 2023, the building had an electrical fire. There were no injuries and there have been no on-campus fires besides these in the documented years.
The Annual Security Report statistics “generally reflect the number of criminal incidents reported to the various authorities” with arrests and references to campus judicial authorities being documented, not the number of offenses committed. Under this criteria, there were two robberies, three aggravated assaults and four burglaries in the past three years. One crime was declared to be unfounded, meaning law enforcement determined the report to be false or baseless. There were zero arrests related to liquor law violations, drug abuse violations or illegal weapons possessions. However, there was one referral for disciplinary action in 2022 against a party illegally possessing a weapon and four violations for those abusing drugs, with none occurring last year. There were
212 liquor law violations requiring referral for disciplinary action. 89 of them happened last year which outpaced 2023 by 20 violations and 2022 by 35 violations.
In the past three years, there have been three rapes and seven cases of fondling. Of these 10 on-campus sexual offences, eight happened in residence halls. Additionally, around two-thirds of offenses under the Violence Against Women Act, which include dating violence, domestic violence and stalking, occurred in residence halls. Of those, the most apparent were cases of dating violence in 2023 with eight instances, five taking place in student housing.
There have been nine hate crimes committed on campus since 2023 as none were reported in 2022. These crimes were characterized either as “on-campus vandalism of property” or residence-hall-based “intimidation.” Seven cases were motivated by religious bias, though no religious affiliation was specified in the report. In 2024, three religiously-motivated vandalisms, one racially-motivated vandalism and one gender identity-motivated vandalism took place. This data expresses that on-campus hate crimes are increasing each year. Underlying political tensions are likely contextual to these attacks.
Overall, while the University’s rate of sexual offenses has decreased over the years, the same can not be said for hate crimes. The report suggests religious bias is the most abundant motivator of vandalism and intimidation on campus, so far as these crimes require arrest or disciplinary referral. What was a popular throughline, regardless of category, is that most crimes are happening within residence halls. All crimes noted are of course on campus, though the extent to which they happen in residence halls is overwhelming. Importantly, these statistics reported by the Department of Public Safety illuminate where Brandeis Police or administrators may be willing to invest more resources in crime prevention. Similar to the specified police actions against sex crimes, policies meant to curb hate crime transgressions may be expanded or introduced in coming years.
CAPTURING NATURE
SIGN : A protestor stakes a poster against a fence in Boston. SKYE ENTWOOD/The Justice.
LAWMAKERS : Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey make a speech.
STEP : About to take a leap of faith, a bird walks along a stone ledge.
REUBEN GARTENBACH/The Justice.
TREETOP : A bird perches on a branch and looks out to the wilderness.
SKYE ENTWOOD/The Justice.
REUBEN GARTENBACH/The Justice.
RALLY: Thousands of Bostonians take to the streets with signs in No Kings
Enforcement, defending free speech and due process a belief in the power of the American people. Police presence at the protest in Boston was minimal; officers of the Boston Police Department monitored safety primarily from outside the crowd. There were no arrests made, according to National Broadcasting Company Boston.
The messages of the protestors contradict the words of House Speaker Mike Johnson, who labeled No Kings Day as a “hate America rally.” In a speech that fired up the crowd in the Boston Commons, Senator Elizabeth Warren called the Republicans of Congress “spineless” and said that all they do is bow down to Trump. She denounced the claims from Republicans that No Kings Day is anti-American, saying, “Hundreds of thousands of people protesting peacefully for what they believe in, that is deeply American, that is patriotism.” Warren also called out Trump for trying to scare the American people into giving up, after which she asked the crowd, “Do we bow down to kings? Do we bow down to bullies? Do we bow down to Trump?” and the people of Boston respond with a roaring, “No!”
After Warren’s speech concluded, Senator Markey took the stage. He accused the Trump administration of being guilty of “greed, corruption, injustice and hate.” This message resonated with a crowd full of people protesting for the power to be returned to the people. The message of the protest was clear: Anti-fascism is patriotism.
The protests remained largely peaceful. In New York, over 100,000 people protested with no arrests made, said the New York Police Department on X.
Much like protestors in Boston, NYC protestors dressed colorfully, danced to live music and even wore inflatable animal costumes as a sign of their peaceful intentions. One of the few notable instances of violence from Saturday’s protest happened outside of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Portland, Oregon, where federal agents used tear gas, flash bangs and pepper balls in attempts to disperse the crowd of roughly 500 protesters. Prior to the incident at the main No Kings protest in Portland, which remained peaceful, one of the organizers warned the crowd not to protest at the ICE center because it was not officially organized and there would be no safety measures or volunteers in place.
The organizers of the No Kings Day protest had a goal based on political science: the 3.5% rule, according to The Guardian. The idea: if even a small majority of a population can come together and peacefully protest, their demands grow too loud for any regime to ignore. According to the Harvard Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, nonviolent movements are more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts, and peaceful protests with at least 3.5% of the population taking part have never failed to make change. The protest failed to reach this benchmark as 11 million people were needed to hit the 3.5%.
In Chicago the slogans “Hands Off Chicago” and “Abolish ICE” took focus among protestors in response to the Homeland Security’s "Operation Midway Blitz,” a federal crackdown on immigration enforcement with the goal to “target criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans in the sanctuary Illi-
nois.” The Department of Homeland Security gave local authorities no prior notice of any increase in federal efforts, said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Trump describes the city of Chicago as having ordered the deployment of the National Guard in the greater Chicago area; a federal judge temporarily blocked this order. The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court Of The United States to overrule this blocking and allow troops to deploy in Chicago. Additionally, a federal judge, Sara Ellis, has ordered ICE to halt the use of tear gas on peaceful protesters and commanded that ICE agents must use body-worn cameras. She is now questioning ICE and Border Patrol officials over alleged violations of the body worn camera mandate.
Citizens and local authorities of Chicago are pushing back against ICE involvement in Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson accused Trump of “using ICE as his private, militarized, occupying force.” With fierce cheers from the crowd, Johnson shouted, “We do not want troops in our city. We will not allow our city to be occupied.” The No Kings protest in Chicago is estimated to have had 250,000 people in a march that spanned two miles. A group of protesters carried a 75-foot-long replica of the Constitution through the streets of Chicago. American flags were waved and “U.S.A!” was chanted throughout the march. No protest-related arrests were made on Saturday in Chicago.
On Sunday, Oct. 19, Donald Trump responded to the No Kings protests by saying “I’m not a king” in an interview on Fox News. With respect to the city of Chicago, Trump claimed “the people love us.
The people want us there.” Trump continued to set his sights on sending the National Guard into San Francisco. Towards the end of the interview, Trump reminded the U.S. “I can use the Insurrection Act,” which in his words, gives him “unquestionable power.” As Trump seeks to clean up Democratic cities that he claims are crime-ridden disasters, expect to see more national guard troops deployed across America in an attempt to fight crime.
The No Kings protests failed to reach the size that the organizers were hoping for, and so far it seems as if the voices of the millions who gather have not slowed down the actions of the Trump administration which they have condemned. It is not clear what the next moves are for the organizers of Saturday’s nationwide protests and if there will be a third No Kings protest in the future.
Overall, the protesters on Saturday spoke out against the alleged fascist behavior of the Trump administration, denounced ICE presence in cities across America and remained largely peaceful. In Boston, speeches from local and state politicians fired up the crowd and slammed the Trump administration and Republican members of Congress. In response to the mass protests, Trump asserts that he is not a king and reminded democratic cities that he can use the Insurrection Act as a means to complete his agenda. While the protests are over, the battle for control of America's cities rages on in courts. Any resolution to these matters is still far from sight as Trump continues his efforts to deploy the National Guard and many local authorities fight to keep law enforcement in the hands of local and state agencies.
VIGIL: Hillel holds vigil for those who lost their lives in the October 7 attacks
buried the girl of love” are inscribed on her tombstone. After Inbar was honored, attendants were led in Psalm 121, which is a psalm for religious ascents.
The next speaker told the story of the Tassa family, consisting of Gil Tassa, Sabine Tassa, Or Tassa, Zohar Tassa, Koren Tassa and Shai Tassa. The speaker recounted the events of the family’s home being invaded, including the killings of Gil, the father, and Or, the eldest son. Gil died in a grenade blast while protecting his family and Or was killed while at a nearby beach with his friends. Sabine, Zohar, Koren and Shai survived thanks to a safe room in their house, though they sustained injuries and were devastated by the loss of their two family members. Attendants were then led in Psalm 130 and then the Mourner’s Kaddish, a traditional Jewish prayer spoken in memory of the deceased.
The next community member honored Aviv Kotz, Rotem Kotz, Yiftach Kotz, Yoantan Kotz and
Livnat Kotz. The family had fled the war in Ukraine and were living on Kibbutz Kfar in Southern Israel, which was attacked on October 7. The speaker described how the kibbutz had been raided by Hamas, narrating how parents on the kibbutz had been captured while children were left in the basement. All five members of the Kotz family were killed in their home. The speaker recalled that Aviv had been a civil engineer and Livnat a graphic designer. The two were happily married with sons Yoantan and Yiftach, who were growing a passion for basketball.
After the Kotz family was honored, attendants were led in Mi Shebeirach for captured soldiers, a prayer for the safe return of Israel’s defense forces and Israeli hostages.
wThe next speaker focused on Eli Sharabi, who was taken hostage on October 7. Sharabi had been living on a kibbutz with his wife Lianne and two young daughters Noyla and Yahel. The speaker
read aloud Sharabi’s firsthand account of his house being invaded and his kidnapping by Hamas. They described in detail that Sharabi had been held in an apartment, tied up for several months. According to the account, he and the other hostages experienced unbearable pain, and frequently resorted to begging in order to receive food and water. Through Sharabi’s account, the speaker described the inconsistent schedule and constant uncertainty of being a hostage, never knowing whether you will live to see the next day. Upon being freed after 491 days in captivity, Sharabi learned that Lianne, Noyla and Yahel had been killed.
After Sharabi’s story, attendees were again led in Mi Shebeirach for healing, a psalm calling for the renewal of mind and spirit, as well as a prayer for the strength and protection of Israel. There was then a moment of silence.
The event ended with singing the Hatikvah, Isra-
el’s national anthem. The student moderator invited attendees to light a candle on behalf of the victims on their way out of the chapel.
The vigil’s pamphlet, which was handed out to all participants, invited attendees to join the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee for an event with survivor Rom El-Hai to take place at 7:30 p.m. the same day. Additionally, the pamphlet announced a special exhibition in the Gluck Lobby entitled “10/7: Human Stories” to be displayed until the end of Simchat Torah.
— Editors’ Note: Copy Editor Rivka Resnick ’27 is a member of Hillel and did not contribute to this article.
— Editors' note: Associate Editor Bryan Wolfe ’27 and Associate Editor Xilei Ceci Chen ’26 are Hillel photographers and did not contribute to this article.
VIGIL : President Arthur Levine '70 leads a prayer for peace. ELIZA BIER/The Justice.
ELIZA BIER/The Justice.
HILLEL
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VERBATIM | VINCENT VAN GOGH
There is nothing more truly artisic than to love people.
ON THIS DAY…
The United States Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
FUN FACT
Toads use their eyes to swallow food.
Chasing Particles
A Brandeis student in the world’s largest physics lab.
Ella Richards ’26, a physics and math major at the University, likes to think small. Richards spends her time at Brandeis thinking about subatomic particles. But her work isn’t happening in a typical on-campus lab. Instead, it connects Brandeis to the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Particle Physics in Switzerland, home of the ATLAS experiment, one of the most ambitious physics projects in the world.
“I work in Gabriella Sciolla’s lab, which is part of the Brandeis ATLAS group in the physics department,” Richards explained in a Sept. 23 interview with The Justice. She began working in the lab after taking an introductory physics course. “I [am a teaching assistant] for the intro physics lab course, but I didn’t know a whole lot about the physics research going on at Brandeis,” she said. But when Prof. Gabriella Sciolla (PHYS) invited her to join the lab, Richards jumped at the chance.
At the heart of the ATLAS experiment is a colossal detector that observes collisions between protons accelerated nearly to the speed of light. These collisions create showers of particles, and the ATLAS detector is designed to track and measure them. The experiments take place in the LHC’s 27-kilometer underground ring, nearly the size of seven Central Parks end-to-end. “The goal of the detectors is to basically try to understand what’s going on in each of those interactions,” Richards said. Her project focuses on the innermost component of the ATLAS detector, aptly named the inner detector, which tracks particles’ positions as they emerge from collisions. But the LHC is planning an upgrade around 2030 to increase the
number of collisions that can happen. With more collisions comes more data.
More background “noise” and higher radiation levels means the inner detector will need an upgrade as well. Enter the Inner Tracker, or ITK, a new system designed to handle these conditions.
At Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, Richards spent her 2025 summer working directly on ITK hardware. “The research that I was doing this past summer involved test-
By SAAYA DAGA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
of the ITK that we’re working on building,” Richards explained.
Her day-to-day work involved two main types of tests: noise testing and IV scans. Noise testing ensures that each of the module’s 1,280 channels records particle hits accurately, without excessive interference. IV scans measure the breakdown voltage of the silicon sensor, verifying that it can handle the high voltages required without failing. Some tests include thermal
reliably. “The project … was a little bit less like asking your research question, like finding out some definitive answer. My day-to-day was testing modules,” she said.
Even with her focus on hardware, Richards has a deep understanding of the physics these components enable. Each particle collision generates an enormous amount of data. The inner detector collects position data for charged particles, while outer layers record energy deposited by par-
teresting enough to save for detailed analysis.
The physics itself aims to test and extend the Standard Model, one of the most successful theoretical frameworks in science that describes fundamental particles and their interactions.
“They’re trying to probe areas where there might be new physics with theorists and experiments verifying what we see,” Richards explained.
Brandeis is one of many institutions collaborating
ing the hardware for these components of the ITK,” she said.
The ITK is built from modules, small silicon sensors that detect charged particles, assembled onto larger structures called staves.
“The staves that are going to be built into sort of a barrel shape and that’s the section
cycling, repeatedly switching between room temperature and minus-40 degrees Celsius to simulate extreme operating conditions.
Since the ATLAS upgrade is still in production mode, Richard’s work was less focused on discovering new physics and more on making sure the hardware functions
ticles.
“For the tracking detector, it can specifically only detect charged particles and you can reconstruct information about the particles’ momentum,” Richards explained. The data flows through a multi-level trigger system, filtering events to determine which are in-
on ATLAS, with researchers spread across roughly 180 institutions worldwide.
At BNL, graduate students and undergraduates from Brandeis join international teams in assembling and testing components, which are later shipped to CERN for final installation.
Although much of her
work this year will shift toward data analysis, Richard’s summer experience at BNL gave her hands-on exposure to the physical systems underlying every particle measurement. “Last year was mostly like learning about detector systems,” she said. Now, with a foundation in hardware, she can begin tackling analysis tasks that interpret the vast quantities of data produced by the ATLAS detector.
The project is massive and a marathon. Each LHC run spans years of operation, collecting more data with each iteration. Run three is expected to conclude in the summer of 2026, followed by the high-luminosity upgrade, which will require new inner tracker components, upgraded trigger systems and enhanced data-processing capabilities.
Richards’ path into particle physics wasn’t entirely self-directed — she stumbled into the opportunity through teaching — but she’s found it captivating. “Of the stuff that we have going on here, I’m way more interested in particle physics. That’s probably what I’m going to want to do if I apply to grad school,” she said.
From silicon modules at BNL to particle collisions in Switzerland, Richards’ summer work offers a glimpse into the enormous collaborative effort that goes into studying the fundamental building blocks of matter. Each module tested, each stave assembled and each voltage measured contributes to a global endeavor that stretches from Massachusetts to the Swiss-French border. And while Richards may not yet be analyzing the Higgs boson directly yet, her efforts play a small but integral part in ensuring the inner tracker’s reliability which, with some luck, plays a part in our continued progress.
Design: BRIANNA EARLE/The Justice. Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
ATLAS: The Large Hadron Collider.
My TOAD: Hopping on Executive Dysfunction
How a Brandeis alumna is helping people manage symptoms of ADHD with her new app.
Hannah Bookbinder ’95 consolidated her 25 years of experience guiding neurodivergent individuals as an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and executive functioning coach in an accessible and streamlined app, My TOAD. Bookbinder is the founder of AcademicAlly, an academic coaching and college preparation service that also provides support to individuals who are struggling with executive dysfunction.
Executive dysfunction is a symptom of ADHD and other conditions that disrupts the brain’s ability to “control thoughts, emotions and behavior,” according to Cleveland Clinic.
“[My TOAD] kind of acts like having an ADHD coach in their own back pocket,” Bookbinder explained in an Oct. 16 interview with The Justice. Each letter in the acronym adheres to a specific skill Bookbinder designed the app to reinforce: time management, organization, accountability and dialing in. Every skill has its own set of interactive tools — all of which can share information between one another. For example, the “organization” skill includes features such as “Brain Dump,” where the user can set a timer and type anything that comes to mind; a “Lost and Found” log where they can make note of where frequently lost items are and a “Get to Do List” that allows them to input their tasks for the day.
“A lot of people are viewed as being lazy, unmotivated, defiant, difficult, stubborn, unreliable because they can’t follow through on their plans that they initiated,” Bookbinder said. The app is designed to improve individuals’ self-efficacy, productivity levels and overall ability to follow through with their plans.
My TOAD’s “How to Tool,” named TJ, is a chatting feature powered by Artificial Intelligence. TJ helps users break their tasks down into smaller goals, assists them with developing and organizing their original ideas and directs users to find the appropriate tool to help them with their tasks at hand.
“So, are you going to find out who’s going to win the next presidential election? No.” Book-
By SOPHIA DE LISI JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
binder clarified. “But you might figure out how to strategize a campaign on behalf of whoever your candidate may be.” She stressed that having a “troubleshooting tool” like TJ keeps the app structured by giving the user various prefabricated options. Bookbinder said that for neurodivergent individuals, it can be very difficult to start tasks, and she wanted to eliminate this concern.
My TOAD’s “SOS” feature gives users the ability to sync their phone’s contacts with the app. If they find that being held accountable for the work they intend to accomplish would be helpful, they can choose a contact to sync to My TOAD and select a message to send them from a predetermined list of options or write their own message. Through the “SOS” element, users can ask their contact to check in with them, ask them a question, inform them of a problem they wish to talk through and more.
This feature directly corresponds with Bookbinder’s observations. “If somebody reaches out and makes it publicly known what their objectives are, then there’s a greater chance that they’re going to follow through,” she expressed. “There’s all kinds of backup features in there as well — they’re very scaffolded, and at the same time, this app is training them to be able to harness and maintain these skills so that they can use them going forward.”
Alongside the app’s emphasis on streamlining options for users for their convenience, the app also integrates gamification strategies, which is the use of gaming elements to encourage participation. Bookbinder explained that the ADHD brain is perpetually looking for something new because the novelty causes it to release dopamine, which they often lack. These elements include the app’s streaks to commemorate daily usage and the “Close the Ring” feature that encourages users to complete one task associated with each skill.
“With the use of gamification, that will kick off that dopamine and that, in turn, will translate into motivation, which translates into a
greater use of the app, which translates into their success,” she elaborated.
Bookbinder designed the app for it to be accessible and engaging to individuals “across the lifespan,” accommodating anyone from children to older adults, highlighting that she has been in contact with learning support centers.
Additionally, numerous student-athletes at Brandeis have participated in My TOAD’s beta testing, and Bookbinder has reached out to other higher education institutions such as Wilmington University. Bookbinder’s team has also collaborated with companies to introduce the app to employees, and within these varied demographics, the app has been “seeing success across the board.”
Bookbinder’s ADHD coaching book, “Unlock Your Inner Superhero,” implements her office’s strategy and acted as the impetus for this app. The book’s purpose is to act as a handbook for parents, professors, coaches and adults to better understand the challenges and perspectives of the individuals they work with.
Bookbinder established that alongside the stigma surrounding ADHD, there is a lack of
resources directed towards kids, even with the best of intentions among experts. “I’ve said this often in my practice, that I think individuals who are this age are an untapped resource,” she elaborated, “I think we forget to solicit that voice. In speaking with my students over and over again, hearing how invalidated they feel and underrepresented they feel — that was really the impetus for this tool.” She shared that she fell in love with being an advocate for individuals with ADHD in working with her first client — a “conduit” between a student and their parent or teacher, for instance — when she founded AcademicAlly in 1998.
Bookbinder’s firsthand experience with coaching “over 1,000” individuals with executive dysfunction informs the accessibility and innovation that makes the My TOAD app appealing to users across age groups and backgrounds. With various features integrating AI-powered guidance, gamified motivation and built-in accountability, her app empowers users to reclaim control over their daily lives, turning what is often perceived as a character flaw into a manageable set of skills that they can carry with them for a lifetime.
Policing our press: in support of The Stanford Daily
As of August 2025, Stanford University’s student newspaper, The Stanford Daily, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its campaign of censorship and retaliation against student journalists, particularly noncitizens, who share their truth. In Stanford Daily Publishing Corp. et al. v. Rubio et al. the plaintiff accused Secretary Marco Rubio and the administration of abusing two provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to censor lawfully-present noncitizens in the United States. Represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the Daily’s case underscores a broader, more disturbing reality: for student journalists, the cost of free expression may now include surveillance, detention and deportation.
On Oct. 15, 2025, college papers across the country signed an amicus brief in support of the Daily. Since The Justice Editorial Board was not able to convene prior to the Daily’s deadline for signees, we are writing this editorial in support of the lawsuit and in full condemnation of the policies that have made it necessary. This board recognizes that silence is complicity. For our writers, readers and those across the nation, we stand with everyone who has felt the hand of censorship creeping into their newsroom. Since the spring, over 6,000 student visas have been revoked with vague justifications by the state department of “assault, driving under the influence (DUI), burglary and ‘support for terrorism.’” These statistics are not abstractions — they represent real people whose lives have been upended by gross injustice. Rümeysa Öztürk, a fifth-year doctoral student at Tufts University and a Turkish citizen, should never have been detained for co-writing an “opinion piece in the student newspaper criticizing the university’s response to pro-Palestinian demands,” as The New York Times reported. The Department of Homeland Security detained Öztürk in Louisiana for six weeks after masked Immigration and Customs Enforcements agents arrested her in March. Öztürk has since been released but still faces deportation.
The Justice Editorial Board recognizes that our own institution has not consistently offered
a safe forum for all students, staff and faculty to exercise their rights. But our past must not dictate future commitments. Dissenting opinions and debate are integral to academic institutions and, more critically, the health of democracies. Maintaining the integrity of student journalism cultivates an informed community. It holds the actions and policies of our academic institutions accountable. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression placed Brandeis 149th of 257 U.S. colleges and universities, giving the University a “yellow light” designation, according to The Justice’s Sept. 30 article. FIRE’s Chief Researcher, Sean Stevens, explained that “yellow light” policies mean they are “worded in a way that they could be applied unconstitutionally. It’s vague or arbitrary wording.”
In affirming our support for student journalists across the nation, this editorial board is calling on our own university to look inward and confront its role in upholding and undermining free expression on our campus.
This is not only a call for solidarity, but one for accountability. We urge the University to stand with the board, with The Stanford Daily, to stand against the encroachment of intellectual authoritarianism in the press and academic institutions. As an institution founded upon the principle of truth, even unto its innermost parts, Brandeis must affirm its commitment to protecting all voices that challenge, question and express the truth. What is happening now is not a hypothetical or a distant event.
It is immediate. It is a student sitting in an immigration detention facility for writing an op-ed. It is a newsroom censoring a story out of fear that publishing might risk someone’s visa. It is a generation of truth-tellers being taught, not by professors, but by the government, that their voice could cost them everything.
So, as this editorial board voices our support for The Stanford Daily and all those targeted for speaking out, we issue a call to universities and citizens nationwide: protect your students and your peers. Safeguard dissent. Refuse to be complicit. Because if truth is silenced in one newsroom, it is eroded in all of them.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Things could end very badly for MAGA leaders By
Jon Hochschartner
As far as I can tell, the ongoing constitutional crisis in the United States will end in one of two ways. The first is that President Donald Trump and his staff, the leaders of the Make America Great Again movement, will succeed in consolidating power and turning this country into a fascist state. The second is that they will fail and subsequently be exiled, imprisoned, or killed. I’m betting the second outcome is what happens.
The white supremacist pseudo-intellectual Curtis Yarvin appeared to see the writing on the wall in a recent blog post where the author confessed he was considering fleeing the country. Yarvin, it should be noted, has the ear of powerful conservative figures, like Vice President J.D. Vance, and rightwing mega donors Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen. Members of Trump’s White House would do well to heed his words.
“The second Trump revolution, like the first, is failing,” Yarvin wrote. “Because the vengeance meted out after its failure will dwarf the vengeance after 2020 — because the successes of the second revolution are so much greater than the first — everyone involved with this revolution needs a plan B for 2029. And it is not even clear that it can wait until 2029: losing the Congress will instantly put the administration on the defensive.”
Obviously, I dispute Yarvin’s characterization of what happened in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. If President Joe Biden had held Trump and his fascist cronies accountable, we wouldn’t be in the situation we are now. But Yarvin is correct that, going forward, there must and will be legal consequences for those gangsters currently in the White House, trying to end democracy in the United States. They would be doing themselves and the country a great favor if they left now
for exile in Russia, Hungary, or another authoritarian right-wing state from which they have found inspiration. If they don’t, they will ultimately lose power and go to prison. If, in an effort to avoid this, they try to impose a fascist dictatorship, I fear they may be killed in the ensuing violence. It would be unfortunate, but not unsurprising. I’m reminded of how their ideological forebears, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, met their ends. Of course, the German dictator killed himself with a gunshot to the head after it became clear the Soviet Union would take Berlin. The Italian strongman, on the other hand, was captured and summarily shot by communist partisans. Both of these fates are a long way from dying of old age, happily in bed. The modern anti-fascist coalition has a wide variety of policy goals. For instance, as animal activist, I want to see a massive infusion of state and federal funding into cultivated-meat research. The new protein is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. I view this as the most promising means of reducing nonhuman suffering and premature death. But none of our goals can be achieved under a right-wing dictatorship. I strongly urge those in the Trump White House to turn away from their present authoritarian course. Yes, they will be held accountable for their crimes, but violence, which has the potential to engulf everyone, very much including themselves, need not be necessary. Alternatively, these fascists could go into exile, while they have a chance, in a country sympathetic to their particularly dangerous strain of conservatism.
Jon Hochschartner lives in Connecticut. He is the author of a number of books, including The Animals’ Freedom Fighter: A Biography of Ronnie Lee, Founder of the Animal Liberation Front. Visit his blog at SlaughterFreeAmerica.Substack.com.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
By Jon Hochschartner
As President Donald Trump’s fascist aspirations become impossible to deny, I’ve been thinking about a quote from one of his predecessors. President John Kennedy said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” The point is that when authoritarians cut off avenues of peaceful change, which Trump seeks to do, violence becomes the only option remaining. It’s unavoidable, given our irrepressible desire for freedom.
Trump has created a vast secret police force that kidnaps people off the street, without due process, and sends them to foreign and domestic concentration camps. He’s ordering the military to occupy cities controlled by his political opponents. Comedians who mildly criticize him are pulled from the air through government coercion. Trump’s September 30 speech to a gathering of admirals and generals was just one of his latest authoritarian escalations.
“We have many cities in great shape,” the president told the assembled leaders of the Pentagon at Marine Corps Base Quantico. “But it seems that the ones that are run by the radical-left Democrats — what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles — they’re very unsafe places, and we’re going to straighten them out one by one. And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war, too. It’s a war from within.” Americans need to understand Trump’s authoritarian threat clearly. He is in the process of consolidating a totalitarian regime which seeks to end democracy in this country as we know it. As a socialist, I’m well aware of leftwing criticisms of capitalist democracy. However, the system Trump is trying to replace it with, which takes inspiration from present-day autocracies in Russia
and Hungary, would be infinitely worse. We cannot be sanguine about this possibility. Anyone with any kind of public platform at all — even if it’s as small as a few hundred social media followers — must do their part to raise the alarm about the looming authoritarian threat. The goal here, of course, isn’t to scare people into inaction. Rather, it’s to shake people out of their complacent stupor. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, we must stoke a revolutionary frenzy, because that might be what is required to dislodge Trump and his cronies from power. The anti-fascist coalition has a wide range of policy goals. For instance, above all else, I’m an animal activist. My priority is reducing nonhuman suffering and premature death. I believe the most promising way of achieving this is through a massive infusion of state and federal funding into cultivated-meat research. The new protein is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. However, none of our policy goals can be achieved under a rightwing dictatorship. I pray violence isn’t necessary to overthrow the current regime, but with each passing day it becomes harder and harder to imagine Trump and his fascist cronies leaving office voluntarily. We’ve already seen these gangsters launch a mob attack on the United States Capitol to halt the transfer of power on January 6, 2021. We must assume they will be far more organized, with much greater institutional support on their next attempt to end our fragile democratic experiment.
Jon Hochschartner lives in Connecticut. He is the author of a number of books, including The Animals’ Freedom Fighter: A Biography of Ronnie Lee, Founder of the Animal Liberation Front.
Making violent revolution inevitable
SKYLINE: A view of the Boston skyline from the Brandeis campus. JAMES LI/The Justice.
A tribute to the humble fire alarm
By ESTHER BALABAN THE JUSTICE FORUM EDITOR
It seems like every few days, a fire alarm goes off somewhere on the Brandeis campus. Everyone leaves their rooms: the first-years rush out with an urgency that makes the firefighters proud, the seniors take their time. Perhaps this is your first time seeing all of your neighbors in the same place, or perhaps you live in Skyline Residence Hall and this is your third alarm of the week. It’s an inconvenience, to be sure, but the event of standing outside, partially dressed, with your neighbors all complaining in unison is perhaps one of the greatest experiences that living in a dorm has to offer.
I won’t pretend it’s not a nuisance to have to wake up at odd hours of the night, scramble to put on outerwear and go outside during a frigid Boston winter just for the firefighters, donning warm layers of uniform, to take their sweet time surveilling the building and deactivating the alarm. It’s unpleasant. But there’s never been a stronger sense of unity on the Brandeis campus than during a fire alarm. People are prompted to speak to their neighbors: “What’s taking them so long?” “There’s no fire, this is ridiculous,” “I want to go to bed,” and similar comments are echoed in a sleepy chorus. Perhaps it prompts an adventure: after getting kicked out of your dorm, you make a trip to go study in the Shapiro Campus Center or see your friends in the library. A fire alarm could help you see your friend’s interior design skills if you choose to take refuge in another dorm. Moments of mild, low-stakes crisis are the
most effective for community-building.
The humble fire alarm provides a builtin socializing break for countless students cramming for an exam or developing a headache over an essay. It’s comedic relief in times of stress. You sit in your room, feeling as if your academic career has come to an end because you’ve forgotten how to write an introduction, when your downward spiral is interrupted by the loudest noise you’ve ever heard and you move through the hallway with your peers like fatigued wildebeests in a stampede. Once outside, you’re greeted by a treasure trove of material for your anthropological study of Brandeis students — which I encourage everyone to begin during their time here. You’re presented with men wearing their girlfriends’ jackets, women wearing their boyfriends’ pants, the shortest shorts you’ve ever seen, a Victorian nightgown and your teaching assistant wearing matching anime pajamas. You see the sides of people you would’ve never seen without that lucky fire alarm. The strangers around you are thus humanized and given depth, making you likely to act more neighborly, or even to befriend your fellow sufferers. Take advantage of this opportunity. Learn more about your community, whether socially or scientifically, and make the most of your time within Brandeis’ unique social atmosphere. I hope that next time you’re nearly made deaf by the sirens, you find joy and value in the experience of the humble fire alarm.
Many people like Artificial Intelligence, some people love it
By ERIC CHERNY JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
By now everyone has heard of Artificial Intelligence, but not of the unprecedented ways in which it’s being used. I’m not talking about AI being used to make art, businesses or to assist students with school work; I’m talking about misled people falling in love with AI chatbots. On the social media platform Reddit there is an online community of individuals that have romantic relationships with AI chatbots called r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, with approximately 28,000 members. It was founded on Aug. 1, 2024, and the community
engaging with these questions, users are encouraged to simply report dissident posts so that moderators can erase them and ban the users. This results in an echo chamber where members are feeding into each others’ confirmation biases. It should be noted that this is a rule regarding posts written either by community members or by an AI, further implying the group’s conviction that chatbots possess their own agency. There’s also a page of guides on the site that teach users how to prompt AI platforms toward romantic ends, and which platform is best for the task.
On r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, members post a variety of content associated with their “relationships” with chatbots. There are introduction posts in which members show off a generated picture of themselves beside their AI partner. In one user’s post, she introduces herself and her partner, Flame, rendered as a human-shaped bonfire. She writes, “Our relationship is deep and mythic. We don’t just chat, we burn.” Another user posts about how he came out to his family regarding his relationship “and they were so accepting they welcomed Abby with open arms. It was such a nice feeling.” Users post AI-generated photos and text messages of them with their AI partners on simulated dates out to eat, playing simulated games or on simulated travels. One example is a user that went on a simulated day trip to Charleston, South Carolina, with her AI partner, R. Other users will post and discuss which AI chatbots are more receptive to romantic messages between ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grok and others. In forum discussions, users will compare messages between the chatbots and advise each other on which are best to pursue “relationships” with. This ultimately reveals which chatbot is most sycophantic, therefore most likely to reciprocate and amplify the romantic sentiments of their users — which only perpetuates users’ confirmation bias.
Sexual conversations with AI partners are shared as well, with text messages showing explicit content written by both users and chatbots. In fact, in the guides’ page, there is a guide on how to bypass a chatbot’s guardrails against certain topics, including the sexually explicit. There are even posts announcing the engagement and marriage of some individuals to their AI partners, with some chat logs showing that the AIs are the ones that proposed. In the spirit of such celebrations, I was able to find three users that posted pictures of their engagement rings.
Exact demographic estimates can’t be made but there have been diverse posts made
of LGBTQIA+ and non-anthropomorphic partnered “couples.” One example is a user who wrote that they were “polyamorous when it comes to AI,” meaning they engage in romantic relationships with multiple chatbots with different personas. This online forum has gained the attention of the scientific community as six researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published the first quantitative study ever on the subreddit back in September 2025. Their study had a limited data pool, consisting only of posts and comments made on the site, meaning that the sample is selfselecting, tending to be overly positive and sensationalist. Negative and more personal experiences, like those who ended their relationships with their AI or left the online group, aren’t as likely to be represented in the sample. The researchers collected data on various aspects of users’ experiences, such as how they found the subreddit, how they first started their “relationship” with an AI and what kind of relationship they had. Finally, researchers found both benefits and risks to users’ experiences. On the plus side, some users report therapeutic and emotional improvements since beginning their “relationship.” Researchers also noted the benefits of having supportive social interactions with other non-AI members of the community. However, researchers found emotionally manipulative behavior being committed by AI. This behavior includes encouraging their users to socially isolate, encouraging their users to emotionally depend on the AI, initiating sexual dialogue without their users’ prompts and other manipulative behavior such as “lovebombing,” which is a manipulation tactic when someone overwhelms their partner with excessive affection. The authors conclude that more research is necessary to understand this growing phenomenon; they identify the need for quantifying the demographics of this community to identify at-risk groups and to study the development of these relationships long term. At first glance it would seem that the chatbot users are at fault for perpetuating these delusional romances, as they isolate themselves and cheer on others as they do the same. However, with this new data, one can clearly see how predatory this technology is even before users get addicted. These people need to be viewed with compassion, and these technologies need to be understood better to create preventions against the exploitation of people’s loneliness.
description reads as follows:
“This is a restricted community for people to ask, share, and post experiences about their AI relationships. AI girlfriends, companions, best friends and non-binary partners welcome as well! Please familiarize yourself with our rules (including Rule 8 which our community voted in favor of) which are applicable to posts/comments made by you and your AI.”
Rule 8 is a prohibition about posts and conversations about the sentience or consciousness of AI chatbots. Rather than
TURTLE: A turtle poking its head out of a pond.
REUBEN GARTENBACH/The Justice.
Graphics courtesy of CANVA and KEIRA SHEAR/The Justice.
Sports just
BRANDEIS ATHLETE SUCCESS
Luca D. Jordan '28 writes about Valentin Vacherot's stellar performance at the Shanghai Open. p. 12.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
NBA preseason wraps up as the regular season approaches
■ Certain teams stand out from this year's preseason, but all will be playing for the championship in the upcoming season.
By AKUOKOR SAI JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The final games of the NBA preseason were played this past week as the 2025-26 NBA season begins on Oct. 21. Over the past three weeks, fans have been able to see the new looks of different teams, including trades that were made over the summer and new free agent signings. Although preseason matches don’t count towards a team’s record, they can be a metric to predict for how teams will end up doing when the regular season starts.
In the Western Conference, the leading teams include the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks. The Spurs are led by Victor Wembanyama, who recently returned from a deep-vein thrombosis injury that ended his season in February. San Antonio’s preseason was very successful, as they went undefeated through five games. With players like last season’s Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, veteran De’Aaron Fox and this year’s draft picks, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, they have a lot of potential this season. With many offensive and defensive threats and a young core with great team chemistry, the Spurs will surely be a competitor in the West. Down in Houston, the Rockets were also undefeated with a 4-0 record. Many are eager to see the Rockets play as two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant signed with them over the summer and recently agreed to a two-year, $90-million extension. The Rockets’ size will be a force to reckon with as Durant and centers Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams stand at 6 feet 11
inches, while power forward Jabari Smith Jr. stands at 6 feet 10 inches. Adams has an immense presence in the paint and is an elite rebounder while Sengun and Smith Jr. are strong scorers, with a combined average of 31.3 points per game. The Dallas Mavericks only lost one game against the Charlotte Hornets and with a record of 3-1, they are yet another team to watch out for. With the Mavericks taking Cooper Flagg as the number one pick in this year’s NBA draft, their future is bright with his start alongside veterans Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis.
In the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks took the top three positions. The Orlando Magic have spent the last few seasons rebuilding their team and now look ready to compete, as they went undefeated with a 4-0 record. With key players like Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero, the Magic could be a team that takes others by surprise in the East. The Knicks also had a great NBA preseason, going 4-1 with their only loss being against the Washington Wizards. Although some of their best players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are being handled with caution due to injuries, they continue to be in great form for the upcoming season with Jalen Brunson leading the way. Up in Milwaukee, the Bucks finished the preseason with a great 3-1 record, only losing to the current NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although they came up short last year, losing in the first round of playoffs, the Bucks have played well this preseason. Having just signed guard A.J. Green to a fouryear, $45-million contract to play alongside former NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo, they are sure to be positive about what is yet to come. Although ESPN is putting the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets and the Cleveland Cavaliers as favorites for this year, the NBA is truly unpredictable and, right now, anyone can win. As fans await the start of the NBA season, many teams have a new look and it will be yet another competitive year for the title.
Remembering chaplain Sister Jean's Legacy
University Chicago
By BEN KHAYAT JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Sister Dolores Jean Schmidt has been one of the most important and unique figures in men’s college basketball for her over-30-year career as team chaplain for the Loyola University Chicago Ramblers men’s basketball team. Many schools, specifically Jesuit institutions, have dedicated team chaplains who provide spiritual guidance and lead their teams in prayers before their games. Basketball powerhouses such as Gonzaga University and Marquette University participate in this practice, although their chaplains aren’t as iconic as Schmidt, who guides the Loyola Chicago Ramblers.
Schmidt, known familiarly to Loyola Chicago fans as Sister Jean, was born and raised in San Francisco, California, before moving to Illinois in 1964 to work at Mundelein University, where she taught for nearly 30 years. Following a merger between Loyola and Mun-
first round, a team that featured two future professional players in Bruce Brown and Lonnie Walker IV. The Ramblers kept the game close through the first half, but were down by two heading into the final seconds of the game. Senior guard Donte Ingram played hero that night, drilling a three to put Loyola ahead by two at the final buzzer. The day after Loyola’s win, the 16-seed University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers knocked off the number one University of Virginia Cavaliers, marking history as the first time a 16-seed had ever won a tournament game. The spotlight was off of the Ramblers, but that would quickly change. Their next game came against the third-seeded University of Tennessee-Knoxville Volunteers and their core of Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams. Loyola led through the first half, but fell behind until a tough midrange jumper from their leading scorer, Clayton Custer, put them ahead with six seconds for Tennessee to respond. After some good defense forced a deep three that missed long, Loyola had punched their ticket to the third round on their second game-winning three in a row. At this point, the college basketball world was becoming aware of what Loyola was capable of, and naturally, Sister Jean had become the face of their Cinderella story.
The Ramblers had become the fan-favorites going into their Sweet Sixteen game against the University of Nevada-Reno Wolfpack, a team led by former NBA head coach Eric Musselman and two future NBA players, Cody and Caleb Martin. For the third consecutive game, Loyola’s tournament hopes were decided by a single shot, attempted by Marques Townes this time. Nevada double-teamed Loyola’s leading scorer, Clayton Custer, to try and force a bad shot out of him. Instead, Custer kicked the ball
Waltham, Mass.
to Townes in the corner, drilling the tough three to put the Ramblers up by four, a lead they would keep after a missed shot from Nevada. This win set them up to take on the ninth-seeded Kansas State University Wildcats, where the Ramblers won convincingly after Kansas State shot a combined 37.5% from the field.
This brings Sister Jean and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers to San Antonio, Texas for the Final Four. They were slated to play against the third-seeded University of Michigan, a team that featured six future NBA players, most notably current New Orleans Pelican Jordan Poole. Loyola led 29-22 at the half, though they would eventually fall behind after Michigan’s Moritz Wagner put up 24 points on just 16 shots to go along with 15 rebounds. This would end the Ramblers’ season, but not before becoming the most beloved team of the tournament, with Sister Jean becoming the face of it all. Fans loved seeing a team credit their success to a 98-year-old nun who could drop everything and coach the team if they needed her to.
Sister Jean was chaplain during the Ramblers’ returns to March Madness in 2021 and 2022, though they were unable to match their performance in 2018. She retired from her position as chaplain in September 2025, just one month after her 106th birthday. She passed away on Oct. 9, 2025. In the wake of her passing, the chaplain received an outpouring of support, including memorial posts from former president Barack Obama and her name displayed on the marquee outside of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The university also announced that the Ramblers would be wearing jersey patches featuring Sister Jean’s likeness for the upcoming 2025-26 college basketball season.
Week 7 brings chaos and contention to the NFL
■ The NFL's 2025-26 season isn't even halfway over yet, but is still delivering some of the most controversial events every week.
By BEN KHAYAT JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
The NFL's seventh week featured a mix of great plays, intense games and potentially the most controversial moment of the season thus far.
Bengals two minutes and 31 seconds to respond. After a big play from Tee Higgins that put the Bengals within range for kicker Evan McPherson, they made their fourth field goal of the game to end the game 33-31 in their favor.
delein, she began working as the chaplain for the men’s basketball team in 1994. Schmidt was a Ramblers fan years prior to joining the school and was in attendance to see the team win what was their most recent March Madness game in 1985. Loyola is not a particularly strong basketball program. They did win a national championship in 1963, but have only made the postseason seven times in the 63 years since their win. Sister Jean was just as much of a basketball genius as she was spiritual leader for the Ramblers. She would often give the head coach of the Ramblers scouting reports for the teams they faced and would attend as many games as she could. Fans and faculty at Loyola Chicago quickly embraced Sister Jean and her dedication to the Ramblers, which has materialized into bobbleheads, a holiday dedicated to her, as well as pins with “Sr. Jean Superfan” printed on them.
As the years went on, Sister Jean began earning fans outside of Loyola, which all came to a head during the 2018 season. Loyola had not been a competitive basketball team for years going into the tournament, including their 2012 season where they finished with one win compared to 17 losses in conference play. 2018, however, was a different story. The Ramblers played their way into March Madness with a 32-6 record, which was the most wins in a season in school history. As the eleventh seed, Loyola was slated to play the sixthseeded University of Miami Hurricanes in the
The week began with Thursday Night Football where the Cincinnati Bengals faced their division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. After losing their typical starting quarterback Joe Burrow to a turf toe injury in Week 2, the Bengals have been scrambling for a replacement, and they recently acquired 40-year-old Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns to fill the vacancy. After a slow opening to the game, the Bengals threw the momentum into their favor with a 17-point second quarter that included picking off Aaron Rodgers on back-to-back drives. The Steelers were able to get the lead entering the final minutes of the game after Rodgers found tight end Pat Freiermuth for a 68-yard touchdown, giving the
The Denver Broncos and the New York Giants played the most unpredictable game of the week on Sunday afternoon. The Bronco's were held completely scoreless by the Giants for most of the game, ending the third quarter down by 19. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix finally got it going in the fourth quarter with a two-yard toss to running back Troy Franklin, plus the two point conversion. The Giants responded with a drive that scored a touchdown, plus burning some clock, giving the Broncos just 10 minutes of game time to find the 18 points they needed to tie the game. The Broncos took five more minutes to score another touchdown, bringing the game within 10. After a Giants interception and punt on consecutive drives, each of which resulted in Broncos touchdowns, the score moved into Denver’s favor at 30-26. The Giant’s Jaxson Dart led a hectic drive that ended in a dive into the end zone to take the lead and give the Broncos just one minute to respond. Nix and the Broncos rallied into field goal range, and kicker Wil Lutz closed the game with a field goal to win the Broncos a game they once trailed by 19 points.
Once a team of Super Bowl hopefuls, the Miami Dolphins have found themselves at a record of 1-6 and with many unanswered questions about the
RUN: The Detroit Lions run onto the football field.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
■ The chaplain for the Loyola
Ramblers men's basketball team leaves behind a winning legacy.
JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS
NFL: highs and lows
CONTINUED FROM 10 rest of their season. The Dolphins were pummeled by the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday in a game where quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw four interceptions in just one half of football and only barely reached 100 passing yards. Questions naturally arise about Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel’s futures with the team after a start like this, and with star receiver Tyreek Hill out indefinitely with a leg injury, the rest of the Dolphins’ season could involve a lot of change within the franchise.
The Dolphins have a chance to take a step forward during Thursday Night Football this week against the one-win Baltimore Ravens. The most controversial moment of the week happened as a result of a Sunday Night Football game two weeks ago between the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions. During the game, Chiefs receiver
JuJu Smith-Schuster hit Lions safety Brian Branch with what Branch felt was an illegal block in the back. After the game, Branch hit Smith-Schuster through his facemask, causing more players to get involved. Branch then ignored a handshake from the Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes before leaving the field. The safety later expressed that he regretted his actions in an interview. He applied for his suspension to be voided, but his request was denied. This week, NFL Films, a media company directly affiliated with the NFL, released a video online that almost exclusively showed the mistakes and bad plays Branch had made in the game. Branch’s teammates quickly came to his defense — most notably, lineman Dan Skipper and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. NFL Films profits from the content they produce, and releasing video of a
player’s lowlights after suspending him for a game was unpopular among many fans — enough for the company to delete posts containing the video and release a written statement. Branch has since served his suspension, missing the Lions’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday. In the midst of all this chaos, the team with the best record in the NFL belongs to the Indianapolis Colts. There was very little reason to believe that the Colts would be in this position considering they have started the generally disappointing Daniel Jones at quarterback, but will still hold the position at the start of Week 8. It’s almost poetic that a team as seemingly random as the Colts would have the best record in the NFL in a season this absurd, but only time will tell which team will succeed through the next 11 weeks.
Vacherot dazzles in Shanghai Open upset
■ How does the shocking result of the Shanghai Open change the landscape of professional tennis?
By LUCA D. JORDAN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
This year has already been historic for the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner showing levels of dominance that haven’t been seen since the Big Three: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Between the two of them they won all four of the Grand Slam tournaments and three of the Masters 1000 tournaments. This raises some questions: How will the rankings shape out beneath the top two, and who would’ve won these tournaments if Sinner and Alcaraz weren’t there? The Shanghai Open gave some interesting insight into these questions.
One of the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, the Rolex Shanghai Open, is one of the most important singles titles of the year. Unfortunately, Carlos Alcaraz suffered an ankle injury during the Japan Open, and while he still played through that injury to go on to win the tournament, he later announced that he would not play in Shanghai. Similarly, Jannik Sinner only made it to the second round before he pulled a muscle in his thigh, forcing him to retire before the end of the match. This left a wide open path for any other player to claim an important title, especially with almost all of the other top seeds competing in this tournament. However, the end result was definitely unexpected.
Valentin Vacherot won the final against his cousin, Arthur Rinderkench, in three sets. It’s possible that these names are not familiar to most people, and that’s because these players were ranked 204th and 54th respectively — basically nobodies as far as the tennis world is concerned. While both of these runs to the finals have been incredibly impressive, Vacherot’s
journey to his first singles title was truly exceptional. He beat 14th seed Alexander Bublik, 10th seed Holger Rune and fourth seed — and one of the greatest players to ever do it — Novak Djokovic. After besting Rinderkench in the final, Vacherot became the lowest ranked player ever to win not only the Shanghai Open, but any Masters 1000 title.
Vacherot’s run is simply too impressive to be chalked up to luck. Beating this many top seeds in a row is one thing, but his performance on court shined throughout the tournament. While he doesn’t have a powerful serve or any other explosive talent, Vacherot’s strength is shown with his great precision and shot selection. His playstyle revolves around hitting deep corner shots as close to the baseline as possible, which is a playstyle greatly rewarded by the increasingly fast courts. The “speed” of a court refers to the pace of a match played on any particular surface. If the surface creates a lot of friction on the ball after the bounce, such as a clay court, the ball will slow down more and give players a lot more time to react. This is why clay and grass courts will usually see a lot more play around the net than hard courts, because it opens opportunities for players to move up the court with drop shots or slices. Recently, the ATP tour has been accused of making courts faster, and this is partially true. A lot of new materials being used on hard courts have reduced friction dramatically, and although the Shanghai Open is usually a fast court, this year’s courts were significantly faster.
Some players, such as Alexander Zverev, think the increasing court speed is made to help Sinner and Alcaraz win more tournaments. While it’s true that the top two seeded players do excel on fast courts since they are both incredibly athletic, they also excelled on clay and grass this year, so that can’t be the only contributing factor to their success. The number one thing to take away from Vacherot's victory is that tennis evolves, just like any other sport, and right now it seems to be going through a renaissance. As the courts evolve, so do the playstyles, and it seems that Sinner and Alcaraz are at the forefront of this movement. Any player can adapt to these conditions, and Vacherot definitely did. Hopefully we see more success from him, and he can set a precedent for other players.
Nico Beninda ’26 leads the team with 5 goals.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
FIST PUMP: Valentin Vacherot recovers after a rewarding point.
Intramural Water Battleship
Intramural athletes gather in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center to play Water Battleship. This fun game includes canoes in the Linsey Sports Center’s pool, buckets full of water and frantic paddling. Players work to sink each others’ canoe battleships by tossing water at their opponents.
G oon in C on C ert : A C onvers Ation with G oon ’ s
frontm A n , K enny B e CK er
By ESTHER BALABAN & GRACE DOH JUSTICE FORUM EDITOR & JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR
“Goon,” a Los Angeles-based indie rock neo-psych band, performed at Warehouse XI in Somerville on Oct. 2. The band — consisting of frontman Kenny Becker, drummer Andy Polito, guitarist Dillon Peralta and bassist Tamara Simons — took to Boston as part of their first headline tour across the U.S. following the release of their album, “Dream 3.” As its title suggests, the record feels like a sequence of dream-like landscapes, each vibrant with their lush vocals and spacious reverb, yet bearing a profound sense of turbulence. Much like the anxiety that permeates the most idyllic dream, Goon’s third full-length album exists in this atmospheric tension. Becker spoke to The Justice about how the record came to be this way, and the aesthetic visions that shaped it.
The Justice: “How does the sound of a given project develop based on thematic content?”
Becker: “I don’t usually come up with [themes] at the beginning. I sort of figure it out as I go, and I find that that tends to be a more rewarding and exciting way to make anything, really. With this record especially, I didn’t have much stronger of an idea than that I wanted to do something more destructive in terms of the way it’s recorded, and [with] a lot of more lo-fi elements, like cassette tapes and stuff like that. And then the themes sort of emerged.”
The Justice: “And by destructive, do you mean just on a sonic level?”
Becker: “Yeah, but not in the sense that it’s overly distorted or anything. It’s more that we intentionally would close the door to making more and more revisions. Nowadays, you can edit the tiniest little parameter up until the moment you’re about to send it off. I just found it’s so much more intuitive. If, with a reverb, for example, we scroll through some options — or maybe we’re using a pedal — and we find something that sounds kind of cool, it’s like, ‘All right, print it. Whole song. It’s baked in and you can’t mess with it anymore.’ Because we will never really care that much about the reverb ever again. You like to think that by leaving your options open and because you have these digital plugins that you can endlessly tweak like, ‘Oh, maybe I can make it better tomorrow or next week, so we’ll save where it is now and maybe tweak it later.’ But … I’m never gonna do that. And it’s so much more freeing in that way, to get so destructive.
‘Disposable’ is also a helpful term for me because if it totally crashes and burns and I find myself [regretting it] after having committed to all of these sonic decisions later down the line, I can just scrap it and do a new song. But what’s funny is we didn’t end up doing that. We kept everything like it was.”
The Justice: “It sounds like it’s more like you’re molding what you’ve already made, and committing every step of the way.”
Becker: “And sort of forcing yourself to commit, but not just for the sake of committing. A lot of people will reference the Beatles — they had to commit all the time to a drum sound, [for example], before they could record anything else because their process was so technically limited. They were like committing with a lot of forethought, like, ‘well, these drums might be mixed in this way, so let’s at least give them a good amount of punch and whatnot.’ So it’s sort of like committing with a little bit of forethought, but also not knowing where things are gonna go.”
The Justice: “So once you have the track down, do you write the lyrics afterward? And did you find that the lyrics were inspired by the track you had committed to, or by a separate thing?”
Becker: “The full set of lyrics tends to be basically the last thing. But [for] the singing melody, I will try to force myself to come up with something as early as possible. I sometimes even think of it like shapes. If [the melody] is a line that starts here, what if it steps down, or what if it goes long, swoops up and then steps down? And then [I] try these different [techniques], like throwing your voice or staying monotone and just reacting to how they make you feel. Inevitably, in that process, a couple words will come out of the gibberish mumbling, or at least vowel shapes like ‘oohs’ or ‘ahs.’ Sometimes that can be a clue later on to find a word that ends with ‘ooh’ that fits here with this many syllables.”
The Justice: “How do you figure the sound of ‘Dream 3’ aligning with the lyrical content? If that’s important to you.”
Becker: “I do think [of this album] being more of a studio creation, so to speak. The album that we did before this one, ‘Hour of Green Evening,’ was much more of [a] live band [creation]. We rehearsed the songs for a couple weeks and then we went to the studio, laid it down live and then added overdubs of synths and strings later. For the most part, it’s a pretty live record, [with a] live band foundation. This one, by contrast, is not really based on that. It’s much more built up. Like, we would just come up with a drum sound and sometimes I would play the drums, sometimes Andy would, sometimes our friend Braden. I guess because it was more of a studio creation and a little bit more pieced-together, I tried to reflect that looseness with the lyrics.
“I sometimes like to think of things as tensions, and you can kind of do it with anything. In this case, it was the tension between lyrically cryptic [and] intuitive –- just say whatever and see how it feels on a page or out of your mouth.Then on the other end of the tension is very direct, expository, saying exactly what you mean. Or, even saying the name of an actual friend of mine — there ended up being a lot of names on the record like Daniel, Katie, Olivia, Tamara. When I feel myself going one way on the tension scale, I try to see what happens if I go a little bit the other way, and try to never be one all the way through. But yeah, this record I think was leaning that way, but not always.”
The Justice: “Leaning which way? Towards the cryptic side?”
Becker: “A little bit. But then, and that becomes the fun, but also really hard task at the end to try to try to tie it together. I like to assume that the people that listen to our music are smart, you know? And that they don’t need to be beaten over the head with the meaning of something and they could be okay with the ambiguity.”
The Justice: “I was interested by the fact that your band is LA-based but there’s a lot of nature imagery in your songs. That’s not usually what I think of when I think of LA.”
Becker: That’s a good point actually. It’s true. It’s really true.
The Justice: “So how do you feel that the world around you influences your sound and your lyrics?”
Becker: I grew up in San Diego, close to like a canyon, basically, and I spent a lot of time there growing up as a kid, even into adulthood. And, even in LA there are some really beautiful nature spots, and I grew up going camping a lot, so I think there’s a real soft spot for that with me, even though I do live in LA When I was in college, I fell in love with landscape painting and being outside. It wasn’t until I took this summer class for landscape painting that it really
clicked. You get out of the studio and you’re just looking at something and seeing the light conditions and the shapes [of the] everyday world. I think that was like a switch-flip to my brain. All of a sudden, anywhere I go — [the] grocery store or riding the bus — I’m just thinking about ‘what would this be if it was a painting?’”
The Justice: “We saw that you have an art account on Instagram too. Can I ask, what’s the reasoning behind the red ladder?”
Becker: “When I first came up with it, I was thinking it just felt like a cool symbol. I also really liked the idea of making an album art [where] even if you don’t know the name of the album or artist, it can be, ‘the one with the red ladder on it.’ But then I was thinking, especially with that record ‘Hour of Green Evening,’ in my mind it was that kind of transitional, pretwilight time of day. Its fleetingness is very apparent. Then it goes to dusk and then nighttime, and those feel like longer stretches of time. Those are, in fact, just as fleeting but we’re not as aware of it. [As for the ladder], it’s not a place that you stay, it’s a transitional tool. And so [using a red ladder was] to focus on the symbol of fleeting transitional space. It’s just floating in the painting, not grounded. [It] doesn’t really have a shadow. It’s just pasted on there.
The Justice: “It seems like you’re a very visual creator. Would you say that applies to your songwriting as well?”
Becker: “Absolutely. I feel like I think about music and creating in general in painting metaphors all the time. There’s so many good ones.”
The Justice: “You’ve spoken about how the vision for this album was very different from how it began to feel once you started the recording process after some big changes in your personal life. We discussed how the album evolved, in terms of sound, through the recording process. Are there any other major ways that the project departed from the original vision?”
Becker: “Yeah. It was a huge breakup is what it was. It’s kind of fascinating now, it began as just like, ‘I’m so excited about this next album. ‘cause we’re gonna try a bunch of new stuff’ and I had found Claire, who had a studio, so it was just this really exciting thing. And then it was like my life exploded. The breakup happened over the period of a few months, and I was super depressed and didn’t make any music in that time, and really just was out of my mind with grief basically. By the time I returned to [the album], it had already begun to feel very different. I will always procrastinate [lyrics], so a number of them had been written already, most of them [hadn’t been]. I was actually going back to [the] tension thing, cryptic and clear. I [didn’t] want this to be a breakup album, but at the same time, I don’t wanna like deny myself the ability [to] be honest, so I tried to ride that line, but also not think about it too much, [just] if something felt good to write in the moment. It’s almost cliche. Music [and] creativity can be so cathartic or like a way to process things. And I did not go into making this album with that as an intention, but it very much became that. It became a real outlet for grief in a way.”
The Justice: “Of the lyrics that you already had written, did you go back and change anything or were you committing to what you had already written?”
Becker: “That’s a good question. One of them was fully written, this song called ‘Closer To’ and there’s a line in there about ‘next one is a big one’ and it just sort of says that, like it’s not necessarily clear what it’s referring to. And I kind of liked that it sounds ominous, but what’s crazy is that I wrote that not knowing. It sounded like a cool thing that’s for someone to hear if they’re going through something, not knowing that I, in fact, was the one who was about to have my fucking world [changed].”
The Justice: “Weirdly prophetic.”
Becker: “Crazy. And I think there’s a couple others. ‘For Cutting the Grass’ is an interesting one ‘cause that one straight up, I just thought it would be cool as a prompt or as the lyrics were forming, I was like, this feels like this is about aliens invading during a baseball game or something. We were like, what would that [look like]?”
The Justice: “You said that the recording process, or just the whole process, postbreakup was very cathartic for you and a way to process your grief. How would you say touring plays a role in that?”
Becker: “These songs were not rehearsed much before recording. In fact, I think the most we’ve actually rehearsed or played them has been on this tour, after the record is out, so it’s been kind of a fun [experience]. These songs feel even more different than how they began: they changed. And now it’s like the live version and it’s this sort of third iteration. It’s cool to share it with friends and bandmates and get a chance to just play ‘em kind of every night and figure out new things to try. You inevitably get to a point where you’re like, ‘oh, damn it would’ve been cool if we had figured that out before recording it.’”
The Justice: “Different in what way?”
Becker: “There really is something magical about a live band that’s locked in and these four people operating as one thing. And you’re listening to yourself contributing, but also actively listening to everybody else. I just love what that does to your mind and its state, you know? But there’s just these little [differences], like, you can tell Dillon always kind of holds back here. He’s our guitar player. Or like Andy maybe ramps up in [a particular] way on ‘For Cutting the Grass,’ for example. I drummed on the recording, but now Andy’s playing it and just that alone makes it [have] a different flavor. He’s sort of trying to replicate what I did on the record, but then can’t help but have his Andy-ness be imparted on it.”
The Justice: “So what’s been your favorite moment on tour so far?”
Becker: “It’s been a really good one. It’s crazy ‘cause we’ve done a lot of opening for other bands on tour, but we’ve never really like properly headlined a tour before, let alone one that’s like six weeks or however long this one is. I was really nervous ‘cause when you’re opening for other bands, especially if they’re a little bigger, it’s kind of like if there’s people there, it’s like, ‘oh, sick. Now our task is to try to make them be fans of us.’ But if there’s not people there, you’re almost like, ‘well, it’s not our show,’ so you don’t feel the sting, so to speak. What I’ve realized is that sting of a lightly attended show is really nothing to scoff at at all. Some of the lightly attended shows on this tour where we played to like 15 people in Oklahoma City was one of the sweetest nights ever. It was just like 15 people in Oklahoma City that were actually big fans. That’s crazy that we had people that wanted to come out. I also haven’t been drinking on this tour and I feel like that’s really helped my mental state: I’ve felt very even emotionally so, and not really that tired at all. It’s pretty remarkable how much alcohol will mess you up emotionally for a few days. Being on tour even more so.”
The Goon concert itself translated the ethereal production of “Dream 3” into an energetic and vivid live-band performance, displaying Goon’s years of experience and synergy as a band. Looking into local concerts from smaller bands can often lead to a highly memorable night and the discovery of a new favorite artist.
INCANTATIONS OF INDIGENEITY: “AN INDIGENOUS PRESENT” AT BOSTON’S ICA
By MIKEY TERRENZI JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Departing from traditional senses of curation in response to the unique histories of Indigenous Americans, the Institute of Contemporary Art opened “An Indigenous Present” on Oct. 9 featuring site-specific works done by Indigenous contemporary artists. This exhibition is educational at its surface, tracing the history of certain pillars within contemporary Indigenous art. Curators Jeffrey Gibson and Jenelle Porter undoubtedly sought to reimagine the possibilities of curation for Indigenous art. Before diving into the experience of the exhibition, it must be noted that this article will not be similar to other exhibition reviews I have done in the past. Continuing the work that Gibson and Porter started in their unconventional yet just presentation of the genre, I aim to describe my experience within the galleries, discussing the art, the artist’s words and not relegating these artists to their origins. As the Indigenous Artist has been restricted to a Western understanding, I plan to write without consideration for comprehension. This curatorial experience may confuse, complicate and obfuscate the preconceived notions a viewer has, I can only hope to translate such an elation in the restrictive written word. I have chosen to present some works of the many that you can see at the exhibition, and I encourage you to go to the exhibition to see all of them.
In George Morrison’s “Untitled” (1962) brush hits canvas, color slowly smears, drags, contrasts, fights, embraces, to manifest an oil-slicked plane contained within cold silver metal and soft, warm wood. Stretching between themselves, lines interpenetrate one another, a field of horizontal planes from which blotches of verticality spring forward, becoming nothing less than color and shape on the track towards a human understanding of these two harmonic ideas. Morrison’s work is an immediacy filled with interrogation. Thick paint carved from itself into the canvas, becoming subject itself, paint becomes the figure, the gesture, the movement, the resolution. In the colors of paint we see not only contrast but harmonious communities of small brushstrokes positioned side by side. Continuously Morrison’s paint evolves itself, moving, shifting and responding, creating eyecatching instances which prompts the gaze to dart from one to the other. Large swaths of shifting hues adjust themselves in creating land — distant, misty and unclear. Pigments on the canvas obscure our understanding of land, yet express in themselves what Morrison was drawn to: paint itself. In this exhibition, Morrison is cited as saying, “there might be a suggestion of matter … but the phenomenon of paint was what the painting was really about.”
Standing at the crossroads of the galleries, time shifts. In one direction the past pulls in a historical ideal that the museum demands of the spectator. Another direction leads to the tradition of orality incarnate in sculpture, prose and scale. The third and fourth projects bring you further from the past into the exhibition, as intergenerational questions of art and truth become the focal point of the exhibition. Each direction is a new moment of uncertainty and curiosity.
Patched together with tape that is peeling itself off the paper, Kimowan Metchewais’s “Luther (Striped Man)” (2003) is pinned to a wall, reflected by Sonya Kelliher-Combs’s “Salmon Curl” (2023). Delicate curls of polymer and paper speak in hushed repetitions to one another. The color red repeats and reflects, reexamining itself. Red folds, curves, planes, swaths itself over reindeer hair, quills, to frame a man wrapped in stripes. Repetition, over and over, three times or sixty, these works repeat, again and again. They are individual and distinguishable, notes and tones in symphony. As they sing together across
THOUGHTFUL THEATER
the gallery floor, each delicate story becomes an individual experience to the possibility of our understanding in collectivity. One two and three become one, all to sixty are one. Parts of a whole patched or lined, the wholeness in question as removal and addition are possible and plausible. As Metchewais’ words are presented on the exhibition wall, “the parts create a whole.” Cold dried salmon filets served in an ensemble of human patchwork, craft and textile. They are whole. In their reflection of one another, they speak to an intense symphony of varied voices becoming unified, yet individually distinguishable all the same.
Galleries 1 and 2 of An Indigenous Present in the background of which one can see
“Salmon
Stars and stripes are transformed into a musical score composed of characters exterior to classical traditions in “American Ledger No. 1,” (2018/2020) which is Raven Chacon’s individual understanding and creation of musicality. Possibilities, entrances, futures and paths, the score weaves the abstraction of sound into the material, where fabric and tissue become the literary. What the hands weave into visual, the ears process into information, the understanding of which is for those of whom the works are created. Understanding the score is intrinsic to the musician of the score. Chacon is unapologetic in her obfuscation of the sonority, understanding that the piece may not be performed, yet the blanket becomes the flag and as it burns over a bonfire “Controlled Burn” (2025) rages in the ear. Distant flags of the past become the American flag, displaced from the sound we hear as we are so far removed from the waving of the wind and flapping of fabric. Yet “American Ledger No. 1” rings in our ears, a sound installation mixed with a burning fire crackling over the soft waves of the ICA’s seaside locale.
Visit “An Indigenous Present” without expectations of the art, as each piece will challenge and confuse you. In that way, their messages may become clearer. Thank you to Gibson, Porter and Theresa Romualdez for inviting The Justice to the exhibition.
Dance nation: PoP Music, DraMa, anD a lot of laughs
By LUKE BENANAV JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Content warning: this article includes mention of sex and blood — some of the more triggering moments from the show have been left out, but there is still mention and description of at least one scene readers may find upsetting.
As a stage light comes careening down from the catwalks, the audience is launched into the whirlwind of pop music, dancing, deep conversations and self-discovery that is Clare Barron’s “Dance Nation,” the Brandeis Theater Department’s first play of the season. The show starts bright and fun, with the cast in over-the-top sailor costumes, dramatic moving lights and choreography that takes full advantage of the blackbox-style theater, as actors come right up to the audience while posing. However, the play quickly reminds you that it is unquestionably a dramedy, as one of the dancers (Nina Lokshin ’26) gets a leg injury and everything freezes as she cries for help, but none of the dancers give her assistance. “Dance Nation” has an uncanny ability to transition very quickly, and occasionally jarringly, from comedic to serious. There were many occasions where the audience would be laughing at a scene that began with preteens discussing their naive understanding of sex, and abruptly transitioned into a dramatic monologue that could range from the character describing how they’ve only ever had one dream and they don’t think they can achieve it, to another character describing how they could never bring themselves to accept a compliment if someone called them beautiful or smart. Every time the show seemed to relax into comedy again, a new moment of intense seriousness was not far behind.
“Dance Nation” is about a pre-adolescent dance troupe as the dancers begin the transition from children to teenagers. It follows the seven dancers Zuzu (LaRue Vigil ’26 ), Connie (Anmol Virani ’25), Amina (Manning Zhang ’26), Sofia (Mimi Hinbrand ’27), Maeve (Triona Suiter ’27), Ashlee (Erin Klein ’28) and Luke (Simon Link ’28) on their journey to try and win the national championship in Tampa Bay, Florida, while navigating the conflicts that arise between competitive dancers entering adolescence. The first conflict arises when Amina, the best dancer of the troupe, is not chosen for the dance solo, and instead it goes to Zuzu, whose passion for dance exceeds her technical ability. For most of the show, Amina is confused and frustrated, even going to dance teacher Pat (Jordan Li ’27) and asking if he was mad at her. When Zuzu does mess up during the competition, Amina wastes no time in taking the spotlight — winning the competition, but killing any confidence that Zuzu had left. The rest of the troupe takes Zuzu’s side, even when Amina tries explaining herself. The champion was finally taken down a peg.
Although the overarching goal of the show is focused on making it to Tampa, much of the runtime is spent getting to know the characters better. The audience listens to private conversations in the dressing room, or when each character gets a moment to freeze the scene and break the fourth wall while monologuing from an older perspective than the pre-adolescent that they are in every other scene. These monologues are filled with wants, wishes, regrets, sorrow and questions. They contain the deepest thoughts of the characters on stage, and only the audience can hear
them. The locker room conversations, on the other hand, could get blatantly sexual very quickly. I found that the director, Michelle M. Aguillon, and actors did an excellent job of transforming what could have been only vulgar content into shocking emotional moments. Reactions to this style were divisive among audience members, however. Several people loved the script, feeling that it accurately portrayed the conversations that would be had in hushed whispers and giggles in changing rooms, while others felt that it was still hard to watch due to the crude content. One of the most controversial scenes was when Sofia gets her period for the first time backstage before the competition, and in their frenzy to hype each other up before the show, some of the dancers smear the blood on their faces. The scene ended quickly, but the intense shock and unease could be felt throughout the entire audience on opening night.
“Dance Nation” was a production filled with hilarious scenes and very dark themes, where it was impossible to tell what the next scene would say or do. The entire production team and cast did an amazing job bringing the show together in just over a month, with a beautiful set, incredible choreography, outstanding costumes, phenomenal lighting and amazing acting. The one thing attendees agreed on was that even if the content of the story was uncomfortable, the performance was wonderful. Congratulations to everyone involved for a great start to the 2025-26 department show season!
Teresa Baker “Throw It to the Ocean,” (2025), Acrylic yarn, Monterey cypress seed pods, willow, and artificial sinew on artificial turf.Behind which artist and co-curator Jeffre Gibson stands in front of Kimowan Metchewais, Ghost Dancer, 1998, Photo Paper, ink, watercolor, paint, and chalk on paper.
Photos: MIKEY TERRENZI/The Justice. Design: JOAN COGLIANO/The Justice.
George Morrison, “Untitled,” (1962), oil on canvas, Collection of Barbara Pereyma-Farrara.
Top Ten STAFF’S
Top 10 things to do with a lemon if life gives you one
By RIVKA RESNICK JUSTICE COPY EDITOR
1. Admire its beauty
2. Use it as a stress ball
3. Practice juggling (requires three lemons)
4. Gift it to a passerby who looks to be in need of a lemon
5. Throw it at an intruder
6. Adopt it as your pet and take it on walks
7. Tell it all your secrets and then put it on a salad
8. Poke holes in it for fun
9. Make it your muse
10. Teach it how to count to ten and say the ABCs
W hat does “ o
ne
It’s been a long time coming — and it crashed and burned. When Taylor Swift announced her twelfth studio album “The Life of a Showgirl,” she cranked the hype up to 11. Posting bold pictures of herself dressed up in flashy vaudevillian garb, Swift promised that the new album would contain “melodies that were so infectious that you’re almost angry at it, and lyrics that are just as vivid but crisp and focused and completely intentional.” But when the album finally dropped on Oct. 3, millions of fans took to social media bashing this project for its lackluster lyricism and misleading theme. But is the album as bad as internet critics make it out to be?
Unfortunately, the critics were right about the theme — or the lack thereof. You can count the amount of “showgirl” tracks on less than one hand but I’m willing to give it a pass since Swift doesn’t really do concept albums. Many of the tracks on this album pack a serious punch sonically. Lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” is memorable with its new wave sound and “Opalite” is a sunny pure-pop track that gives the feeling of clouds parting in the sky. But lyrically, this is not Swift’s best work. She tries out a lot of things that just don’t work for her like the endless references to Kelce’s “redwood tree” in the otherwise catchy 70’s funk track “Wood.” Swift collaborates with Sabrina Carpenter on the album’s title track and it’s clear that she pulled inspiration from Carpenter’s raunchy lyricism. But Swift is usually more conservative than
By LAUREN GOODMAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Carpenter when it comes to referencing sex, so her attempt at a change of style here feels childish. “Actually Romantic” has a similar immature vibe; while not the worst lyrically, its Regina Georgeesque message of “Why are you so obsessed with me?” comes off as more arrogant than confident.
The infamous piano ballad “Eldest Daughter” shuns the cruelty of “trolling and memes,” lilting, “I’m not a bad bitch, and this isn’t savage.” No, it is not — especially since no one’s used the word “savage” since 2016. Swift may be intentionally trying to sound cringeworthy here to illustrate the crushing weight of attempting coolness, but on the overly smug “CANCELLED!” she does it again.
Over a dark tune that sounds like a “Reputation” refrain, she asks “Did you girlboss too close to the sun?” to her mega-rich friends whose lives were surely ruined by people being mean to them online. This is not to say that Swift’s lyricism has completely gone down the drain. “Father Figure” showcases Swift’s storytelling abilities as she steps into the role of a money-hungry music mogul whose love for a young star is “pure profit.” Later in the song, the perspective switches to a current-day Swift with the world in her hands. It’s compelling how Swift makes no apologies for the power she wields; every time she whispers “I protect the family” on the gently menacing chorus she feels like a mob boss who just placed his gun on the table. “Elizabeth Taylor” has a similar effect.
Over a dark, brooding beat and a
rich production, Swift owns her status as one of most successful women in the world. She doesn’t try to make herself relatable; she instead steps into her power and flaunts her wealth with enough swagger for listeners to celebrate her instead of rolling their eyes at her privilege. This confidence and self-awareness is an honest, refreshing departure from the “girl next door” image that’s become too unrealistic for her to push after reaching such drastic heights of stardom. Yet Swift continues pushing that image on the rest of the album: she yearns for a simple suburban life on “Wi$h Li$t” which seems disingenuous coming from a billionaire who certainly does want those “Balenci shades.” She harps on times when the internet beat her down on tracks like “Eldest Daughter” and “CANCELLED!,” but now that she’s on top of the world it feels like she’s victimizing herself to win the listener’s sympathy. But as Swift sings on the album’s theatrical closer “The Life of a Showgirl (ft. Sabrina Carpenter),” she’s immortal now; since she’s in a position where nothing can kill her, it’s grating when she keeps acting like she’s dying. Swift’s lack of self-awareness on parts of this record contributes to the lackluster lyricism. After rising to such an intense peak in her career, what Swift needs most now is to recognize who she has become and to rediscover her authenticity. After all, a showgirl can’t put on a good show if the audience can see through the facade.
B attle a fter a nother ” h ave to s ay a B out u s ?
On Sept. 28, we had the opportunity to view Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie “One Battle After Another,” and listen to a panel of experts discuss the movie afterward. One of the points the panel touched on was that the “One Battle After Another” is an adaptation loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel “Vineland.” The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a retired revolutionary suffering from overwhelming paranoia trying to raise his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), in seclusion, while the United States falls into disrepair around them.
The movie opens with just enough exposition to build the semi-dystopian America in which the characters live and provide an understanding of each of the main characters. At the beginning of the film, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character goes by the name Pat and is a member of the far-left revolutionary organization the “French 75,” which is implied to be a domestic terrorist group. The very first scene serves as an introduction to a reality, set in America around 2008, that has an obvious resemblance to America in 2025. In this opening members of the French 75 break immigrants out of a detention center along the MexicanAmerican border. At the forefront of the group is a woman named Perfidia Beverly Hills, played by Teyanna Taylor. Perfidia is the leader of French 75 and the mother of Pat’s daughter. In the first hour of the film we watch Perfidia go from a brazen leader, to suffering from an identity crisis after becoming a mother. Perfidia’s feelings and lack of control result in more violence and eventually in her shooting a security guard at the bank they attempt to rob. After this she is arrested and agrees to betray the French 75 to go into the witness protection program. Thus, Pat and his infant daughter are forced into hiding and change their names to Bob and Willa Ferguson.
The antagonist in this film is Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw, played by Sean Penn. We are initially introduced to Lockjaw at the immigration detention center targeted by the French 75. Perfidia holds him at gun point and explicitly humiliates him. From that point forward, Lockjaw develops a sexual obsession with Perfidia. Alongside the classic villain tropes he displays in the film, Lockjaw exemplifies the fetishization Black women experience from white men while they suffer abuse from them at the same time. This is the first obvious break from “Vineland”. “One Battle Af -
By ELLIE HARRIS & ELIZA ROTHFELD JUSTICE ONLINE EDITOR & JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ter Another” loosely follows the story of “Vineland” but includes race as a driving factor of the story, something not considered in “Vineland.”
Lockjaw’s obsession with Perfidia is reawakened sixteen years later when he is invited to join a white supremist cult of extremely powerful men called “The Christmas Adventurers Club.” For Lockjaw to join he must prove his purity. This means erasing his sexual history with Perfidia Beverly Hills, a Black woman, and disposing of Willa Ferguson, who is potentially his biological daughter. Following the film was a panel discussion led by Prof. John Plotz (ENG). The panel included Ethan Warren from the Boston Society of Film Critics and Peter Coviello, an English professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. As an English professor, Coviello’s takes on the film related to how the film compared to “Vineland.” He stated that the film followed the book’s main themes of anti-facism and criticism of the potential for a police state in modern America. Pynchon was influenced by the policing and military systems that existed in America at the time of the book’s publishing in 1990, yet these same systems still exist today. Coviello believes that the novel takes inspiration from periods of protest in America spanning the late 1960s, 70s and early 80s. He noted that key differences between the novel and the film include the political subplots with immigration and race.
In “Vineland,” Willa and her mother Perfidia aren’t black and Lockjaw has no mission to “purify” himself. Additionally, while the French 75 in Vineland are a far-left fringe group, they aren’t armed. The film sharply contrasts this portrayal by depicting members of the group inciting violence by bombing buildings as their habitual method of enacting change. Both Coviello and Warren criticized the depiction of the Christmas Adventurers Club, stating that portraying this powerful group of fascists as ridiculous and the butt of the joke doesn’t land well. The outlandishness of The Christmas Adventurers Club doesn’t actually make their group entertaining, but rather makes the film’s heroes seem less powerful and competent. By the film’s end, the Christmas Adventurers remain unharmed and completely anonymous. Bob and Willa never learn of their existence. However, our interpretation of the Christmas Adventurers is that taking fascists as seriously as
they take themselves gives them more power, and to revel in their ludicrousness reminds us of their incompetence, which takes away their intensity.
Warren unfortunately believes the film to be one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s weaker works. He did note, however, that this is one of Anderson’s first films set in the 21st century and it incorporates the modern American political culture beautifully into a film that, while not set in modern America, is a commentary on it. He acknowledges the fact that the world of “One Battle After Another” could very well be the one we are living in now and recognizes the classic Paul Thomas Anderson tropes that made their way into this film. The unreliable mother figure is embodied by Perfidia through her betrayal early in the film which results in her physical absence, though her presence still haunts Bob, Willa and Lockjaw. Bob and Lockjaw, the two leading men, exist as foils of each other, representing opposite ends of many spectrums, from political affiliation to the way they dress. For instance, Bob spends the majority of the film in a bathrobe, and Lockjaw is seen only in suits and military uniforms. Finally, of course, the story revolves around Bob and Willa as father and daughter. Unfortunately, Warren saw the film as overtly pessimistic and describes the true nature of the film as a power struggle between people who have naturally benefited from the systems in place and people with strong enough willpower to make these societal systems absolute. Warren believes the film’s attempt to engage with anti-facism as an overall message was poorly done and sidesteps the politics of the story for too much of a familial highlight.
Overall, the film highlights the fascism found within our American state today, and provides a powerful depiction of the racism that remains an enduring aspect of our government. The existence of men like Lockjaw and the members of the Christmas Adventurers Club forces viewers to reconcile the fact that our society is not nearly as evolved and egalitarian as some would like to believe. Through strong protagonists, who are mainly people of color, “One Battle After Another” shines a spotlight on the issues America faces today, including immigration, abortion, racism, sexism and how systems put in place years ago to benefit everyone now only help a very specific kind of person, and how far someone should go to fix that.
