“New Year, no genocide”: Brandeis Jewish Bund hosts first vigil this year
■ The day after the end of Jewish new year celebrations, the Bund held a vigil to honor civilian deaths caused by Israel’s various ongoing military offensives.
On Thursday, Sept. 25, members of the Brandeis Jewish Bund gathered with students and community members in the Shapiro Campus Center for a “vigil to honor and remember those murdered by Israel in Palestine, Iran, Yemen and Lebanon,” according to a Sept. 24 Instagram post. The vigil’s organizers entered the atrium and established themselves at the steps, laying banners and distributing surgical masks to attendees to be used as face coverings. Six members carried in a wooden coffin covered in a keffiyah, imagery which is synonymous with Bund gatherings. Two of the Bund’s banners, which have been used in previous demonstrations, read “Stop Supporting Genocide” and “Bund” written in Yiddish. A new banner with white lettering on a black background presented, “New Year No Genocide.” This vigil intentionally occurred one day after the celebration of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.
A Bund member elaborated that these holidays are a time to reflect on the year that passed and to make amends. “However, it’s impossible to make amends for more than 700 days of genocide,” they said, posing the question, “How can our New Year ever be sweet as a genocide continues?” They addressed a semicircle of about 20 community members around the presenters, noting the lower attendance of this vigil compared to past events.
During the demonstration, several Bund members delivered impassioned speeches. A key message relayed was the importance of collective action. In effect, the Bund said it is “contingent” upon students to “reject genocide” and show regard for the high number of civilian fatalities caused by Israel’s military operations in Palestine. Per a Sept. 4 article by the Associated Press, “more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in the nearly two-year war in the Gaza Strip.” The AP cited Gaza’s Health Ministry for this estimate: “Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate of wartime deaths by [United Nations] agencies and many independent experts,” the article clarifies.
A speech read by a Bund member stated that the loudest message on campus has been “silent resignation” towards the destruction taking place and that many students are internalizing this attitude. “That we should stay quiet, stay hidden, stay afraid, while Palestinian students are doxxed, harassed and threatened on this campus. … We’re told to keep our heads down. But this is not the only option. We are not powerless and we are not voiceless. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can do is also the most basic: speak
out.” The speaker urged attendees to reassure others that they are not alone, adding that voices can shift power. “This campus will not protect us unless we make it — but it can, and we will,” they concluded. Anti-doxxing has become a rallying cry for the Bund amid claims of harassment against members who have unwillingly become publicly known. In the Department of Student Rights and Community Standards’ Rights and Responsibilities handbook doxxing is noted in section 10.4.a as “the public disclosure or threat to disclose another individual’s personally identifying or private information … without their consent, in a context reasonably likely to intimidate, harass, endanger, or cause harm.” In contrast to the Sept. 17 “Study in for Palestine,” The Justice did not observe any opposing or unaffiliated individuals taking photographs of the demonstrators or protesting.
Concluding the vigil, a Bund member led chants such as “free free Palestine,” “stop the killing, stop the slaughter, Gaza has no food or water,” “Israel bombs, [United States of America] pays, how many kids did you kill today?” and “never again for anyone, never again is now.” Rounds of chanting continued for about seven minutes. By approximately 6:00 p.m., around 16 attendees remained in the atrium. Their voices had begun to grow hoarse.
Considering the vigil was only advertised by the Bund a day before it occurred, the attendance was far from the largest the Bund has seen for a vigil. For example, The Justice reported about 75 individuals in attendance for the Bund’s Oct. 21 vigil last year.
In an interview with The Justice after the event, an organizer said that this was a deliberate precaution to avoid risk of doxxing, which the organization has detailed allegations of. The Justice could not confirm them as of press time.
More specifically, the Bund member said that the group has been, as they described, “targeted by Betar [U.S.] … a right-wing Zionist youth movement.” Betar’s U.S. website reads that “when antisemitic incidents occur, Betar is among the first to respond. Whether through the press, social media or campus action, we refuse to let hate go unchecked.”
The member recalled that Betar has used its Instagram account, “betarnews,” to draw attention to the Bund’s on-campus programming. The Justice has a copy of a now-deleted Betar post from Feb. 5. The caption tags the University’s Instagram and states, “Another sick school which [is] hosting an event tonite [sic] for jihadi terrorists.” The caption continues, “Join Betar[,] hear playing loud Zionist Israeli music. Any school which wants to honor terrorists has no business getting funding. Please take [a] video — including of those terrible people hosting for @icegov and other government entities.” The post also included a call for Betar’s followers to attend the Bund’s Feb. 5 vigil, though The Justice did not observe counterprotesters associated with Betar at this event.
In addition to keeping the event obscure for con-
A Brandeis student explores red mud production in the United States. By
SAAYA DAGA
■ A small opposition formed as the Bund fashioned a display of maps, articles and posters while calling for the University’s respect and an end to violence in Palestine.
By IYLA LICHTENFELD JUSTICE NEWS EDITOR
On Wednesday Sept. 17 the Jewish Bund held a “Study in for Palestine” gathering in Farber Library from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. At one large table several Bund members laid out maps of Palestine and Israel, posters naming those dead from the conflict, and a banner reading “Stop Supporting Genocide.” About 10-15 other Bund members and supporters flanked the central table and sat at adjacent tables leading toward Starbucks. At around 4:00 p.m., a small opposition of at most 10 students huddled in a circle deliberating the Bund a little
more than five feet away from the table. At the time, most of the opposition appeared to be male students, some wearing religious apparel and similar white button downs and black slacks. The men did not interact with the Bund beyond standing within the vicinity of the protest and glancing at the table.
Bund members came dressed in mostly black and dark colors with some covering their faces to prevent identification. Others who were stationed at the table filled the roles of spokesperson or educator per the informational and advocational lens of the event. These members were available to the public and press for comment while those spread around Farber’s first floor functioned as studiers to fill as many seats as possible, a promoted goal of the event. A member of the Bund spoke of the group's purpose in organzing the study in, “we have a moral responsibility in calling to be here and at the very least bring voice to Palestinians, to bring attention to a campaign of ethic cleansing and genocide that is currently happening in the occupied terri-
BEMCo in the basement: supervisors speak on recent policy changes
■ BEMCo has implemented new changes, including switching from pagers to a radio system and moving operations to the basement of Scheffres Hall.
By HANNAH SHAPIRO JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps is undergoing various policy changes in the 2025-26 academic year. There has been confusion and speculation among the student body surrounding these changes. Managers of the clinical side of the BEMCo, Ellen Chiang ’26, Julia Kole ’26 and Hannah Bennet ’26 help lead the student-run emergency response service. Chiang serves as the Executive Director of BEMCo, overseeing events like Emergency Medi-
Arts censorship An examination of the Trump administration's attempt to censor the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian. By
ALICE NGUYEN
cal Technician classes and volunteering. Bennett is the Director of Operations, managing “the day to day aspect of BEMCo … making sure we have all … our medications and our medical supplies … I make sure the trucks are running and make sure any incidents that happen get reported to me.” As the longest-term member of BEMCo, Kole, who joined on her very first day at the University, shared her perspective on some changes she has witnessed during her time with the organization. She emphasized the importance of the relationship between BEMCo and the Department of Public Safety. Despite having neighboring offices, BEMCo did not know any of the officers, Kole claimed. This year, they have been devoting more effort into building relationships with Public Safety officers. These relationships allow BEMCo to operate more smoothly and efficiently, stated Kole in a Sept. 25 interview.
Kole discussed other changes to BEMCo including moving their office twice. BEMCo previously
Levine sworn in as president
GRACE DOH
LILY CHAFE
PAPERS : Posters lay across a table used by the Bund.
By SOPHIA DE LISI & IYLA LICHTENFELD
SKYE
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
GATHERING : Bund members assemble to hold banners and speak. ANIKA JAIN/The Justice.
POLICE LOG
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
– Content Warning: this log includes mentions of suicide.
Sept. 12 — There was a medical emergency for a party who fainted. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 12 There was a medical emergency for a party throwing up. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 13 There was a medical emergency for a party throwing up out of concern for a possible alcohol poisoning. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 13 There was a medical emergency for an allergic reaction. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 14 There was a medical emergency for an intoxicated party throwing up. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 14 There was a medical emergency for a suicidal party. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 14 There was a medical emergency for a party who fell down a flight of stairs and was bleeding. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 15 There was a medical emergency for a party with a skin abrasion. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 16 There was a medical emergency for a party who felt faint. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 16 There was a medical emergency for a party experiencing mental health issues. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 16 There was a medical emergency for a party who fainted. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 17 There was a medical emergency for a party who injured their ankle. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 17 There was a medical emergency for a party with chest pains and difficulty breathing. The patient was transported to a
nearby hospital.
Sept. 17 There was a medical emergency for a party who fainted.
The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 18 There was a medical emergency for a party who had fallen. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 19 There was a medical emergency for a party with a glass shard in their eyelid. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 19 There was a medical emergency for a party who rolled their ankle. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 19 There was a medical emergency for a party with food lodged in their throat; they were able to breathe. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 21 There was a medical emergency for an intoxicated party throwing up. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 22 There was a medical emergency for a party with an injured knee. The patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 22 There was a medical emergency for a party who fainted. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 23 There was a medical emergency for a party with a suspected concussion. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
MOTOR VEHICLES
Sept. 13 Damage was found to a parked vehicle. A report was made and the situation was cleared.
Sept. 16 There was a report of multiple cars on fire. The Waltham Fire Department responded and the Emergency Manager of Environmental Health and Safety was notified of fuel leaking in the lot.
Sept. 16 There was a motor vehicle accident. The situation was cleared.
Sept. 18 There was a report of a vandalized car. There will be an investigation to follow.
Sept. 18 There was a report of a stolen scooter. There will be an investigation to follow.
MISCELLANEOUS
Sept. 12 Police assistance was requested to gain entry to a room via a Lockout Assistant.
Sept. 12 There was a damaged light. The situation was cleared.
Sept. 16 There was a report of unauthorized flyers in some buildings. There will be an investigation to follow.
Sept. 19 There was a report of a suspicious package. The situation was cleared.
Sept. 19 There was a report of an assault. There will be an investigation to follow.
Sept. 21 There was a report for a noise complaint. The department of Community Living was notified to respond.
Sept. 21 There was a report of loud banging and screaming. All appeared to be in order.
Sept. 24 There was a report of unauthorized flyers in a building. There will be an investigation to follow.
Arthur Levine was sworn in as the tenth president of Brandeis University
■ Last week’s installation ceremony marked the beginning of Levine’s new presidential term where he spoke about his plans for the University’s future.
By GRACE DOH JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR
The Brandeis Board of Trustees has named Arthur Levine ’70 official president of the University at the Sept. 16 installation ceremony held in the Napoli Room at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. Joined by about 60 trustees, senior administrators and several local alumni and donors, Levine was sworn in and presented the University medallion and charter. Having served as interim president since Nov. 1 2024, following president emeritus Ron Liebowitz’ resignation, Levine has taken office as tenth president of Brandeis. A 1970 Brandeis graduate, Levine has held leadership roles at the Carnegie Foundation, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Bradford College, Teachers College at Columbia University and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. In her remarks
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
■ A caption in the news section incorrectly spelled “catepillar.” It was corrected to “caterpillar.” (Sep. 16, Page 2).
■ A photo story in the news section did not list an author. It was corrected to “By Lucia Thomas.” (Sep. 16, Page 3).
■ A caption in the news section incorrectly spelled “changeing.” It was corrected to “changing.” (Sep. 16, Page 5).
■ An article in the news section incorrectly stated, “Her work had struck a chord with his daughter, and he thought she would be an asset.” It has been corrected. (Sep. 16, Page 1).
■ An article in the news section incorrectly refered to Evelyn Bagley as she/her/hers. It has since been corrected to they/them/theirs. (Sep. 16, Page 1).
■ An article in the news section did not name a student speaker. It has since been corrected to “Bebe Weisbard.” (Sep. 16, Page 1).
■ An article in the news section incorrectly named someone as “Abdullah Gul.” It has been corrected to “Recep Tayyip Erdogan.” (Sep. 16, Page 1).
The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org
www.thejustice.org
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at the ceremony, board trustee and Academy Committee Chair Marjorie Hass highlighted Levine’s background, saying that he comes prepared “at a moment that calls for courageous, transformational leadership. We recognized the threats to our solvency and our mission and we sought a president who understood our roots, our values and our possibilities.”
In his acceptance speech, Levine acknowledged he had “heard stories of decline, of divisions and of problems” before stepping into the interim role, but said what he found at Brandeis was far stronger than the narrative suggested. He described students, faculty and staff as exceeding expectations in their talent and commitment, and called for the University to “bury the disappointments” and treat the installation as “a new beginning.”
This “new beginning” comes at a time of financial strain. In recent years, Brandeis has dealt with enrollment declines, budget deficits and increased endowment draws to cover operating costs. For the fiscal year 2024, the University ran a $1.7 million deficit on a budget exceeding $400 million, according to The Boston Globe. Large construction projects have been delayed, and community members have expressed concerns about the long-term sustainability of finances and resources.
One of the ways in which the University has responded is the “Brandeis Plan to Reinvent the Liberal Arts,” introduced ear-
lier this semester. The plan reshapes the curriculum around broad competencies such as communication, creativity and artificial intelligence literacy and it adds a second “competency transcript” alongside traditional grades. It also embeds career preparation into students’ academic paths from orientation and establishes a Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts. Trustees said Levine was central in shaping and championing this plan while serving as interim president. Lisa Kranc, chair of the Board of Trustees, told The Justice on Sept. 16 that the board was pleased with his progress in carving out a vision with input from faculty and staff. “We felt it was important for stability that [Levine] stayed in position,” Kranc said, “to make sure that the vision [was] enacted and implemented.” In her ceremonial remarks, she praised him for reawakening “the pioneering spirit of our founders.”
Levine’s installation address looked ahead to his priorities as president. He said strengthening Jewish life on campus would be a focus, with a new center planned to support Jewish student programming. He noted that a capital campaign is underway to address Brandeis’ “historic undercapitalization,” while also reaffirming the University’s mission to “repair the world.” In his closing remarks, Levine addressed the community: “Together, we can make the years ahead a golden era for Brandeis.”
Brandeis receives overall F in college free speech
■ The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression pointed to the University’s hesitation to adopt free speech policies.
By ISAAC HOFFMAN AND CHAVA THIELL JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Brandeis University earned an overall F in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s 2026 free speech rankings, placing 149th of 257 U.S. colleges and universities. The school’s rules received a “yellow light” designation, meaning Brandeis has chosen policies that may be applied in a way that violates rights to free speech. “That means that there’s one or more speech code policies in a student handbook, faculty handbook, somewhere … that they’re worded in a way that they could be applied unconstitutionally. It’s vague or arbitrary wording,” said Sean Stevens, chief research advisor at FIRE, in a Sep. 26 interview with The Justice.
Brandeis scored 56.8 out of 100 possible points for free expression, a 2.8 point increase from the 2024-25 school year, and a jump up of 82 spots in the national rankings for most free expression. The school also saw a positive increase in four of the six subcategories explored in the report, namely self-censorship, student comfort expressing ideas, administrative support and openness, where Brandeis was in the top 50 nationwide. Notably though, political intolerance and disruptive conduct both increased this past year.
“We work with a survey company called CollegePulse that has built databases of students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia,” said Stevens. “We wanted to measure self-censorship and comfort expressing ideas. Also, attention to the administration [was] important. Other questions were assessing and showing increased support for certain disruptive protest tactics.” Panels of students at specific campuses first opt in to take the surveys via the organization’s app and then respond to them. A specific weight is applied to those responses creating a “demographically re-
presentative” model for FIRE to construct their final assessment.
FIRE’s report has come out at a time when tensions surrounding free speech have grown to be increasingly contentious. In the past two years, campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas War have led to lawsuits and heated clashes with university administrators nationwide. “Anything related to Israel, Palestine, [is] certainly a big one, and traditionally has been a fairly big one in the past,” said Stevens, when asked what issues FIRE has observed to be some of the most controversial on college campuses. “Abortion is always a topic that causes controversy. Transgender rights as well.”
FIRE also monitors ongoing speech controversies on college campuses. Included in the report is the University’s 2023 decision to no longer recognize the group known as Students for Justice in Palestine, which ultimately docked the school one point. No further incidents were included in this year’s assessment.
More recently, the assasination of Charlie Kirk and attempts by the Trump administration to deplatform critics like Jimmy Kimmel have intensified national debates about what constitutes free speech and what institutions can do to protect it. “It certainly upticks our general work because we defend students and faculty who do face calls for sanctions,” said Stevens. “We’ve been busy fielding that. We maintain these controversy databases that track that stuff, so there’s been a heavy volume of that coming in ... We’re gonna launch another survey of undergrad soon in the aftermath of the [Kirk] assassination.”
The report includes information about Brandeis’ institutional policies pertaining to free speech. Brandeis, along with over 100 schools in the U.S., has adopted the Chicago Statement, which is considered the standard for free-speech policy in institutions of higher education. The statement itself reads that, “[it] guarantees all members of the University community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn.”
The Chicago Statement has been endorsed by FIRE, which awarded Brandeis
points towards its overall score. The University has yet to adopt a policy of institutional neutrality — the idea that institutions of higher education should not take a position on political or social issues. That is unless those issues oppose the mission of the school itself, which in part states that Brandeis “considers social justice central to its mission as a nonsectarian university founded by members of the American Jewish community.” This is another FIRE-endorsed policy that would add to a school’s overall score. Brandeis’ mission is rooted in values of social justice as a nonsectarian university founded by the American Jewish community.
The initial survey also collected data about student political affiliations. At Brandeis, there are approximately 13 liberal students for every one conservative student. This follows in accordance with the national trend that FIRE has been observing, where college campuses have grown to be increasingly liberal spaces. Stevens believes this is a result of a larger trend occurring over a long period of time. “... The professor in academia as a whole has grown more and more liberal, more and more progressive over the past six, seven decades … there’s maybe a little bit of conservative scholars detecting hostility to their views, so they opt to not pursue further careers in academia.”
Going forward, FIRE would like to see Brandeis and other schools continue to move toward a climate that supports free speech by encouraging students not to self-censor and for the University to clarify its policies. Stevens also highlighted the importance of holding events and forums for a wide variety of speakers with diverse opinions. Discussing FIRE’s work in particular, he also mentioned their current civic dialogue programs at various schools including Vanderbilt University, which has seen substantial improvements in its data. “If there aren’t more conservative leaning student organizations, those students should be encouraged to hold events and invite people in and start engaging in discussion and with ideas,” he said.
Becky Behar:
“May you live, grow and thrive
■ Becky Behar, winner of the 2025 Isaac Anolic Jewish Book Arts Award, presents photography exploring Sephardic rituals across time and image as Ancestry on Display.
By ASHHWIKA SONI JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Becky Behar, winner of the 2025 Isaac Anolic Jewish Book Arts Award, presented a viewing of her photos at the Kniznick Gallery at The Women’s Studies Research Center from Sept. 4 to Sept. 18. A new-age photographer, Behar was brought up under Sephardic Jewish heritage and descends from the diasporic population expelled during the Spanish Inquisition in the late 15th century. Her work titled “Tu Ke Bivas” has been derived from a Ladino — or Judeo-Spanish — language, blessing her parents often invoked: “May you live, grow and thrive like a little fish in freshwater.” Behar’s photos imbibe her culture and traditions through the enactment of her mother and daughter performing these rituals today. Although her family’s migration led her through Turkey, Columbia and ultimately the United States, her Ladino language, Jewish religion and Sephardic customs remained few of the only constants in her life. At the core of the exhibition, Behar’s mother and daughter are seen engaging in prayer and Shabbat rituals. The two triptychs, which are three-part artworks presented as a unified whole, “Kuvridas Kon Kavana” (covered with intention) show her family members’ hands covering their eyes in blessing. It is customary to cover one’s eyes for the Shema prayer and the lighting of the Shabbat candles. As part of their traditional role of shaping spirituality within the home, women light the candles and wave their hands
three times before covering as they say their prayers. This is a gesture that connects the three generations of women and a piece of work that underscores women’s importance in Judaic tradition. Another series, “Lo Ke se Trenza, no se Desata” (What Is Braided, Does Not Unravel) highlights challah braiding and touch between generations as a symbol of resilience. Still-life photographs interwoven throughout underscore how ordinary objects embody cultural meaning. Most of her works, including “L’Dor V’Dor” (From Generation to Generation) and “Desendansya” (Bloodlines) trace her customs, faith, family connections and heritage, emphasizing ancestry as a living force carried in both body and memory. Still life plays a central role in “Damgua Dulse” (Sweet Imprint, 2022) where sweetness suggests love, nurturance and resilience, reflecting upon the lasting impressions of rituals across generations. Behar also explores themes of uncertainty and choice through “Fadaryo i Fortuna” (Fate and Fortune, 2023). This work examines the tension between destiny and personal agency within the Jewish tradition, raising questions about inheritance and possibility. Through her work “Nazar No!” (No Evil Eye, 2022), Behar uses bold imagery to reject envy and misfortune, reclaiming symbolism as strength. Behar focuses on oral traditions as a way of connecting and remembering the roots of her traditional values. The work “Konsehos de vida” (Life Lessons, 2022) reflects the endurance of Sephardic proverbs, tying storytelling to daily resilience. On the other hand, “Tradisyones Orales” (Oral Traditions, 2021) views storytelling as a vessel of culture and celebrates the memory preserved through voice. Acts of generosity and devotion surface in “Sekada” (Charity, 2023), which centers on the act of giving, reflecting it both on obligation and blessing. Similarly, “Bendichas Manos” (Blessed Hands, 2023) and “Tehilim” (Prayer, 2023) highlight the sanctity of women’s ritual gestures, elevating hands as a vessel of spirituality. The works also capture devotion to prayer as a continuity in times of uncer -
like
a little fish in freshwater”
tainty. “El fondo Keda” (The Depth Remains, 2022) suggests that beneath change, culture remains resilient, even in times of exile. “Espina” (Spine, 2022) presents resilience as a backbone of survival, conveying strength in fragility and endurance through faith. Together, these photographs form more than a collection of pieces, they offer an insight to continuity, belonging and survival. Behar’s lens transforms her private rituals into public acts of remembrance, reminding viewers that heritage persists not only in memory but also in gesture, words and objects that carry it forward.
The gallery space extends the narrative beyond the frames. Placed at the entrance of the exhibition was a copy of the “Alhambra Decree” (Edict of Expulsion of 1492). The text read that the decree ordered the expulsion of Spain’s Jewish community, forcing families to abandon their homes, traditions and language. This moment of rupture scattered generations into diaspora, shaping Sephardic identity through exile, resilience and memory. The decree stands as both a historical wound and a reminder of the endurance of culture, faith and belonging.
The gallery presented food traditions to tell parallel stories of memory and resilience. The recipe for Ma’amoules cookies was placed in a drawer, inviting the viewer to make these Middle Eastern delicacies filled with dates and nuts. In the Sephardic Jewish practice, they are eaten during Purim, with the hidden sweet filling symbolizing Queen Esther’s concealed identity. In this way, the cookies embodied how stories of survival are baked into everyday rituals. One drawer held amulets of blue eyes, hamsas and garlic linked to the Sephardic tradition of guarding against the “mal de ojo” (evil eye). To further engage with her viewers, Behar presented a drawer inviting people to write down traditions from their own family, weaving these practices into a living archive of customs, connections and stories that sustain identity across generations.
Behar also focused on the Shabbat candles used in Jewish traditions. Lit each Friday
evening, these candles bring light, peace and blessing into the home, marking the transition from the week’s labors to sacred rest. Beside this lay a drawer filled with the braided Havdalah candles that mark the end of Shabbat and the return to the everyday. Its intertwined wicks symbolize unity, the weaving together of sacred time and ordinary life. Alongside the candle, aromatic spices are inhaled, carrying sweetness and strength into the week ahead. Behar displayed her linguistic heritage through a drawer presenting linguist Julia Peck’s “Ladino en Kaza,” a project encouraging Ladino to be spoken at home as part of their daily lives. There were also various drawers filled with family photos, Sephardic proverbs and Kippahs (Jewish skullcaps).
In the middle of the gallery lay a table spread divided cleanly into white and navy halves. One side was set with blue-and-white patterned plates, silver candlesticks and a gleaming Kiddush cup. On the other were mint leaves, a brass tray of pomegranates, ornate glasses and a vessel of infused oil inviting visitors to not only look but inviting them as participants. Placed alongside the objects are cards. One explains the symbolism of rosemary oil, used in Sephardic households to accompany blessings and rituals; the other reads “Azer Chay,” the Ladino dialogue for preparing tea, inviting visitors to hear and even practice the language out loud. The table also displayed a small wooden box filled with blue glass beads offering protection against the “evil eye,” a tradition known as “ayin hara.” Visitors are encouraged to take one of the beads home as a gesture that erases the distance between the gallery space and lived tradition.
Altogether, the exhibition envelops the viewer in intimate moments and everyday objects, transforming private familial acts into shared cultural experience. As visitors move through the gallery, they are invited not just to witness memory but to participate in it, becoming part of a communal reflection on survival, resilience and continuity.
DeisRobotics shares past triumphs and plans for this coming semester
■ In an interview with The Justice, the club’s leadership talks about handson plans for battle bots, workshop offerings and open door hours for newcomers.
By SOPHIA DE LISI JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tucked away in the back of Goldfarb Library is the Automation Lab — home to DeisRobotics, Brandeis’ very own robotics club, which competes regularly in National Havoc League tournaments in Norwalk, Connecticut and holds informative workshops for students interested in engineering and associated skills. Last semester, the team qualified for the NHRL world tournament and won second place in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Combat Robot Competition.
“Our [university] is kind of notable in this space, and I feel like a lot of students don’t know that,” Daphne Yan ’26, a co-president of the Robotics Club told The Justice in a Sept. 25 interview. In the same interview, Samuel Herman ’27, the club’s other co-president, agreed with Yan’s sentiment, stressing that Brandeis’ reputation as a liberal arts institution should not insinuate that its engineering capabilities are lacking. Instead, the University’s flexibility for interdisciplinary studies is an added advantage. He highlighted that the robotics club holds workshops to make the club as accessible as possible to students across academic fields. In fact, many members of the robotics club are not involved in science, engineering, technology or math studies.
While the Robotics Club encourages its members to pursue projects beyond BattleBots, these competitions are one of the organization’s primary focuses. Yan explained
that for each NHRL tournament, some members of the club prepare their own robot to participate in the rounds of combat, and that Brandeis mostly participates in one pound and three pound competitions the difference being in the weight of the robots fighting.
Herman explained that each match is about three minutes long, and the overall goal is to “disable the other robot, either by ripping it apart [or] hitting some pieces of electronics that make it stop working.”
Even though these robots are small and light, they are very powerful. Herman explained that they have the strength of “a small rifle” through the use of lithium ion batteries, which are designed to have high energy density. “Those are then connected to a set of electronics that drive brushless motors,” he shared. These motors are the same ones used in model airplanes or drones. Herman explained that these motors then spin hardened steel disks, which generates the energy needed to power the robot.
“Note that just basic physics, the heavier the weapon is, the faster — or the more torque — you can get pushed into it. The more damage it’s going to do,” added Leo Gray `27, the club’s vice president.
Herman clarified the power behind the weapon isn’t the only factor that determines its capability for damage. “There’s a lot of design constraints that go into figuring out how to unload that power onto another robot,” he said.
The team mentioned the power behind these robots can often cause dynamic exchanges during competitions, despite their small size. Yan recalled that there have been fights where robots get ripped in half, rounds where fires have started and sparks have flown.
“Regularly, bots hit the ceiling and break the lights on top of the cage,” added Tim Hebert, the head of the Automation Lab and the robotics club’s staff advisor.
In past competitions, Gray has seen weapons such as a jaw similar to a bear trap that could latch onto robots, and a flamethrower that could melt robots. The flamethrower was at such a high heat concentration that it melted the cage’s plastic.
Gray shared that the tournament periodically adds different regulations to its rule sets — such as a 50% weight bonus if the robot does not require wheels in order to move. “So right now, I’m making what is called a torque walker, where the bot basically has weapons mounted at an angle, that way, when it spins up, it can sort of shift its body around using the torque,” he described.
Hebert stressed that the most celebrated aspect of combat robotics is “doing things that are unique and creative.” Some of his past creations could be controlled by a drum kit, “Dance Dance Revolution” dance pad or “Guitar Hero” guitar. “A bad idea, executed well … is celebrated within the community.”
Hebert fondly recalled winning his round of combat with the robot using the dance pad. He believes that part of why robotics is so successful at the University is because so many members of the club come from varying disciplines. “Folks coming from a different background and then getting their hands on some of these tools — they have more of that creative aspect, and they can approach the problem in a different way,” Hebert explained. He said that the most learning takes place when a robot loses, because it allows its creator to troubleshoot what went wrong.
“So as long as you go in with the right mentality of like, every single fight is a learning opportunity, it doesn’t actually matter if you win or lose,” Hebert said. “It matters if you learn something, because then you’re making progress.
Having a culture of trial and error also helps to keep the environment lighthearted and collaborative, Yan shared. However, it also requires a robust set of safety regulations, she stressed. “The more you learn
about [lithium powered] batteries, the more you realize, they’re just tiny bombs,” she said, emphasizing that all robot testing and driving has to take place within caged test runs. The club has someone keeping time of the battery usage because overuse can damage the batteries. Meanwhile, another person must hold a sand bucket in case there is a battery burst.
“That’s never happened, and it’s not going to happen,” Hebert said. He explained the club’s intricate contingency plans. Additionally, the NHRL has safety regulations for robots’ weapons — each one has to have a lock in the form of a solid metal bar, running across the machine, for instance. The club expressed their love for the sport on numerous occasions. They are ever optimistic about the future of their bots and are not afraid of the carnage. “We don’t care if it’s the other robot or our robot … it’s fine to get destroyed,” said Herman. He explained that members of the club can always go back to the design stage and consider ways to improve each iteration of their robot. Looking forward, DeisRobotics hopes to host more events. They have a full sized testing cage to become a local “hub” for BattleBot competitions here at the University, according to Herman. He added that the club is also looking to start creating robots to fight in higher weight classes, such as 12 and 30 pounds, and with this larger cage, they could test these heavier robots right on campus.
In the meantime, DeisRobotics will continue to hold workshops in topics such as 3D printing, soldering and more. Herman emphasized that the club hopes to leave its members with lifelong engineering skills that can come in handy across disciplines.
Editors Note: Justice Senior Editor Eliza bier ‘26 is a student worker manager at Brandeis Design and Innovation and did not edit or contribute to this article.
ROBOT : A Brandeis fighting bot shows off its skills in competition.
Photo courtesy of Harrison Gordan/The Justice FIGHT : Tim Hebert uses a drum set to control his fighting bot.
Photo courtesy of National Havoc Robotics League.
RESISTANCE: Brandeis Jewish Bund faces challenges at Farber Library event
tories in Palestine.” They continued, “we have done study-ins before, we've done Shabbat events, we've had protests. We're trying to fill in these sort of consciousness gaps that have happened where Brandeis [Students for Justice in Palestine] was de-chartered and suspended.”
The member recognized how the new academic year is influencing the Bund, “We found that we've kind of gotten more and more students involved. We also have a lot of [first-years interested] this year, which is really heartening. We had like 60 people at our first general meeting… but I'm also aware that there is a good amount of resistance.” A rise in participation and opposition for the Bund may be in part attributed to their online engagement. The Bund currently has over 1,600 followers on Instagram, of which the member estimates 70% to be Brandeis students.
In a Sept. 17 interview with the Justice, even those in the opposition agree, “A lot of these pro-Palestinian and pro-Gaza organizations have done a great job at putting their message up on TikTok and Instagram and that's I guess why they have most of the [Generation] Z support.” The first year came alone to the library without affiliation to see the protest. They have studied in Israel during high school and
ADVOCACY: Chanting
cern of outside parties and doxxing, the Bund also chose not to contact the University in advance of the event. They did not reply to an email sent by the Dean of Students Office and the Department of Public Safety earlier that day, requesting for the Bund’s organizers to meet with University officials. The student said a University administrator presented a Bund organizer with a printed copy of the email and a copy of the “Campus Protests and Demonstrations” section of the Department of Student Rights and Community Standards’ Rights and Responsibilities handbook. The section outlines that while the campus must be open to “fearless freedom” of debate, the University may “limit the time, place and
feels “strong ties to the country” which encourages his advocacy for the nation.
They also stated they believe “[the Bund] have the right to have their stand in the middle of the library. But, what hurts [him] the most isn’t that they're the opposite political spectrum … what upsets [him] is just the people who aren't aware of the situation that are coming in, watching, looking at the stand, and they may not be educated on the situation.” They feel “the fair way of going about it is having two stands with both sides,” though for now without that reality he claims “it's only right to stay here with people that are in the same belief system as me and voice my opinion [in support of Israel].”
Until about 4:40 p.m. the study-in was calm with no incidents. However, another student shared that somebody in Farber yelled a former Brandeis student's name and claimed they murder babies, "and the Zionists started yelling in response to that.”
According to them, Bund members attempted to report to librarians that students were taking photos without their consent. They were advised to go to the Brandeis Office of Equal Opportunity. The Bund refuted “that they've tried that and it didn’t work because they don’t do anything to prevent doxxing.”
A former Brandeis student, who left the Univer-
sity in Fall 2023 to join the Israeli Defense Forces has found themself at the center of a controversy. They posted a photo of a spray painting on their personal Instagram that reads “Roll Deis!” onto the side of a building in Khan Yunis, Southern Gaza and displayed their military issued assault rifle. While the Bund’s stance is clear, “this is not an isolated incident. It is a statement. It is a war crime, glorified,” oppositional students and students holding Zionist sentiments do not hold a uniform opinion.
Issues of institutional support and doxxing have also become major points of interest regarding the Bund. In their Aug. 31 Substack post “This Is a Colonial Campus: Brandeis’ War Against Dissent” they wrote, “Constant doxxing attempts by Zionist students (in which administration officials were complicit), was intended to create a chilling effect on free speech.” Further the Bund claimed, “When activists and marginalized students report, their cases are logged and closed without any wrongdoing found. But, as it turns out, they do sometimes take action — when Zionists are the accusers.”
Thereafter the outburst, once tensions slowed, the anonymous source shared, “some [agitators] stayed and were trying to take pictures from Farber Mezzanine or by walking around and the Bund kept talk-
ing to other people who came up to them after that.”
Since their inception the Bund has expected not to be agreed with and “when it comes to Palestine, there's always [fighting] going on, right? And we understand that there's going to be opposition and resistance, but we would rather be respected” said the Bund member. They additionally noted, “given that engagement with the student body isn't always what we wanted it to be, I think events like this are important for getting people out and getting people to see us so they know that there is a political voice.” Correspondingly, the unaffiliated student interviewed by The Justice supports “having an open education on the actual conflict, what both sides believe in, I think that would really be beneficial.”
The Brandeis Jewish Bund’s efforts on campus are all the more visible at the start of a new academic year. With the use of social media platforms and physical gathering they have enraptured a segment of the student base. Nonetheless, uninterrupted discussion remains a consistent challenge for the group.
filled the SCC, "never again for anyone, never again is now"
manner of demonstrations.” Accordingly, all demonstrations, protests and rallies must be registered with DOSO, followed by a mandatory meeting with DOSO and the Department of Public Safety before the event takes place.
The email also reads, “Currently, your gathering was neither registered in advance, nor is currently registered and therefore would not be in alignment with University policies.” Furthermore, the Dean of Students Office stressed that the Bund needed to pick one of the available meeting times outlined, and clarified that it was a "mandatory meeting in order for the event to take place.” The Bund member commented that they were “fairly certain” the Uni-
versity “changed the language” of the campus protest section prior to this academic year. They highlighted that this “mandatory” meeting used to be “encouraged,” as noted in the 2024-25 edition of the University’s Rights and Responsibilities handbook
When asked if the Bund has any plans to communicate with the University in the wake of the vigil, the organizer answered, “No. The University has had no interest whatsoever in parlaying with us on equal footing.” The student said that the Bund has “no reason” to trust the University’s administration and expressed that the group is hesitant to share their names with administrators out of concern for legal retaliation. They claimed that each time the
Bund reported instances of harassment to the previously named Office of Equal Opportunity, no further action was taken. The student drew a contrast between how the University handles cases from Bund students and “Zionist” OEO cases reported by students, stating that the former haven’t been “given the proper amount of investigation that’s warranted.” Due to time constraints, The Justice could not independently verify these claims as of press time. The Assistant Vice President for Communications and External Relations, Julie Jette, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This vigil was the Bund’s second public event this semester, following its study-in last week. In
COLLABORATION: BEMCo wants to work with Public Safety and Fire Department
transitioned to a different space within Public Safety, and most recently at the start of this academic year, they relocated to their training room in Scheffres basement. “That was a big transition,” says Kole. Public Safety was responsible for the recent move. Kole shared that the student leaders were not a part of the conversation; they were simply informed that they needed to move.
Bennett elaborated on BEMCo’s move to the Scheffres Basement, commenting that it has been difficult to no longer be right next door to Public Safety. “We'll find ourselves … staying on scene longer, just so we can chat with the police officers there, because we don't get to … do that anymore the same way that we used to.” She shared that this was one of the most difficult aspects of the move: “We want to keep that … rapport and … bond with them.” Kole agreed that maintaining that relationship makes completing medical calls easier, since both teams are on scene at the same time. “It helps patients, if we can keep that [relationship with Public Safety] up.” Bennett added that their new location can make it difficult to find the correct building. She said that people keep on accidentally reporting to Gordon, which is connected to Scheffries.
Kole explained that being farther away from Public Safety also extends each job, since they must travel to deliver the reports now.
Kole also described BEMCO’s transition from using pagers to a radio system. Prior to this year, BEMCo responders carried pagers, which vibrated to alert them of calls. Then, they would turn on their radios to find out more information. However, Public Safety updated their radio system over the summer to make it more compliant for large scale incidents. BEMCo has thus switched to using radios that always stay on instead of pagers.
“We’ve been working with this new ‘sending us to calls via radio’ system,” Kole said, “which has its ups and downs, but we’re working on it and we have plan B and C — at least on our side — in case it doesn’t work, because that’s happened a couple times.”
Kole pointed out a few potential issues with the new system, remarking that since the radios stay on 24/7 they run out of battery faster. BEMCo members are still figuring out the best system for staying on call during class. “We're getting these little clips that attach to the radios that vibrate when somebody speaks, so we can turn them all the way down and go back to that similar kind of discrete leaving class situation. But it's a work in progress,” said Kole.
Chiang added that the new radio system will hopefully provide a faster response time because “There's that shorter lag from … turning off your pager to turning on the radio, waiting for it to … load on and everything. So I think that could be a potential advantage of the new system. But Julia sounds like we're working it out still, because it is still pretty new.”
Bennett shed light on the conflict of BEMCo’s hierarchical structures and how this has interplayed with recent changes. She described the challenges of creating a collaborative work environment. “We do have a hierarchy, and that's just the way BEMCo works,” said Bennett, “It's not meant to … put anyone down, or … make people feel like they're beneath us.” Bennett added that new members are not given the same responsibility as those who have been in service longer, and this fact is a large part of the hierarchical nature of the organization. Bennett shared that it is difficult to manage 60 people and make sure that everyone feels like a unified team. “That's something we've really tried to do the last two years: make more of an effort to make sure that we don't feel like
[non-supervisors are] beneath us all, like we're just one big happy family.”
BEMCo operates as an entirely student-run club, without an official advisor. They answer to the Chief of Police Matthew Rushton, Sergeant Emily Evans has been added to the equation this year. They also regularly meet with the director of the Golding Health Center Laura Begor, MD.
“We have the club piece, we have these three sides, and nobody to do the umbrella. So, it's tricky when it comes to big decisions like this, because we just have to do what works.” She explained that the BEMCo vehicles are technically owned by Public Safety, and that they have some oversight. Kole added that since Public Safety has more substantial funding, they are able to assist BEMCo. “It's an interesting dynamic, but for the most part, they will decide things, and then we'll try to implement them, and now we have this liaison so we can go through her to be like, ‘Hey, this isn't working.’”
The BEMCo supervisors would like to see multiple potential reforms. Kole expressed a desire to have a point person, someone to advocate for the student leaders in higher-level meetings. “A lot of people don't quite understand how we run. It's not like they're maliciously trying to make things harder for us, but they just don't quite understand the ins and outs of how we operate. So I would love for the future BEMCo to have that, and we've been pushing for it a decent amount, so fingers crossed on that front.”
Kole also expressed her wish for 911 calls on campus to not automatically be rerouted to the city of Waltham. This process only delays care and makes BEMCo’s work more difficult. Bennet added that it would be helpful to be able to directly communicate with the fire department, “there's already … an EMS crew on scene, and then fire gets there, and then another EMS crew. So it's a weird little sandwich. And
sometimes it can get very overwhelming and very crowded.” She elaborated that BEMCo often gets left out of the loop, and due to this lack of communication “sometimes messages can get distorted if it's going through three different people, just by the very nature of playing telephone.” BEMCo has been advocating for direct communication with Waltham Fire.
Chiang shared that she would like to have an official protocol for Mass Casualty Incidents, especially with the new radio system, “It's something we kind of talked about with the liaison recently this year. But I think having an official protocol, sitting down and writing that with them and making sure that everyone's on the same page is really important.”
All three supervisors expressed an interest in educating the student body on what exactly BEMCo does and legitimizing their credibility as certified medical providers. BEMCo EMTs work 24-hour shifts, often multiple in a row. They are certified in the state of Massachusetts and many also work off-campus. They take full class loads and provide BEMCo services without being paid. Kole remarked, “It's a lot of work that we sign up for and we love doing. Don't get me wrong, but I do wish people knew some more of that.” She feels that students don’t understand exactly what BEMCo is, “there's a lot of confusion on … what kind of services … BEMCo [provides]. Are they 911, are they kind of like … the Boo Boo crew?” Kole stressed that she hopes the wider student body can gain a deeper understanding of what BEMCo does. Bennet stressed that each BEMCo provider must be an accredited EMT and that they constantly do skill reviews. She ended with a reminder that “we are real EMTs. People put in a lot of work and a lot of effort to go to get certified as an EMT and also to work on BEMCo.”
just features
VERBATIM | JOHN F. KENNEDY
A rising tide lifts all boats.
ON THIS DAY…
The world’s first nuclear submarine was commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1954.
FUN FACT
Red mud is one of the world’s largest industrial wastes.
The Dark Side of Shiny Things
A Brandeis student explores red mud production in the United States.
By SAAYA DAGA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
When I think of aluminum, I picture chutney sandwiches wrapped in a delightfully crunchy silver foil that came with the added benefit of being squishable into balls that made recess more fun. Or, I hear the pop of soda cans opening before a big game and the clink of a spoon against a thermos while camping.
What doesn’t come to mind at all are the vast, rustcolored lakes of industrial waste left behind during our utilitarian friend’s production, a substance known as red mud.
Over the summer, Jacob Hillemann ’26 set out to figure out just how much of this red mud is produced in the United States each year.
The answer, it turns out, isn’t readily available anywhere: not in government databases, academic papers or even industry reports.
Working with Associate Professor Jonathan Crones (ENGR) in the engineering program, Hillemann spent the summer researching red mud, which is scientifically known as bauxite residue. His goal was to build a reliable model that could estimate the actual scale of red-mud generation in the U.S., a number that has never been publicly or consistently tracked.
At its core, the research was motivated by a simple question: How much waste are we generating in order to produce our aluminum?
To answer it, Hillemann first had to understand the industrial process behind aluminum production, which involves converting bauxite ore into a chemical compound of aluminum and oxygen called alumina, and then refining alumina into aluminum metal. The transformation from bauxite ore to alumina, known as the Bayer process, is what generates waste. The process, very generally, works by dissolving bauxite in sodium hydroxide under high heat and pressure. The goal is to separate
aluminum from the rest of the ore. That “rest” is what becomes red mud. The red color comes from iron oxides, a fancy way to describe what is essentially rust, which form a major component of the leftovers. Beyond making Earth resemble Mars, the red mud can be hazardous. It can be extremely basic, which means it can corrode materials and pose risks to soil, water and people if not properly stored.
In the U.S. and globally, that waste isn’t always
hole and died of chemical and thermal burns.
Despite all this, there has never been consistent accounting of how much red mud the U.S. produces. Industry reports tend to give numbers in “wet tons,” which include the water content of the mud, a variable factor, since red mud is often between 20-40% solid. That means two “wet tons” of mud could contain very different amounts of actual waste material.
“They report it in wet tons, which is an arbi-
Geological Survey which has kept records of bauxite imports, exports and consumption going back to the 1930s. Since the U.S. no longer mines its own metallurgical-grade bauxite and instead imports all of it from Jamaica, Hillemann used published chemical analyses of Jamaican bauxite to estimate its constituents.
From there, he used published literature reviews to model what happens when bauxite goes through the Bayer process. This highlights which compounds
mate of red mud production in terms of dry weight. Dry weight measures the solid weight of red mud. However, the mud itself is only between 20-40% solid, according to Hillemann, so his findings are below the industry-reported wet ton values. The alumina industry claims to be moving towards dry stacking the waste — drying the red mud before putting it into the surface impoundments — which would increase the solids content, although Hillemann says that indus-
well-contained. In 2010, a red mud storage facility in Hungary burst, flooding nearby communities and killing 10 people. In the U.S., red mud is stored in large surface impoundments, essentially manmade lakes, where it sits for long periods of time until the land is remediated. In 2024, a worker at the alumina plant in Gramercy, Louisiana fell into an uncovered
trary unit that doesn’t really mean anything,” Hillemann explained in an Aug. 28 interview with The Justice. “The industry reporting is very unreliable and very inconsistent.”
To create a better picture of just how much waste is produced in the country, Hillemann built a computational model from the ground up. He began by digging into data from the U.S.
remain inert, which react and what kinds of side reactions might occur that increase the mass of waste. Using this, he created a set of hypothetical reactions to stand in for the kinds of chemical transformations that happen in real-life production.
Eventually, this resulted in a model that could convert raw bauxite consumption figures into an esti-
try reported values are inconsistent with a move to dry-stacking. According to his preliminary findings, the U.S. produced approximately 600,000 dry tons of red mud in 2024 alone. In comparison, the reported number for the 2023-24 year in wet tons was roughly 2,944,205. When an assumption of 20% solid content is made, these values are compa-
rable.
That number might come as a shock given that only one alumina refinery is currently operational in the U.S., located in Louisiana. But, historically, the U.S. was a major player in aluminum production with up to nine plants in operation at its peak in the 1970s. Even today, that single plant still generates significant waste and it’s not entirely clear how closely it’s monitored.
“No one is checking these documents that [the plant] is giving to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality,” Hillemann said. “No one knows that these values are pretty likely to be inaccurate.”
In addition to estimating the volume of red mud, Hillemann’s research also touched on what might be inside the waste. While the focus of his project was on quantity, not content, he noted that red mud contains trace amounts of metals like titanium, iron and gallium, some of which have economic value. Gallium, for instance, is used in electronics and semiconductors, and red mud is already a primary source of it worldwide.
“There are valuable materials in the red mud,” he said. “There’s research going into getting those out of the red mud in an economically viable way.”
Still, recovering these elements isn’t easy. The concentrations are low, and separating them efficiently remains a challenge that most countries, including the U.S., haven’t solved. For now, red mud remains mostly a waste product with no end use in sight. The aluminum we use every day might seem lightweight and recyclable, and in many ways, it is. But the story of how it gets to us is anything but clean. Next time you think about tossing that aluminum foil ball at a friend, consider unwrapping and reusing.
Design: BRIANNA EARLE/The Justice. Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
RED MUD: Red mud production is not tracked by the U.S. government.
What Is and What Once Was: The Historic Central Massachusetts Rail Trail
The failed vision of a rail line from east to west now serves as a series of recreational paths for Massachusetts residents.
By BRIANNA EARLE JUSTICE FEATURES EDITOR
One long road spans just over 60 miles. At the head of the trail, large metal bridges meant to withstand the weight of cargo trains. Now, the infrastructure is stable but covered in shades of deep red, the metal flaking with rust. Heading east, the road turns from gravel to paved, and sometimes runs along main roads. The Massachusetts Central Rail Trail, a path connecting western Massachusetts to Boston, showcases the remnants of the railroad as it once was.
Although the path can be mapped in a continuous line, it really is a sequence of 18 connecting trails. This network crosses right through Waltham. When railroads were the increasingly popular and easiest mode of transportation in the United States during the 19th century, many towns looked to add a train connection to their city center.
Chartered in 1868, the Central Rail line began outlining plans for the construction. The rail line was envisioned to span over 100 miles; however, that vision never came to fruition. At the time, there were already two pre-existing, incredibly popular train lines running through the state at the time: The Fitchburg line that connected Boston and Albany, and the Boston and Maine Railroad.
Due to the popularity of the other two lines, the Mass Central was rarely used and often found itself extremely underfunded. After going bankrupt in 1883, the line was never finished. Some portions of the original train tracks still remain, yet most have been converted to fully functional bike and walking paths.
The corridor’s conversion first began in 1980 with the Norwottuck Rail Trail in Northampton. It has continued to expand since then with patchwork renovations across the state.
Just a town over, in Weston, the rail trail has become the site for murals painted by students and a pollinator garden aimed at fostering native species and insects.
Keira Shear, Advertising Editor Ellie Harris, Social Media Editor
EDITORIAL
Taking out the trash: do it yourself or let robots help?
As the first month of the semester wraps up and we begin to take stock of our time here so far, there are a few things happening at Brandeis that are tough to miss.
One need only swipe into one of our University’s dining halls to understand that there are problems. In both Sherman and Usdan dining halls, the dishwashers are broken, resulting in students’ increased use of disposable utensils and plates, as well as necessitating a Brandeis Hospitality staff member be stationed next to the stagnant dishwashers. These staff members are there to monitor our proper disposal of paper plates in the Sherman Dining Hall, and bus our dirty dishes for us in Usdan. But if the University is going to the effort to post an employee to oversee dish disposal, it begs the question, why have they failed to prioritize fixing these dishwashers? Especially considering Sherman’s dishwasher has been broken since the semester began.
Of course, it runs deeper than that. Students with Celiac disease and other food allergies have noticed that Brandeis has begun to remove gluten-free food options from the dining halls, leaving these students to rely heavily on the “allgood” station’s selection of bland, less-thannutritious foods. This editorial board knows of some students who have turned to risking crosscontamination by eating food from the other stations in efforts to simply eat something that they actually want. For many of these students, there are no options other than the dining hall, as many describe experiences of being denied accommodations to have a kitchen or a morelimited meal plan by the University. While it seems that The Hive at Usdan has heeded student complaints and brought back their gluten-free chip options, further actions need to be taken. Overall, it is clear that Brandeis’ dining options are not as accessible as they should be, and that cutting allergy-friendly food options is a misguided way to balance the University’s finances. These students need to eat, and not being able to provide options for them demonstrates an ignorance on Brandeis’ part towards their daily student experiences.
Of course, this is not the only example of an incomprehensible financial decision on the University’s part. After all, most students will have noticed by now that Brandeis has recently purchased a couple of “Oscar Sort” recycling assistants to help students sort their trash into the bins for compost, recycling or landfill. This technology is finally out of training mode and has become operational, though it leaves
members of this editorial board wondering if the between $10,000 and $15,000 each “Oscar Sort” costs was really worth it — are recycling cameras more valuable than accessible dining and fixing key mechanisms that our community members rely on? After all, each garbage bin already has a poster taped to it that clearly articulates which items go where, and it is not financially feasible to purchase an “Oscar Sort” to station by every single garbage bin on campus if this is the University’s intent. What makes the posters sufficient in some locations but not in others? Based on this Editorial Board’s usage of it so far, the technology has proven to be frustrating, if not wholly untrustworthy at properly sorting trash.
This of course is accompanied by a total lack of access to information about what and how Brandeis recycles. A search for information about recycling leads one fruitlessly hopping across hyperlinks through various department websites — likely because information has not been updated since the closing of the Office of Sustainability in the summer of 2024. However, the one place where recycling is mentioned, namely the Department of Environmental Health and Safety website, does not list plastic among the items the University recycles. This begs the question — do all the plastic cups that Oscar instructs us to place in the blue bin even end up recycled? Or better yet, does the miniscule impact of maybe-recycling that “Oscar Sort” is helping our campus accomplish even balance out the harmful environmental effects of employing artificial intelligence technology at all?
It is unclear where in the University’s budget this technology’s funding comes from — though it is listed as a Brandeis Hospitality Sustainability Initiative. While Brandeis Hospitality’s attempts at improving and innovating on-campus sustainability are admirable and important, we are frankly lost at the decision-making that seemingly placed this initiative over accessible dining. Recycling, after all, ranks pretty low in effectiveness as a climate solution in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions as described in the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2022 report, though its impact is constantly over-emphasized. It is hard to look at the current state of Brandeis and not see this as an overcompensation for the missing sustainability office and other actions around our campus.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Private cultivated-meat research can only take us so far
By Jon Hochschartner
The nascent cultivated-meat industry is in a funding drought. For those who don’t know, cultivated meat is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. It offers a number of animal welfare, public health and environmental benefits. Given this drought, I was thrilled to see some private investment in an American facility researching cellular agriculture, while remaining aware significant public funding is necessary to unlock cultivated meat’s full potential.
GEA, a German company, opened its New Food Application and Technology Center in Janesville, Wisconsin on July 17. Among other things, the $20-million facility includes pilot-scale infrastructure for cell cultivation, precision fermentation and plant-based food processing. It expands on an existing GEA campus at the same location. The facility will actually be the company’s second such center. The first was opened in Hildesheim, Germany a couple of years ago.
“The food industry is at a crossroads,” said the CEO of GEA, Stefan Klebert, in a statement. “To feed future generations sustainably, we must turn vision into scalable reality. Our new center in Janesville is a key milestone on our shared journey — both for our customers and for us as a company. With this investment, we are helping our customers scale up the production of novel foods such as precision-fermented egg white and cultivated seafood.”
In North America, GEA boasts 1,600 employees at 16 locations engaged in testing, training, service, sales and manufacturing. The Janesville center will add more high-skill jobs, including those in scientific and engineering roles, to the total of 74 employees already working at the company campus there. Further, construction of the facility supported approximately 500 contractors and subcontractors, and will continue to boost the region’s economy.
As great as these kinds of private investments in cellular-agriculture research are, they are no substitute for robust public funding of the same, for a variety of reasons. Private research generally isn’t shared, requiring a duplication of efforts, as each group of scientists is forced to ‘reinvent the wheel,’ so to speak. Beyond this, cultivated-meat development is a long-term process, generally a poor match for private interests seeking a quick return on investment.
A mature cellular agriculture could help relegate battery cages, gestation crates and livestock trucks to a less-compassionate past. Since animals aren’t required for cultivated-meat production, the risk of zoonotic viruses making the jump to humans and causing a global pandemic would be greatly reduced. Similarly, scientists believe the new protein will eventually require a fraction of the greenhouse-gas emissions needed to create slaughtered meat. Political leaders who care about animal welfare, public health and environment — which should be all of them, in my view — should support a massive increase in state and federal funding for cellular-agriculture research. Such resources will help overcome the remaining technological hurdles to mass production of cultivated meat at a competitive price. Let’s build public research centers dedicated to this goal at every agricultural college in the United States.
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. He blogs at SlaughterFreeAmerica.Substack.com.
“This facility reflects how Janesville’s rich agricultural and industrial heritage can intersect with cutting-edge innovation,” said Jimsi Kuborn, Economic Development Director for the city of Janesville. “It not only honors our community’s roots, but also creates new opportunities for partnerships, workforce development, and sustainable growth. This project is a model for what’s possible — not just for Janesville, but for the entire Midwest and beyond.”
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I will remember those who were silent in Trump era
By Jon Hochschartner
There’s a psychological phenomenon that I’m very familiar with as an animal activist. Rather than acknowledging a painful, challenging reality, people will go to absurd lengths to remain in denial. In my view, it’s this phenomenon that best explains the comparatively muted reaction amongst the American public to President Donald Trump’s rapid dismantling of our democratic institutions, as flawed as they are. If what was happening in our country were happening abroad, we would have no trouble recognizing the nation’s dire, authoritarian trajectory. Trump has built a massive secret police force, which kidnaps people off the street and sends them to domestic and foreign concentration camps, without due process. The military is occupying cities governed by opponents of the regime. Comedians are being pulled off the air for criticizing the president. No one, certainly no one with any power, wants to acknowledge the full scope of the danger America faces. Republicans are all in on this fascist takeover. The few principled conservative defenders of democracy have no rightwing constituency behind them. Meanwhile, names of Democratic opposition leaders will go down in history as synonymous with cowardly appeasement to totalitarianism. They have failed us. Sadly, I don’t think this failure is limited to elected officials. There are so many activists I know who have disappeared from view or are pretending what’s currently taking place isn’t happening. In many cases, these were some of the loudest voices during President Barack Obama’s presidency, when the winds of change appeared to be at our backs. It’s very hard for me not to resent their silence as a fascist regime consolidates power.
I try not to judge others. After all, there are a million skeletons in my
closet. I’ve made so many mistakes and not lived up to my professed ideals in so many ways. I’ve also burned out on politics for prolonged periods. And yet I like to think that — even in my most blinkered and self-interested state — the current crisis of democracy would rouse me into action. I keep waiting and waiting for this to happen for the aforementioned activists.
The anti-fascist coalition has a wide variety of policy goals. As an example, I want to see a massive infusion of state and federal funding into cultivatedmeat research. For those who don’t know, the new protein is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. I view it as the most promising means of reducing animal suffering and premature death. However none of our goals can be achieved under a right-wing dictatorship.
Of course, there are good reasons why some have retreated from public life. Perhaps they’re immigrants or transgender and face a very significant, immediate threat of government repression. But this isn’t the case for many activists who have thus far kept their head down in Trump’s second term, apparently hoping the authoritarian mood in this country will blow over, without any intervention on their part. Again, I dislike judging others. It inevitably makes me more judgemental of myself. Still, I will have a hard time forgetting the silence of some activists in the current moment, when everything they nominally stand for is in jeopardy. If these progressives wait much longer to stand up, they won’t have an opportunity to redeem themselves, because what little is left of American democracy will be gone.
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.
Graphics courtesy of CANVA
Who decides now?
Autonomy, identity and the ethics of dementia care
By LILY CHAFE JUSTICE ASSOCIATE EDITOR
This article addresses the question: How should caregivers ethically respond when a person with dementia expresses present preferences that conflict with their past values? In this article, I argue the claim that when caring for people with dementia, one should balance considerations from the past with more weight than considerations from the present. This view draws from the works of Ronald Dworkin and Agnieszka Jaworska. I side more with Dworkin. I claim that even if there is a possibility that people with dementia can form new values, the ability to have an integrated view of one’s life as a whole gives past values more weight than present. My argument for ethically caring for people with dementia follows three guidelines: uphold advance directives, maintain past valued commitments, and allow compromise when past values conflict with current comfort
Dworkin identifies two crucial kinds of ethical concerns that arise in caring for someone with dementia: beneficence and autonomy. Within beneficence, he establishes two types of interests: experiential and critical. Experiential interests are those that one feels, such as those causing feelings of excitement or relaxation. Critical interests are those that one believes improve one’s life and build more value, whether the experience is felt or not. Dworkin claims that critical interests should be given more weight than experiential interests. Dworkin argues that a person with dementia cannot form new critical interests, though the person still maintains the critical interests formed before developing the disease. Thus, he explains that it does not make sense to act as if a person with dementia has the right to choose for themselves after their diagnosis. He instead thinks that their earlier choices, reflective of critical interests, such as advance directives and living wills, can contribute to this person living a “self-authored” life.
Jaworska believes that in order to live a self-authored life, one must have the ability
to value. She defines the ability to value as being able to sustainably care about something in a meaningful way. While Dworkin emphasizes the importance of a person’s ability to understand and shape their life as a whole, especially through long-term critical interests, Jaworska does not see this as necessary for autonomy. She puts more weight on a person’s current experiential life. Jaworska raises evidence that people with dementia have the ability to maintain and create new values even without full life comprehension. For Jaworska, as long as a person retains the capacity to value, their autonomy and well-being are not threatened by respecting their current interests. She argues that instead of viewing autonomy as the ability to shape one’s entire life, one should view it as the ability to self-govern based on the values one holds.
My first guideline for ethically caring for people with dementia holds that if a person’s current new values conflict with their advance directives, their advance directives should be upheld. Even if Jaworska is correct in her assertion that people with dementia can have the capacity to value, the very purpose of a legally binding directive is to ensure that newly formed values do not override earlier, reflective commitments. Jaworska might argue that individuals signing such directives should understand they may later develop conflicting values. Her essay attempts to correct the misconception that people with dementia are incapable of forming new values. Recognizing this might change how people approach such directives. Still, this view remains consistent with the idea that once signed, directives can remain legally enforceable, even if they override laterformed values. I agree with Dworkin’s claim that values depend on a person’s capacity to understand their life as a whole. Values are not innate but formed and refined over time through experience and reflection. Dementia disrupts this process. A person without short-term memory cannot retain or process
new experiences in a way that builds toward a coherent, evolving self. While Jaworska emphasizes that consistent desires may signal new values, this places responsibility on caretakers to interpret those behaviors, inviting personal judgments to override clearly expressed, competent directives. In contrast, Dworkin’s view avoids this danger by grounding respect for autonomy in the values a person constructs based on a lifetime of knowledge. This is also why some people may choose to create directives in the first place. They do not want others to make decisions for them based on a compromised version of themselves: a version whose values may no longer align with their thoughtful, pre-dementia self. Even in cases where no formal directive exists, they may prefer that others not default to prioritizing those laterformed values. Creating a directive can be a way of protecting against that possibility and ensuring that one’s autonomy is respected, even when one can no longer defend it personally.
Consider a person who, while fully competent, created an advance directive to be denied life-saving care if they later developed dementia. Jaworska might argue that if, after developing dementia, the person consistently expresses a desire to live, this should be taken seriously. Still, she does not necessarily conclude that the directive should be ignored. Her view highlights the moral complexity of such cases. Dworkin would insist that the directive be followed, since the person no longer has the capacity to assess their life as a whole. I believe that present preferences, however sincere, cannot express true autonomy once critical reflection is lost.
To act otherwise is to assume one knows better than the person did when they were fully capable of self-reflection.
My second guideline holds that in the absence of legal directives, a caretaker should continue to prioritize past interests over current conflicting interests. Consider a Jewish woman with dementia who once strictly adhered to Kosher laws but now exhibits a strong desire to eat bacon. This desire extends beyond pure want and even manifests as what seems to be a genuine value. Perhaps the woman feels as though it is incredibly important that she tries bacon before she dies. Allowing the woman to eat bacon may seem compassionate to her current experiential interests, but it threatens her broader critical interest. Her lifelong commitment to keeping kosher represented more than a dietary preference. It reflected a deeply held moral and religious identity that should be upheld despite current wants.
According to Jaworska, the emergence of new values in dementia should be taken seriously, as they may reflect genuine aspects of the person’s evolving identity. Still, Dworkin would argue that respecting autonomy requires grounding decisions in the values that shaped a person’s life as a whole. Even without a formal directive,
the enduring significance of long-standing commitments like religious practice should carry moral weight. To honor those values is not to ignore the person she is now, but to take seriously the person she spent a lifetime becoming. It also sets a stable standard for caretakers, reducing the risk of projecting their own assumptions onto the patient’s shifting preferences. In cases where cognitive decline makes it difficult to determine whether a new desire reflects a true value or a surface-level interest, grounding care in the person’s critical interests provides a clearer and more respectful guide.
My third guideline argues that if past values no longer make sense to a person and now conflict with their comfort, they should be weighed against present needs through compromise. Jaworska acknowledges that individuals with dementia may desire certain actions while losing the ability to appreciate how specific choices affect their broader values. In such cases, Jaworska does not advocate ignoring past values entirely, but instead seeks compromises that respect both past and present selves. This flexibility offers an advantage over Dworkin’s more rigid approach.
The following hypothetical scenario presents an example of how a compromise could be implemented. Consider a woman who deeply valued a polished lady-like appearance, expensive dresses and makeup who, after developing dementia, insisted such clothes meant nothing to her. She now values the comfort of sweatpants. Dworkin’s framework may suggest that her prior commitment to appearance was how she lived a self-authored life, and as such, a caretaker should continue to dress her in such a way. Jaworska, on the other hand, would try to find a compromise — perhaps dressing the woman in high-quality leisure suits. Jaworska’s approach better honors both her enduring commitment to appearance and her present experiential interests towards comfort. In such cases, one must acknowledge that the way the woman derived value from these clothes has become closed off to her. The value in the clothing, making her feel confident in herself and secure in her dignity, no longer exists for her. The dignity of the woman must continue to be maintained, but one can also see that the value of specific clothing has been lost. The value of physical well-being and comfort prevails more strongly and thus must be prioritized.
To conclude, I will restate the qualities I find essential for ethically caring for an individual with dementia: honoring advance directives, maintaining past commitments and values and compromising on past values that threaten current comfort. With dementia patients, prioritizing past values over new values in cases of conflict is the most secure method of preventing misinterpretation and ensuring one’s whole self is respected.
GRAVESTONES: A look out onto the Charles River from the Mount Feake Cemetery. ESTHER BALABAN/The Justice.
CARE: A caretaker and elderly person looking off into the distance.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
Sports just
Matthew Zich named the first full-time
Brandeis fencing coach
■
By JULIA HARDY JUSTICE MANAGING EDITOR
In an email sent on Sept. 11 of this year to the Brandeis community, Brandeis Athletics announced changes to its fencing coaching staff. One of the coaches mentioned in the email was Matthew Zich. With a strong focus on sabre, Zich is entering his seventh year at Brandeis having started in January of 2019. In the upcoming 2025-26 season, Zich will continue his work on the Brandeis fencing team as a full time assistant fencing coach. This is the first time someone has been named a full time assistant fencing coach at Brandeis.
Zich expressed a passion for fencing, both on a personal level and as a coach. In a correspondence with The Justice on Sept. 25, Zich said, “fencing has been a major part of my life for many years. Starting early, training under notable coaches gave me both deep technical foundations and exposure to what the sport can offer in terms of discipline, strategy, [and] personal growth.”
Prior to his arrival at Brandeis, Zich’s fencing accomplishments convey how fencing has played a significant role in his life. Zich has also been nationally ranked and has competed internationally. From 2003 to 2009, Zich played on the U.S. National Fencing Team and competed at World Championships abroad, including Korea, Italy, France and Austria.
As a Cadet, Zich was the top ranked sabre fencer in America as a junior. He was also ranked within the top five on a national level, also as a junior. Zich competed at a high level and was trained with a number of accomplished sabre coaches. He also worked with Yury German — who joined the US Fencing Hall of Fame in 2010; Emmanuel Kaidanov, who was a candidate for the U.S.S.R. National team in sabre; and Zoran Tulum, who coached the Olympic National Team.
While competing was a significant part of his life, Zich explains that “over the years, that passion has transformed into coaching: helping others develop, seeing their progress, guiding them through the ups and downs. That shift from competing to helping others is something I’ve loved.”
As a coach, Zich has found great success as well. In the past, he coached at New Amsterdam Fencing Academy and Nyack Fencing Club
BRANDEIS ATHLETE SUCCESS
Elizabeth Liu '26 writes about Lewis Hamilton's dog Roscoe, who passed away this week. p. 12. Tuesday, September 30, 2025
in New York, among other places. However, Zich revealed to The Justice what specifically brought him to Brandeis was “the opportunity to be part of a program with strong values, where you can develop student athletes both on the strip and off. Over time, I’ve seen things grow substantially.”
At Brandeis, Zich has had a significant impact on the fencing team’s success. Over the course of his coaching career, Zich has earned Division III Assistant Coach of the Year. Additionally, in 2023 and 2024, the United States Fencing Coaches Association named Zich the National Collegiate Assistant Coach of the Year. Zich reflects back on his accomplishments as a fencing coach. He said, “I’ve had some fantastic moments as a coach, perhaps the moment I look at as my greatest coaching accomplishment is helping produce Brandeis’s first ever fencing national champion (graduate student Maggie Shealy in 2024) in sabre.”
While awards and accolades are important to Zich, he also emphasized the importance of team culture. He said, “I believe a strong, supportive, growth[-]oriented culture is as important as talent. Fostering that among the team is something I care deeply about.”
Zich has also played a large role in creating a positive team culture. In a Sept. 26 email exchange with The Justice, one of Zich’s students, Michael Yerokhin ’26, talked about the meaningful impact Zich has had on the team both in competition and not, “just as importantly, his approachable nature and genuine personality create an environment where fencers feel supported and inspired. Coach Matt’s influence extends far beyond the strip, as his athletes carry his energy and character with them in all aspects of their lives. We are deeply grateful for his lasting contributions and commitment to our team!”
Zich also talked about what he likes best about coaching at Brandeis. He explained, “Working with dedicated student[-]athletes who care not just about wins, but also about improvement, work ethic, balance, and academics.
The Brandeis environment supports that. The chance to be part of a professional staff that values collaboration, learning, and development.”
As he transitions into this new full time position, Zich is most excited about having the opportunity “to plan long term development: building systems, recruiting, training regimens that extend over years, not just seasons.”
With his new position, Zich will continue to be able to bring his dedication, expertise and passion to the Brandeis fencing team. I wish the team the best with their upcoming season and training.
NBA MVP predictions
■ Who will claim the National Basketball Association most prestigious award next season?
By LUCA JORDAN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
With the NBA 2025-26 season just around the corner, fans and analysts alike are beginning to guess how the season will play out. At the top of all predictions and debates are speculations about the two most coveted achievements a player can receive: the NBA MVP award and a championship ring.
Predicting which team will take it all this year is a difficult task, especially in recent times. Barring the Oklahoma City Thunder, every championship team since 2020 has failed to make it past the second round of the playoffs the following year. The MVP however tends to follow certain trends. Notably, Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets has won the award three out of the last five MVPs. However, while he was a serious contender for last year's award, Jokić fell short in votes to Shai Gilgeous-Alex-
Where are the Heisman candidates?
■ Five weeks into the college football season, and there are no favorites for the John Heisman Award.
By BEN KHAYAT JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
The first few weeks of the college football season have shown how even the playing field has become. We have seen historically powerful programs like the University of Notre Dame and Clemson University finding themselves with losing records. Meanwhile, more obscure football schools like the University of North Texas and the United States Naval Academy are in the conversation to be among the top 25 teams nationally. The athletes themselves are also more evenly matched; there aren’t any runaway favorites for the John Heisman award, given to the top player in college football. In recent history, the award has been given almost exclusively to quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. That trend will seemingly continue this year, although nobody has truly separated themselves from the pack through five weeks of action. Who are the true contenders for the award and what makes this year so different?
Going into the season, there was a general consensus that the University of Texas’ Arch Manning was the most likely to win the award, despite it being his first season starting as quarterback for the Longhorns. However, after an unproductive game against the Ohio State University and barely meeting expectations against weaker teams, Manning has fallen considerably in the rankings. Winning the award in the future isn’t impossible for a prospect as good as Manning, especially considering that he’s in his sophomore season, but he will have to go above and beyond following a week five bye.
National Football League Draft, and his numbers this season corroborate that prediction. The Tigers have two statement wins that are less impressive in hindsight, against Clemson University and the University of Florida, but are still generally considered to be one of the best teams in the nation, partially thanks to Nussmeier’s consistency. Nussmeier is also in the conversation for the Heisman, but will have to somehow separate himself from other Southeastern Conference standouts in the coming weeks, which he can do by continuing to guide the Tigers as they enter conference play.
The University of Miami’s Carson Beck may be the most generic choice for the Heisman, but is still a very reasonable candidate. The Hurricanes are very much in the race to be the best team in the country, and it’s historically common for the quarterback of the best team in the nation to win. Among the teams at the top of the Associated Press Top 25, Beck probably has the best shot to win between himself, Ohio State University sophomore Julian Sayin and University of Georgia redshirt junior Gunner Stockton, thanks to having the most experience of the group and a slightly better strength of schedule.
The lone non-quarterback that has produced Heisman-level numbers is the University of Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy, who has been a defining factor for a team that is usually towards the bottom of the Southeastern Conference. Hardy is an intense running back best known for his elite balance and ability to keep moving through contact. The undefeated Tigers padded their record after beating the winless University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen at home in a 42-6 blowout, in which Hardy singlehandedly had more yards and touchdowns than the entire UMass team combined. Mizzou faces a hot Alabama team at home next week, which gives Hardy a chance to perform against his toughest competition of the season so far.
ander of the Thunder. The 2024-25 MVP race indicated a growing emphasis on the importance of statistics and winning percentages. As such, there are more than a few candidates for MVP this year.
Injured Players: Unfortunately, there are names that would’ve been serious contenders this year if not for injuries or other factors that have removed them from the season. Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid both fall into this category. Tatum of the Boston Celtics suffered a torn Achilles during a playoff game against the New York Knicks which will probably keep him from returning for most of, if not all of next season. Tatum has put up increasingly impressive numbers during his time in the league, yet his MVP-caliber season has remained just out of reach. If his productivity continues once he comes back, we should anticipate at least one more championship team led by him. The Philadelphia 76ers’ star Joel Embiid has already had a career riddled with injuries, as well as a previous MVP season. Embiid’s craft and precision on the court is well-known, and he is often called one of the most skilled centers of all time, but questions have arisen about his
The only preseason candidate that has really proven himself to be a frontrunner is University of Oklahoma’s John Mateer. Mateer transferred to OU after an impressive 2024 season with the Washington State University Cougars, and has been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation to start the year. He has two wins against high-quality teams in the forms of Auburn University and the University of Michigan. Unfortunately, Mateer suffered a broken hand in the game against Auburn, which required a surgery that will put Mateer on the bench indefinitely. Although a very concerning development for his Heisman hopes, his operation was apparently such a success that the Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma issued an official commendation to the surgeon who performed the surgery. There is no timeline for when Mateer will return, but it seems like it will be sooner rather than later.
In my opinion, the most convincing case belongs to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has led the University of Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated start, all while throwing just a single interception compared to 16 touchdowns. Mendoza’s resume also includes a 63-10 dismantling of the ninth-ranked University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Indiana entered week five as the #11 ranked team in the nation and was able to fend off Iowa in a close 20-15 win, far less gracefully than they had handled their previous games.
Louisiana State University’s Garrett Nussmeier is a candidate to be selected first overall in the 2026
The most remarkable candidate to emerge is the University of Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss, who joined the Rebels after transferring from Division-II Ferris State University. Originally the backup, Chambliss has started following an injury to starting quarterback Austin Simmons. In his limited action, Chambliss has catapulted himself into the Heisman conversation after incredibly efficient games against the University of Arkansas and Tulane University, in each of which he threw for over 300 yards without an interception. Even after Simmons was taken off of the injured list this week against LSU, Chambliss still started the game and was able to knock off Garrett Nussmeier and the previously undefeated Tigers for their most defining win of the season. If Chambliss continues at this pace, Ole Miss will almost certainly make the College Football Playoff.
The dark horse candidates include Georgia Institute of Technology’s Haynes King, University of Oregon’s Dante Moore and University of Alabama’s Ty Simpson, all of whom have led their ranked squads to wins against other strong teams. All of these players have been gaining traction in conversations around the Heisman Award despite their lack of press and lower expectations coming into the season. Georgia Tech eked out an overtime win this week at Wake Forest University, with King needing every single one of his 243 passing yards and three touchdowns to get their first in-conference win of the season. King will need to be more careful following his week six bye to preserve their undefeated status. Oregon willed their way against
Waltham, Mass.
Long time assistant coach Matthew Zich transitions to a full time role.
SCREAM: A Brandeis fencer passionately competes at a match.
Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS ATHLETICS.
MEN'S SOCCER
The Brandeis men's soccer team defeated John Carroll University 1-0 on Sept 27.
Photos:
JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Candidates
CONTINUED FROM 10
Pennsylvania State University in a double-overtime classic on the road against #3 ranked Penn State to earn their most important win of the year so far. Moore and the Ducks have the momentum heading into their week six game against Fernando Mendoza and Indiana. Simpson and the Crimson Tide also had a defining win on the road against the fifth-ranked University of Georgia, going for three touchdowns in the first half to get back on track after a shaky start to the season. Alabama heads on the road to challenge Ahmad Hardy and the Missouri Tigers next week.
Several upsets have also made the Heisman race even more contentious. Following Florida State University’s loss in a double-overtime thriller to the University of Virginia, FSU’s Heisman hopeful quarterback Thomas Castellanos now has a rough loss to an unranked team. Clemson University quarterback Cade Klubnik is in a similar position, with the Tigers opening their year with losses to unranked Syracuse University and Georgia Tech. Klubnik and Clemson’s lone win comes in the form of only barely beating Troy University in a game Clemson had to pay Troy $1.5 Million to play.
The reason this Heisman race feels so different is due to the lack of narrative. In previous years, there were a few players who had both the story and numbers to lay their claim on the award. The 2024 season featured several players who fit this description. The University of ColoradoBoulder’s Travis Hunter was making headlines for being
one of the best cornerbacks and wide receivers in the nation at the same time. Boise State University’s running back Ashton Jeanty was putting up some of the most impressive stat lines in the country on a weekly basis. We don’t have any of that this year. The players with the most hype have all fallen short in the few games that they have played this season. University of Florida sophomore DJ Lagway was expected to be dominant, but instead has more interceptions than touchdowns for the 1-3 Gators. The aforementioned Arch Manning has shown concerning throwing mechanics and made mistakes reading defenses that have cost his team. Without any record-breaking performances, unique skill sets or true dominance to be found yet this season, the Heisman really is up for grabs this season. With what we’ve seen so far, I believe that the most likely narratives that will be spun surround Trinidad Chambliss and John Mateer. Chambliss is the ultimate underdog story: despite being an unranked recruit out of high school, starting his college career at a Division-II school and being benched for the first two games, he still found a way to be at the top of the sport. Career arcs like this are more common nowadays, but Chambliss has overcome more than any other candidate this season. Mateer could also be seen as overcoming an obstacle in the form of his broken hand, but he’ll have an uphill battle to face to beat out other candidates statistically after missing games. However, the season is only just ramping up, and conference play should prove who will earn the 2025-26 Heisman Award.
NBA: Potential winners
CONTINUED FROM 10
ability to stay healthy. Last year he dealt with a continued issue with his knees removing him from most games and although he is projected to start this October, skepticism of his consistency remains.
Wild Cards:
Now there are younger options who could have explosive growth and surprise everyone with a meteoric rise. For example, Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama are potential rising stars. Known for his strong candor on and off the court, Edwards has already shown impressive growth in his career. Already a strong slasher, he made noticeable strides in 3-point shooting last season, going from 35.7% on 6.7 attempts in the 23-24 season to 39.5% on 10.3 attempts. If he has developed more of his defense or passing this offseason to the same degree as his 3-point shooting, he could absolutely have a shot at MVP.
The San Antonio Spurs’ standout rookie Wembanyama is a bit of an enigma. He is touted as one of the greatest prospects of all time and his numbers support it. The young Frenchman standing at 7 feet 3 inches, had one of the greatest rookie seasons ever, averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and a whopping 3.6 blocks per game. Last season saw a small jump with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 3.8 blocks, a great two way performance, but unfortunately his season was cut short due to injury. With Wembanyama it’s not a question of if he will win MVP, but rather when it will happen. Next season still seems too early in his career, but his off-season journey has certainly been entertaining to watch. He has studied chess in France, meditated with Shaolin monks and trained with seasoned NBA veterans including Jamal Crawford, Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwon. The Wembanyama of next season could be entirely different than the Wembanyama of last.
Second Place:
Next are the runner-ups — the players who are always in the conversation but haven’t been able to beat Jokić or Gilgeous-Alexander: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic. Antetokounmpo has already had two MVPs with his time on the Milwaukee Bucks, and they were great seasons, but since then he has had multiple years where he has surpassed those numbers in every category. This begs the question, what is keeping him from winning another Michael Jordan Trophy? Unfortunately, the motives of the MVP voters are unknown, but Antetokounmpo’s numbers are still as impressive as ever. It could only take a small push to get another high caliber season.
Doncicć has had lots of press coverage as of late, being a part of one of the biggest trades in NBA history last January. Doncicć is known as an all around great offensive play-
er and he has already had MVP-caliber seasons. His 23-24 statline is one of the most impressive point guard seasons of all time, averaging almost a 34 point triple double and taking his fifth seeded Dallas Mavericks to the playoffs. It’s also the highest average points-per-game season if you take away points made from free throws since the NBA merger in 1976. However, his numbers have taken a significant dip since his injury and subsequent trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, only averaging 28 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists. While these are still incredible stats, they do pale in comparison to his previous numbers. With Doncicć, one must simply hope we see a return to form sooner rather than later.
First Place:
Then, of course, there are the obvious candidates: Jokić and the previous MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander had a groundbreaking season, averaging 33 points and leading the Thunder to their first title in franchise history. A big part of his MVP ticket was his team's success in the regular season, finishing with a record of 68 wins and 14 losses as the first seed in the West. Gilgeous-Alexander is a generational offensive talent and the Thunder is a team composed of solid young role players still in the beginning of their careers, so a significant amount of success is expected of them this year.
Jokić has been at the top of the MVP ladder for five years now, an unseen level of dominance in the modern era with the only exception being LeBron James. Jokicć is easily the best and most likely option for MVP and the only things getting in the way are off the court factors. First off, he just doesn’t care. This wouldn’t be a problem seeing as his off the court comments don’t seem to affect his impressive numbers at all, but it does influence the voters’ perception of him.
At the end of the day, what really matters is what the voters think and if they have a negative opinion of Jokicć then they won’t want to give him his flowers. He has also already won the award three times and questions have arisen of voter fatigue. Are people just bored of seeing Jokicćhave the top spot again and again? In my opinion, he is always an entertaining player to watch, and he has an overall good effect on basketball. He has changed the idea of what a center can do on an NBA court and that’s why he is my pick for MVP next year.
— Editor's Note: Due to software constraints, Luka Doncic is missing accents over boh the c's , and Nikola Jokic is missing an accent over the c.
Hamilton talks about Roscoe's death
■ Lewis Hamilton's dog, Roscoe, passed away this week from pneumonia.
By ELIZABETH LIU JUSTICE ASSOCIATE EDITOR
On Monday, Oct. 29, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton shared with fans in an Instagram post that his beloved dog, Roscoe Hamilton, had passed away.
Ever since his adoption in 2013, the bulldog has been a staple in the F1 paddock and award ceremonies, being photographed almost equally as much as the drivers. Roscoe lived a lavish lifestyle with the now Ferrari driver, as he originally suffered from several health problems affecting his breathing and walking, then being perma-
nently switched to a plant based diet after Hamilton noticed it resulted in an improvement of his overall health.
On occasion getting featured on the official F1 socials, many fans have come to know and love Roscoe, with his own instagram account amassing 1.4 million followers. His username @ roscoelovescoco is a tribute to his bulldog sister Coco, who died in 2020 due to heart problems. The celebrity pet became a fixture next to Hamilton’s side for the last twelve years, attending many grand prix each year.
After withdrawing from a Pirelli test of the 2026 tires, Hamilton announced that Roscoe had caught pneumonia in a Sept. 26 Instagram post. After being admitted into a hospital, Roscoe’s heart had stopped while under sedation and was in a coma after being resuscitated. Hamilton asked to “Please keep Roscoe in your thoughts” and thanked his fans
for their prayers and support.
On Sept. 29, Hamilton shared in an emotional instagram post that Roscoe had died in his arms after a four day battle on life support. He shared, “I feel so grateful and honoured to have shared my life with such a beautiful soul, an angel and true friend. Bringing Roscoe into my life was the best decision I ever made, and I will forever cherish the memories we created together.” He continued to share his experience on the hard decision of putting a pet to sleep and thanked fans for being able to witness and feel all for the special love and support shown to Roscoe over the years. Hamilton is still set to be back driving for Ferrari at the Singapore Grand Prix this upcoming weekend. While the racing may return back to normal, the F1 community will continue to mourn this devastating loss.
Since 1984, Broadway In Boston has been enchanting audiences, touring many Tony Award winning shows in some of Boston’s oldest and most acclaimed theaters. The 202526 season is no different, with this fall’s show being the historical “Hamilton.” Written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton” has become a cultural phenomenon within the theater sphere. Broadway In Boston’s adaptation of this one-of-a-kind, historical musical not only pays homage to the original, but brings its own creative flair to the show. Starring Tyler Fauntleroy as Alexander Hamilton, Lauren Mariasoosay as Eliza Hamilton and Deont’e Goodman as Aaron Burr, this cast really puts on a show to remember.
From Broadway-quality sets, to costumes identical to the originals, Broadway In Boston turns Boston’s theater district into its own Times Square. The cast does an incredible job at bringing their own adaptations to already known characters while still honoring the integrity of the original script. One finds it hard not to compare the original Broadway cast to that of the Broadway In Boston cast, but these shows are their own entities. The actors and actresses in this iteration of “Hamilton” bring their own emotional depth to this show which I had the pleasure of seeing on September 28th. One of the most touching moments of the show is Marja Harmon’s adaptation of “It’s Quiet Uptown.” As she fully embodies Angelica Schuyler’s older sister mentality, you can feel the passion in her voice. What strikes many is the quiet mourning that Harmon conveys to the entire audience. You can feel this heavy air in the theater, this silent beauty, as she sings not only to her fellow cast but to all of those in the audience who have lost a loved one. This moment in the show feels like a break in the fourth wall as her voice reaches the farthest audience members.
Throughout “Hamilton” you can feel the principles of freedom so integral to the show emanating from the cast. One example of this is the comic relief that Christain Magby brings to his portrayal of Marquis De Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. Magby brings a quiet confidence to his roles while also honoring Daveed Diggs’ original portrayal of these characters. Diggs carries himself with a kind of fun bravado that Magby is able to emanate while also showcasing his own interpretation of the character. It’s almost like he is letting the audience in on these little inside jokes that even the other characters aren’t a part of. This cast wants their audience to go on the journey of the show with them. You feel as though you are a part of this show from the moment you sit in your seats to when final bows are taken. Vocals and acting aside, the sets are accurate to the original yet original in their own right. Since this show spends time touring the country, sets are not as developed as a sedentary Broadway production. While Broadway In Boston’s
CULTURAL CENSORSHIP
“Hamilton” may lack fully developed sets, it does a great job utilizing what sets it has. The cast uses all of the sets to their full capacity and is thus able to conquer the whole space on the stage.
In 2015, when Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” first hit Broadway’s stages, it was instantly solidified as a classic. What is most striking about the Broadway In Boston rendition is how the cast and crew are able to honor Miranda’s creation while also breathing new life into the production. Actors and actresses bring fresh takes to known characters and new notes to beloved songs. As the curtains close on Broadway In Boston’s “Hamilton,” this cast leaves a lasting impression on their audience and a new love for a classic Broadway production.
W ill A rt S urvive ? t he K ennedy C enter A nd S mith S oni A n under t rump
By ALICE NGUYEN JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Since President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office, he’s taken on a great number of responsibilities.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has been a cultural and artistic hub for decades, hosting some of the most iconic theater, music and dance performances. Being located in Washington, D.C, the Kennedy Center has historically been governed by the White House.
After the start of President Trump’s second term, Trump immediately sought to seize control of the Kennedy Center. Within a month of his inauguration, he moved to dismiss 18 Kennedy Center board members — all of whom were appointed by former President Joe Biden — and removed the Center’s president, Deborah Rutter. Shortly after, Trump filled the board with members of his own staff and selected Richard Grenell to be the Center’s new president. After installing the board members and president, Trump was then elected to be the chairman by said staff.
Since its opening, the Kennedy Center has been able to maintain a bipartisan Board of Trustees through a process in which the current president appoints only some board members. Through these methods, it ensures that the programming of the arts remains independent of partisan politics. The center has always prioritized artistic autonomy above government ideology, so the dismissal of the democratic staff directly opposes the center’s fundamental values. Moreover, this loss no longer guarantees the nonpartisan programming that has been in place since 1958.
Following the purge in leadership at the Kennedy Center, Trump’s next step was to transform the programming by “removing wokeness.” His biggest critique of the performances was that they were too “woke,” and thus served as “anti-American propaganda” — these comments were in response to past drag shows that were hosted at the venue. Trump has been vocal on this issue in hopes that his takeover will result in a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
These threats, coupled with the reconstruction of the center’s staff, have led to backlash from the public and the performers. The most notable oppositions have been from the cast of the Broadway Musical “Hamilton” and Rhiannon Giddens, all of whom refused to perform at the Kennedy Center due to the political interference of the Trump administration. Moreover, the venue has experienced great internal and financial disruptions from the public boycott. As a result, ticket sales and subscription revenue have dropped significantly. Allegedly, profits have decreased by 36% due to the boycott.
In response to public uproar, Grenell has doubled down and accused the former board of falsely reporting $26 million of revenue. The former Board of Trustees and Rutter have refuted the allegations by defending their accounting practices.
The Kennedy Center hasn’t been the only victim of the Trump takeover; the current administration has been attempting to dismantle the Smithsonian institutions in tandem. Inspired by scientist James Smithson, the organization was initially formed to increase the diffusion of knowledge. Exemplified in the fact that the Smithsonian Institution makes up the largest museum, education and research complex in the world. As a whole, the Smithsonian is a knowledge hub that exhibits America’s history, culture and development.
In March of this year, Trump signed an executive order demanding drastic changes to the Smithsonian, several museums, the national zoo and more. For the Smithsonian in particular, he ordered the removal of any “anti-American ideology” or “divisive narratives.” The mandate stated that any federal appropriation to the Smithsonian should prohibit spending on content that “degrade[s] shared American values, divide[s] Americans on race, or promote[s] ideologies inconsistent with federal policy.”
Afterward, the executive order evolved into a letter from the White House informing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch that they would be conducting a full internal review of exhibitions and materials across its museums. This entailed scheduled documented reviews, on-site walkthroughs and detailed interviews. Following this process, the institutions were expected to start “content corrections” by replacing “ideologically driven language” with more “unifying, historically accurate, constructive descriptions.” Museums were expected to submit updated plans as soon as possible. Although the administration didn’t single out any particular artist, based on what they flagged, it’s clear that Trump wishes to remove artwork that highlights Black, Latino and Queer perspectives.
Since the demands from the administration, there have been notable reforms. First, Trump pressured Kim Sajet, longtime director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, to resign. When providing an explanation for this decision, Trump cited Sajet’s support for Diversity, Equity Inclusion and called her a “highly partisan person.” In addition, the Smithsonian
removed any reference to Trump’s prior impeachments from one of the prominent displays at the National Museum of American History. However, the institution claims that these changes were made to comply with the internal reviews and they will return to their original display soon. Fortunately, these injustices haven’t gone unnoticed by the public; visitors, historians, legal groups and artists have been vocal against these changes. The leading concerns have regarded the risks of whitewashing history and erasing the significance of racial inequality. In addition, the Congressional Black Caucus and several other organized groups have condemned the Trump administration for its attempts to limit and reinterpret racial history. In response, the Smithsonian leadership has made a statement that reaffirms their commitment to scholarship and integrity while simultaneously complying with the White House’s demands.
When hearing about Trump’s assault on the arts and history, one might initially feel unperturbed: there are more pressing matters at hand. While the censure of culture may not feel like a crisis, this could be an early sign that America is heading towards fascism. Attacks on independent institutions, suppression of opposition and dissenting artists, information control and politicization of cultural spaces are paradigms of a fascist regime.
In the Soviet Union, Stalin utilized art in political spaces as propaganda and dissenting voices were financially punished; Trump attempted to remove artwork that doesn’t agree with him and his staff falsely accused previous curators of fraud. In fascist Italy, Benito Mussolini saw art as a tool to push his nationalist views; Trump chooses to promote art that agrees with his patriotic and conservative ideals and opposes all else. In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler banned “degenerate art” which encapsulated modernist, leftist and Jewish art; Trump is targeting art created by racial minorities or members of the LGBTQ+ community.
It’s easy to become absorbed in the dissent of art or the political intrusion of scholarship, but it’s crucial to focus on the bigger picture: the erosion of democratic norms. Culture is essential for independent thought, diversity and democracy. Once art is being silenced or promoted for political means, it threatens the government we rely on and society as a whole. When art is being expunged, culture and history are being manipulated. When art is manipulated, collective memory is at stake, and when we lack history, fascist regimes are able to seize control of the past and subsequently the present.
Instead of lying dormant, I urge everyone to engage with the arts, preserve history and take action when cultural freedom is threatened.
Design: MAEVE COAKLEY/The Justice.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS.
LOOKING BACK ON NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
By ELLIE HARRIS JUSTICE SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Spanning from Sept. 11 to Sept. 16 was New York Fashion Week. This semiannual event kicks off fashion month. NYFW is followed by all the other fashion capitals — London, Milan and Paris. These four events shape women’s wear for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.
During NYFW, which is organized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, over 60 designers showcased their collections. For celebrities, the parties, fashion shows and presentations were the place to see and be seen. For Chloe Malle, the new head of editorial content at American Vogue, this was her first major event since taking over for Anna Wintour.
Although New York is the most recent city to become a major fashion capital, NYFW dictates the clothes we all wear, whether we’re shopping on Fifth Avenue or Amazon. New York became a fashion capital in 1943, when the other European fashion capitals were understandably preoccupied with World War II. It was originally called “Press Week” and was founded to be an opportunity for American designers to showcase their work. Since then, it has taken extremely famous American designers out of obscurity. Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta, both long standing pillars of the fashion industry, got their start at NYFW. The event still showcases primarily American designers and is also known for featuring emerging designers and brands. It is one of America’s strongest cultural exports, making an event that might seem shallow on the surface extremely important in creating and showcasing American artistry on a global stage.
This year in September’s New York Fashion Week, labels swung on a pendulum of readyto-wear clothing full of simplistic elegance to vibrant, maximalist clothing, which while gorgeous to look at may need to be watered down for consumer usage. More well-known brands such as Calvin Klein and Michael Kors showed muted collections, full of neutral tones and loose fabrics.
Like all art forms, fashion can be political. Even when there aren’t overt political phrases on the backs of dresses, the clothes we put on our bodies always have a deeper meaning.
This year, NYFW leaned into showing off cultural heritage and advocacy.
Designer Brandon Maxwell had the first event, where he showed his tenth collection which paid homage to his Texan heritage. The brand Theophilio, founded in 2020 and based in Brooklyn, displayed a colorful collection inspired by founder Edvin Thompson’s Jamaican and American heritage.
Meanwhile, designers Rachel Antonoff and Susan Alexandra had all of their models walk down the runway with a shelter dog to promote adoptions. Runway 7 partnered with Project Lab Coat to advocate for Lyme disease, all proceeds from their show went to funding Lyme disease research and education on the ailment.
Many people were upset about a lack of diversity on runways as well as a lack of body inclusivity.
But beyond the glamour and politics of NYFW, the clothes and accessories shown determine the next trends. Retailers from all over the world and at all price ranges will be taking inspiration, and in a few months, the clothes we shop for will be the result of September 2025 NYFW.
MAGICAL MOVIES
Here’s what we can expect: according to Vogue Scandinavia and Harper’s Bazaar, butter yellow will be replaced by pink (the exact shade to be determined) and bright red as the new colors of the season. Black and white contrasts, loose silhouettes and trench coats will also be popular. Many designers showcased more unembellished designs that are ready to wear but with unique features. Polka dots, which were trending over the summer, will remain popular, having made an appearance at the Khatie collection. Other designers like Tory Burch showcased sequins and feathers. Silk scarves and statement pendants on jewelry are also continuing to trend. These are some of the many trends showcased a few weeks ago during one of fashion’s biggest annual events. In a few months we’ll see these trends appear for spring and summer. The next NYFW will happen in February, where we will see the emergence of women’s wear for fall and winter of 2026 and 2027.
An inconceivAble Afternoon: “the Princess bride” in concert
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the Boston Pops Orchestra began their “In Concert” series, where the renowned musicians perform a film’s score in time with its projection, with a showing of Rob Reiner’s 1987 classic “The Princess Bride.” The next day, at the Sept. 14 matinee experience, swaths of young families, cinephiles and Bostonians flocked into the symphony hall. Children dressed as the main characters Westley and Buttercup ran through the aisles while older groups of friends sipped wine, reminiscing about seeing the film in their youth.
For those uninitiated, “The Princess Bride” is a cult classic following a young boy being read the titular novel by his visiting grandfather. The boy wants nothing to do with romance, princesses and worst of all, kissing. Though his grandfather promises to tell a tale of pirates, poison and giants. With hesitation, the boy agrees to the story and we enter the kingdom of Florin to meet Buttercup and Westley, who are each other’s true love. Though, when Westley is thought to be dead, Buttercup is promised to marry the dastardly Prince Humperdinck and kidnapped by a trio of foes. What ensues are fantastical sword fights, schemes and miracles made all the more daring when backed by live orchestration.
Fanning out from across the stage, the sounds of brass, percussion and string instruments fill the room as the initial credits and title sequence begins. In this section, the film’s overture taunts the audience with what is to come as brash drum beats fade into subtle violin swells. Then, the title card itself appears to raucous applause. In this moment the film becomes transcendent; the audience is a character of this showing with our power to interact with the tangibility of the orchestra.
The simple fact of the music being performed live before you does make an impact. Each pluck of a string or raised hand of the conductor is noticeable. Most amazing was how moments of pure silence came in and out. The sharp freezing of violinists, cellists and bassists or the quick lowering of trumpets and trombones was almost jolting. Yet the slow rise back into performing positions announced the return of the ethereal score before a single note is ever played.
Unique to film scores is the necessary timing of actor
By IYLA LICHTENFELD JUSTICE NEWS EDITOR
movements to sounds. In a scene where Buttercup falls off of a boat and is surrounded by shrieking eels, the large bang of a drum hits just as Fezzik the giant’s hand comes down on one of the creatures saving the princess.
Similarly, in one of the more memorable moments in the film, the world’s greatest fencer, Inigo Montoya, faces off with his father’s killer, the six-fingered man. Chasing the man, Inigo runs down a winding staircase until bam! Trumpets and drums align with a sword entering Inigo’s torso. In shock, the six-fingered man strikes him again to more chilling trumpet blares. Even if the audience has seen the scene before, the sonic barbarity is enhanced by the intimate sounds.
Nonetheless, there are moments the orchestra seemed to slip away and the actors on screen commanded the room. The Miracle Max segment is the clearest example of such because when Billy Crystal, playing Max, began fussing over Westley’s “mostly-dead” body, the audience erupted in laughter. For the entirety of the not-more-than-10 minutes scene, to glance away from Crystal to the orchestra would be sacrilege for any die-hard fan of “The Princess Bride.”
The work of conductor Keith Lockhart is commendable for his ability to organize the more-than-two-hour show. Though in his 30th year with the Boston Pops, Lockhart is a symbol of the skill and dedication of the musicians. Since the mid-1990s, Lockhart has also collaborated with actor Mandy Patinkin, who plays Inigo Montoya in “The Princess Bride.” However, Patinkin has been a friend of the Boston Pops since the late 1980s, performing as a vocalist on and off with his last showing in the 2015-16 eason. While not necessarily the reason the film was chosen as part of the “In Concert” series, the films chosen always seem to bear a significance to the orchestra. In fact, on Oct. 30 and 31, the Pops have chosen to perform “Hocus Pocus,” which takes place nearly next door in Salem, Massachusetts, and the original film version of “The Phantom of the Opera,” a clear homage to theatre musicians. Hopefully, this series continues season after season as the perfect experiential intersection for cinephiles and music lovers alike.
Photos: Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS. Design: MAEVE COAKLEY/The Justice.
